Bible Reading:  Judges 17 & 18

Coming Into Our Inheritance

1 Cor. 10:6 says “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.”  This is speaking of the things that happened to the nation of Israel, and I think the principle applies to everything that was written about them, not just the examples given in 1 Cor. 10.

As I have been reading through the book of Judges I am amazed anew at how the Israelites failed to follow through on what God had told them, and how they digressed time and time again to worshiping idols.  A couple things stand out to me in today’s reading.  First, Judges 17:6:  “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.”   And in 18:1 (also 19:1):  “In those days Israel had no king.”  They had rejected God from being their king. Their great leader, Joshua, had died, and after the elders who outlived Joshua died, God raised up a series of judges to lead them back to Himself (Judges 2:16) and deliver them from their oppressors, but as soon as that judge died they reverted back to idolatry. 

In Judges 17 a man named Micah set up a shrine with silver idols and got a young Levite to be a priest.  The Danites came along and stole Micah’s idols and enticed his priest to be their priest.  God had set aside the tribe of Levi to do the work of the tabernacle but only descendants of Aaron of that tribe were ordained to be priests. Judges 18:30 says this priest was the son of Gershom, the son of Moses.  In reality, he was not a priest at all. And of course a true Levite priest would not be a priest for idols.  It shows how far Israel had wandered away from the truth while the truth was in their midst.  The house of God was in Shiloh!!  (18:31)

Judges 18:1 says “the Danites were seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.”  That is mind boggling.  Over 300 years had passed since Israel entered the land God had promised them and this tribe, the Danites, were still wandering around looking for a place to settle.  Joshua 19:49 and Judges 1:34 talks about different places that were given to them for their inheritance but they had difficulty taking possession of their territory, and in another area were confined to the hill country.  Perhaps the Danites in today’s reading were one portion of the tribe of Dan, but in either case it still is amazing that after 300 years they, or some of them, didn’t have a permanent dwelling place.  Joshua chided the tribes in Joshua 18 them for not going in and taking their inheritance.

There are things that the Lord promises to believers as our inheritance:  a new life (2 Cor. 5:17), an abundant life (John 10:10), joy (Psa. 16:11), peace (John 14:27), fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:25) just to name a few.  But there are many Christians who haven’t tapped into their inheritance.  What hinders?  Perhaps like the Danites, not conquering “kings” in their lives.  Has something set itself up as king in your life and you have been unable to conquer it?  Jesus said all authority (power) has been given to Him (Matt. 28:18).  Just tap into Jesus and let him conquer those kings for you.  The Danites set up idols for themselves while the true place of worship was in Shiloh.  Do you have an idol set up in your life that hinders you from complete worship of God?  An idol is anything that is supreme in your life over Jesus Christ; anything that comes between you and worship of God. 

Don’t be like the Israelites where everyone did what was right in their own eyes without following the precepts God had for them.  Let Jesus be the king in your life.  Don’t wander through life without coming into your inheritance in Christ.

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman

Comments

1 John 4

Everywhere I go I see hearts, balloons, chocolate and flowers. It is that time of the year. The time where love is in the air, everywhere I look around; love is in the air, every sight and sound. Then the Grinch comes out. Some people think I am a scrooge around Christmas which I maintain is completely not true, but I will admit that I have great disdain for Valentine’s Day. Most of which I blame my father for who is also a scrooge around the commercialized holiday. In fact one of my friends asked what I was doing for Valentine’s day this year and I maintained that I had no idea what he was talking about that I was going to be at home or at the gym like any normal night and I would not give into single’s awareness day.

That night I went home and like usual when I am a scrooge about something God came and convicted me. Apparently I was sleeping through the Sunday school lesson but God is all about love. In fact he is not just all about love and it’s not just one of his characteristics, but he is love. 1 John 4:7-12 says:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

God is all about Valentine’s Day just not necessarily the world’s version of it. God in fact does not want it to just be one day a year that we celebrate, but 365 days of the year. “In this is love…” God loved us long before we ever loved him, in fact verse 19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” It is only through the love of God that we have the ability to love God and love others. Most all of you know “the love chapter” of the Bible but go take a look at 1 Corinthians 13 again and meditate on the way God loves us and how we should love others as a result of that love.

This Valentine’s Day, do not be a scrooge. Take some time to love God and love someone else whether a friend, family member, significant other or a perfect stranger. Have a date night with God. When you love someone you spend time with them and not just time around other people, but one on one time. So light some candles put on some worship music and spend time getting to know God through his Word and in prayer. You no longer need to feel dateless this week you’ve got the best date there is a date with Love Himself.

Live Life Extraordinary,

Alayna

Comments

Bible Reading:  John 15

Abide In Him

In John 15 Jesus uses the analogy of a vine with branches to illustrate an aspect of our relationship with him.  He said he is the vine and we are the branches.  Perhaps he was traveling with his disciples (their mode of travel was walking) and they passed a vineyard.  Jesus often used something common and ordinary to teach spiritual truths so he used the vine to teach his disciples as they were walking along.

Vines and trees have to be pruned regularly if they are to continue to bear an abundant crop and Jesus said “every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”  Sometimes branches have shoots that start growing off them that do not produce fruit and if they are allowed to stay on the branch they suck the sap out of the branch that feeds the productive part of the branch.  These branches are called suckers and are of no value.  Those are the parts that are cut off as well as parts that have died and are no longer producing.  

The analogy is obvious.  We can have things in our lives that are not beneficial and do not produce fruit, the fruit of the Spirit.  They are like suckers in our lives and need to be lopped off just as the suckers on a vine or tree need to be lopped off.  All these things do is suck the spiritual life out of us and take away from our productiveness. Those can be different for each person.  If you ask the Lord to show you what things are hindering you, he will be faithful to point them out to you.  Then you can submit them to him and allow the Holy Spirit to prune you.

In verse 5 Jesus says “If a man (woman) remains in me and I in him he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  Continuing with the analogy of the vine and branches, you can’t cut a branch off a tree or vine and set it some place by itself and expect that it will produce fruit.  All it will do is die.  The only way we will bear the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23 – love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) is to stay connected to Christ and the Holy Spirit will begin to produce that fruit in us.

Fruit is produced by abiding in Jesus, not by struggling or striving.  A fruit tree doesn’t go through agony, groan or struggle to bring forth fruit on its branches.  It produces fruit by having it roots firmly planted in the soil and getting adequate water and nutrients.  One year my son and daughter-in-law gave me a prune tree.  About the third year it was loaded with blossoms and began to form the new fruit. I was excited about the fruit we were going to get that year.  Then something began to happen.  The leaves started to wilt and the fruit started to wither.  I couldn’t understand what was happening.  My husband checked on it and gave the tree a little push.  It toppled right over. We weren’t sure exactly what happened, but evidently a disease, some bug or varmint got into the root system and destroyed it so when my husband pushed on the tree it just fell over.  It was in the process of dying.  We need to stay attached to Christ – abide in him – so we will produce fruit without struggle.  It will be something that comes forth out of our relationship with him.  That’s the only way you can really bear fruit.

Ask the Lord to show you if you have areas he wants to prune,, and then stay abiding in him and watch the fruit grow.

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman

Comments

            A couple weeks ago I was opening up an account for a client who had just moved to San Diego from Tennessee. He did not know anyone out here, no family or friends in San Diego, but had moved here to attend law school at Thomas Jefferson. As we talked he expressed how lost he felt out here without anyone he already knew. He said, “You never realize how hard it is to make friends as an adult until you do not have anyone and you are forced to make brand new friends.” At the end of the conversation he somewhat jokingly asked me if I’d be his friend. While we laughed at the moment of how silly it sounded I couldn’t help but think that that is how simple it should be. The past couple weeks I’ve really been challenged by that conversation and the concept of fellowship as we know it.

            When thinking about fellowship I often think about the scripture in Hebrews 10:25 which talks about not neglecting the gathering together of saints. This scripture always causes me to think of fellowship in the context of a Sunday service and of what we do before or after a service with people. Sometimes I mistake fellowship for just kickin’ back and hanging out with people, but then from what I read of the early church that can’t be it either. Acts 2: 42-47 says:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

When I read that I think that fellowship is so much more than we has a church universally have let it be. When I looked up the definition of fellowship it talked about it being communion between members of the same church another definition said friendliness between Christians.

            I love comparing fellowship to communion. Too often we only think of communion as the dry wafter thing and the thimble of grape juice taken once a month. When communion took place in the Bible it was the breaking of bread with another. Inviting someone to your table was one of the most intimate and close things you could do with a person because it was considered being in covenant with that other person. Communion with another wasn’t a surface level interaction, a “hi, how’s it going, have a great day” conversation but it was a deeper connection. In Acts 2 it says they broke bread and prayed together. Fellowship is about connecting with people and praying with each other. They cared for each other’s needs. When there was a need in the body of Christ they helped meet in and they did not just limit church to what took place in the temple but they invited each other into their homes and were generous and thankful for what God was doing.

            This is a picture of what fellowship in the church body should look like. Really fellowship is friendship but in a greater way. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” As we enter into true friendship and fellowship with one another, we will be able to love another more fully. Because of our love for one another others will know that we are followers of Christ. I love the last verse of Acts 2, “...and the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”

            If we are to be effective Christians we must be willing to get out of our comfort zones, enter into true fellowship and make a new friend. Sing with me now, “Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.”

            This week I challenge you to make a new friend. Invite someone to lunch or to have coffee that you have not yet connected with on a deeper level and let us know how it goes!

Live Life Extraordinary,

Alayna

Comments

Daniel 3

Wow Church, what an unexpected yet amazing 2 weeks this has been! Even though we have gone through a difficult season with the arson God continues to overwhelm us with HIS blessings and goodness.

Last weekend our “What If” Sunday was incredible thanks to all of you. The place was packed with record attendance for 2012. During the service 6 people gave their lives to Jesus Christ and I am still getting lots of reports about the answered prayer’s that have taken place this week.  Who would have thought that less then 2 weeks after the fire we would be experiencing all of this?

When the fire first hit it was a very surreal type of feeling and actually still is a bit from time to time. Two days after the fire I felt the Holy Spirit lead me to Daniel chapter 3 and there we find the story of 3 Hebrew boys who were thrown into a fiery furnace because they would not worship any other god then the true God (pretty good story, you should go and read it). The story is so awesome because even though they were thrown into the fire God protected them and when the other’s looked in they saw them dancing around with Jesus himself. I am so glad that God gave me that word because I feel like we have been dancing right on through the fire with The Lord Jesus Christ by our side.

I know that Jesus will continue do be with us as we continue to dance through this season of Urban Church. I have to keep reminding myself of that because this has been a very time consuming and tedious task for all the staff as we go through all receipts and work with the insurance etc. We know that this season will come to an end but we are not through it yet and this is where we as a church need to continue to pray and give support.

Here are the three main needs we have right now as a church.

1. Finances. Eventually the insurance money will come to us but it is a bit of a lengthy process so this will take time. In addition to that we have had a great relationship with the school and we were able to store all of our stuff on site. We are no longer able to do this and therefore we need to buy a new cargo trailer as well as a vehicle to tow the large trailerTo secure these two things it is going to cost us just over $10,000. Buying these two items will allow us to stay portable as a church making it easy for transportation as well as set up and pack up for the Partners in Ministry.
2. Prayer. We need prayer for wisdom and guidance on where we are toWe can continue to meet in the auditorium we have been meeting in for the last 2 weeks. If we continue to meet in this location we need to get creative with additional space for the children’s ministry, as it is very limited right now. If God would have us move either to another school or to our own facility we need wisdom on how to make this work also. We know that as you continue to pray that God will continue to show us the steps to take.
3. Partners in Ministry. Now more than ever we need Partners in Ministry. Since the beginning of the New Year we have been growing tremendously and with that growth comes new opportunities to serve and we definitely need more people serving rightIf you are already serving in an area then help me by getting more people involved. If you are not yet serving in an area please take a moment this weekend to stop by the information table and find out where you can begin serving.  Three areas I can think of right now where we need more partners in ministry are; Children’s Ministry, Setup/Pack Up Ministry and the Ushers/Greeters Ministry.

Church, thank you so much for all your generosity, prayers and flexibility during this time.  We know that great things are in store for Urban Church in 2012 so let’s keep dancing through the fire knowing that HE is right by our side dancing with us.

Blessings,

Dream Big

Ben Brinkman – Lead Pastor Urban Church

www.lifeaturban.com 

Comments

Bile Reading:  Judges 7 and 8

Example of Humility

Pride!  One of the sneakiest things we all fight against.  Pride can sneak in when we aren’t looking and set up housekeeping before we’re aware of it.  It can rear its ugly head at the strangest moments.  I think leaders need to be especially aware of this and be constantly on the alert.  The dictionary definition of pride is:  a high or inordinateopinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed inbearing, conduct, etc.   Someone might not know that they have a problem with pride until something happens to trigger it. 

Judges 7 and 8 contains the story of Gideon conquering the Midianites who were plaguing Israel.  He sent messengers throughout the tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Zebulun and Napthtali calling them to arms.  A large number of men responded and as they were camped the Lord told Gideon, “You have too many men for me to deliver Midian into your hands.  In order that Israel may not boast against me that her own strength has saved her, announce now to the people, ‘Anyone who trembles with fear may turn back.’”  God wasn’t going to give them a chance to be proud.  So 22,000 men left while 10,000 remained.  The Lord told Gideon he still had too many men, and told him to have the men drink from a stream.  He sent home all the men who got down on their knees to drink, and kept those who scooped water into their hands and lapped the water like a dog.  They were the ones who were constantly on the alert, able to look around while drinking.  (There’s a lesson in that.)

Three hundred men remained, and with those three hundred God gave Israel a great victory.  The Lord caused the men in the Midian camp to turn on each other, and then to flee.  Gideon sent messengers throughout the hill country of Ephraim to come and help and seize the waters of the Jordan ahead of the Midianites.  So that’s what they did and killed two of the Midianite leaders and brought their heads to Gideon.  But they were really irked with Gideon because he hadn’t called them out at the beginning of the battle and they criticized him.

I think Gideon’s handling of the situation showed great leadership and humility.  He answered them, “What have I accomplished compared to you? ……. God gave Oreb and Zeeb, the Midianite leaders, into your hands. What was I able to do compared to you?”  God had enabled Gideon and his 300 men to route a whole army, but Gideon didn’t boast about that, or get the big head, but took a humble attitude toward the Ephraimites and said “Hey, you guys caught the leaders.  What I did was nothing compared to what you guys did.”  With his wise handling of the situation their resentment was calmed and he averted what could have caused a rift in their unity.

The Bible has quite a bit to say about pride.  Prov. 8:13: “To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”  This Scripture says that pride is evil.  Prov. 13:10:  “Pride only breeds quarrels.”  Prov. 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.”  Prove. 29:23: “A man’s pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.” Gideon exemplified a lowly spirit in his dealing with the Ephraimites.  If anyone had something to be proud about, he did, but he recognized that his victory had come because the Lord fought for them, and he wasn’t going to take credit for it when the men of Ephraim got upset.

Do we really stop to think about it?  Pride is evil!!!  Do you want to allow something evil to live in you? God values humility.  Let’s examine ourselves.  Is there a strain of pride lurking any place in our spirit?  Don’t let it get a stronghold.  Grab it by its ugly neck and kick it out.  Pride will bring destruction in your spirit and a rift in your fellowship with God.

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman

Comments

Bible Reading:  Judges 4 and 5

You Never Know What God Will Use

Joshua became the leader of Israel after Moses died, and led the Israelites into the land God had promised them. All of the 12 tribes settled into the portion of the land allotted to them and they were to drive out the inhabitants of those lands.  Most of the tribes did not and they began to intermarry with them and also began following their gods. “They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways.”  Judges 2:19b.  The Lord was very angry with Israel and said he would no longer drive out the other nations.  In fact he said “I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their forefathers did.”  Judges 2:22.

After Joshua died a series of judges were raised up to lead Israel.  While the judge was leading them, they would conquer their enemies.  When the judge died they immediately returned to their evil ways and began serving the Baals and the Asherahs, gods of the other nations.  Another judge would be raised up and the cycle continued.  In Judges 4 Ehud, the judge, had died and the Israelites once again did evil, so they were conquered by Jabin, a Canaanite king.  The commander of his army was Sisera.  After 20 years Israel cried out to the Lord for help and Deborah, a prophetess was raised up. 

Deborah called for Barak and told him that the Lord commanded him to take ten thousand soldiers to Mount Tabor and He would lure Sisera there with his chariots and troops, and the Lord would give them into Barak’s hands. Barak wouldn’t go without Deborah, so Deborah said, “Fine, I’ll go with you, but the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.”  And that’s what happened.  The Lord routed the Canaanite army, they ran for their lives.  Sisera ran to the tent of a woman who he thought was friendly to him, and she killed him while he was asleep by driving a tent peg through his temple.

Have you ever wondered how the Lord routed a whole army?  That statement is made, but no explanation given. Sometimes I like to know how things happen.  In this case Judges 5 gives us a clue in the song that Deborah sang after their victory.  Verse 4 says “the earth shook, the heavens poured, the clouds poured down water.” Then in verse 21 we read “The River Kishon swept them away, the age-old river, the river Kishon.”  What happened was, the Lord sent a powerful storm where the heavens opened up and poured down a gusher; so much so that the river Kishon flooded.  Sisera’s army was caught in the storm and swept away in the flooding river as Israel pursued them.

In this story the Lord used two unlikely sources to bring about a victory:  a woman with a hammer and a tent peg and a storm which flooded a river.  Who but God could think of these things?  Whatever you are facing in your life, don’t discount God’s creative ability to bring something into your situation that will turn things around.  Sometimes we try to figure things out on our own and when we look at situations with our natural minds they seem impossible, insurmountable.  But with God nothing is impossible.  The Canaanites had 900 iron chariots and a large army to go along with them.  These iron chariots often had blades projecting from the spokes of the wheels that could cut soldiers and horses down.  But they were no match for the torrential floods of a river that God caused.

The Israelites were being oppressed.  But when they turned to God he came to their rescue.  I would like to challenge you to not look at your circumstances or at whatever might be oppressing you but look to the creative God that you serve. You never know what God will use to supply your need and answer your prayer. 

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman

Comments

Bible Reading:  Joshua 14:6-15; 17:12-17

Conquer or Whine?

Joshua chapters 12-21 are accounts of the distribution of the land Israel conquered to the various tribes, and I confess, can be boring reading.  I suppose if I had a map and took the time to trace each area outlined it would make more sense.  So, (I’m confessing again), I skip over those parts.  But amongst the list of cities and names of kings conquered, there are real gems of truth.  That’s why I’ve listed just certain scriptures above to go along with today’s devotion.

Joshua 14:6-15 tells about Caleb coming to Joshua and asking for his inheritance.  If you recall, Joshua and Caleb were two of twelve spies sent into Canaan to check it out forty years earlier.  The spies came back with glowing reports of the land and its productiveness, but ten of the spies said in spite of that, the people were too powerful and big for Israel to be able to conquer them.  Joshua and Caleb said they were well able to go in and take the land.  And that was actually God’s plan for them.  Because Israel listened to the bad report of the ten spies they wandered in the wilderness for forty years until all those who refused to go in had died off, including the ten spies. Only Joshua and Caleb were left alive because they believed God!!  Now at the age of 85 Caleb is asking for his inheritance, and not just any flat piece of land.  He wants a mountain!!  He is just as confident in the Lord as he was forty years earlier.  He said “The Lord helping me, I will drive them (the Anakites) out just as he said.” 

What an example of faith and confidence in God, and a great lesson of how God rewards that faith.  Age was not a factor in how he was living.  He said he was just as strong and vigorous as the day Moses had sent them to spy out the land forty years earlier.

Another portion that deserves attention is Joshua 17:12-17.  It also is a contrast to the faith of Caleb.  Half of the tribe of Manasseh had received their inheritance on the east side of the Jordan.  Now the other half of the tribe was to get their inheritance on the west side of the Jordan, but they weren’t able to drive out the Canaanites.  When they grew stronger they did subject them to forced labor.  

Verse 12. 

It is interesting that in verse 14 they are called “the people of Joseph.”  Joseph had two sons – Ephraim and Manasseh.  Their descendants took their place in the tribes of Israel as the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.  I think it’s recorded this way because God is making a point.  Joseph was a man of courage and came against so many obstacles; he didn’t let anything stop him.  But his descendants are complaining that they weren’t given enough land because they were so numerous and that the inhabitants are too powerful for them.  Where was the spirit of Joseph in them?   Instead of giving them more land Joshua said, “If you are so numerous and if the hill country of Ephraim is too small for you, go up into the forest and clear land for yourselves there in the land of the Perizites and Rephasites.” 

It sounds to me like they began whining.  “No, it’s not enough for us and all those people who live in the plains have iron chariots.  We can’t do it Joshua.  What are you going to do for us?  Aren’t you going to help us?”  (My imagination working!!)  I love Joshua’s answer to them; I’m putting it in my own words.  “I’m giving you the forested hill country and that’s all you’re going to get.  There are a lot of you and you CAN drive them out.  Now get with it!!! Stop your whining.  Even though they’re strong you can do it!!”

What a contrast to Caleb; 85 years old, but he was raring to go.  “I will drive them out.”  He was working on hill country too.  But here’s these numerous descendants of Joseph, whining that the people were too powerful for them.  I think the difference is the confidence that Caleb had in the Lord.  2 Tim. 1:12 says “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.” We can have the same confidence in the Lord that Caleb had and be just as courageous against the things that come against us or whatever Satan might throw at us.  Phil. 4:13 says “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  It’s not confidence in our own ability, it’s confidence in Him who has all power!!

Go conquer some enemies and take some mountains!!!

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman

Comments

Check out Fox 5's coverage of Urban Church this past weekend. 

 Click here.

Dream Big

Ben Brinkman

Comments

Update on Urban and the Fire

Urban Church friends and family, thank you so much for your continued prayers and love during this time.  The next few weeks are going to be a little uncertain for us when it comes to a meeting place but Urban has not been built around a building, rather the community. I know that this will bring us closer together in unity and stronger then we have ever been before. With that new strength we will reach more people for Jesus Christ then ever before.

Yesterday Katie and I and a team of 3 other people spent about 6 hours sifting through our equipment with the insurance adjusters and the property restoration company. Once again although many of the items look intact they are a total lost due to smoke and soot damage. This was a long and tiresome task but the whole time I was going through it I kept getting a sense that God is going to use this in a huge way to grow our church and reach those far from Him. I WOULD NOT MISS THE NEXT TWO SUNDAY’S IF I WERE YOU!

As we were sifting through our equipment we pulled out the drawer where we keep our pipe and drape system. On top of our pipe and drape system were some cheap little carpets we got from IKEA that were totally melted. When we removed them we found our pipe and drape system almost completely untouched by the fire. This was a total shock to us because the whole outside wall and doors to this area were completely burned. It came as a shock to the restoration company as well. After a little wiping down they were almost as good as new! We kept those back and we will be using them this Sunday. It will be a little reminder that we can go through the fire and come out without even the smell of smoke on us.

After going through all of our items we took what we could (look for the smoky black road signs this weekend) and let the restoration company take the rest.  We will need to be renting a lot of equipment for the next couple of weeks and once the insurance money comes in we will be able to purchase new items.  We have a limited amount of insurance money to cover the replacement of all our equipment, rental of the equipment in the meantime and pay for all the adjusters and restoration companies etc. We need extra finances now so if you are able to give above and beyond your normal tithes please go here and do so now.

Today someone asked me if we will have services as normal this weekend. I kind of smiled and laughed and said, “This weekend will probably be anything but normal”. I know that this weekend will be amazing because any time God’s people come under fire (no pun intended) they always rally together and something miraculous happens. The fact that we are having service together this weekend 5 days after losing our meeting place and equipment is a miracle.

This weekend is one I would not miss! Although this is one of the most devastating weeks of Urban’s history and one of the toughest weeks of my life as a pastor one thing remains the same, I will be worshiping Him this weekend…. No I will be worshiping Him even more than I ever have. Like David stripped from his kingly robes in 2 Samuel 6 dancing in his linen ephod we will dance before the Lord and worship Him even as we have been stripped of all that was valuable to us.  Like Paul and Silas sitting in the worst possible situation we will sing, pray and worship the Lord and as we do we will see chains broke in Jesus name. Like the 3 Hebrew boys cast into the fire we will dance around with the King of Kings and come out of the fiery furnace unburned and without the smell of smoke on us. Church come ready to worship and celebrate because even though we have lost much, God is for us and if God is for us who can be against us! I have learned this week that when you are thrown into the fire you might as well learn to make the most of it and dance and worship your way through it.

See you this Sunday 10:30am Board of Education Auditorium 4100 Normal Street San Diego, CA 92101

Dream Big

Ben

Comments