Breakout!

Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, the wife of his son Abram, and together they set out from the Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran. And the Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country......(Genesis 11:31-32 and Genesis 12:1a)

Life is series of leavings and goings, startings and endings, life and death. In order to begin something new you have to leave the old. To start over in a new place you have to leave an old place. There has got to be death in one area to start new life in another area.

The previous scriptures have always intrigued me and was a major component for me to come to Jackson, MS and start Life Church. That Abram's dad Terah left a place with the same intentions that God had for his son...but he settled in Haran. I am sure Haran was a nice place--I know it became a comfortable place because he settled there. He settled, it doesn't say he did great things there-that his life made a difference, that it was God's will--it couldn't have been his will because as soon as Terah died God told Abram to "leave". Abram became Abraham and is known as the "Father of Faith" because of his obedience to go. Could it be that Terah can be called "The Father of Complacency" because he stayed?

Who are you--Are you Abram or Terah? Is your life a moving, obeying life of destiny or is it a comfortable, safe, boring and predictable life.

Let me encourage you: The Lord spoke this to me while I was considering coming to Jackson. He said, "You can dress Haran up and call it Canaan but deep in your heart you will always know you did not do what I called you to do." Where you settle is where you will die. It doesn't matter how long you live there--comfortablity and predictability are not indicators of really living anyway.

I am sure the place where you came from is a nice place--family, friends, the familiar--but if God is not there--LEAVE!

Break out of the familiar and go to a place--any place but Haran--BREAK OUT!

Breaking out!

Pastor Franko

Can you hear me now?

I just started reading a book called "The Revolutionary Communicator" and the first chapter deals with attentiveness. What is attentiveness? Is it mere attention? Is it listening? I believe it is a combination of these and more. Attentiveness is the ability to not only listen but to hear with your heart. To discern what the person is saying and feel what they feel. Attentiveness is the ability to listen with love; to listen and care about the person who is speaking. It baffles me that there are so many books on "communication"--which inverably means speaking. But we in our busy and bustling world need to learn to slow down and become great at listening--Not just listening--listening with love.

Tips to becoming attentive:

1. Pray and ask God to give you the ability to love people like he does; when you care about people you will hear them.
2. Look at them and show them you are listening.
3. Affirm what they are saying with eye contact and nodding.
4. Repeat back important points that they said to make sure you heard them.
5. Demonstrate compassion to them and be ready to help them in what they are going through.
6. See beyond the fronts: Ask them "How are you dong"?

If we will learn to practice true attentiveness we will become great at communication--Remember this: Look first to listen before you speak. Don't be so ready to fix their problem before you hear their heart.

Can you hear me now?

Belly Dancing and the Divine

What a night! Last night Tonia and I went to Alladin's Mediterranean Grill and it was Awesome. We went with another couple from the church Joel and Sasha Clark and had a great time. As we walked in, Lo and behold, there are three scantily clad belly dancers doing their thing. We actually had to walk around them to get to our tables. Unbelievable!

I don't know how you would've reacted seeing this but to me I just came for the food and this restaurant is the only authentic greek restaurant in the Jackson Metro area. I had a great time being with Tonia and enjoying the fellowship of Joel and Sasha. Sasha is from Moscow, Russia and I enjoy just listening to her Russian accent as she talks and Joel is always fun.

It was a little awkward at first, but we got used to the three girls belly dancing and enjoyed the food and fellowship. I had the combination plate which is the chicken Schwarma and gyros along with some fried cheese, olives and pita bread.But the highlight of the night was meeting our waitress. I won't mention her name but she was a typical twenty something in college with various piercings and tattoos. She had just broken up with her fiance' and her mother had just gotten out of the hospital with kidney failure. In her words, "I had a horrible week."

I thought I was going to this restaurant to enjoy our food but God had another plan. He sent me to minister to a young woman who had wanted to throw in the towel. I told her about the church and she asked me if we are okay with people with body piercings and tats. I told her if I cared about that I would've never invited her. She told me of an experience she had in a church in the area with some friends that they tried to attend and were asked to leave because of the wrong attire and various outer differences. She had not been in church since then which was three years ago. I got to pray with her in the middle of belly dancing and alot of loud music--but in middle of all the stuff I sensed God's love for her as we prayed. She was very moved and said she was coming Sunday and bringing all her friends--I can't wait to meet them. I am so thankful to God for sending me to Alladin's for our waitress and witness God's love for one young woman. God loves her so much and I had the privelege to be used to see God move in her life. She is on my heart and in my prayers. God will use any of us if we are available and willing to see people as God sees them.

Look for someone to touch and reach out to. I want Life Church to be known as a church who loves every person no matter their background, race, or tattoos! What a night a night of belly dancing and the divine.

And God said....

We all know the beginning verses of the Bible which states in Genesis 1:1-3, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said,"Let there be light," and there was light....

I can relate to this verse it reminds me of the condition my life was in before I asked Jesus in my heart. I understand what it means to be formless, empty and in the dark--Ever been there? I'll never forget that day after being hung over from a night of partying and the emptiness I felt in my heart. No form, just darkness. But God spoke and the Spirit of God began to hover (brood over as a mother hen over a clutch of eggs)over my heart and I came alive-I felt the light of God as I believe he spoke over me as he had done over creation. "Let there be light" and there was light!

Light! In my dark, empty, formless life. All of a sudden in an instant I was changed and the creative power of the spoken Word of God begin to create what he intended for my life. I sensed destiny and form and life where only moments before there was nothingness.

How are you doing right now? Do you lack purpose and direction for your life? Do you lack motivation and feel like you have no form and are in the dark? There is more to life that life itself--life without God speaking is lifeless, formless, void and dark. The good news is that God's Spirit is brooding over you and he desires to speak over your life. Are you ready for a change? Let God speak....