openhanded - RE:Defined

When we consider being openhanded this can immediately lead us to think more about offering "hand outs". But look at your hands, to be openhanded you have to have the palms of your hand facing up.  With this image in your mind, lets redefine: to be openhanded is to be purposefully giving a hand up, not a hand out - intentionally giving, going beyond the visual needs and purposefully becoming personal.  Not thinking of your possessions or finances as your own is key, but you maybe very openhanded and never give either to anyone.

Acts 3:3-11 (The Message)
When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, "Look here." He looked up, expecting to get something from them.
Peter said, "I don't have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you:In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!" He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.
The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple's Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.
The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon's Porch to see it for themselves.

Jesus is Alive! (R3)

Had to share this post from a blog by Andrew at Olive Tree Bible Software
(http://blog.olivetree.com/2013/03/27/jesus-is-alive-r3/):

I can’t think of any bigger understatement than saying, what we celebrate this weekend is ‘significant’. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus absolutely changed everything!  When Jesus died and rose again – three days later – it reversed the centuries old curse of sin and death that was over all humanity.

Resurrection

Jesus fulfilled hundreds of impossible to fulfill prophecies about the messiah that had been written centuries before but the most amazing of all was that after three days in a grave,he was alive! What did this mean? In the history of the world no one had ever lived and died a sinless life. Jesus – God in the flesh – did. In that instant the sin that we’re all born into was stripped of its power. Things on this Earth would never be the same.  As John ends his account of Jesus life he says, “But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” His resurrection proved he was who he said he was.

Reconciliation

What does this mean today? It means absolutely everything! What Jesus did made a way to be free from the power that sin once held over us. Where sin makes us strangers and even enemies of God, Jesus death and resurrection makes us sons and daughters of God. This type of reconciliation had never been known and now it’s accessible to anyone who believes. In Romans 5:10-11 the Apostle Paul says, For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Restoration

Not only did Jesus resurrection set into motion the reconciliation available to all who believe but we now get to be agents of his reconciliation while we await the restoration of all things. The book of Revelation tells us of this day that will come: And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Resurrection, Reconciliation, and Restoration; this is the good news of the Gospel of Jesus! This Easter and in the days following let’s not only be reminded of the power of what Jesus did but let’s be actively living in the reality of it.

For the next week spread the word about the Gospel of Jesus and the Easter message by changing your profile picture to R3 - which represents Resurrection, Reconciliation and Restoration.

FOR FACEBOOK OR TWITTER



FOR GOOGLE+

Love this idea....won't you join me?

~cmf

Are you my neighbor?

ARE YOU SEEING WHAT I'M SEEING?

People...gotta love'm

RezDay Memories

RezDay Sunday (otherwise known as Easter Sunday) last year was my first at Mission Abilene. A close friend I had been discipling, Mike, had come to church with me. After the service (and probably against his will),  I took Mike to my parents house, for the traditional Fambrough "Resurrection Sunday Lunch".  (By the way, the Sunday lunch is scriptural-* see note below.) he was a little nervous but he went with the flow. What made this so great is that Mike's personality is to keep to himself, and enjoys being by himself.  It was awkward for him but he was able to kinda embrace the love my family was showing him by making him apart of this intimate family moment.  For those few hours his last name was Fambrough! 

That Sunday something changed for both mike an me.  I remember Mike telling me, as he recalled the sermon from that morning, that he did not know Jesus had gone through so much pain and suffering for him.  At that moment, I began to realize what God was calling me to.  It wasn't an organized ministry, (although that might be the fruit of it), it was a personal ministry.  It was not about helping the masses, it was about helping ONE find the truth.

As I look forward to tomorrow, I will always be thankful that Jesus went through Hell to bring me to life.  I remember Mike, and pray that he will remember how much Jesus loves him, and can pull him through anything. 

*Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are they that hunger and thirst AFTER righteousness: for they shall be filled." emphasis mine.

The sermon below has always touched me as I think of the meaning of this weekend, please check it out.

Amazing Proclamation from Isaiah

What a proclamation! Isa 61 (the message):
Announce Freedom to All Captives 
1 The Spirit of GOD, the Master, is on me because GOD anointed me. He sent me to preach good news to the poor, heal the heartbroken, Announce freedom to all captives, pardon all prisoners. 2 GOD sent me to announce the year of his grace-- a celebration of God's destruction of our enemies-- and to comfort all who mourn, 3 To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion, give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes, Messages of joy instead of news of doom, a praising heart instead of a languid spirit. Rename them "Oaks of Righteousness" planted by GOD to display his glory. 4 They'll rebuild the old ruins, raise a new city out of the wreckage. They'll start over on the ruined cities, take the rubble left behind and make it new. 5 You'll hire outsiders to herd your flocks and foreigners to work your fields, 6 But you'll have the title "Priests of GOD," honored as ministers of our God. You'll feast on the bounty of nations, you'll bask in their glory. 7 Because you got a double dose of trouble and more than your share of contempt, Your inheritance in the land will be doubled and your joy go on forever. 8 "Because I, GOD, love fair dealing and hate thievery and crime, I'll pay your wages on time and in full, and establish my eternal covenant with you. 9 Your descendants will become well- known all over. Your children in foreign countries Will be recognized at once as the people I have blessed." 10 I will sing for joy in GOD, explode in praise from deep in my soul! He dressed me up in a suit of salvation, he outfitted me in a robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom who puts on a tuxedo and a bride a jeweled tiara. 11 For as the earth bursts with spring wildflowers, and as a garden cascades with blossoms, So the Master, GOD, brings righteousness into full bloom and puts praise on display before the nations.

Another crazy Monday...

Another crazy Monday at work!  Nothing bad, just busy.   It was however a hard slap in the face after an awesome Sunday! You see,  this last Sunday was a more-incredible-than-normal day. I experenced wonderful worship-seeing heavy burdens falling from shoulders of the week and weary, watching God move among his children, relationships & friendships created & cultivated right before my eyes!   The crazy thing is all this happened after "church" was over!  

I good friend, Clinton, from Mission Abilene mentioned needed some help moving to the apartment that is across the street from the church building.  I told him I would help him as his health was not the best.  I talked a young man, Kris (just recently given life to Jesus) into helping me, and he said he would love to help.

Right after service I'm walking out the door and I notice two children standing by the front door with a sign asking for help and money.  After talking with them they explained the situation, and that their mother had sent them for help.  I asked to meet with their mom and see how I could help, and they said she lived across the street in the apartments.   I was able to help them with their need and they were very appreciative.

Back to moving my friend....so we show up to Clinton's place and Kris and I start helping him gather things up and loaded in our trucks. All of a sudden Kris is outside talking with some guy that was walking down the street.  Next thing I know we have some much needed help, Raymond, the guy Kris was talking to really wanted to help!  Come to find out Kris and Raymond were neighbors and just so happened to be walking down the street where Clinton's old apartment was.    Long story short, after three truck loads and 4 hours, we all got to know each other pretty well.  These guys are amazing men, each from different walks of life, each with different talents and knowledge, but all saw God moving as we were "moving" Clinton!

So on the way to take Kris and Raymond home, Kris says I'd like to act or be in  a play or something. I immediately thought of my bro T-Rev who had just told me, " I need some volunteers who like to act to do a skit for the "Non-Fashion Show". And BOOM! Just like that I got Kris and T-Rev connected.  

So back to Monday....nothing was falling in place and I was busy in a tail spin, when out of the blue, one of my co-workers comes to me and says he has something to share with me.  He says it's a God thing.  I stop what I'm doing and start listening.  He tells me that his sister (who I never heard him talk about before) has been struggling in life and is really having a hard time.  How he and his wife are constantly trying to help her and her children with their needs. Then he proceeds to tell me that things were so rough for her that....she had sent two of her children to the church across the street from their apartment to ask for help.  My heart skipped a beat and then melted as he tells me "Thank you for helping my sister!"

This series of events changed my life and my perspective. My message is this: God wants us to be openhanded.  God led my heart in these things, even though most were against my better judgement.  To Him be the Glory for being openhanded with us so we can be openhanded with others. 

Everything.Has.Everything.To.Do.With.Everything.

~CMF