One of the challenging things about Conduit over the past couple of years was the idea of trying to identify what it was. It's a Bible Study that studies the Bible but also with the ability to respond to the Jesus that we encounter in those pages. I spent a lot of time an energy trying to say what I didn't think it was. We just never got around to calling it was it actually was.
We've been Conduit of His Word. We have believed that God's Word truly is what He promises it to be. We have allowed it to divide our own souls, cutting away the impurities. We've adjusted our lives as we embrace every chapter, every verse of His Word. As we've gone through the Word, the Word has gone through us, and we have been transformed.
We've been Conduit of His resources. The well over $100,000 we've given away has changed the lives of people here in Middle TN and around the world. Refugees were fed, college students in Ghana given a chance, our precious kids in Haiti eating, educated, and raised in the gospel, set captives free through Place of Hope in Columbia. We have been a supply line for the Church on the front lines declaring the gospel.
We've been Conduit of the gospel. We've responded with our lives by obeying the simple call of "go". We've gone and been the personal hands and feet of Jesus to people around the world, especially in Jacmel, Haiti. The Spirit has moved in, through and around us just as Jesus promised.
What do you call a group of Christians gathered together like this? Forgive me for stating the obvious, but in the book of Acts it's called a Church. Conduit is a church. We're responding to that call, to that invitation from God. Those of us that began when this was was birthed are now being joined by those of you who have felt the Lord leading to lock arms, to further the work of the kingdom. We have truly only scratched the surface of what God can do.
In John 10 Jesus said that you and I would have rivers of living water flowing from within us. It said He was speaking of the Holy Spirit to come. What would that look like, for a group of believers to have rivers of living water flowing from them? I mean, we get it esoterically and metaphorically, but what does that look like on a quite literal level? We'll talk about that on Sunday.
I'd like to invite the Conduit family to join us this Sunday night for our first official gathering as a Church. It'll be a time of worship, of prayer, of consecration. It'll be the beginning of something beautiful.
Details:
6:00pm Journey Church. Building 8 In The Factory.
Childcare will be provided.
We'll be done by 7:15.
I'd like to ask the older kids, middle schoolers and High School age to be part of the gathering.
I hope you can make it. We're so excited to serve beside you on this amazing journey that God is calling us all on.
Blessings,
Darren Tyler
Conduit Church
A Conduit of His love to the community in front of us, and the world around us.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Conduit November 30- God Will Find You
In June of 94, I flew to Atlanta GA. One of the senior agents at Vanguard Entertainment Agency had encouraged me to come and check out the possibility of becoming an agent. They were booking Carman back when he was still cool, The Newsboys before and while they were cool along with other Al Denson kind of CCM acts.
I had never booked a show for a band in my entire life so I was a perfectly long shot candidate for this gig. I was 23 and too stupid to know that, so I went with an enormous amount of optimism. I was going to get this job. Ignorance truly is bliss.
I was dating someone at the time, and we were dramatically mismatched. She was into Oscar Parties and French Cuisine. I was into Country Music and burgers. Besides, she was taller than me. We had broken up once before but it didn’t take. This felt like a perfectly good way to break it off. I would get the gig, play the “I don’t do long distance card” and presto.
Right before leaving for Atlanta and a day after breaking off the other relationship I had, quite by surprise, run into Shannon Anderson at the Mall where she was assistant managing a shoe store. I hadn’t seen her in a long time. She’s really fun to look at so I was very pleased to see her again. We had dated for a few months a while back but hadn’t seen or talked to each other in almost 2 years. She had played the “it’s not you it’s me card.” It worked the first try.
It was a perfectly innocent encounter. As I recall her washing machine was broken, so I offered her to do laundry at my place while I was out of town. I had no ulterior motives. I wasn’t doing the ol’ “you can do laundry at my house” move.
I came home from Atlanta a week later completely down trodden. The gig didn’t materialize like I naively thought it would. It looked like I would continue down the road of professional waiter/ rock star wannabe. I still had my white Washburn guitar, my crappy peavey sound system, and a dream. I felt like I would be stuck doing that forever. Khaki pants, green apron and bow tie on the weekdays, matching denim jeans/ jacket on the weekends.
And then it happened. Something hit me quite by surprise that summer that was completely not in my plans. I had completely unexpectedly borderline accidentally fallen in love with Shannon. We had a relationship forming that was not scripted, it was out of the blue, it was God.
I was smitten with Shannon Anderson the first time I laid eyes on her. She had just moved to Tulsa, OK in a Chevy Impala that was the envy of senior citizens everywhere and probably would’ve qualified her for the seniors discount on coffee at McDonald’s. I was impressed with her spunk in that at 19 she drove the 1,000 miles from Park River, ND to Tulsa, OK all alone. As I got to know her, I found out she was so much more than a pretty face. She loved (still does) God so much. She is one of the most caring and compassionate people I’ve ever known. She loves to give, to serve, to love.
In the summer of 94 We were both on the same page. If we were going to be in another relationship this one was for keeps. I proposed to her on one knee in a fountain in a restaurant in Tulsa that has long since gone out of business. Looking back on it, I was the exact kind of guy that if one of my daughters brings home someone like that I’m going to have a heart attack. I had based my entire life strategy on the premise that something neat would happen.
We had started dating in July, were engaged by August and married by December. It was a whirlwind of young love and God’s sovereignty wrapped into one six month period. I didn’t find God’s will that summer; God’s will found me. If I had gotten that gig in Atlanta there would be no Shannon Tyler. There would be no Madilyn, Ashleigh, Lauryn and Ethan.
In November, right before the wedding I got another call from Vanguard Entertainment. The job was materializing after all. Chuck Tilley, who I am grateful for to this day for giving me my start in the music industry, hired me to be an agent in his company.
Shannon and I got married as planned in December and very soon after were loaded up in a Uhaul for Atlanta, Georgia. The first bands he gave me to work with were Ian Eskelin and a little no rent acoustic guitar rock band in a mini van called Jars of Clay. Next up was Third Day (they had an excellent conversion van) and we were off to the races. This was the start of my 15 years of working in Christian Music, but more importantly the start of my 15 years and counting with Shannon. We have lived a lot of life together. I can honestly say that I know what Paul was talking about when he wrote of a God that was able to do more than I could ask or think. (Eph 3:20)
I’m remembering that tonight as God is leading my family on a new journey. We certainly haven’t sought this. God pulled it out of His hat. I remember those months in the summer of 94. I was restless, wondering what I was supposed to do with my life, wondering if I was going to be doing the same thing until I died, wondering if God really did have a plan for my life. This time the feeling wasn’t dire, I mean, seriously, I have a great gig. If this is what God called me to grow old doing then no problem. There was a definite unsettling. There was a realization that there was something coming. There were lots of unanswered questions.
Moses’ brother Aaron is being groomed to be the High Priest in Exodus 28 and 29. This was a guy who was sitting around minding his own business in the desert, and God picked Him. Aaron didn’t have to find God’s will for His life. God’s will found him. There wasn’t even any such thing as High Priest before. There is no way Aaron could’ve dreamed that would be his gig some day. I wonder if Aaron felt the same kind of restlessness, the same kind of tension, wondering if he was going to be forever in the same fields, working the same sheep, if this was all that God had for him.
And then out of nowhere, in just a few months, He was the guy that Hebrews would tell us is the picture of Jesus Christ, the High Priest.
We’re going to talk a little about that tomorrow night. If you’re in an unsettled place, a place of wondering what’s next, a place of wondering if God has something more for you, tomorrow would be a great time to join us.
We’ll meet at 730pm at Journey Church. Building 8 in the Factory in Franklin, TN.
Blessings,
Darren Tyler
www.conduitmission.org if you have $15, you can feed a kid for a month in Haiti. If you’ve got a $32 a month, you can sponsor one of our little ones there.
IMPORTANT: WE HAVE A DONOR WHO HAS AGREED TO MATCH DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR UP TO $5,000 ANY MONEY THAT WE RAISE TOWARDS FINISHING OUR HOUSE IN HAITI. IF THE LORD LEADS YOU, EVERY THING YOU GIVE DOUBLES TOWARDS THE HOUSE. WE'RE SO CLOSE ON GETTING THIS FINISHED.
I had never booked a show for a band in my entire life so I was a perfectly long shot candidate for this gig. I was 23 and too stupid to know that, so I went with an enormous amount of optimism. I was going to get this job. Ignorance truly is bliss.
I was dating someone at the time, and we were dramatically mismatched. She was into Oscar Parties and French Cuisine. I was into Country Music and burgers. Besides, she was taller than me. We had broken up once before but it didn’t take. This felt like a perfectly good way to break it off. I would get the gig, play the “I don’t do long distance card” and presto.
Right before leaving for Atlanta and a day after breaking off the other relationship I had, quite by surprise, run into Shannon Anderson at the Mall where she was assistant managing a shoe store. I hadn’t seen her in a long time. She’s really fun to look at so I was very pleased to see her again. We had dated for a few months a while back but hadn’t seen or talked to each other in almost 2 years. She had played the “it’s not you it’s me card.” It worked the first try.
It was a perfectly innocent encounter. As I recall her washing machine was broken, so I offered her to do laundry at my place while I was out of town. I had no ulterior motives. I wasn’t doing the ol’ “you can do laundry at my house” move.
I came home from Atlanta a week later completely down trodden. The gig didn’t materialize like I naively thought it would. It looked like I would continue down the road of professional waiter/ rock star wannabe. I still had my white Washburn guitar, my crappy peavey sound system, and a dream. I felt like I would be stuck doing that forever. Khaki pants, green apron and bow tie on the weekdays, matching denim jeans/ jacket on the weekends.
And then it happened. Something hit me quite by surprise that summer that was completely not in my plans. I had completely unexpectedly borderline accidentally fallen in love with Shannon. We had a relationship forming that was not scripted, it was out of the blue, it was God.
I was smitten with Shannon Anderson the first time I laid eyes on her. She had just moved to Tulsa, OK in a Chevy Impala that was the envy of senior citizens everywhere and probably would’ve qualified her for the seniors discount on coffee at McDonald’s. I was impressed with her spunk in that at 19 she drove the 1,000 miles from Park River, ND to Tulsa, OK all alone. As I got to know her, I found out she was so much more than a pretty face. She loved (still does) God so much. She is one of the most caring and compassionate people I’ve ever known. She loves to give, to serve, to love.
In the summer of 94 We were both on the same page. If we were going to be in another relationship this one was for keeps. I proposed to her on one knee in a fountain in a restaurant in Tulsa that has long since gone out of business. Looking back on it, I was the exact kind of guy that if one of my daughters brings home someone like that I’m going to have a heart attack. I had based my entire life strategy on the premise that something neat would happen.
We had started dating in July, were engaged by August and married by December. It was a whirlwind of young love and God’s sovereignty wrapped into one six month period. I didn’t find God’s will that summer; God’s will found me. If I had gotten that gig in Atlanta there would be no Shannon Tyler. There would be no Madilyn, Ashleigh, Lauryn and Ethan.
In November, right before the wedding I got another call from Vanguard Entertainment. The job was materializing after all. Chuck Tilley, who I am grateful for to this day for giving me my start in the music industry, hired me to be an agent in his company.
Shannon and I got married as planned in December and very soon after were loaded up in a Uhaul for Atlanta, Georgia. The first bands he gave me to work with were Ian Eskelin and a little no rent acoustic guitar rock band in a mini van called Jars of Clay. Next up was Third Day (they had an excellent conversion van) and we were off to the races. This was the start of my 15 years of working in Christian Music, but more importantly the start of my 15 years and counting with Shannon. We have lived a lot of life together. I can honestly say that I know what Paul was talking about when he wrote of a God that was able to do more than I could ask or think. (Eph 3:20)
I’m remembering that tonight as God is leading my family on a new journey. We certainly haven’t sought this. God pulled it out of His hat. I remember those months in the summer of 94. I was restless, wondering what I was supposed to do with my life, wondering if I was going to be doing the same thing until I died, wondering if God really did have a plan for my life. This time the feeling wasn’t dire, I mean, seriously, I have a great gig. If this is what God called me to grow old doing then no problem. There was a definite unsettling. There was a realization that there was something coming. There were lots of unanswered questions.
Moses’ brother Aaron is being groomed to be the High Priest in Exodus 28 and 29. This was a guy who was sitting around minding his own business in the desert, and God picked Him. Aaron didn’t have to find God’s will for His life. God’s will found him. There wasn’t even any such thing as High Priest before. There is no way Aaron could’ve dreamed that would be his gig some day. I wonder if Aaron felt the same kind of restlessness, the same kind of tension, wondering if he was going to be forever in the same fields, working the same sheep, if this was all that God had for him.
And then out of nowhere, in just a few months, He was the guy that Hebrews would tell us is the picture of Jesus Christ, the High Priest.
We’re going to talk a little about that tomorrow night. If you’re in an unsettled place, a place of wondering what’s next, a place of wondering if God has something more for you, tomorrow would be a great time to join us.
We’ll meet at 730pm at Journey Church. Building 8 in the Factory in Franklin, TN.
Blessings,
Darren Tyler
www.conduitmission.org if you have $15, you can feed a kid for a month in Haiti. If you’ve got a $32 a month, you can sponsor one of our little ones there.
IMPORTANT: WE HAVE A DONOR WHO HAS AGREED TO MATCH DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR UP TO $5,000 ANY MONEY THAT WE RAISE TOWARDS FINISHING OUR HOUSE IN HAITI. IF THE LORD LEADS YOU, EVERY THING YOU GIVE DOUBLES TOWARDS THE HOUSE. WE'RE SO CLOSE ON GETTING THIS FINISHED.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Conduit Nov 16- God's Dream
I started Platform Management in 2001. October 2001 to be clear. If you’re astute you might realize that it was not a great time in history to be starting a new endeavor. One month after the attacks on 9/11 I was putting out a shingle for a new management company in the Christian Music Industry. It wasn’t that I was especially spiritual and intuited the Lord calling me to launch Platform. To the contrary, the company that I launched a couple years earlier with some friends was flaming out in the most spectacular of forms.
In the late 90’s someone in the high tech space with an idea and even a half-baked resume could score multiple millions of dollars from VC companies. So you now had an idea, a dude, and a lot of cash. Their first obstacle as a newly funded company was building out a leadership team of people with very specific technical skill sets and abilities. The money was flowing in the Bay Area and we had this idea that a head hunting firm focused specifically on that area, and the high salaries that were being handed out, could be very successful. We were almost right.
Along with 3 friends we started just such a company called Shikare. “Shikari” is a Hindi word for big game hunter. In the spirit of cleverness and in celebration of the “new ecommerce economy” we added an e at the end. We were headhunters that focused specifically on wireless application and other software companies in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley area. Our business model was to approach the abundance of recently funded high tech companies and offer to help them build out their leadership teams.
It was our job to find the well guarded, highly valued, uniquely skilled folks in companies like Cisco and Price Waterhouse Coopers and talk them into taking a gig with our client. It is one of the only industries where my skills as a talent agent in the music industry would come in handy. I was trying to sell the talents of a person who thought they were worth more than they were to someone who thought they were worth less than they were.
We had received an interesting amount of cash up front in the form of seed funding as well as 100,000 pre IPO shares in the company that funded us. Our compensation would be somewhere between 20-30% of their first year salaries. We took this in a combination that was usually half cash and half stock options. These were Pre IPO options with no vesting period. We had a very reasonable intention and realistic expectation of becoming wealthy.
I don’t know that I ever articulated it, but part of my motivation, which seemed so noble at the time, was that when I became wealthy, then I could retire and pursue ministry full time; never having to worry about money. I could just imagine what it would be like to be financially secure, and then have the ability to serve God without a care. It’s embarrassing when I look back on it to see how full of crap the idea was. I mean seriously, not a single disciple or early church guy set out with that idea. It’s a perfectly American idea, but not remotely Biblical.
The problem was we were a little late to the party. March of 2000 was when we received our funding. It was also, coincidentally the peak of the Nasdaq run. The air in the dot-com bubble had started to leak. As it is with many bubbles, the majority of us were blissfully unaware of the problems that loomed ahead. A domino effect had begun.
Investors had finally come to their senses. Companies like “Excite@Home” or “Flooz” or “Pets.com” had to be able to make money in order to make money. This “new economy” was not new at all. The companies started folding by the minute. The stupid sock puppet from the pets.com commercial was in hiding.
The hard to find talent for our clients were suddenly in great abundance. The folks that were almost impossible to find, were suddenly looking for jobs. The CEO of a company that we worked with told me, “Darren, I like you, so I’m gonna shoot you straight. It would be a better use of my money to stand on the roof and throw it down to poor people than to retain you guys. I’ve got piles of resumes on my desk.”
And then, 9/11 happened. The preponderance of our customers and clients were of a Middle East descent. In the climate that followed 9/11 the country had changed and with a majority of our business being done with folks who were considered suspect by default, it was the final bloody nail in our coffin.
Those coveted pre IPO stock options were completely worthless. They would have been just as valuable had I used them to paper the walls in my bathroom. We split what money was left and went home.
It was during this time that I realized my only option was going back to the Christian Music business that I had left. So on a wing and a prayer I launched Platform Artist Management. I remember saying at the time. “you know it’s always been pretty easy to know in the past when it was time to move on from a company I started, we were out of money. Watch God let this company be successful and see if I’ll walk away from it then”. Those are words that are ringing in my ears as God is unpacking this vision for Conduit; Church.
Platform Artist Management happens to be successful. In the middle of a down economy, and the music industry as a whole being crushed, our little management firm is doing well. And of course, it’s now that God would ask me to walk away.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for pity nor am I looking for props. This is no sacrifice. Not that I won’t miss it, not that I won’t miss the financial security. But when I consider all that Jesus has done for me, and when I consider what awaits me and my family in eternity, this isn’t a sacrifice; it’s just obedience. It’s just putting my money where my heart is.
In Ecclesiastes 1 we see the word vanity, which is also translated as vapor in relation to the work and toil done by humans. I learned that money is indeed like vapor. I could see it, I could experience it, but it was ultimately impossible to hold on to, to grasp, it was vapor.
The truth is I still get to pursue ministry full time, and not worry about money. Not because my plan worked and I have an abundance of money, but because I have an abundance of God. I can choose to worry, or I can choose to trust God. I assume I’ll dance with both of those from time to time. Maybe my American dream won’t come true, but dreams aren’t real anyway. They’re ultimately, well, they’re vapor.
Tomorrow night we’re going to dig into Exodus 27. I’m excited to get back to our study of finding Jesus over and over again in this amazing book. We’ll be back at Journey Church at 730pm.
Darren Tyler
CONDUIT MISSION: thanks to everyone for keeping up with our child sponsorships in Haiti. If God is moving in your heart, please consider signing up at www.conduitmission.org to sponsor one of our kids in Haiti. It’s $32 a month and we can feed, clothe, educate and spiritually mentor a child. And if you want to meet them? Come with me to Haiti in April.
In the late 90’s someone in the high tech space with an idea and even a half-baked resume could score multiple millions of dollars from VC companies. So you now had an idea, a dude, and a lot of cash. Their first obstacle as a newly funded company was building out a leadership team of people with very specific technical skill sets and abilities. The money was flowing in the Bay Area and we had this idea that a head hunting firm focused specifically on that area, and the high salaries that were being handed out, could be very successful. We were almost right.
Along with 3 friends we started just such a company called Shikare. “Shikari” is a Hindi word for big game hunter. In the spirit of cleverness and in celebration of the “new ecommerce economy” we added an e at the end. We were headhunters that focused specifically on wireless application and other software companies in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley area. Our business model was to approach the abundance of recently funded high tech companies and offer to help them build out their leadership teams.
It was our job to find the well guarded, highly valued, uniquely skilled folks in companies like Cisco and Price Waterhouse Coopers and talk them into taking a gig with our client. It is one of the only industries where my skills as a talent agent in the music industry would come in handy. I was trying to sell the talents of a person who thought they were worth more than they were to someone who thought they were worth less than they were.
We had received an interesting amount of cash up front in the form of seed funding as well as 100,000 pre IPO shares in the company that funded us. Our compensation would be somewhere between 20-30% of their first year salaries. We took this in a combination that was usually half cash and half stock options. These were Pre IPO options with no vesting period. We had a very reasonable intention and realistic expectation of becoming wealthy.
I don’t know that I ever articulated it, but part of my motivation, which seemed so noble at the time, was that when I became wealthy, then I could retire and pursue ministry full time; never having to worry about money. I could just imagine what it would be like to be financially secure, and then have the ability to serve God without a care. It’s embarrassing when I look back on it to see how full of crap the idea was. I mean seriously, not a single disciple or early church guy set out with that idea. It’s a perfectly American idea, but not remotely Biblical.
The problem was we were a little late to the party. March of 2000 was when we received our funding. It was also, coincidentally the peak of the Nasdaq run. The air in the dot-com bubble had started to leak. As it is with many bubbles, the majority of us were blissfully unaware of the problems that loomed ahead. A domino effect had begun.
Investors had finally come to their senses. Companies like “Excite@Home” or “Flooz” or “Pets.com” had to be able to make money in order to make money. This “new economy” was not new at all. The companies started folding by the minute. The stupid sock puppet from the pets.com commercial was in hiding.
The hard to find talent for our clients were suddenly in great abundance. The folks that were almost impossible to find, were suddenly looking for jobs. The CEO of a company that we worked with told me, “Darren, I like you, so I’m gonna shoot you straight. It would be a better use of my money to stand on the roof and throw it down to poor people than to retain you guys. I’ve got piles of resumes on my desk.”
And then, 9/11 happened. The preponderance of our customers and clients were of a Middle East descent. In the climate that followed 9/11 the country had changed and with a majority of our business being done with folks who were considered suspect by default, it was the final bloody nail in our coffin.
Those coveted pre IPO stock options were completely worthless. They would have been just as valuable had I used them to paper the walls in my bathroom. We split what money was left and went home.
It was during this time that I realized my only option was going back to the Christian Music business that I had left. So on a wing and a prayer I launched Platform Artist Management. I remember saying at the time. “you know it’s always been pretty easy to know in the past when it was time to move on from a company I started, we were out of money. Watch God let this company be successful and see if I’ll walk away from it then”. Those are words that are ringing in my ears as God is unpacking this vision for Conduit; Church.
Platform Artist Management happens to be successful. In the middle of a down economy, and the music industry as a whole being crushed, our little management firm is doing well. And of course, it’s now that God would ask me to walk away.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not looking for pity nor am I looking for props. This is no sacrifice. Not that I won’t miss it, not that I won’t miss the financial security. But when I consider all that Jesus has done for me, and when I consider what awaits me and my family in eternity, this isn’t a sacrifice; it’s just obedience. It’s just putting my money where my heart is.
In Ecclesiastes 1 we see the word vanity, which is also translated as vapor in relation to the work and toil done by humans. I learned that money is indeed like vapor. I could see it, I could experience it, but it was ultimately impossible to hold on to, to grasp, it was vapor.
The truth is I still get to pursue ministry full time, and not worry about money. Not because my plan worked and I have an abundance of money, but because I have an abundance of God. I can choose to worry, or I can choose to trust God. I assume I’ll dance with both of those from time to time. Maybe my American dream won’t come true, but dreams aren’t real anyway. They’re ultimately, well, they’re vapor.
Tomorrow night we’re going to dig into Exodus 27. I’m excited to get back to our study of finding Jesus over and over again in this amazing book. We’ll be back at Journey Church at 730pm.
Darren Tyler
CONDUIT MISSION: thanks to everyone for keeping up with our child sponsorships in Haiti. If God is moving in your heart, please consider signing up at www.conduitmission.org to sponsor one of our kids in Haiti. It’s $32 a month and we can feed, clothe, educate and spiritually mentor a child. And if you want to meet them? Come with me to Haiti in April.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Conduit Nov 1- Lessons From Larry
If you want to go to Charrit Creek Lodge, I wish you the most sincere of luck in getting there. Tucked firmly inside the Big South Fork National Park, it is accessible only on foot or horseback.
Myself, Drew Cline, Kortland Fuqua, and Jamie George found ourselves on the latter as we made our way to an elder's retreat for my home church, Journey. The plan was to ride the horses to the lodge 12 miles and then keep the horses there at the stables for rides into the surrounding forests and mountains.
Ask 5 random people and they'll tell you they haven't heard of this massive sprawling 125,000 acre Nat'l park covered with forests, gorges, bluffs, mountains and rivers straddling the TN/ KY border. It's located only 2 1/2 hours from Nashville on the Cumberland Plateau. When you hear the weather people say "it's going to snow up on the plateau", this is where they're talking about.
Upon arrival at the lodge you'll find a structure built somewhere in the mid 1800's with some additional structures built more recently. Say around 1920. There is no electricity. The ceilings in the bunkhouse were all short, very closed in. The website describes this as the cozy accommodations. They were so cozy that at one point Jamie hit his head so squarely on the top of the surprisingly short door jam that it knocked him down. People in the 1800's were clearly much shorter than we are 150 years later.
There are family style meals served by a full time inn keeper like dude who lives in a smaller cabin. He's been here for 8 years living with no electricity in a cabin in the woods. My first impression would be that someone who lives here full time on purpose might have some issues. I had envisioned a dark well inside the staff quarters. If you were to eavesdrop you might hear the words "it wants to put the lotion on". (my apologies for the obscure reference from Silence of the Lambs. just calling them as I see them) The guy actually turned out to be quite normal. His name is Brian. He's a marathon runner, and quite the cook I might add.
And then there's Larry.
Larry has been on this mountain for 30 years. He runs Southeast Pack trips and is equal parts mountain man/ ladies man. He's got plenty of TN accent, but not the deep drawling kind as much as it is lively and entertaining. His catch phrases were "heavy duty" and "rock and roll". As we pulled up to his barn, Quiet Riot "Bang Your Head" was blaring.
He seems to live life with his finger on the trigger, with 21 horses, a dog named Winchester, and a cool duster. No question if you needed a posse that Larry was your guy. Larry figured out that what he calls regular life, people like you and I call adventure. He has figured out that people would pay an interesting amount of money to live his life for a few days.
Every time I couldn't get the horse to do what I wanted, Larry would shout, "operator error". Larry told me later that day, "they're pretty much stupid. They could buck us off at any minute and run away. They don't. How stupid is that. " This caused a philosophical shift in my approach to Spur. I had been thinking of it more like a carnival ride than a partnership between myself and Spur.
One night after dinner, Larry offered us a moonlight ride. This sounds way more romantic than it is. To be clear it's riding your horse through the pitch black in the woods. You begin to understand exactly what happened to the headless horseman. Larry had been into the vodka a little bit that afternoon and there was definitely a question about the laws of drinking and driving applying to the horse. Ultimately I decided that since the horse hadn't been drinking we should be just fine.
Larry said; "boys, you gotta trust your animal". I asked Larry about his comments a couple days earlier that the horses were pretty much stupid, and he said ah, forget about that. He said they could see better in the dark. I asked him what about getting my head knocked off by branches. Larry said, the "problem with being tough, is that it's tough".
He took us on a trail a couple miles through the dark woods to the top of an overlook that was stunning by day and breathtaking by night. This dangerous ride turned out to be the highlight of our retreat. Learning that life with a guide is so much easier, so less scary. As long as I knew Larry was leading the way, I had a sort of calm. He had been this way before. After 30 years of this, he knew where he was. There were scary moments, but overall it felt peaceful. I was bolstered because I was with a band of brothers whom I trusted. I had Spur, whom I was forced to trust, and who proved himself trustworthy.
I learned that with the right folks around me, the right guide in front of me, the right horse beneath me, that I could go places and experience things I would've never dare think of by myself. We stood there on the edge of a cliff while Drew sang How Great Thou Art accapella and God was there.
There is so much that we've accomplished at Conduit because we've done it together. We've gone places that we wouldn't have gone because we did it together. We have an amazing guide in the Holy Spirit and Jesus who carries us. He is indeed trustworthy. We're not an institution. We're a band of people saying yes to the adventure, the danger, the beauty of a relationship with God. How is it possible that the idea of "church" became so boring, so domestic over the centuries?
What I realized Larry meant wasn't that Horses were stupid, it was that they were servants. They have the power to kill me, or at the very least throw me a few feet in the air and choose not to. They're not stupid, they're servants. They're trustworthy. They're not tame; they're just kind.
Tomorrow night Conduit is back at the Tyler house. It's chili night! A couple of you have already responded with what you're bringing. Please check out the list below and email Shannon at spaigetyler@yahoo.com with what you can bring.
We'll be kicking off at around 630 with the food and 730 with the worship and teaching time.
Darren Tyler
THE LIST:
If you can bring one or more of the below, please email Shannon at spaigetyler@yahoo.com
2 people to bring Chili
1 bag Tostitos
1 fruit
1 veggies
2 Desserts
5 two liter bottles
1 crackers
2 side dishes
Myself, Drew Cline, Kortland Fuqua, and Jamie George found ourselves on the latter as we made our way to an elder's retreat for my home church, Journey. The plan was to ride the horses to the lodge 12 miles and then keep the horses there at the stables for rides into the surrounding forests and mountains.
Ask 5 random people and they'll tell you they haven't heard of this massive sprawling 125,000 acre Nat'l park covered with forests, gorges, bluffs, mountains and rivers straddling the TN/ KY border. It's located only 2 1/2 hours from Nashville on the Cumberland Plateau. When you hear the weather people say "it's going to snow up on the plateau", this is where they're talking about.
Upon arrival at the lodge you'll find a structure built somewhere in the mid 1800's with some additional structures built more recently. Say around 1920. There is no electricity. The ceilings in the bunkhouse were all short, very closed in. The website describes this as the cozy accommodations. They were so cozy that at one point Jamie hit his head so squarely on the top of the surprisingly short door jam that it knocked him down. People in the 1800's were clearly much shorter than we are 150 years later.
There are family style meals served by a full time inn keeper like dude who lives in a smaller cabin. He's been here for 8 years living with no electricity in a cabin in the woods. My first impression would be that someone who lives here full time on purpose might have some issues. I had envisioned a dark well inside the staff quarters. If you were to eavesdrop you might hear the words "it wants to put the lotion on". (my apologies for the obscure reference from Silence of the Lambs. just calling them as I see them) The guy actually turned out to be quite normal. His name is Brian. He's a marathon runner, and quite the cook I might add.
And then there's Larry.
Larry has been on this mountain for 30 years. He runs Southeast Pack trips and is equal parts mountain man/ ladies man. He's got plenty of TN accent, but not the deep drawling kind as much as it is lively and entertaining. His catch phrases were "heavy duty" and "rock and roll". As we pulled up to his barn, Quiet Riot "Bang Your Head" was blaring.
He seems to live life with his finger on the trigger, with 21 horses, a dog named Winchester, and a cool duster. No question if you needed a posse that Larry was your guy. Larry figured out that what he calls regular life, people like you and I call adventure. He has figured out that people would pay an interesting amount of money to live his life for a few days.
Every time I couldn't get the horse to do what I wanted, Larry would shout, "operator error". Larry told me later that day, "they're pretty much stupid. They could buck us off at any minute and run away. They don't. How stupid is that. " This caused a philosophical shift in my approach to Spur. I had been thinking of it more like a carnival ride than a partnership between myself and Spur.
One night after dinner, Larry offered us a moonlight ride. This sounds way more romantic than it is. To be clear it's riding your horse through the pitch black in the woods. You begin to understand exactly what happened to the headless horseman. Larry had been into the vodka a little bit that afternoon and there was definitely a question about the laws of drinking and driving applying to the horse. Ultimately I decided that since the horse hadn't been drinking we should be just fine.
Larry said; "boys, you gotta trust your animal". I asked Larry about his comments a couple days earlier that the horses were pretty much stupid, and he said ah, forget about that. He said they could see better in the dark. I asked him what about getting my head knocked off by branches. Larry said, the "problem with being tough, is that it's tough".
He took us on a trail a couple miles through the dark woods to the top of an overlook that was stunning by day and breathtaking by night. This dangerous ride turned out to be the highlight of our retreat. Learning that life with a guide is so much easier, so less scary. As long as I knew Larry was leading the way, I had a sort of calm. He had been this way before. After 30 years of this, he knew where he was. There were scary moments, but overall it felt peaceful. I was bolstered because I was with a band of brothers whom I trusted. I had Spur, whom I was forced to trust, and who proved himself trustworthy.
I learned that with the right folks around me, the right guide in front of me, the right horse beneath me, that I could go places and experience things I would've never dare think of by myself. We stood there on the edge of a cliff while Drew sang How Great Thou Art accapella and God was there.
There is so much that we've accomplished at Conduit because we've done it together. We've gone places that we wouldn't have gone because we did it together. We have an amazing guide in the Holy Spirit and Jesus who carries us. He is indeed trustworthy. We're not an institution. We're a band of people saying yes to the adventure, the danger, the beauty of a relationship with God. How is it possible that the idea of "church" became so boring, so domestic over the centuries?
What I realized Larry meant wasn't that Horses were stupid, it was that they were servants. They have the power to kill me, or at the very least throw me a few feet in the air and choose not to. They're not stupid, they're servants. They're trustworthy. They're not tame; they're just kind.
Tomorrow night Conduit is back at the Tyler house. It's chili night! A couple of you have already responded with what you're bringing. Please check out the list below and email Shannon at spaigetyler@yahoo.com with what you can bring.
We'll be kicking off at around 630 with the food and 730 with the worship and teaching time.
Darren Tyler
THE LIST:
If you can bring one or more of the below, please email Shannon at spaigetyler@yahoo.com
2 people to bring Chili
1 bag Tostitos
1 fruit
1 veggies
2 Desserts
5 two liter bottles
1 crackers
2 side dishes
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Conduit Oct 26- The Tears Of A Muslim
Endrian is a kindergarten age child being raised in a Muslim family in a tiny house on the outskirts of Semarang Indonesia. Endrian’s father suffered a stroke and is paralyzed from the waist down. He’s a proud man, and without a wheel chair “walks” with his hands while dragging his limp lower body. There are not government programs, no social security disability, no way to support his family. This is especially bad news in a community that in the throws of poverty. The onus is on Mom to provide. In a world where most Father’s can barely subsist, mom being the breadwinner is an exercise in futility. Endrian seems to be unaware, but there is a look in his eye that conveys seriousness, almost as if on some subconscious level that he understands the magnitude of the situation.
Kevin is a singer in a rock band. He screams, sings and jumps for a living. He is married with a beautiful daughter and they live a not so stereotypical rock star life outside of the not so rock star town of Lexington, KY.
He heard a sermon from his pastor a few years back about loving his enemies. It was the kind of thing that we hear from our Pastors from time to time, but for some Holy Spirit reason it really stuck this time. While thinking about what it looked like practically to love his enemy, the opportunity arose for him to sponsor a child with Compassion International. When Kevin saw the photo and information of Endrian, the young Muslim from Indonesia, it seemed like a perfect way to live out this command.
Maybe Endrian himself wasn’t Kevins enemy but Islamic radicals have declared us all their enemies. By loving Endrian, Kevin and his wife Julie are part of a spiritual counter insurgency that doesn’t involve tanks or missiles. It is subtle, it is pure, but make no mistake; it is an assault on hell.
I sat as a spectator as Kevin and Julie had traveled around the world to meet this young man and his family whom they loved but had never met. For 3 years they have faithfully sponsored Endrian through compassion. They’ve written letters back and forth. They’ve sent pictures. It’s kind of like a pen pal with benefits. This little 2 dimensional guy was very much a 3 dimensional real live human being. Watching them meet face to face for the first time was one of the more moving experiences of my life.
It was blazing hot inside this little house with no running water, let alone air conditioning. We could see the Mosque that Endrians family attends from his front door. Here we were, a handful of Christians, serving this family while their Mosque offered no support other than a clear if not spooky call to prayer that could be heard multiple times a day. (kind of like the church bells that used to wring out from the Methodist church in my home town, just a little more eerie)
We were invited inside where we all sat on the floor and us Americans did what we do best in those situations, sweat. We were given a tour of the home, we saw all 3 rooms. They ran a little snack shop out of the front door of their house. We were told that they were able to set up this business that is the only source of income for their family from money that Kevin and Julie had sent for a Christmas present.
Sitting in a circle on the floor Kevin asked the family how he could pray for them. The 22 year old son (also living in the home) answered simply and succinctly: “Muslim”. Our translator was uncomfortable with any questions that had anything to do with Jesus. If you know Kevin, you know that doesn’t necessarily stop him. He handled it like a pro. He and Julie were kind, caring, compassionate and an excellent example of Jesus to them.
The law in Indonesia states that someone of one religion is not allowed to teach someone of another religion. On your government ID you check a box next to your religion. I’m not 100% but I think the options are Islam, Hindu, Christian, Buddhism, and Catholicism Almost 90% of the worlds 4th largest nation check the box marked Islam. (When I asked our host what box would you check if you’re Jewish, her response was “well, um, you don’t”.)
The only way that this law can be subverted is if the person being taught or their legal guardian signs a legal document stating that it’s OK. This is taken very seriously, and as I write this I know of a couple of Sunday school teachers sitting in a Jakarta prison for violating this law.
As is often the case with the Lord, an obstacle turns into an opportunity. Local churches provide supplemental education, medical services, and much needed food for children. The Church, the bride of Christ, is alive and well in countries like Indonesia. The churches aren’t just a gathering place for a show on Sundays. They’re a real live service to the community. Organizations like Compassion International make possible the financial provisions to carry out this mission.
There are many Muslim families who sign the legal documents to allow for churches to teach their children. Many of them are coming to know Jesus and slowly but surely, so are their families. Endrian’s paperwork at the church still has “Islam” checked by his religion. I personally think it’s just a check mark. Islam might be marked on the paper, but Jesus is marked on his heart.
God has His thumb on this boy and his whole family. His mosque, which is 100 yards away gives them nothing. However, God sent Kevin and Julie all the way around the world just to give him a hug. Don’t’ tell me that God doesn’t have a plan for him.
If we would’ve shown up with just gospel tracts and a bull horn and preached the gospel with just our voices, I’m not sure what kind of impact, if any, we would’ve had. I’m sure between the few of us we could’ve cooked up some skits or broke out the puppets. Instead we showed up preaching the gospel with our lives AND our mouths. We were part of the larger Body of Christ doing our part. Providing the muscles while these wonderful believers do the heavy lifting.
As we left, I saw something that showed we had made an impact. There was no altar call, no bowing heads closing eyes and raising hands. What I saw were tears. I saw tears in the mother’s eyes. I saw tears in the 22 year old sons eyes. I saw tears in the father’s eyes. And there, in the tears of a Muslim I saw the Holy Spirit at work.
He was drawing them, wooing them, calling them. The gospel is being taught to Endrian on a daily basis. We couldn’t win his family with a lecture, but look what we did with love.
Tomorrow night we’re back at Journey Church. 730pm. We’ll dive into Exodus 26. We’re looking at the tapestries that cover the tabernacle as well as the veil that was inside of it. As with everything in the tabernacle, it’s a picture of Jesus. A beautiful veil hung on wood. Ring any bells? I hope so. There are many many more bells to be rung in this chapter.
Blessings,
Darren
www.conduitmission.com remember that you can feed a child in Haiti for $15. Donate at the Conduit Mission site.
If you’re interested in sponsoring a child through Compassion International, please email me and I can point you in the right direction. If you already are, please don’t stop. I have seen first hand what God can do through this act of love.
Kevin is a singer in a rock band. He screams, sings and jumps for a living. He is married with a beautiful daughter and they live a not so stereotypical rock star life outside of the not so rock star town of Lexington, KY.
He heard a sermon from his pastor a few years back about loving his enemies. It was the kind of thing that we hear from our Pastors from time to time, but for some Holy Spirit reason it really stuck this time. While thinking about what it looked like practically to love his enemy, the opportunity arose for him to sponsor a child with Compassion International. When Kevin saw the photo and information of Endrian, the young Muslim from Indonesia, it seemed like a perfect way to live out this command.
Maybe Endrian himself wasn’t Kevins enemy but Islamic radicals have declared us all their enemies. By loving Endrian, Kevin and his wife Julie are part of a spiritual counter insurgency that doesn’t involve tanks or missiles. It is subtle, it is pure, but make no mistake; it is an assault on hell.
I sat as a spectator as Kevin and Julie had traveled around the world to meet this young man and his family whom they loved but had never met. For 3 years they have faithfully sponsored Endrian through compassion. They’ve written letters back and forth. They’ve sent pictures. It’s kind of like a pen pal with benefits. This little 2 dimensional guy was very much a 3 dimensional real live human being. Watching them meet face to face for the first time was one of the more moving experiences of my life.
It was blazing hot inside this little house with no running water, let alone air conditioning. We could see the Mosque that Endrians family attends from his front door. Here we were, a handful of Christians, serving this family while their Mosque offered no support other than a clear if not spooky call to prayer that could be heard multiple times a day. (kind of like the church bells that used to wring out from the Methodist church in my home town, just a little more eerie)
We were invited inside where we all sat on the floor and us Americans did what we do best in those situations, sweat. We were given a tour of the home, we saw all 3 rooms. They ran a little snack shop out of the front door of their house. We were told that they were able to set up this business that is the only source of income for their family from money that Kevin and Julie had sent for a Christmas present.
Sitting in a circle on the floor Kevin asked the family how he could pray for them. The 22 year old son (also living in the home) answered simply and succinctly: “Muslim”. Our translator was uncomfortable with any questions that had anything to do with Jesus. If you know Kevin, you know that doesn’t necessarily stop him. He handled it like a pro. He and Julie were kind, caring, compassionate and an excellent example of Jesus to them.
The law in Indonesia states that someone of one religion is not allowed to teach someone of another religion. On your government ID you check a box next to your religion. I’m not 100% but I think the options are Islam, Hindu, Christian, Buddhism, and Catholicism Almost 90% of the worlds 4th largest nation check the box marked Islam. (When I asked our host what box would you check if you’re Jewish, her response was “well, um, you don’t”.)
The only way that this law can be subverted is if the person being taught or their legal guardian signs a legal document stating that it’s OK. This is taken very seriously, and as I write this I know of a couple of Sunday school teachers sitting in a Jakarta prison for violating this law.
As is often the case with the Lord, an obstacle turns into an opportunity. Local churches provide supplemental education, medical services, and much needed food for children. The Church, the bride of Christ, is alive and well in countries like Indonesia. The churches aren’t just a gathering place for a show on Sundays. They’re a real live service to the community. Organizations like Compassion International make possible the financial provisions to carry out this mission.
There are many Muslim families who sign the legal documents to allow for churches to teach their children. Many of them are coming to know Jesus and slowly but surely, so are their families. Endrian’s paperwork at the church still has “Islam” checked by his religion. I personally think it’s just a check mark. Islam might be marked on the paper, but Jesus is marked on his heart.
God has His thumb on this boy and his whole family. His mosque, which is 100 yards away gives them nothing. However, God sent Kevin and Julie all the way around the world just to give him a hug. Don’t’ tell me that God doesn’t have a plan for him.
If we would’ve shown up with just gospel tracts and a bull horn and preached the gospel with just our voices, I’m not sure what kind of impact, if any, we would’ve had. I’m sure between the few of us we could’ve cooked up some skits or broke out the puppets. Instead we showed up preaching the gospel with our lives AND our mouths. We were part of the larger Body of Christ doing our part. Providing the muscles while these wonderful believers do the heavy lifting.
As we left, I saw something that showed we had made an impact. There was no altar call, no bowing heads closing eyes and raising hands. What I saw were tears. I saw tears in the mother’s eyes. I saw tears in the 22 year old sons eyes. I saw tears in the father’s eyes. And there, in the tears of a Muslim I saw the Holy Spirit at work.
He was drawing them, wooing them, calling them. The gospel is being taught to Endrian on a daily basis. We couldn’t win his family with a lecture, but look what we did with love.
Tomorrow night we’re back at Journey Church. 730pm. We’ll dive into Exodus 26. We’re looking at the tapestries that cover the tabernacle as well as the veil that was inside of it. As with everything in the tabernacle, it’s a picture of Jesus. A beautiful veil hung on wood. Ring any bells? I hope so. There are many many more bells to be rung in this chapter.
Blessings,
Darren
www.conduitmission.com remember that you can feed a child in Haiti for $15. Donate at the Conduit Mission site.
If you’re interested in sponsoring a child through Compassion International, please email me and I can point you in the right direction. If you already are, please don’t stop. I have seen first hand what God can do through this act of love.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Conduit Oct 11- The War On The One Who Is Terror
On the way to Memphis Sunday morning I had been listening to CNN on XM radio. The blow hard pundits for hire were out in force debating whether or not we should be sending more troops into Afghanistan. I was sleepy because I had to leave at 6am and the dunk’n donuts coffee hadn’t kicked in yet. One sure way to wake up is to hear someone who is completely loony tunes, who has never seen battle, make crazy statements that are based on something other than common sense. CNN does this very well for me.
I was going to visit a new friend who launched a church called Nations Church in Memphis, TN. www.nationsmemphis.tv This is one of those churches that I’m pretty sure God is really jazzed about. They’re not flashy. They meet in the fellowship hall of an old school church of God that as best I can tell is on life support. In fairness they did have candles and fabric draped tastefully from the ceiling and super arty looking painting depicting different values of the church.
But that wasn’t what made it so cool. Here in the protected, sheltered, white suburbs of Memphis, TN was a church that existed to bring Jesus to the Nations.
The pastor announced that there were 3 men that were going to Afghanistan. Based upon my radio experience this of course peaked my interest. It was my automatic assumption that these would be 3 of America’s finest military men heading over to serve our country in one of the armed service branches.
They were leaving in a few hours and we were going to pray for them. Imagine my surprise when 3 burly looking, quasi bearded, white dudes came to the front who looked nothing like army dudes. They weren’t going as soldiers. They were going as missionaries!
One of the very few things that resonated with me from the CNN show was a profile on a man named Greg Mortenson. Greg and his organization are building schools in Pakistan. Morteson says that educated women can serve as a firewall against extremists. He said that for a young man to pursue Jihad he has to get his mother’s blessing, if he doesn’t receive this, then it is a shame to him.
I had never heard this but that profound truth is something that resonated with me. To the best of my knowledge Greg isn’t a Christian and depends on education alone. What if we introduced Jesus into the mix? Who on earth would have the courage to go? What would a Christian mom say of her son going to Jihad?
Imagine what could happen if the message of Christ, of peace, of salvation was being brought to this war torn people with the same passion and precision that Greg Mortenson is delivering education. I saw 3 men today that weren't imagining it, they were doing it.
As I write this they are probably somewhere between Atlanta and Dubai. They’re going to be on a plane for 24 hours and then enter into this war torn region exhausted, anxious, and maybe even afraid. Paul would tell Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 that he should endure suffering like a good soldier, something that these men will clearly put into practice.
There is indeed a war going on in the Middle East, and it runs far deeper than our bunker busting bombs can reach. Paul told the Corinthians that our military technology is of no use in this war. He said that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty. They are mighty to the pulling down of strong holds.
It’s above my pay grade to know exactly what the United States Military should be doing in Afghanistan. I am grateful that It is not my decision. As Paul commanded, I pray for my leaders in government. This is my duty and I do it gladly.
While I don't know what the Government should be doing it is dramatically clear what we as the Body of Christ should be doing. We need more troops on the ground. This is a nation that needs Christian’s who have the drive and courage of Greg Mortenson but the zeal and power of Christ like the apostle Paul
I was honored to see these 3 spiritual soldier’s heading to Afghanistan. They’re going to preach the gospel to the poor. They’re going to open the eyes of those that are blinded by the darkness. They’re going to release those that are oppressed. They’re going to be Jesus hands and feet in a battle that only He can win.
As I think about them. As I think about their wives and children and their tears that flowed while we prayed today, this exhortation from Paul comes to mind.
Ephesians 6:10-12 declares, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
You and I serve as a supply line in this battle. Conduit has sent over $100,000 to provide for the troops that are on the front lines. This is an important endeavor. People’s lives, their very eternity depends on it.
We have been on the front lines. We have one of our own, Victoria Ware, who is serving in the Dominican Republic in this army of God for the next 6 weeks. I’m proud to serve our commander beside you. And one day, the ground skirmishes will be over, when our King comes back and the war will be won. Amen.
I’m sorry to tell you that there is no Conduit tomorrow night. It’s a long story but I’m going to be enjoying a “strolling dinner” (not sure what that means) at a fundraiser for the Gospel Music Association. Believe me I’d much rather be hanging with you guys opening digging into the truth of Jesus in the Tabernacle. We’ll make it up next week.
Please spread the word.
Blessings,
Darren
I was going to visit a new friend who launched a church called Nations Church in Memphis, TN. www.nationsmemphis.tv This is one of those churches that I’m pretty sure God is really jazzed about. They’re not flashy. They meet in the fellowship hall of an old school church of God that as best I can tell is on life support. In fairness they did have candles and fabric draped tastefully from the ceiling and super arty looking painting depicting different values of the church.
But that wasn’t what made it so cool. Here in the protected, sheltered, white suburbs of Memphis, TN was a church that existed to bring Jesus to the Nations.
The pastor announced that there were 3 men that were going to Afghanistan. Based upon my radio experience this of course peaked my interest. It was my automatic assumption that these would be 3 of America’s finest military men heading over to serve our country in one of the armed service branches.
They were leaving in a few hours and we were going to pray for them. Imagine my surprise when 3 burly looking, quasi bearded, white dudes came to the front who looked nothing like army dudes. They weren’t going as soldiers. They were going as missionaries!
One of the very few things that resonated with me from the CNN show was a profile on a man named Greg Mortenson. Greg and his organization are building schools in Pakistan. Morteson says that educated women can serve as a firewall against extremists. He said that for a young man to pursue Jihad he has to get his mother’s blessing, if he doesn’t receive this, then it is a shame to him.
I had never heard this but that profound truth is something that resonated with me. To the best of my knowledge Greg isn’t a Christian and depends on education alone. What if we introduced Jesus into the mix? Who on earth would have the courage to go? What would a Christian mom say of her son going to Jihad?
Imagine what could happen if the message of Christ, of peace, of salvation was being brought to this war torn people with the same passion and precision that Greg Mortenson is delivering education. I saw 3 men today that weren't imagining it, they were doing it.
As I write this they are probably somewhere between Atlanta and Dubai. They’re going to be on a plane for 24 hours and then enter into this war torn region exhausted, anxious, and maybe even afraid. Paul would tell Timothy in 2 Timothy 2 that he should endure suffering like a good soldier, something that these men will clearly put into practice.
There is indeed a war going on in the Middle East, and it runs far deeper than our bunker busting bombs can reach. Paul told the Corinthians that our military technology is of no use in this war. He said that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but they are mighty. They are mighty to the pulling down of strong holds.
It’s above my pay grade to know exactly what the United States Military should be doing in Afghanistan. I am grateful that It is not my decision. As Paul commanded, I pray for my leaders in government. This is my duty and I do it gladly.
While I don't know what the Government should be doing it is dramatically clear what we as the Body of Christ should be doing. We need more troops on the ground. This is a nation that needs Christian’s who have the drive and courage of Greg Mortenson but the zeal and power of Christ like the apostle Paul
I was honored to see these 3 spiritual soldier’s heading to Afghanistan. They’re going to preach the gospel to the poor. They’re going to open the eyes of those that are blinded by the darkness. They’re going to release those that are oppressed. They’re going to be Jesus hands and feet in a battle that only He can win.
As I think about them. As I think about their wives and children and their tears that flowed while we prayed today, this exhortation from Paul comes to mind.
Ephesians 6:10-12 declares, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
You and I serve as a supply line in this battle. Conduit has sent over $100,000 to provide for the troops that are on the front lines. This is an important endeavor. People’s lives, their very eternity depends on it.
We have been on the front lines. We have one of our own, Victoria Ware, who is serving in the Dominican Republic in this army of God for the next 6 weeks. I’m proud to serve our commander beside you. And one day, the ground skirmishes will be over, when our King comes back and the war will be won. Amen.
I’m sorry to tell you that there is no Conduit tomorrow night. It’s a long story but I’m going to be enjoying a “strolling dinner” (not sure what that means) at a fundraiser for the Gospel Music Association. Believe me I’d much rather be hanging with you guys opening digging into the truth of Jesus in the Tabernacle. We’ll make it up next week.
Please spread the word.
Blessings,
Darren
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Conduit Oct 5- God's Building Program
Without fancy church building consultants, no faith commitment cards and no fund raising thermometer on the wall, Moses stood before the people of Israel and asked for their help in building the tabernacle. The first church building program in history was to construct something that was little more than a giant tent with a lot of gold inside. The type of tent that could’ve been on MTV cribs, as long as they didn’t film the exterior.
Israel was sent out of Egypt with gold and silver given to them in the voluntary plundering that kicked off 40 years of exciting wilderness wandering. They would’ve been rolling deep in the exact laundry list of items that Moses was requesting. They thought they struck it rich. In reality they did, but it’s interesting to note that they were carrying the building supplies for the tabernacle.
What really struck me was how the people gave to this building project without any sort of pressure, guilt trip or power point presentation. Exodus 25:1 tells us they gave as their hearts prompted them to. This is a thought that Paul would echo in his letter to the Corinthians when he said that each man should give as he is able, as the Lord leads, with joy. (2 Cor 8,9)
We see throughout the Old Testament, taking care of His earthly house was of significant priority to God. He told Moses in Exodus 25 and many more times, to build this tabernacle to the exact specifications that He would give him. God would ordain Solomon to build a magnificent temple using the pile of wealth that David had set aside as provision. Centuries later God would go so far as to command Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild the temple. (a sort of spiritual outsourcing)
As we consider how important God’s earthly habitation was in the Old Testament, it begs the question: What does it mean to take care of God’s house today?
It’s really a misnomer to call our church buildings of today God’s house or the house of God. The New Testament tells us that we are each individually the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19) That’s fancy spiritual speak for God dwelling in us individually. The metaphor goes further to suggest that collectively as the Body of Christ we make up a temple of the Holy Spirit. Each of us are the building blocks, or stones and Jesus Himself is the cornerstone. (Eph 4:19-21)
At the risk of stating the obvious, if we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then taking care of our brothers and sisters in Christ is of paramount importance to God. If your temple, like mine, is doing great then congratulations.
That being said, perhaps it would do good for us to read to the words of Haggai.
Haggai 1: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house
Living in paneled, well maintained home while God’s house is in ruins. It’s a thought that gives me pause as I consider the efforts and energies put into architectural structures are being served so well, while tens of millions of spiritual temples lie in ruins.
I’ve heard it said that if every believer were to tithe that we could pay off the entire debt of every church in America and feed every hungry person in the world. I don’t’ know if that’s true, but I wonder if it would matter. I wonder if too many of the churches would build bigger buildings, incur larger debts and all the while the real temple of the Holy Spirit remains in ruins.
Paul commanded us in 1 Thess 5:11 to build each other up. I know there are spiritual connotations in a statement like that, but I wonder if there is a physical element as well. You can’t read something like 2 Cor 8 and 9 and not know that serving the Body of Christ that are poor and oppressed is important. Maybe building each other is a far reaching command.
Would you mind searching your heart as I search mine. I know that there are literally tens of millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are marginalized, starving, and/ or persecuted. There is a temple that lies in ruins, what would the Lord ask of us.
I want to state that I’m not opposed to having facilities for us to gather in as believer’s. I just wonder if our priorities are out of whack. I know our brothers and sisters in Haiti make due with excruciatingly less in their church facility. I’ll bet we could find some areas that we could simplify and refocus those resources.
When Nehemiah considered that his people were in “great trouble and disgrace” he wept. (Neh 1:3) His compassion quickly turned to action. I pray that God would break our hearts, and move us to action.
Hope you can join us Monday night at 730pm. We’ll be back at Journey Church.
Darren
GOD’S BUILDING PROGRAM- If God is speaking to you, and you’re looking for a place to direct resources to building God’s house, we’d be happy to be the Conduit for you. Whatever money you donate will go immediately into the hands of our brothers and sisters, the temples of God in Haiti, Africa and right here in Middle Tennessee. You can donate online at www.conduitmission.org
Parenthetically, I think that there is one progress thermometer that does exist in heaven. The gauge of progress is blood.
John wrote in Revelation 6 of a time of justice that was coming. Under the inspiration of the Spirit John wrote that he saw under the altar those that had been “slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained”.
They asked God how long must they wait for their blood to be avenged. They were told “just a little longer”. And then this provocative statement: “until the “number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed was completed”. The thermometer if you will, filled with blood, will one day reach it’s fullness. God said in Deut 32:35 “vengeance is mine”. Our God is a God of love and mercy and.. justice.
Israel was sent out of Egypt with gold and silver given to them in the voluntary plundering that kicked off 40 years of exciting wilderness wandering. They would’ve been rolling deep in the exact laundry list of items that Moses was requesting. They thought they struck it rich. In reality they did, but it’s interesting to note that they were carrying the building supplies for the tabernacle.
What really struck me was how the people gave to this building project without any sort of pressure, guilt trip or power point presentation. Exodus 25:1 tells us they gave as their hearts prompted them to. This is a thought that Paul would echo in his letter to the Corinthians when he said that each man should give as he is able, as the Lord leads, with joy. (2 Cor 8,9)
We see throughout the Old Testament, taking care of His earthly house was of significant priority to God. He told Moses in Exodus 25 and many more times, to build this tabernacle to the exact specifications that He would give him. God would ordain Solomon to build a magnificent temple using the pile of wealth that David had set aside as provision. Centuries later God would go so far as to command Cyrus king of Persia to rebuild the temple. (a sort of spiritual outsourcing)
As we consider how important God’s earthly habitation was in the Old Testament, it begs the question: What does it mean to take care of God’s house today?
It’s really a misnomer to call our church buildings of today God’s house or the house of God. The New Testament tells us that we are each individually the temple of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:19) That’s fancy spiritual speak for God dwelling in us individually. The metaphor goes further to suggest that collectively as the Body of Christ we make up a temple of the Holy Spirit. Each of us are the building blocks, or stones and Jesus Himself is the cornerstone. (Eph 4:19-21)
At the risk of stating the obvious, if we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then taking care of our brothers and sisters in Christ is of paramount importance to God. If your temple, like mine, is doing great then congratulations.
That being said, perhaps it would do good for us to read to the words of Haggai.
Haggai 1: 4 "Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?"
5 Now this is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 6 You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it."
7 This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Give careful thought to your ways. 8 Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored," says the LORD. 9 "You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?" declares the LORD Almighty. "Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house
Living in paneled, well maintained home while God’s house is in ruins. It’s a thought that gives me pause as I consider the efforts and energies put into architectural structures are being served so well, while tens of millions of spiritual temples lie in ruins.
I’ve heard it said that if every believer were to tithe that we could pay off the entire debt of every church in America and feed every hungry person in the world. I don’t’ know if that’s true, but I wonder if it would matter. I wonder if too many of the churches would build bigger buildings, incur larger debts and all the while the real temple of the Holy Spirit remains in ruins.
Paul commanded us in 1 Thess 5:11 to build each other up. I know there are spiritual connotations in a statement like that, but I wonder if there is a physical element as well. You can’t read something like 2 Cor 8 and 9 and not know that serving the Body of Christ that are poor and oppressed is important. Maybe building each other is a far reaching command.
Would you mind searching your heart as I search mine. I know that there are literally tens of millions of our brothers and sisters in Christ who are marginalized, starving, and/ or persecuted. There is a temple that lies in ruins, what would the Lord ask of us.
I want to state that I’m not opposed to having facilities for us to gather in as believer’s. I just wonder if our priorities are out of whack. I know our brothers and sisters in Haiti make due with excruciatingly less in their church facility. I’ll bet we could find some areas that we could simplify and refocus those resources.
When Nehemiah considered that his people were in “great trouble and disgrace” he wept. (Neh 1:3) His compassion quickly turned to action. I pray that God would break our hearts, and move us to action.
Hope you can join us Monday night at 730pm. We’ll be back at Journey Church.
Darren
GOD’S BUILDING PROGRAM- If God is speaking to you, and you’re looking for a place to direct resources to building God’s house, we’d be happy to be the Conduit for you. Whatever money you donate will go immediately into the hands of our brothers and sisters, the temples of God in Haiti, Africa and right here in Middle Tennessee. You can donate online at www.conduitmission.org
Parenthetically, I think that there is one progress thermometer that does exist in heaven. The gauge of progress is blood.
John wrote in Revelation 6 of a time of justice that was coming. Under the inspiration of the Spirit John wrote that he saw under the altar those that had been “slain because of the word of God and the testimony they maintained”.
They asked God how long must they wait for their blood to be avenged. They were told “just a little longer”. And then this provocative statement: “until the “number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed was completed”. The thermometer if you will, filled with blood, will one day reach it’s fullness. God said in Deut 32:35 “vengeance is mine”. Our God is a God of love and mercy and.. justice.
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