Bobby Lepinay

Acts of Rest and Grace

"The Lord is my Shepherd...He leads me to rest in green meadows, He leads me beside peaceful streams.  He renews my strength..."  Ps 23

 

 

One of the things I am most thankful for at Harvest is our Frontline Prayer team.  Seriously......in all my years of church life, I have never seen a team that can 'get er done' like these guys do!  :)

I received an email late last night from one, who is also a dear friend, who while praying for Deb and I got this:  "The level of your rest will be obtained by faith.  Doing acts of rest and grace will meet it and produce peace."

When I read the phrase, "acts of rest and grace", my spirit jumped! :)  There is a discipline of rest, marked by ACTS of rest and grace.  May not make sense to you, but it sure hits the mark for me!

So.......

For the next 2 weeks, I am unplugging.  I will drastically wean all technology usage, apart from what is absolutely necessary.  That includes the phone.  I have never fasted in this manner before, so it should be interesting......pray for me!! :)

To God's Peace...

PB

Connecting in Worship

Every Sunday, as I am worshipping, I look back at some point to see how connected the people are.  Of course, there are always those with eyes closed, hands uplifted in surrender.  Likewise, there are those, hands in pockets, disengaged.

Or at least seeming that way.

In my previous church experience, we were 'driven' to be engaged, to the point where if you DIDN"T lift your hands, you felt out of place.  Not entirely good, as it can produce people who do it and they and others now think they have 'arrived' somehow. 

But on the other hand, the goal really is AUTHENTIC engagement of the heart, connection, with the Living God thru the mere words of a song,.....whatever that song may be....or even no song at all.  We need to take the pressure off 'PERFORMANCE', while at the same time encourage ENGAGEMENT. 

I remember so well after giving my life to Christ, coming into a church that did praise and worship was totally foreign to me.  At first, I would get there late to just hear the message.  Then, I would catch a few songs, watch the 'wierd people' (as I thought them back then) dancing, jumping, shouting. 

It took a while before I got up the nerve to even raise ONE hand! :)

There is so much that is involved in connecting:

• The place you personally are in in your walk with God
• Your mood and even how you PHYSICALLY feel
• Distracting thoughts
• How the song 'flows' (melody??)

I could list a ton of other things.  But in the end, you just make the CHOICE to offer yourself, all that you are to God. 

Myself?  I don't wait for the right moment, or right song, or some external inspiration.  Oftentimes, I dont even LIKE the song we may be doing, but I just have already made the choice to be engaged.  Its kind of like sitting with my wife to chat each day:  If I just wait to feel inspired to connect, or give way to distracting thoughts, or just focus on how my mood is,..... we would NEVER connect. 

I have pre-determined:  When I am with her, she gets my full attention.  She is worth it and I honor her by that, or, DIShonor her when I dont give my full attention.

Hope that makes some sense....!

PB

Mixed Reviews

Last month, I gave the worship team a song I wanted done called "Where You Go I Go".  I LOVE the song personally. 

Karen Loftis did a knockout job with it last night.  I loved the intro Karen gave from the book of Ruth.  BTW, GREAT job leading for your 1st time, Karen!

But I am wondering if the song is connecting 'congregationally'.  Some songs are great personally, but hard to connect with a congregation.

What think??

The band also resurrected an old favorite, "I Exalt Thee", reworked.  The one really seemed to connect and we have never done it at Harvest! 

Music is an interesting, albeit powerful, thing.....

I am posting the original version I saw that made me say, "we have to do that song!"  How is the song resonating with you?

PB

Stand

This past Sunday we launched the "Stand" series.  The Bible says that "WHEN the day of evil comes....STAND...". 

We have 2 options:  STAND.....or become 'roadkill', crushed by the seasons that invariably will come upon us as we walk thru this life.

There are no words for me to describe how deeply important I believe these messages are for this particular time. 

Earlier this week, I received a great email from one of our own at Harvest.  She was there Sunday night and talked about how for many years, the whole 'armor of God' thing was very confusing.  It seemed so dumb and trivial to go thru some daily ritual of putting on spiritual armor.  When I talked about it being so much more real, the context.....the HOW and WHY.....it all made sense and she was deeply affected.

You need to make every effort to be at our Harvest @ 5 service for this whole series.  Seriously....sometimes having a better spiritual life is just a matter of BEING THERE.

See you guys Sunday!

PB

Back to Atlanta I Go....

Just a short post to thank you guys who prayed for my dad.  Over the last day or so he has really had a turnaround.  His doctor up there called me and said they want to release him Thursday morning.

So.....

Right now it is 4:45 Wednesday afternoon. We have AllStaff meeting at 6:30 then afterward I am looking at driving up there, making it as far as I can, then releasing my dad in the morning from Emory Hospital.  Fun, fun, fun...!!! :)

Please start praying for this weekend at Harvest.  Every Sunday since Will passed we have seen people coming to Christ, moreso than I can ever remember.  Pray for souls.....LOTS of them to come to Jesus this Sunday!

PB

"I Don't Know WHAT to feel...."

Hard to believe, its been 3 weeks since our beloved Worship Pastor, Will, passed from this life to the next.

....Not even a month.

I had someone yesterday express how they just cant get it out of their mind.  They are still in shock.  Angry.  Sad. 

Numb.

They don't know what to feel.

"Why can't I get over it???" 

I reaffirmed how NORMAL it is to feel this way, and how I myself, in the crazy busyness of life, have moments al thru the day where I likewise go from shock, to horror, to peace, to anger, to just about every kind of emotion possible. 

Welcome to the human race.

I honestly think Christians have gotten screwed up in the head here.  We like to throw around phrases that are so superficial and trite, well-meaning, no doubt, but just UNREAL.  There is no 'reality' to them.  We say, "Well, he is in a better place now.", or, "God just needed another angel", or "Heaven just needed him more."

Ugggh....please.  It makes my stomach turn.

We have forgotten how to be HUMAN!!!!!!! The Bible says that when Stephan died, "Godly men grieved deeply for him."  There werent trite little phrases thrown out there.  They mourned.  They hurt.  They missed.

Deeply.

To grieve takes time.  There is shock.  There is denial.  There is anger.  There is acceptance.  Not just once.  A thousand times.  Death was not God's original intent.  It should always be foreign to us, UNnatural.  The Bible calls it an 'enemy'. 

I dont for 1 minute claim to understand Will's being taken from us.  Its been only 3 short weeks.  I refuse to trivialize it.  But I likewise know on THIS side, we have to work while we still have time.  Too many are lost, doomed to an eternity separated from God unless they have a chance to hear and believe.  

To THIS I have given my life, through the building of a GREAT church (Harvest) that can bring them in. 

Sorry for the ramble guys.....just had to get it off my chest.  :)

Love you much,

PB

Out of Gas

Last night, I hit the wall. 

As I was preaching the Harvest @ 5 message on Spiritual Warfare, I could literally feel the energy leaving my body.  I charged hard in the am service at the Rave, felt strong, saw another 5 people raise their hands to follow Christ.  Nothing charges up a preacher more....!..

....then the accumulated load of the past week caught up.

I flat ran out of gas, period.

One of the great lessons I am slowly learning in serving God is to pace yourself if you want to go the long haul.  That hasnt been one of my strengths, but I am HAVING to learn it.  We all need a day off, a 'sabbath day' to renew and refresh.  Sunday for most people is a day of rest and renewal.  For ministers, it is the day of most work, preceded by the day before, Saturday, of preparation.  It is much harder to develop a rhythym of time off to enjoy with your family.

Anyway...pray for me!!

I just called up at Emory and they are not releasing my dad today, so my plans to go up there are put off momentarily.  Thanks for praying for him, he is ever so slowly regaining strength.

Thanks also for the kind input so many of you had about yesterday's messages, particularly the Rave service.  Preaching on "Hell" is never easy, but I sensed great anointing as I spoke.  You guys are a dream to preach to, so open, so hungry. 

I am thankful and LOVE my job! :)

Grace to you this week...

PB

Update on My Dad.....

As Shakespeare said, "The best laid plans of mice and men are oft led astray..."

Mice???

The plan for this past week was to bring my dad up to Emory on Monday, be out Wednesday.  Not to be.  The procedure was successful and though it does not solve his problem, buys some time hopefully to get blood flow thru his aortic valve.  But he was severely weakened and not released by Friday afternoon.

Soo.......

I drove home late Friday to have Saturday to prepare to preach both services Sunday, then turn around, go back up Monday.  I so much appreciate the calls and prayers guys.  I honestly was in my heart preparing to lose dad Friday, as he was that weak, but by the time I called the hospital when I got back to Pcola, he was much stronger and had even eaten. 

On that, he came to the hospital weighing 159 on Monday.  By Friday afternoon, he was 133.  As I left him and kissed his forehead, I asked him bluntly, "Pop, do you want to die now?"  He said, "No." I said, "Then you better get busy eating, getting calories for energy.  Force yourself to do what you dont feel like doing.  Eat."

As I said, his nurse said that after I left, he ate his whole meal and was now sipping on an Ensure.  His whole demeanor had gotten better.

I will try to post on Monday morning before I head out.  Lots of thoughts I want to put down......!

See you Sunday.  BTW, driving home, the Lord gave me revelation on something that I will talk about Sunday night.  Sunday morning will tie into Sunday night, though totally different.

Please pray for me as well.  I am spending all day today in prep and need the power of God to flow thru my words Sunday.  I crave eternal fruit that will 'remain'.

PB

Monday....It's Monday....

Man,.....I havent woken up this tired in a LONG time!  I think the accumulation of the last month is catching up.

In the words of the great actor and 'gubernator', Arnold Shwarznegger, (sp?)......"I need a be-cation".

For those of you not getting it, that would be a VAcation! ;)

Easter was a great day for us at Harvest!  Packed at the RAVE and the message on 'Heaven' seemed to hit home.  I love what God is going in our church and the new life we are seeing!

The Night of Worship at Harvest at 5 was great as well.  Lots of technical mishaps, but hey, with only 2 weeks notice I think the band really honored the Lord with the offering presented!  Seeing all the baptisms NEVER EVER gets old!

I am heading out with my dad to drive to Atlanta to bring him to Emory Clinic today.  GREAT driving weather...:(  He is being evaluated for a new heart valve procedure and they will also try to put a balloon in his valve on Tuesday to give him some temporary relief.  If you can, pray for him, especially around 1 or so on Tuesday.  The doctor said it is very risky at his age and condition.  I will be (Lord willing) coming back late Wed night.

Finally, Dave posted the tribute to our fallen friend Will that we showed at the beginning of the Celebration of Life service.  Watch it til the end, as what Dave did in tying in Will actually singing "Fix You" was brilliant.....and just plain 'God'.  The more time goes, the more he is missed......

Love you guys,

PB

Easter Sunday 2009

   

 Needless to say, our dear friend Will's passing has created alot of questions.  That isn't entirely a bad thing.  Many won't be answered on this side of eternity.

But many CAN be.

That is why we have taken the 'offense' and started a 3 part series of messages last Sunday called "If I Die Before I Wake".   We are talking about realities that each of us must face, BEYOND this life.

 

This Sunday, Easter Sunday, I will be speaking on "Heaven".  Most of us have a fuzzy idea of what heaven is like:  Sitting on clouds playing harps (BORING!!).....non-stop worship (???).....and lots of other things that arent neccessarily in the Bible. 

We are going to hit it straight on!  Be sure to be there.  Be sure to invite your family and friends who need to have HOPE!

Sunday night, we are throwing it down with an all-holds-barred NIGHT OF WORSHIP.  If you have been in the services the last few Sundays, you will attest to the increase in the presence of God.  You need to be there, period!

Lastly, I want to share something that Will's dad posted today, in case you didnt get to read it.  Sweet....very sweet, from a father's heart, about the day of the funeral service last week.

See you Resurrection Sunday!!

PB

 ______________________________________________________________________________________

I sat on the edge of my bed, my thoughts in a turmoil as I listened to the rain falling and the loud booms of thunder.  I felt old and was being led to "where I did not want to go."  I was preparing to do what every molecule of my being did not want to do and my mind did not want to accept.  I was going to bury my oldest son, Will.  I knew the people there that loved him was going to number in the hundreds, despite the rain.

  One couple I knew would be there; they knew exactly how I felt. I have known them since 1974 and they have become my best friends.  They lost their son at the age of 18 in a tragic accident.  Then I thought of that couple that had entered on Will's facebook, "Say hello to our son up there, Will." My heart broke for them when I read that. They know. Maybe they will be there...

  Then God spoke.  He reminded me of Matt. 27:45-54. I always thought of the darkness, the torn curtain, and the earthquake as a demonstration of God's power and maybe wrath at the undeserved death of His son.  Now, I saw it in a different light. Maybe it was a demonstration of a grieving Father.  HE would be there.  And HE knew how I felt. 

  And so it was, God the Father, was there.  HE was there in the music, in the prayers, and in words of love spoken in remembrance of Will.  HE was there in the love that was freely given to my family as we faced this parting from our loved one. 

  It started way before the funeral. People showered us with gifts, support, and love from the moment Will entered the hospital.  I cannot think of an adequate way to thank you all.  Even as I write "THANK YOU" it seems so little.  Any words I can think of cannot express the gratitude that I feel for all that you have done. Even more difficult is to say THANK YOU adequately for loving my son, Will.

  Some day soon though, we will all be able to gather at the feet of Jesus and embrace one another again with Will in our midst.

  I will only mention two names; when if I could name them all, I would name hundreds.  A very special THANK YOU to Pastor Bobby and Debbie.  You have listened to God and have reaped a multitude of wonderful, Godly people.  

 God bless everyone who loved my son.

Orville Pufall