Today is Election Day and it is really a big voting day for our state. So I did my civic duty and took advantage of my rights as USA citizen and voted today. I voted for both men and women. Some of the people on the ballot I actually know as friends. Some I have never heard of other than a name on a sign in the middle of the median. One man on the ballot actually greeted me at my polling place this morning. So tonight the results will come in and it will affect my life somehow.

But let me tell you about two other men who came to campaign. I'm not talking about at my polling place anymore... I'm talking about Jerusalem. These men weren't running for any office. These men weren't interested in being elected. But they were interested seeing the lives of people to be changed... forever! The first man came to give testimony about the second man. The first man attracted your attention. He definitely was not the norm of the community. Let's just say that he stood out in a crowd. The people listened to this man intently because they knew he spoke the truth. They listened to every word as he talked about the second man who was to follow him. The first man confirmed and affirmed and reaffirmed the second man to come and the crowd bought it.

The second man eventually came and publicly declared that everything the first man said was valid and reliable. But get this... the second man wasn't coming to get everyone's vote. The second man came with the only intent of people to be saved. "Saved from what" you ask. Saved from death so they would have eternal life with him and his father. The crazy thing was... this was all the second man's father's plan. He was just being obedient to his father because he loved him and it personally involved him. It was through this second man that people were going to be saved. He campaigned for the people to see that he came to save them. But believe it or not... they had their heads stuck in the Bible and couldn't see the truth right in front of them!

The first man was John the Baptist. The second man is my Savior… Jesus. I didn't even have to vote for him. God sent Jesus, His Son, as a sacrifice for my sins, so that I would have the free gift of eternal life with them. The results are in… those "in Christ" have won!

Rusty

People keep asking me about what I am going to be doing. I've said from the beginning of this adventure (December '06) that we know God is calling us to lead a ministry/church. To do that, we had to end our 18 years of service at Northside. Then I know that we are to separate ourselves from Northside. That is the season that we are in the midst of right now. If you think that is confusing for you, it definitely is for us. It is not easy to put space between your church family that you have committed almost half your life to. And of course... everyone has an opinion of what that should look like.

But as we move toward our next step, the questions come flying at us. One question that I really struggle with is "What model of church planting are you going to use?". I'm just not there. Why would I want to model a plan? Why do I have to do it like someone else? Can't I make my own mistakes? Can't you just speak the Truth and let it be? Do I have to market the Truth to plant a church?

Billboards, web sites, yellow pages ads, newspaper promos, CDs, brochures, yadda yadda... Marketing plans? What are we marketing? Jesus or the church? My lunch partner today reminded me that the church is not a business... it is something that is orchestrated by God. Or at least it should be. I'm not against these things (obviously you are reading my website). There is a difference between communicating and teaching Truth versus marketing Jesus and the church.

The church talked about in the New Testament didn't promote itself. Peter told the people to repent, be baptized (placed into Christ) for the forgiveness of their sins and they would receive the Holy Spirit. In one day, 3,000 people received those words and were baptized. They continued listening to the Truth, hanging out, eating and praying together. There was a sense of awe in the community. Amazing things began to happen. They had all things in common and shared all their possessions with each other. They consistently ate together while praising God and everyone liked them. Click on the above link and read it for yourself!

Sounds like a plan for me... speak Truth, people repent, the Spirit changes their lives, rejoice, pray, hang out and eat! How can we mess up that plan? Sound a little "idealistic"? Nah... just another unexplainable adventure!

Jesus isn't for sale. He came to give salvation for free and it cost Him His life!

Rusty

Leavener... it's a change agent. If I have chosen to name this ministry Leavener, then I most likely embrace the opportunity for change. But at the same time I am a loyalist. (i.e., I have served Jesus at Northside for the past 18 years and I am even still a Dallas Cowboy fan post-Landry era). So, as much as I respect loyalty and commitment, I also look forward to change and being on the cutting edge. Oh yeah... I even carry a picture of Michelle and me from when we were in high school (25 years ago)... ask me... I'll show it to you... We have changed a little!

Some people have referred to this new adventure in ministry as the biggest change in my life. I cannot agree with that statement. It was about seven years ago that I learned the greatest change in my life occurred when I was eight years old. That means it took me 27 years to come to that conclusion. You may be thinking I am a slow learner. No, I was a loyalist who didn't want to change my mind. I was churning out my life and ministry but never reaching my desires. Nothing was ever good enough... including myself.

It was about seven years ago that I realized the change God made through His Son that caused me to be changed when I was eight years old. Get this... In Acts, Stephen was accused of proclaiming that Jesus will change the customs that came from Moses. Thank God for that change. You see, it was that very change in God's plan that allowed me as a child to die from the law and be free as a child of God. The problem is, I never understood that change until seven years ago. I was a freebird who lived my life under many restrictions and yet, never knew it! I repeatedly tried to be the best I could be and would always fall short of even my own expectations (not to mention many other's expectations). It was at that point of understanding that I no longer felt the pressure of what other people thought about me or the things I was doing. God's Spirit changed my heart and allowed this truth (Romans 2:28-29) to be discovered. I will never be the same. I have been changed.

I truly believe this misunderstanding of the truth that I lived under for 27 years is prevelant in today's church. It is the evil one's way of keeping children of God bound up and even non-believers wanting nothing to do with Jesus. It has been that way for a long time. Even Paul tells the church in Rome they don't have to be bound up and fearful. They have the ability to see God as their "Daddy". It doesn't get any better than that. Truth that changes lives. It absolutely has changed mine and I can't do anything but be loyal to that transformation.

I don't want to hear any comments about that picture... I've changed!

Rusty