You're Being Watched!

You’re being watched, And you don't even know it

Think about it.

Our government is watching the other countries. Those countries are watching us and everyone else.  

With this being an election year everyone, especially the media, is watching each candidate, waiting to see what their next move will be.

With the social media at your fingertips, we are watching each other almost instantly, as life is happening.  Even as it takes place on the other side of the town, state, country, and world.

If you know that you are always being watched, does that make you live your life differently?  As Christian’s men and women of the faith, what is the world observing about us?  What do they see as they are watching us?

“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV

My bible say that we are to “Imitate God…” act like God would.  What would happen if the world…Texas...Victoria, watched Christians that were all imitating, acting like God?

As we end the week reflect back on the conversations, the encounters, and those you simply passed by. When they looked at you did they see you…….or did they see God? 

As we prepare for next week know that you are being watched!  Watched by those you have conversations with, those you encounter, those that you simply pass by, those that work with you, your neighbors, your children, and more.  And yes, God is also watching you. 

Be an imitator of Christ.  May others watch Jesus, not you.

Serving Him Together,

Mike

Hospitality, Fear, and the Times in Which We Live…

Hospitality, Fear, and the Times in Which We Live…

A few weeks ago, December 20^th, to be exact…I had the privilege of preaching in our Sunday Morning Worship Service. Something very awkward happened right before our service that was somewhat troublesome, raising my blood pressure and a fear in me that I have not experienced before…

A young man entered our Worship Center and told the volunteers working the Welcome Center that he “needed to speak to the pastor.”  As you are aware, we are currently searching for a Senior Pastor. Mickey, our Assistant Pastor, was in New York visiting his children and grandchildren. So, not sure what to do our Welcome Center Volunteers began looking for me.

I went over to the Welcome Center to meet the young man they were speaking about. He wore a baggy coat and had it buttoned all the way up. The bottom of his coat stuck out a bit, as if he had something tucked into the front of his pants. Upon greeting him, he said, “I need to speak to you man-to-man!” I had never seen this young man before. The more he talked, the more nervous and fearful I became.

I was sure that I did not want to take him into my office to visit, so we walked over by the church library, where we could speak, yet be in the line of vision of our Welcome Center volunteers. I asked the young man how I could assist him or if there were anything that I could pray with him about. He simply replied, “I’m here” and said nothing more… (At the time, I was trying to figure out what he had under his coat…was it one of those fanny pack things?…or was it possibly…a weapon?) I thanked him for coming to Northside and asked him if he was hungry. We had a great church-wide breakfast that morning. He said he had not eaten, so I walked him over to the fellowship hall. Our deacons welcomed him and provided him with a nice plate of food. He proceeded to enter the fellowship hall and eat. Our safety team was notified and some deacons volunteered to visit with the young man.

By this time it was 10:35am with our morning Worship Service about to start, so I returned to the Worship Center to prepare for the service. A fear that something bad could happen this morning was slowly creeping over me. To be honest, I don’t remember much about the service, except the thoughts I was having…What will I do if this young man walks down the aisle with a weapon? Will I try to tackle him and take his weapon? The mind is an amazing thing…and, because of fear, mine was running wild the morning of December 20^th. Recently, I was reading Romans, and I was reminded that you and I, as followers of Jesus, are to be a reflection of the Kingdom of God, instead of a reflection of the world…

Romans 12:17-21 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹⁷ Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. ¹⁸ Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. ¹⁹ Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the Lord. ²⁰ Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” ²¹ Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.

I was told, that immediately following the service, the young man exited the church on foot without speaking to anyone. I have not seen him since. Did I handle this right? Why was I so consumed by fear? I still wonder today.

We live in uncertain times…we should all look to the Scripture, and decide how we will respond to events such as this in the future. And, most importantly, decide how Jesus would want us to respond.

Your Family’s Christmas

We all have our own family traditions for the way we celebrate Christmas. Some open presents on Christmas Eve and wait till Christmas morning to see what has appeared in the stockings.. Others hold all gift opening till Christmas morning. Some have a big meal on Christmas Eve. Others have always gathered the entire family around the table at high noon on Christmas day.

Our family tradition has not changed since I was a child (and probably before). There is an order to things and everyone knows what to expect: First we go caroling to friends and neighbors (usually in red earmuffs, sort of odd in McAllen’s 80 degree Christmas weather). Back at the house, no presents are opened until the youngest reader has read the Christmas story from the bible, reminding all of the true meaning of Christmas.

I don’t necessarily recommend the caroling part unless you have a particularly gifted musical family. But I DO recommend the bible reading. If scripture is not already a part of your family’s celebration, this would be a great time to start a new tradition. Here’s a suggested order of service for your own gathering around the tree:

1, “Joy to the World”
(Sung with gusto, no PowerPoint required)

2. Prayer of Thanks for Family and for God’s Blessings
(Give the pray-er advance notice)

3. Reading of the Biblical Christmas Story – Luke 2:1-14
(Read by youngest reader OR one verse per person)

4. "Silent Night"
(Sung with reverence)

5. Closing Prayer of Thanks for the Baby Jesus
(Prayer voiced by Adult or Student)

6. Presents Opened

However it is that you celebrate Christmas, find ways for your family to remember the Christ child, Emmanuel, God with Us. Take advantage of the teachable moment to remind one and all of how and why he came.

From our family to yours,
Merry Christmas!

Bro. Mickey

A Public Service Announcement for Sailing Through the Storms of Life

Tips to Consider When Sailing through the Storms of Life

I’ve heard it said that “plagiarism is stealing from one person, research is stealing from many.” So, I give props to all the people and sites listed that I borrowed from the end of this blog.

Food for thought…

Sailors can complain about the weather but that is not going to change it. The weather will be what it will be. The best sailors learn to adjust.

An old African proverb says: You are either leaving a storm, heading into a storm or in the midst of a storm. 

Whether you feel like your vessel is a dingy, cruise liner or pirate ship – there are five things to keep in mind as you navigate through the storms that come your way in life:

1.      Lift your anchor and launch into the deep water. Boats were not made to hang out in the harbor. A boat can survive mild winds and rain in the harbor, but not much more than that. Did you know that during major hurricanes the United States Coast Guard closes ports in the path of larger storms, and they encourage all ships to leave port, heading “East at the best possible speed.” According to the National Weather Service, the worst place for a ship to find itself is the eye of a hurricane, the second worst place is the harbor. As you watch the weather, monitoring the storms that head your way, don’t hug the harbor, raise the anchor and set sail at your best possible speed. Head for deeper water. Outrun the storm’s path if it’s possible.

2.      When you encounter a storm you can’t outrun, steer into it. With top speeds reaching between 15 and 30 miles per hour, commercial ships are not the quickest.  Captain John Konrad, who has experienced hurricanes first hand, says, “When battling a storm at sea, size and mass are your friend. Ships are built of heavy steel and designed to be capable of riding out most storms. Even the largest ships however, like the 1,302 foot long, 170,974 ton container ship, Emma Maersk, can sink if she is beaten by massive waves for too long a period of time.” An interesting ranching side note – when cows are faced with a storm, they disperse and try to hide from it. However, buffalo stick together and take on a group wedge-like formation and hunker down together and let the storm pass right over them. Did you know there are more cattle killed each year by storms than bison? Early settlers referred to the American Bison as “the ones who face the storm” - understanding that sometimes the quickest way through a storm is head on. FYI – Did you know? The American Bison has been clocked doing more than 40 m.p.h. and can outrun a horse in a sprint. The Sioux Indians called the American Bison, tatanka —which actually means "great big thing." But I digress…Back to sailing tips for weathering life’s storms. Is your reaction to storms that occur in life more like a cow or buffalo? 

3.      Get rid of excess cargo. What do you need to throw overboard? What is weighing you down? And, why do we need to do this? According to boating experts, cargo or equipment is often jettisoned to stabilize a vessel during a storm. If you see an unavoidable storm entering your life, consider jettisoning unnecessary baggage that could, in the end, contribute to the sinking of your ship.

4.      Tie yourself to the mast…if you find yourself dealing with an unavoidable storm. Back in the day, when a ship faced a major storm, they tied the captain to the mast so he wouldn’t be washed overboard. In extreme storms, they tied the entire crew to the mast. The word mast means “pole or rod.” So, a mast has an important job. Most masts that I have seen tend to be toward the center of the vessel. The mast supports the sails, which allows the wind to propel the ship.  As a follower of Jesus, I tend to think of him as the mast on my ship. (He’s really the captain of my vessel too… but that’s another blog)…but for this illustration’s purpose…the best thing we can do is tie ourselves to our mast (Jesus) when facing storms in life. It’s usually in those moments, when we find what we are really made of. Truth be known, in the calm or storm, the best thing you and I can do is stay tied to Jesus.

5.      Enjoy the ride… Yesterday is gone and you’re not getting it back. Did you make the most of today? It's about to become a yesterday. For some reason, I have a picture of Lieutenant Dan of the Forrest Gump movie in my head. You know, the scene where he is riding the mast of the shrimp boat during the storm. You don’t need to use his colorful language…or blame God for all the storms you encounter in life. You can rest assured, God will use the storm to bring glory to Himself and make you more like Jesus.

Whatever you are facing at the moment…know that God is there in the midst of your storm.

May your anchor be tight and your compass be true. Sail on, my friends!

It’s a privilege to serve as your Discipleship Pastor, Dean

Props to: Dr. Leonard Sweet, Forbes.com, The National Weather Service, Dictionary.com, the History Channel, and Siri (I told you I borrowed info from several places).

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

The air has turned cool and the leaves are beginning to fall.  That means fall has finally arrived.  Things begin to change and schedules become full with more and more events, as everyone tries to cram in everything they can.  However, we call this the most wonderful time of the year.  Sounds a little crazy or backwards, but it is so true.  It seems like we would want our lives to slow down and have less to do in order to say this is the most wonderful time of the year.  Instead, our lives become more complicated and crazy and for some reason we still look forward to it.  It’s when we will spend more time with family and friends.  We focus in on all that we have received and how we have been blessed.  We are reminded to be thankful for all He’s done.  It’s that time of year that we focus in on the birth of Christ and the true reason behind the season – Jesus.  In the midst of this season make sure you stop and remember why we are thankful and the reasons we celebrate.  Psalm 46:10 – tells us to, “be still, and know that I am God.”  In the midst of the craziness, as we are all running around, stop, and remember, stop and refocus on the reason for the season.  In the midst of the craziness don’t leave God behind.

for the journey, 

Mike

“For His eyes are upon the ways of a man, and He sees all his steps.” Job 34:21

     Tuesday night I left my home to run to the store to get a few last minute grocery items.  When I left the store I turned onto the street to head home and the moon appeared in front of me.  It was so full it was as if I could reach out and touch it.

     Just a little over a year ago my family and I moved to Victoria from the Dallas area to accept the position of worship pastor.  This was the farthest from home I had ever lived in my entire life.  Occasionally since moving here there has been the sting of homesickness and when I saw the beautiful moon I could not help but think that those who I loved, that were living six hours away, could step outside and see the same beautiful moon I was seeing.  For a second it would be like they were here and I was there.  Yes I know, that is very sappy!  I thought to myself how amazing it was that almost anywhere in the world you go you can still see the moon.  It’s so big that its presence seems to follow us wherever we go. 

     As I continued driving my thoughts moved from my family to God.  I thought about the fact that God is so big and so powerful that we can see Him and He sees us anywhere we go.  In fact He is omnipresent.  He is wherever we are, wherever we have been, and wherever we will go.  That thought filled my mind and gave me a peace that it hard to put into words.  As I was thinking about that I turned onto my street and the trees quickly blocked my view of the fantastic moon.  At first I was a bit sad that I couldn’t run in and tell my wife to come out and see, since the trees blocked our view, but then I thought even though I can’t see it doesn’t mean that it’s not there.  Of course the moon was there even if my view was blocked by some trees. 

     There are times when we face struggles that cloud our view.  They take our focus off God and simply make it hard for us to see Him.  That does not mean that He is not there.  He is omnipresent He is everywhere.  We must open our eyes, clear our sight line, and refocus.  There He will be as big and beautiful as He was the first time we saw Him.  Take some time this week to step outside, gaze around, and look at the beauty that surrounds you.  Have peace in knowing that even we lose focus or our view becomes clouded God is still there waiting for us to return.  

Tom Smith

Pastor of Music and Worship

A Missions Alert!

The Heartbeat of Northside
Northside has always been a church with a heart for missions. We began as a mission and have begun missions. We have started works in Victoria county and participated in mission efforts as close as the Valley and as far away as Greece. We have sent Northsiders to mission fields in Japan, Zimbabwe, and France. Mission work has always been a priority.

A Developing Need
The good news is that giving to International Missions is up! The bad news is that expenses in International Missions are up even more. For the last five years, the International Mission Board has had operating costs that exceed giving (by millions). Drastic measures are being taken to make our mission efforts around the world financially sustainable.

Missionaries to Come Home
To help alleviate the financial crunch, missionaries over age 50 with five years or more of service are being offered to participate in a “Voluntary Retirement Initiative”. Some 600-800 missionaries and staff will be affected this year. A friend of mine, retired seminary professor Dr. Dan Crawford, is in contact with many of these missionaries and has received the following messages from the field:

· “Just keep praying. The future seems very uncertain. Missionaries are dealing with a range of emotions, unfortunately at this point it does not include excitement.”

· “The biggest challenge for us is not to have several months to better prepare our national partners for the future. It is hard to think that we will be leaving after having the fantastic privilege to serve our Lord here for over 30 years.

· “I find myself today wondering if we will stay, where our ministry is only beginning to take off, or return to the States.”

· “I am thinking of staying at least one more year as self-funded.”

· “It is a very discouraging time for all of us and morale is at an all-time low.”

· “Pray specifically for those whose children could lose their missionary scholarship to college if their parents are no longer missionaries.”

· “God has not told me to leave my place of service. I am staying. I will lose my apartment, car, salary, and benefits, but I am staying until God tells me to go home.”

Back here at Northside, we will soon begin our third missions offering of the year, the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for International Missions. Now, more than ever, we must be faithful in giving above and beyond our normal tithes and offerings to see that we keep our missionaries in the field. Pray. Be thinking of missionaries returning to the states needing basic housing and transportation. Be thinking of how Northside can continue to be the mission-minded church we have always been called to be.

In His service,
Bro. Mickey