therstblog

Excuses are like ________, everybody has one. I’m sure you can fill in the blank. This may just be one of the hardest, but freeing post I’ve ever written, but here goes…

The reality is that I have fallen & am fortunate to say that I was able to get up.

I fell victim to not trusting God, I fell victim to the idea that my dreams & vision was contingent on “where” I was planting His church, I allowed the fear & excuses of others to become my own & lastly I believed that “the city” was larger than my God.

Today is a new day! I have decided that God can… It’s as simple as that & God will!! As large as my faith, He will deliver, as much trust as I put in Him He will provide!

Peculiarplace church WILL NOT be bound by the perceptions, fear or history of church planting in “the city”, nor will I make another excuse for me not trusting Him to be bigger than any city, community, any circumstance, situation or problem!

God IS! He is alive and well! He is the king of kings & the lord of lords! Period!!!

He called us to be fishers of men, not make excuses about why men weren’t accepting of the bait or why the lake was not producing a “catch”. We cannot drop our nets if we won’t even get in the boat!!!!!

September 12th of 2010 is the date set aside & asigned to the launch of peculiarplace church!! PERIOD!!

Love ya!!

I’ve asked myself this question a million times! I’ve probably been asked this question even more!

Am I ready? With the economy the way that it is, is planting a church wise? Why the city? Why not work at a church, then plant? I could go on but I believe you get the point.

All valid questions, in which I’ve searched for answers & keep coming back to a still small voice trapped in my mind. The echoes of God’s voice are clear precise & intimidating!

GO!!

I wasn’t there, but I can only imagine the things that went through Abraham’s mind as he heard & heeded “The Call”. I don’t profess to be Abraham, just to clear the air, but I do share his passion to be obedient, no matter the cost!!

So, why here… Because He said so. Why now, because He said so.

It’s up to me, to be obedient, stay in constant communication, to trust, to lead & to BE who He called me to be.

Today is a new beginning! And, honestly it’s not the first new beginning, it’s up to me though to see it through to the end, no waivering & no turning back!!

Because HE is…!!!!

Why? Who? What? Why? I hope to be able to answer these questions over the next several days… My hope is that you read, search your heart, pray, are challenged & COMMIT to joining us as a financial partner in fulfilling the dream that God has given us for Old Fourth Ward & the city of Atlanta! WE NEED YOU! YES, YOU!

Why?

Because of the 14 plus thousand residents that call Historic Old Fourth Ward, O4W, home 80% do NOT attend church regularly, if at all!!

Because 80% comes to over 11,000 people, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, teachers, CEO’s, friends, neighbors, nurses that would spend an ETERNITY in Hell! If that don’t move you then I’m not sure what will.

Because we are not simply starting a church, but our DESIRE & PRAYER is to build, transform a community with Christ as the HEAD. to be an example for other communities that call Atlanta home.

Because O4W is an extremely diverse community which gives a great chance to create a church/ community that resembles Heaven!

As missionaries it is our responsibility to BE a part of this community, to BE good neighbors, to BE the LIGHT, to BE the church & to BE THE ONLY JESUS THAT OUR NEIGHBORS MAY EVER KNOW! and in order to do that WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Pray about it. Then GO!

Imagine what two less Starbucks fixes a week, one less lunch out a week or drink or two less at the bar or club could do for us, the future of peculiarplace, this community and the Kingdom of God!!

Click the donate button below and become a weekly, monthly partner or simply give a one time donation that would assist us in doing the work of the ministry God is birthing in us!

I thank you and my family thanks you!

GOT YOUR ATTENTION… GOOD!

Listen, let us be honest with ourselves, we are losing a battle that is bigger than anything we have ever fought. Look around you right now, where you live, work and play. Someone you know and love, a stranger at the coffee shop, a co-worker who cries themselves to sleep every night is hurting, dying on the inside and ultimately is going to spend eternity in HELL because of you, me, we wont… we just wont do enough about it!

This is not a “church” bashing post, but this is a cry, a plea, an urgent message that i believe we all need to hear. If you are offended, good. If you think I have no room to talk, then stop thinking and do something. I don’t care! We are sitting by arguing with each other while we tell our friends, family and others to: GO TO HELL!!, by not BEING the CHURCH!!!

MY HEART BLEEDS…

my heart concerning the Kingdom of God. These are the things I believe He has sent me to teach a group of people that He has set aside for a peculiarplace. That’s what I believe and nothing can change that. Church growth strategies, marketing, and all the other “church planter” stuff is great, and honestly a must have to some degree, but if we believe God IS, and not was, if we believe in the depths of our heart that He is ALL powerful and has created us in His image, if we believe that like Abraham, Paul and others that He has created a place for us, if we believe that He is the one who moves on the hearts of people as He did Pharaoh, then what is the fuss about? What are we debating theology, doctrine and church “styles” for? I mean really! People are dying and going to Hell, not because we don’t have the latest and greatest, but because we are SILENT! Because our lifestyles don’t match our perfectly coordinated/programmed services, because our words are not the Father’s Words, because our prayers are so self-centered, because we don’t GIVE without looking to receive, because we don’t die daily to sin, because we make excuses about sharing the greatest gift ever given, because we stop falling on our faces to confess and repent, because we choose a “private” savior over a PUBLIC LORD, because we hide behind past hurts and pains and assume vulnerability is from hell, because we have tolerated and not LOVED… I could go on forever and I am just as guilty as anyone else as being caught up in these issues! I am NOT PERFECT, nor do I LIVE the PERFECT life and I will never pretend to be! What I know is that the way we LIVE, LOVE & GIVE can and WILL change the world, or at least the parts of the world assigned to us .

I am simply looking for people who agree to come along side of peculiarplace and get their freaking hands dirty!! Looking for people of all races, backgrounds, experiences and cultures to DO SOMETHING instead of all this FREAKING TALKING! LETS BE THE CHANGE!!

Interested?

peculiarplace has decided that we are going to make Him famous through the way we LOVE.

Not the crap we see on television, that “out the side of your neck love” that most of us have experienced in our lives that have left us broken, searching, insecure, hiding, lonely and afraid to be vulnerable, but the LOVE that only He can share through us with anyone and everyone willing to receive it!

What’s the difference? I believe today we have dressed tolerance up in drag and called him love, hoping to fool those on the receiving end into thinking we actually would go to the ends of the earth for them. Hoping that they never see through our facade as we move across the room from them or ignore their plea for help. TOLERANCE IS NOT LOVE!

We are creating a place, a gathering, a community of “the church” for anyone and everyone who is curious, frustrated, broken, at their wits end, wanting more out of life, wanting to change their life, wanting to encounter face to face the God of truth, love and life, anyone who just is fed up with what they have and where they are and a place where LOVE truly RULES.

A place where all decisions are made in love, where we are treated with love and CORRECTED with love.

We are creating this place, this gathering, this community of “the church” in Old Fourth Ward, a historic and beautiful community in the heart of Atlanta!

We would love for you to be a part, whether physically, through prayer or giving (it takes money to do His work and if it were to fall from the sky… it would be counterfeit). Think about it, pray about… I would love to hear from you either way send emails to lowens@peculiarlove.com.