Michael Mudgett's Blog tag:www.malibupres.org,2007-10-29:/blogs/mudgett//29 2008-05-20T17:52:43Z Movable Type Commercial 4.23-en Big Tree, Deep Tap Roots tag:www.malibupres.org,2008:/blogs/mudgett//37.449 2008-05-20T17:52:30Z 2008-05-20T17:52:43Z ben http://Ben BigTree.gif
I’ve been to Maui a few times, and one of her landmarks is the majestic Banyan tree in downtown Lahaina.  It’s over 100 years old and will live several hundred more.  It has more than 12 trunks, approximately 200 large limbs, encompasses more than 200 square feet and is over 60 feet tall.  It cries out “climb me, climb me” and, if it were in my back yard, I’d do just that! 

People congregate under the tree for shelter and shade, and birds flock to her branches.  It’s the local meeting place and a nice place to savor your morning coffee, people-watch, or enjoy the scenery. 
I love majestic trees.  Recently, I enjoyed the beautiful “old-stand” Redwoods up at Mt. Hermon Retreat Center.  But why?  What’s the lure?

For me, these trees are living examples of God’s truth.  If we stay connected to God as our source, and rely on Him, we too will grow strong and healthy, and we’ll prosper.  It’s about having deep tap roots into the source of water.  Psalm 1 captures this truth so well:  “Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Lord and meditate on his law day and night.  They are like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf  does not wither ---  whatever they do prospers.”  (Psalm 1-3)(NRSV).  There is nothing I want more than to experience success the way God defines success.  I need roots that continuously tap into the Word of God.   

Joshua learned this as a young man.  He became a prominent military leader under Moses after the exodus and during their sojourn in the desert.  When Moses handed off leadership to Joshua, whom God had appointed to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land,  Moses commanded him to use God’s word as a template for his life:  “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” (Joshua 1:7-8)(KJV)  The result was “good success;” success the way God defines success!    

So what does all this have to do with you and me?  Plenty!  Moses’ admonition to Joshua applies equally to us.  We are to build our life upon God’s law --- Christ’s teachings; to do so, is to build our life upon rock:  failing to do so is tantamount to building a home upon sand.  Let me suggest three ways for you to grow spiritually - ways that are rock solid! 


Life Groups

First, let me invite you to join a Life Group.  They’re home fellowships.  You’ll feel welcome.  These are Christ-centered communities, meeting in homes, grounded in the study of scripture, where it is safe to be authentic, ask hard questions, and seek a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ that expresses itself outwardly in service to others.   We have more than 10 Life Groups sprinkled about Malibu, Pepperdine, Calabasas, etc.  If you’re interested, talk to me or Karen Mudgett, Pastor Greg or Kay Hughes, Tim Tally at 818-706-1280 or Farhad Fozounmayeh 818-370-0843, or Click Here.
      

The Lighthouse

Second, participate in our Lighthouse study on Sunday morning during the second service at 11:00 a.m. in the Teachers’ Lounge at Webster.  Our adult study recently finished an 8-week study entitled the “Parables of Jesus,” and now we’re studying Bill Hybels’ book, “Just Walk Across The Room,” about how to make relational (aka lifestyle) evangelism a natural part of our life.  You can intersect with this study at any point in the book.  Participating in Lighthouse studies is another way to grow deep tap roots. 

Wednesdays

Finally, I want to personally invite you to join us for prayer every Wednesday morning from 7:00 – 7:30 a.m. on the church patio to pray for our church and any special needs.  Prayer is not seasonal nor is it optional.  Paul encourages us to “Pray without ceasing.”  There’s no greater prayer chapel than God’s open-air platform with its beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean at sunrise.  And by the way, conversation afterwards on the ministry house patio, together with Noralea’s goodies, and coffee is a nice bonus.
These “streams of living water,” and so much more, at Malibu Pres exist because God loves you and cares about you.  Don’t be a stranger.  Grow tall and strong with deep tap roots. 

]]> Training For The Mission tag:www.malibupres.org,2008:/blogs/mudgett//37.405 2008-04-16T22:24:32Z 2008-04-16T22:24:57Z ben http://Ben (aka Equipping the Saints)

American+Cemetary,+Normandy.jpg(Photo: Headstone from the American Cemetery in Normandy) 

One of the highlights of my recent vacation with Karen was touring the D-Day landing sites of the allied forces along the Normandy coast of France where over 100,000 men made the largest amphibious assault in history on June 6, 1944, and liberated occupied France from Hitler’s fascist stranglehold.  While walking through the American Cemetery at Colleville sur Mer in the Normandy area, you can look out over Omaha Beach (one of five designated allied amphibious landing sites), with its 200+ yards of beachhead where tens of thousands of American G.I.’s were off loaded on D-Day.      

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I have the utmost respect for our soldiers who fought valiantly on these beaches.  They overcame insurmountable odds.  Within three months of D-Day, the allied forces liberated France and, within 11 months, Berlin fell and World War II ended.  

As I looked out over the more than 9,000 whitewashed crosses in the American Cemetery, I kept asking myself, “What made our soldiers believe they could take this beach?” To me, it looked impossible.  They had to cover 200 yards of open beachhead while under hostile fire.  But they did it.  Somehow, they did it!  

While walking about the beautiful grounds of the cemetery, I started thinking about the Christian martyrs of the early church, and especially those mentioned in our study/sermon series on the book of Revelation.  Martyrs are mentioned in Revelation 6: men and women who had died for their faith, who had paid a price.  There are the myriad of believers mentioned in Revelation 7: men and women who are sealed with the sign of God and encouraged to stand fast amidst the impending judgments of God against an unbelieving world, divine judgments to bring others to repentance and faith.  They, too, faced, and we still today face, enemy-occupied territory.  

Often times, we go through our day unaware of the battle that is being waged for our souls.  The forces of evil oppose God’s great plans and purposes.  If you think these are only figures of speech, just read the newspapers.  Evil is on the loose. More Christians have been martyred in the 20th century than in all the preceding centuries!   We are in no less a firefight than the young lads who were engaged at Omaha Beach; yet, we’re more vulnerable because we’re often oblivious to this fact.  It has been impressed upon us in a hyper-secular society to believe that by virtue of our citizenship we’re “Christians.”  Not so.

If we’re engaged in spiritual warfare as committed disciples of Jesus Christ, what can we do to guard against the attacks of the enemy?   Paul warned the early church to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.”  How?  He counsels them, “put on the whole armor of God.”  Know the truth; grow your faith; read and know and meditate on scripture to build a new mindset; be mindful of your salvation; and pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication.  (Ephesians 6:10-16)  And do not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, and encourage one another.  (Hebrews 10:24).

What Paul suggests makes sense.  It’s good training.  These things equip us for the daily physical and spiritual battles.  The young men that fought so valiantly at Utah, Point de Hoc, and Omaha Beaches wouldn’t have dared venture out without basic training and having a clear picture of their objective.  And surely, no soldier would have ventured out alone to accomplish the subject target: nor should we as Christians.  

So what are we to do?   We have a plan and a venue.  First, Paul’s prescription for equipping “Christian soldiers” is as good for us now as it was for the Christians of his time.  He wrote for a universal audience.  And second, we have the venue.  There’s no better place to encourage one another and grow spiritually than in small, Christ-centered home fellowships.  So, we’re personally inviting everyone to join a Life Group.  

The Life Group mission statement is straightforward: “Life Groups are Christ-centered communities, meeting in homes, grounded in the study of scripture, where it is safe to be authentic, ask hard questions, and seek a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ that expresses itself outwardly in service to others.”  The door is open.  You’re invited.    

Farhad Fozounmayeh and Tim Tally have graciously volunteered their time to come alongside me and help oversee the administration of Life Groups.  If you have any questions or would like to learn more about how you can get involved in a Life Group, click here.

May we all continue to grow strong in the faith together for the glory of God.  

Blessings to you and yours,

Michael   
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