The Israelites had returned from Babylon and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem. Ezra read them the law of the Lord. They were probably exhausted and overwhelmed by how they had not kept God's law. In Nehemiah 8:10 they are told not to weep, but celebrate: "The joy of the Lord is your strength."

It's true. We're always busy. We can always think about how we fall short of God's standard. So when do we experience joy and celebrate? How about right now?

Sometimes I need to read a really good book or seeing a tear-jerker movie to get my emotions going. I am deeply moved by a scene like the redemptive, romantic one at the end of "A Tale of Two Cities," starring Ronald Coleman. Because he desires the happiness of his friends, the hero goes to the guillotine in place of the husband of the woman he loves.

When we are with the Lord a powerful sense of his presence, power and love can come over us. This doesn't happen every time, but if we neglect our relationship with him it must happen much less frequently. Life is not just about powerful emotions, but one cannot experience joy without being emotional!

THE POINT OF NO RETURN

We had a great meeting on the 8th. Thanks to all who came! I could really see and feel the Lord's presence in our launch. Just as we have plunged into GROUNdZERO, and are not going back, I know that each of us reach a point in our lives where everything changes. Especially if you are a Christian.

In John 11 Jesus was deeply moved to tears when he saw the reaction of Lazarus' sisters and the Jews to Lazarus' death. Yet he surely knew that to raise Lazarus from the dead was like crossing the Rubicon. When Caesar crossed that river he was inviting both victory and ruin. When Jesus raised Lazarus many of the Jews believed, but a segment went off to tattle tail to the Sanhedrin. These rulers were jealous for their own position and power, so much so that they plotted to kill Jesus from that day on. As a result, Jesus could no longer do public ministry in Judaea.

So it was a point of no return for the Lord. He did a great miracle, but at the same time, he began an inexorable march to His crucifixion. If you have invited Christ into your life, you have put your hand to the plow and there is no looking back. You have put yourself on course for great victories and life forever, but you also have made enemies and have committed yourself to walk in Jesus' dangerous steps.

Our next meeting is May 15th at 7PM at New Song. I will have been working on my roof all day, so I hope I'm not too red or too tired to enjoy our time together. I am looking forward to it. Make sure you invite a friend.

Paul

Ignite us

Our first meeting is this Friday, May 8, 2009 from 7-9 PM. There will be snacks! Come check us out!

"In a world where absolutes are being abandoned, there is ONE who stands the test of time."

In John 11, Jesus encountered his most vicious opposition just at the time he had performed his greatest miracle. As he raised Lazarus from the dead, some went and reported to the Pharisees, who then plotted to kill him.

From within Christian circles are many attacks: The new Christian postmodernism, various forms of the old liberalism which denies literal scripture and bodily resurrection, as well as a lukewarm, Laodicean spirit (see Revelation 3).

In the book, Fabricating Jesus, Craig Evans debunks the clever, silver-tongued advocates of a Bible that contradicts itself. What seems on the surface to be scholarly and logical is exposed as shortsighted, uninformed, and misleading as Evans brings the light of history and scholarship to explain supposed contradictions. In Bart Ehrman's new bestseller, Jesus Interrupted, for example, Ehrman bemoans Christian leaders keeping the truth about the inadequacy of scripture from their flocks. Evans shows the roots of such unwarranted criticism, exposing its roots in the old liberalism of Bultmann, Wellhausen and their adherents.

Forgive me for getting on my scholar's stump there for a minute. The upshot of what I want to say is that however deep you look into the eyes of Jesus Christ, the deeper and more solid the truth you find there. The Bible is our reliable communication from our Creator God. It is this revelation that shows us the love and person of the god-man who saved us from our sins with his own blood.

Men like Evans and Darrell Bock will never be invited on Oprah or debate Ehrman and his like on Larry King, but they are right about the Bible and Jesus. We have to recognize that truth and Jesus are never popular in a world where sin, envy, greed and deception are the order of the day.

Why GROUNdZERO?

We live in society devastated by crime, family violence, selfishness, greed, immorality, insecurity, and cold-heartedness. We need a rallying point, a place to start a counterattack to bring meaning, peace and love back to our community and our world.

The methods may change, but the answers are solid and time-proven. The solutions are in the person of Jesus Christ and his timeless message of tranformation of the human soul from hurt to healing, from hate to love, from confusion to meaning, from spiritual death to life forever.

Ground Zero is where we meet to face the road ahead. It is a both a beginning point and a place to be sheltered from the assault of our busy society. It is at once a refuge and an arsenal for an offensive that will change and revive our world one life at at time.

Welcome to GROUNdZERO

Days are short and time so dear

So very much remains to be done

It's time to speak of one so near

'Til all hearts have been won

The day is coming when men will look to the skies

The consummation of all who realize

We are waiting for ground zero

--Kerry Livgren, Seeds of Change, 1980

Welcome to a fresh religious experience. Ground Zero is here for you if you don't have time for traditional, Sunday morning church; if you like the idea of developing lifelong friendships in a casual atmosphere; if you're tired of fads and are looking for solid answers, meaning and truth.

Ground Zero meets at New Song Community Church at the far frontier of Reynoldsburg, Ohio at 13873 E. Main (Route 40). We meet every Friday at 7PM. Come as you are. Have some coffee and snacks on us. Meet some people who care about you.