Will Davis Jr.'s Blog, page 47

Home for the Holy Days

I’ve attended two funerals in the last three weeks. Both of the deceased were saintly gentlemen. Both had been battling cancer. And both were eulogized by their families as loving Jesus.

Two funerals since Thanksgiving.

Have you ever noticed how so many people die this time of year? Ask funeral directors (and I have), and they’ll tell you that the holidays are their busiest time of year. In fact, they’ll tell you that they do more funerals from Thanksgiving to New Years than the rest of the year combined.

Have you ever wondered about that? I have, and I’d like to offer a bit of counterintuitive thinking. I think if we look close enough we might see God’s hand in this.

I think that in the cases of these elderly men, and others like them, God give them the ultimate Christmas gift.

This is a time of year when our hearts are naturally turned toward heavenly things, toward spiritual things. We also think about family–those with us and those who have gone before us. I think about my sweet mother, and about Carie, Gary, the sibling I’ve never met who died in my mother’s womb before I was born, and many others.

The holiday season makes me think of them. And it makes me think of Jesus. We celebrate his arrival at Christmas. Well, Christmas makes me want to see him more.

How about you?

So let’s add three verses to this mix:

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. Psalm 116:15
My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3
Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world. John 17:24

Looking at these verses, it becomes pretty clear about how God feels about us and heaven–HE WANTS US THERE.

So why wouldn’t he honor our heart’s desire, and his, by giving the ultimate Christmas present to those who are ready? At both the funerals I attended the families were happy that their respective loved one was home. They were sad for their own loss, but they weren’t the least bit sad about their relatives–they were healed, whole and free.

Who wouldn’t want that at Christmas?

We need to start rethinking the holidays and seeing them for what they really are: Holy Days. Because we’re not only celebrating the arrival of Jesus on earth, God is celebrating the arrival of many saints into Heaven.

And I, for my part, can’t wait to join them.

 

 

My Book “Enough” is Free (E-Version) Today Only. Order Now.

Click the Image to Order

 

 

 

 

 

Attention All Single Ladies! You Need to Read This!

My friend Chelsea Landis is at it again. As a single twenty-something, she understands the pull of culture to “find a man.” The perspective she shared last week in her blog is right on. I hope it encourages you:

hey ladies. yah, the single ones.

We live in a world that idolizes instant gratification. We have been taught by society to take what we want. We were born with every thing and every desire, at our fingertips. Heavens, Amazon will soon deliver what we WANT via drone in 30 minutes or less.

and so it should go with marriage, right?

We are told if we pursue, we will get the boyfriend. Dress scandalously, we will get guys’ attention. Lose weight, we will catch their eye. Go online, we will find a husband. NOW. We are taught if we push hard enough, fight long enough, we will come out on top. Promised on magazine covers, that we will find a man if we just follow 5 simple steps. Told if we DO enough, we will find happiness– when WE want it.

Click the image to read the rest.

 

 

Will’s Letter to ACF, Dec 27, 2013

 

Will’s Letter to ACF, December 20, 2013

Greetings Church Family, Only 5 days till Christmas!!!!

Which means, only 4 days to Christmas Eve. We’ve got 6 (yes, 6!) services for you to choose from:

ACF Brushy Creek–5 PM at the Y
ACF Northwest–4 PM at Murchison
ACF 4 PTs–1, 3, 5 and 7.

Bring your friends, family and neighbors and join is for one of these inspiring events as we celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Year End Giving

Many of you are praying about your end-of-year giving. Please be faithful to end the year settled-up with God in your tithing to your church. Remember the difference between tithes and offerings–Tithes (your first 10% or higher) go to your church home, the place were you serve and are accountable for your spiritual development. Offerings are beyond that, and can go to other ministries and non-profits that you want to support.

Let me remind you that ACF gives away 40% of everything you give to missions, non-profits and other churches all over the world. (And we’re moving to 45% giving January 1, 2014!) We need about $850,000 by year’s end to fulfill all our current mission obligations. So, please make sure you do your part and end the year having given a minimum of 10% to your church. God will honor your giving and you faithfulness.

Click Here to Give Online

 

This Weekend at ACF

I have the privilege of closing the Christmas: From Here to There series this weekend with a look at the topic Out. Simply put–when you have good news it inevitably flows out of you. We’ll look at how the shepherds who received the birth announcemnt about Jesus couldn’t keep their joy or the news to themselves. And we’ll look at how, when Jesus get’s in us, his love, mercy, compassion and joy will inevitably come flowing out. It’s gonna be a great weekend.

Coming to Your Mailbox

Look for a letter from me to hit your mailbox next week. It’s full of great news about things happening in early 2014 at ACF.

 

Fifth Sunday Serving

The weekend of December 28/29th we won’t be having weekend services at any of the ACF Communities. Instead, we’re hosting our first ever Fifth Sunday Serve Our City initiative. We’re hoping to send hundreds of men, women and children into our city, armed with love and compassion, and ready to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters around our city. I’m really looking forward to getting out into city with you and getting my hands dirty in Jesus’ name. Click the image below for more info or to sign up.

And Finally, Here’s our Original Debt Retirement Video.

Back in September Mike Kampen (one of our elders) Ed Frazier (our CoRE Executive Pastor) and I shot a brief video chronicling the story of why we borrowed nearly $5 million back in 1998 and how God miraculous helped us pay down the debt, while we were dramatically increasing our giving and investment in other ministries. It’s an amazing story. Click on the image below to see the video. It’s well worth the time to watch it. And yes, it does include the Happy Dance at the end.

 

 

 

Brother Saul

 Brother Saul

So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul . . . . Acts 9:17

The blood of Jesus is the great equalizer. There are no classes or divisions in his body, the Church. People for whom Jesus died, people that have all declared him to be Lord, are all one. They’re family.

Ananias had every reason to hate Saul. Saul had declared open war on Christians. He had imprisoned them, confiscated their property, and even supervised their executions. The early Church had no more effective and well-known human enemy than Saul.

Which makes these words of Ananias all the more amazing. He called Saul “Brother.” The term speaks volumes. It shows us that Ananias understood what Saul was going through.

Saul, like Ananias, had come to the end of himself. He had been confronted with his need for grace and with the emptiness of his religion. He discovered, rather painfully, that Jesus is someone you bow before, not wrestle with. Ananias, to his credit, saw in Saul a man just like himself. All he could bring himself to feel for this now broken, humbled and (temporarily) blind man was compassion and love.

And so he called him “Brother.”

I see two obvious points of application here. First, I’m Saul. I must come to the end of myself and humbly declare the Lordship of Jesus in my life. There is no point in resisting.

I’m Saul. Are you?

Second, I’m Ananias. There are some Sauls around me—men or women I’d rather hate than love, men or women who have hurt me greatly—who desperately need me to place my hand on them and call them “Brother” or “Sister.”

And that one simple act–that one spoken word of love and affirmation–may be all that is needed to help your Saul become a Paul.

I’m Ananias. Are you? Who needs to hear you say “Brother” today?

*This is the last Wake Up Call of 2013. The next one will be published Monday, January 6.

 

Austin Woman’s Magazine Shares Ben Breedlove’s Story

I had the privilege of writing an article for Austin Woman’s Magazine about Ben Breedlove and his amazing video that went viral after his death on Christmas day, two years ago. My article is based on an interview I did with the Breedlove family at Austin Christian Fellowship last Christmas.

And even though I know the story and have heard it many times, I still cried while writing the article.

Here’s the article:

Ally Breedlove tells the story behind Ben Breedlove’s phenomenal video.

By Will Davis, Jr.

In December 2011, Austinite Ben Breedlove posted a video on YouTube. In it, the smiling 18-year-old held up a handwritten card that simply asked, “Do you believe in angels or God?” On the next card, Breedlove simply stated, “I do.”

Breedlove suffered from a severe heart condition and had experienced several near-death experiences. In the video, he described his most recent experience on Dec. 6, 2011, and his vision of heaven that had come with it. It was quite detailed and inspiring. He even confessed in the video that he didn’t want to come back to his life on earth. Breedlove posted that video Dec. 18. He died a week later on Christmas Day. And then the video went viral.

His sister, Ally Breedlove, has written a book about his inspiring life, his untimely death and the impact his video has had throughout the world. The book is entitled When Will the Heaven Begin? Last December, and nearly a year to the day after Ben Breedlove’s passing, I sat down with Ally and Ben’s parents, Shawn and Deanne Breedlove, for their first live interview since his death. We all cried. With great poise and a curious sense of joy, the Breedloves talked about the weeks leading up to their son’s death, the terrible scene on Christmas Day when he collapsed in their backyard, and their shock when they not only learned about the video, but also its instant impact throughout the world.

(Click Here to read the rest).

To order Ally Breedlove’s NYT Bestseller about Ben, When will the Heaven Begin, Click Here. 

 

 

Kneeling and Doodling

Kneeling and Doodling

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him . . . . John 8:6-7

It’s early in the morning. The dew is fresh on the ground as eager worshippers make their way to the outer court of the Temple to hear Jesus, the amazing teacher and healer, talk about God. As he begins to expound on the Scriptures, there is a commotion in a far corner of the court. The sounds of yelling, screaming, shrieking, laughing and cursing fill the air. Those sounds are immediately accompanied by an image: a group of men, well-known religious leaders, are dragging a scantily dressed woman into the temple. She is crying. The men literally throw the humiliated woman at Jesus’ feet. Their question is simple: the woman has been caught in the act of adultery (Somehow they fail to mention what happened to the man). The Law of Moses says that she should be stoned. They demand an answer from Jesus–what should be done with her?

At this moment, Jesus does an amazing thing. Instead of responding to their demands, he slowly kneels down and begins to doodle in the dirt on stone floor of the Temple. It’s almost as if he’s stalling, thinking about his answer. Encouraged by Jesus’ apparent hesitation, the mob demands all the more that he respond. They yell at Jesus, insisting that he answer them. The more Jesus delays, they more they persist. Soon, every eye in the area is focused on Jesus, which is exactly what he wanted.

What was Jesus doing? I believe he was taking the focus off of the woman. Imagine her shame, her humiliation and her fear as she was dragged into her own place of worship to face her accusers. She knew what the Law said. She knew that they had a legal right to kill her, that she was at best just an hour or two away from a horrific death by stoning. She also knew that her secret sin was now public, her nakedness now exposed. And that’s what bothered Jesus most. His biggest concern was not showing-up these arrogant Pharisees or defending his message of forgiveness. All of that would come in due time. His first priority was the woman. There standing before him was a life that he had created. His first instinct was to rush to her aid. So he did. He knelt down. In doing so, he got the attention off of the woman and onto himself. That’s what he did for her, and that’s what he does for us.

When Jesus died naked on the cross, he was exposed for all the world to laugh at and reject. The humiliation, shame and pain of our sins became his in that moment of death. The eternal justice of God that should have been leveled at us was redirected to him. And that’s exactly what he wanted. Jesus always wants to be the center of the attention. It’s his natural right as God’s Son. He always wants to be the center of attention, even when that attention means death.

And so he knelt. When he did, every eye turned to him; all the attention was focused on him. That’s exactly where it should be.

What sin do you stand condemned in today? What moral blunder holds you captive? Jesus died to take the guilt and shame off of you. He died to redirect God’s wrath from you to him. The Law does indeed say that sin yields death, and that’s why Jesus died. He died on a rugged cross, the center of attention for the devil, every demon and angel, all humanity and God himself. He became the focus so you and I, when caught naked in our sin, wouldn’t have to be.

There will be no Wake Up Calls December 23-January 3. They will resume Monday, January 6.

Where will You Find Yourself Today?

Where will You Find Yourself Today?

But Philip found himself at Azotus. Acts 8:40

If you walk with God long enough, you’ll eventually have days that you’ll find yourself in a place where you originally had no intention of going.

Philip was miraculously transported by God’s Spirit from one location to another.  That’s never happened to me, but I have found myself in places where, if you have told me at the beginning of the day that I would be there, I wouldn’t have believed you.

For instance:

One time I found myself talking to a class of “at risk” high school kids in a public school, answering questions about the Gospel. An hour before it wasn’t even on my radar.
One time I found myself praying over a severely injured man in an E.R, after I had helped keep him alive when I witnessed his car wreck.
One time I found myself praying for the President of the United States in the Rose Garden of the White House.
One year ago I found myself on Fox News answering questions about Satan and evil on the day of and only moments after I had learned about the tragic Sandy Hook shootings.
Earlier this week I found myself on Mt. Bonnell in Austin talking with a woman I didn’t know about her concerns for her son’s emotional condition.

If you walk with God and if you listen to his Spirit, then there are going to be days when God taps you on the shoulder and basically says. “I need you over here right now,” and you’ll find yourself in a place that was nowhere on your radar at the start of your day.

Those days will be some of the most exhilarating of your life, as you’ll get to comfort someone, pray for someone, rescue someone, feed someone or encourage someone that you might have otherwise never known.

Start your day today by telling the Lord that you are available. Tell your Lord that you are on duty, ready to be used and girded for action. Then, be ready. You may be surprised at where you end up.

*There will be no Wake Up Calls December 23-January 3. They will resume Monday, January 6.

 

Want to have a Great Christmas? HOLD a Child!

Here’s a guaranteed way to make your Christmas and change a child’s life at the same time. Sponsor a child this Christmas.

Let me introduce you to HOLD. HOLD is orphan-care arm of a ministry I work with called Mission Discovery. HOLD provides safe housing, meals and education for orphans in Haiti, Jamaica and Guatemala. I know firsthand the impact that HOLD has in these kids lives, and for $30 a month you too can help transform the life of an orphan.

Below is a video about the work that HOLD does. Below the video is a link to HOLD’s child sponsor page. Will you change a child’s life this Christmas? Susie and I support three of these children. It’s probably the most strategic and high return $90 we spend each month.

Click the image below to view the HOLD video.

Click here to see the children that need sponsoring.