New Blog at drewwitt.com

06Sep11

Hey subscribers!

I’ve moved my blog!

Check out drewwitt.com and subscribe by email there!

I’ve changed the layout and format to be more suitable to what I’d like to share. I plan on sharing not just my own writing, but also links, videos, audio files, qoutes, books, etc..

I hope you like it.

Let me know what you think.

Drew


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The Holy Spirit, being led, and stores

04Sep11

A few weeks ago I began memorizing 2 Corinthians chapter 4. I’m not the best at memorization, so it’s a challenge.

Here’s the deal, I had no idea why I was doing it. I just felt led to.

The chapter talks about how we are fragile jars of clay, holding God’s light inside of us.

Verse 8 & 9 says,

We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.

I was memorizing this and had no idea why. I just didn’t feel it. Not yet.

Then something out of our control happens, and my wife and I find ourselves suffering a loss.

As I was going through the chapter in my mind today, I clearly understood that I needed that truth right now. I had no idea, but a few weeks ago, I began to build up stores. Call them reserves.

Because you never know when a challenge, test, or temptation is going to come your way.

Much of the work of the Holy Spirit is in the subconscious mind. I’m finding it’s the daily little things of walking with the Lord that make a profound difference in my life.

I’m reading a book called The Unshakable Kingdom and the Unchanging Person by E. Stanley Jones. Here’s a great excerpt that has inspired me:

The disciple of the kingdom of God produces from his stores…these stores could refer both to the conscious and to the subconscious mind…That good store becomes a reserve upon which we can call when in the hour of testing and temptation. We get through a crisis with surprising ease and power. We wonder why and how? The good store threw reserves into the battle and you come through with flags flying…The area of the work of the Holy Spirit is largely, if not entirely, in the subconscious mind.

This reminds me of the importance of not getting lazy or apathetic. There is a battle. We must stay alert.


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Worrying?

11Jul11

Read it with the breaks:

Don’t be anxious about

 anything,

 but, in everything

 by prayer and supplication

 with thanksgiving

 let your requests be made known

to God.


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Farming

07Jul11

A farmer doesn’t make plants grow.

A farmer creates the conditions in which plants grow themselves.

Leaders farm.

Watch this.


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Hide from God

06Jul11

My friend just emailed me this quote from Malcolm Muggeridge.

One of the most effective defense systems against God’s incursions has hitherto been organized religion. Various churches have provided a refuge for fugitives from God—His voice drowned in the chanting, His smell lost in the incense, His purpose obscured and confused in creeds, dogmas, dissertations…in vast cathedrals, as in little conventicles…one could get away from God.


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The Pearl of Great Price

05May11

There are two pictures in this parable that Jesus tells.

First, the picture within the picture.

The Hebrews were not interested in pearls and placed no value on them. While the Old Testament mentions many precious stones, it doesn’t mention the pearl. Ever. Knowing that, it gives us a clue that this parable was upside down to the current cultural thinking.

So, some interesting facts:

  • The pearl is the only precious jewel that is made organically.
  • The Sanscrit meaning for the word “pearl” is pure.

You probably know how the pearl is made. A grain of sand, or something similar, finds its way in the shell, and causes injury. The sand wounds the life. In return, the oyster covers the sand.

Then the oyster covers the sand again. And again. Over and over.

Until the sand that wounded is now something different.

It’s pure. It’s precious.

Wasn’t Christ wounded because of us? Isn’t it Christ who perfects us?

It’s a beautiful picture. The wounding sand is transformed into something pure.

That’s the picture inside the picture.

Second, the greater picture.

It’s this: Christ is seeking His church for the glory of God.

The picture is of a merchant searching for the fine pearl. The fact that it’s a merchant, and not a regular guy, gives us the hint that the merchant is on a mission for the business of someone else. Perhaps, the pearl’s destination is the bosom of a King. Hmm…

It’s Christ that began the search. It’s Christ that paid the great price. It’s Christ on the mission.

This is the kingdom of heaven. That Christ is seeking His church (not churches, The Church). That she may be purified and glorify the King.

Matthew 13:45-46 (English Standard Version)

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.


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Celebrating Osama’s Death

02May11

Is it appropriate to joyfully celebrate Osama Bin Laden’s death?

I’ll admit, I was filled with much joy when I found out that the coward, also known as Osama Bin Laden, received justice last night. I call him a coward because he declared war on America, brainwashed some boys to kill themselves on 9/11, ran away from the fight he instigated, and then used a woman as a shield from bullets.

However, I think there is a line between good hearted celebration and arrogant celebration.

It is right and holy to celebrate GOOD overcoming EVIL. Especially when that evil has been playing hide and go seek for the last decade.

But shouldn’t it be done in humility? In humility, we are celebrating something other than ourselves. We are not celebrating America, we’re celebrating that GOOD has overcome EVIL.

When our celebration is based on nationalism, instead of GOOD overcoming EVIL, we can arrive at a place of arrogance easily. Mostly because the celebration is focused on our performance, instead of God’s standard of what is right and wrong in the universe.

Arrogance looks bad on everyone.

We should celebrate that the Hitler of our day has been served justice. We should not celebrate that he is in hell.

Ezekiel 18:23

Do you think I take any pleasure in the death of wicked men and women? Isn’t it my pleasure that they turn around, no longer living wrong but living right-really living?


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The Not So Obvious Reason I Like Easter

21Apr11

In 2006, I took a break from ministry. I was disappointed, jaded, hurt, and confused by the church. As I closed my office door for the last time, I vowed never to have anything to do with her again. I was young and didn’t know better.

I’m still young and don’t know any better.

That day was Easter Sunday in 2006. It was my last official day in ministry.

So I thought.

God eventually delt with me and healed my broken heart. He put a new passion and vision in me for what a healthy church could be like.

In the Spring of 2007, some guy by the name of John Van Pay called me and told me about possibly starting a church in San Antonio.

Long story short, we moved to San Antonio in October of 2007. Gateway Fellowship opened her doors on February 10th, 2008.

So I’m three Easters in. The first was amazing. We had 349 people in attendance just after 6 weeks of opening our doors. I remember asking God, “will You just send us 100 people?” We were all shocked.

The second Easter, we had 442 people. The third, we had 729.

I have no idea what to expect for the fourth. (While I don’t really care about numbers, I’m floored every time I see that those numbers represent real people that matter to God. He’s allowed me, for some unknown reason, to be apart of what He’s doing, and I’m humbled.)

Easter is special for me. For the obvious reasons, of course.

But also, Easter reminds me every year of when I walked out on God, and how the following year, He brought me back in. Resurrection.

So, this Sunday is going to be the biggest ministry day of my life. And the most stressful :)

Here’s my schedule:

  • Wake Up: 5:00am
  • Coffee & Dr Pepper: 5:35am
  • Set Up/Breakfast: 6:00am
  • Prayer with team: 6:55am
  • Service Meeting: 7:05am
  • Sound Check/Transitions: 7:15-7:45am
  • 1st Service: 8:00am
  • 2nd Service: 9:00am
  • 3rd Service: 10:20am
  • Tear Down: 11:40am
  • Lunch: 12:45pm
  • Coma: 1:00pm Sunday – 12:00pm Tuesday

More info on our Easter services.


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Oops.

21Sep10

It’s been a while since I’ve written anything. Oops.

Partly because I’ve been really consumed with the ministry. But mostly because the closer I get to the Father, the more I realize I have less to say that’s worth anything.

With that said, you should read Root of the Righteous by A.W. Tozer.

Done.


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Good Fear

18Aug10

“Conversely, the self assurance of modern Christians, the basic levity present in so many of our religious gatherings, the shocking disrespect shown for the Person of God, are evidence enough of deep blindness of heart.

Many call themselves by the name of Christ, talk much about God, and pray to Him sometimes, but evidently do not know who He is. ‘The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life’, but this healing fear today is hardly found among Christian men.”

- A.W. Tozer in The Knowledge of the Holy

Wow. So true.

If you’ve never read the wonderful book, Knowledge of the Holy, buy a cheap copy here


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