Signs the Apocalypse is Upon Us

APOCALYPSE. When you hear the word, what do you think? What images come to mind? If you're like most of us, you're conditioned to think of a fiery, cataclysmic end to the world as we know it. But did you know that word apocalypse does not mean "the end." It literally means "the revealing." That's why God had named the last book in our Bibles The Revelation. More precisely, it is called Apokalupsis Ieesou Christou, "The Revelation of Jesus Christ." The unfolding verses of this great work are literally the revealing of Jesus Christ as He wants us to see Him. That is why we've named this series Apokalupsis. For generations, people have misunderstood and avoided this final installment of biblical revelation. But did you know that The Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing to the readers (1:3). The overriding theme of the book is not destruction, but worship. It's method is not gloom but victory. In the end we find justice and love and hope because of Jesus Christ! Be a part of the Revelation Revolution this week

New Series For Summer

We seem to be confused about what worship is. We talk about "the worship service," so must believe worship is what we do on Sunday mornings. Sometimes we refer to our congregational singing within the service itself as "worship." So worship must be even more limited to a specific part of Christian congregating. And so it follows that our worship has to do with what we do at "church time" (or whenever we believers congregate). So that's it? Worship is really just a religious diversion, an escape from the pressures of daily living and an attempt to reach out and touch the untouchable? Is it ultimately just another compartmentalization of our lives away from the normal grind - what one man called "a mythical interlude in a week of reality." Or, is it more? We are going to find out that WORSHIP is much more encompassing. We are going to connect worship to the eternal purpose of our Creator and Savior. Find out how big it really gets as we look into the heart of WORSHIP.

Don't Quit...The Best is Yet to Come

I got this today in one of my readings. Found it helpful. It's from a great leader of old, a guy named Charles Spurgeon. Funny isn't it, how our specific human condition is so common regardless of the date, time, and place? I find great encouragement in these words. Hope you do too. If none of God's saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, "Still will I trust in the or, when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God's grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring--that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as He is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace. There is a lighthouse out at sea: it is a calm night--I cannot tell whether the edifice is firm; the tempest must rage about it, and then I shall know whether it will stand. So with the Spirit's work: if it were not on many occasions surrounded with tempestuous waters, we should not know that it was true and strong; if the winds did not blow upon it, we should not know how firm and secure it was. The master-works of God are those men who stand in the midst of difficulties, stedfast, unmoveable,-- "Calm mid the bewildering cry, Confident of victory." He who would glorify his God must set his account upon meeting with many trials. No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for His failing you, never dream of it--hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end. He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 10 Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 nas

Getting There...

The Heights Fellowship "lives" in one of the most quickly growing areas of Lubbock. We are surrounded on all sides with tremendous commercial and residential growth. It's a really exciting place to be.

But growth never happens without a degree of inconvenience. Developers and the City of Lubbock recently began an improvement project on 66th Street (the main artery of traffic that runs by the THF building on the south). The project will involve the widening of the road between Iola Avenue and Milwaukee. We have been told to expect 66th street to be out of commission for 120 days, which means through the end of the year and into January, the THF family will need to access the THF campus by alternate means (helicopters come to mind...)

The good news is that there is plenty of access to the THF campus and actually "Getting There..." is pretty simple. Traffic will never be a problem since the THF campus can be easily accessed from multiple directions. See the map below.

From the west - access is extremely simple (follow the blue arrows on the map): Come east from Milwaukee on the Spur 327 access road. At Justice Avenue, turn right (south) and continue up the street until you can enter the THF parking lot on the west side of the building. (Note: if you miss the Justice turn, you can still turn right on Iola Avenue and enter from the east side too.)

From the east - access is only slightly less simple, and that only because it's a little more obscure. Everything funnels through Iola Avenue (follow the green arrows on the map). The intersection at Iola and 66th will be accessible from three sides (east, north, and south) throughout the duration of the project. Proceding north of this intersection on Iola, you turn west (left) between the two office strips (don't turn into the parking lot of the office strips) onto the unmarked drive (Meers Mazda is located just across the street on the east from this turn). The "unmarked drive" curves around the parking lot for the State of Texas Health Services Department and deadends into Justice Avenue. Turn left on Justice and proceed to the THF campus.

THF leadership is currently working on getting signs erected to make "Getting There" even more simple. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this exciting time of growth. This we know: It's definitely worth it.

Connectivity

It's a buzzword we all hear: Connectivity. Now that we, as a culture, are turning our heads toward a new semester as our neighbors, children, or grandchildren head back to school, we must acknowledge there is going to be a lot of connectivity happening. So lets explore the term and see how it fits us
The dictionary's definition is straight forward:
con·nec·tiv·i·ty

n. pl. con·nec·tiv·i·ties

1. The quality or condition of being connected or connective.

There are two things that jump out immediately -
1) To be CONNECTED. In other words, to be a part of a community. We believe that is a universal need among God's people and an innate human desire. THF believes that we best achieve this through our LIFEGroup ministry. It's our way of letting people naturally associate via affinity (place in life). Our LG, as we call it, meets nine months out of the year (with summers off), and is a great way to meet people, share experiences, find support and encouragement, and really immerse into a genuinely loving, accepting culture.

2) Be CONNECTIVE. As a friend of mine often says: be amenable.  Over the past decade, our experience at THF has shown us that we've had thousands of visitors come check out THF and our "deliberately different" paradigm. Many of them stayed and invested their lives, but a lot moved on. There is one element we see over and over: if a person doesn't "connect" with the THF Family, he or she moves on to another community (or even gives up) within about 12-18 months. It's a sad, but true, reality.
THF begins a new season of LIFEGroup ministry in just a few weeks. Sign ups begin the end of August and the LIFEGroup season begins in mid-September. Are you looking for a really dynamic comminity? Are you wanting to "plug-in?" Are you connective? Here is a great opportunity to explore. You can follow this link and and jump directly to our LG page.
Or, stop by the THF Mall some Sunday morning between now and September and see for yourself.
Acts 2:42-43!
Pastor Mike

Making Community

It is basic human behavior to be social. Last decade's swell of connectivity with email and this decade's explosion in social media both strongly attest to this truth. The fact is that God knows us and intends that we be a part of a community. He wired us for it. Community is something we take very seriously at The Heights.

Recently our THF Media team enhanced the community option available to THF attenders. There are two new facets on the THF Online experience: The Table Project and THF Online Portal.

The Table Project is one of our most exciting community makers. It is going to help us answer some of those daily needs to 1)Find stuff and to Find help within the community, or 2)Give stuff and Give help as a part of our personal ministry mission. Go check it out! It's VERY cool. Follow this link to
THE TABLE PROJECT to find out more!

Another community maker for THF Attenders is the THF Online Portal. It basically allows you to see and be seen at a comfort level you control and like. You can register for THF events (i.e. Children's Camp, Youth Camp etc.), sign up for life groups, connect with your LIFEGroup, opt in and out of the THF Directory, and more. Over the next few months we will be integrating many more opportunities within the portal such as scheduled online giving and even access to view your past contributions. You can find out more and make the connection here: THF ONLINE PORTAL.

I'm reminded of this verse as we journey forward together:

You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. James 3:18 msg

Obscurity

We live in a day of celebrity…when people are famous for "being famous." Huh! It creates this vicious cycle where people think they have to do something, anything to be noticed. Good, bad, legal? We don't care. We live by some 11th commandment that states "any kind of press is good press."
There are several problems with this:
1) It shortens our usable life. After your 15 minutes of fame, then what? By world's standards, you're cast on the refuse heap of used news and passed by for the next "big thing."
2) It creates false living. If I'm notorious for (blank), then I have to keep doing (blank) - or up the ante to stay relevant. We face increased pressure to live up to the image.
3) It robs us of greater purpose. If the end of "me" is to be notorious, then I've missed my calling, my purpose, and my reason. It is rather empty, when you think about it. And, in turn, it creates despondency and hopelessness.

The Bible gives us the perfect antidote for empty living. There is a great thought slipped into the pages of scripture. In a little letter penned to some friends in Corinth, Paul, the missionary wrote this:

26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He maynullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are inChrist Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, andrighteousness andsanctification, andredemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD.” (1 Cor 1:26-31 nas)

Life is a DIVINE work...not a human struggle. It's "by His doing" that we are, "by His doing" that we become, and "by His doing" that we sustain.

In the series, "Obscurity," we are look at some people in the Bible you've probably never heard of. They are, as we say, "Obscure - but not obsolete." They are people who discovered that the secret to really living is not being in the face of the paparazzi, but being in the grip of their Creator God. And because they are in His grip:

1) It extends life. They find a lifetime of usefulness and service. They find an eternity of hope in Glory.
2) It stabilizes life. I'm no longer trying to navigate the treacherous path of public opinion. Instead, I'm on a journey that has a divine initiative and direction. I'm playing by eternal principles that have never changed. I can walk forward with confidence.
3) It propels living. Life is no longer about image...it is about glory - HIS glory. Divine Purpose is a much more fitting motivator to the human condition than paparazzi or press.

Oh, and by the way - these obscure people - thousands of years later, we're still talking about them…. Think about it.