AGAINST THE CURRENT
Swimming with the current is easy
Dear Reader,
Thanks for joining us here in The Three Taverns.
This newsletter is named after the town by the same name in Acts 28:15. Paul was in chains on his way to Rome as a prisoner to stand before Caesar and testify, “There is a higher King, Yeshua the Messiah!”
His life was in danger but he had the respect of the soldiers around him. On the road, the Appian Way leading into Rome, the town Three Taverns was a stopping place. Other believers who heard Paul was on his way traveled the roughly 30 miles out to meet him at Three Taverns and encourage him there.
That is the purpose of this newsletter, to be an encouragement and to share opportunities for meeting with other seekers on the Way.
Please help us grow this newsletter by sharing with some other folks!
AGAINST THE CURRENT
"Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says:
“Look! I am placing a foundation stone in Jerusalem,
a firm and tested stone.
It is a precious cornerstone that is safe to build on.
Whoever believes [in Him...Septuagint] need never be shaken.
I will test you with the measuring line of justice
and the plumb line of righteousness.
Since your refuge is made of lies,
a hailstorm will knock it down.
Since it is made of deception,
a flood will sweep it away." (Isaiah 28:16-17)
The further away we go as a person, as a community, as a society, as a nation, from the Foundation Stone of Jesus Christ and the Plumbline of Truth, the more crooked, confused, crime-ridden, and corrupt we will be.
The good news is it is simple to realign! Simple, but not easy. You will immediately become counter-culture. But surrender to His ways is life and peace in your own being, even if outside of you there is ridicule and mockery.
If you want to go fast you go alone and this may be necessary at first when you decide to buck the trend away from God. But if you want to go far you go together. This is why community is so important. Not churchianity but real kingdom relationships.
In the American gospel enterprise, church life has become "who has the best show?" Lights, noise, crowds, rah, rah. People go from church to church, but few are coming to Jesus the Person. Search your own heart- are you loyally in love with the Person Jesus Christ who saved you and gave His life for you and now lives in you? Or are you loyal to a ministry, a church, a pastor?
And few who profess to be followers of Jesus have ever led another person to faith in Jesus.
To walk in the dominion of God is not in the noise, it is in following the still small voice. Not inviting people to a rah, rah session, but in leading them to know the Person, Jesus.
The surrender to Jesus is completely individual and can begin in an instant, the moment you change your mind about your direction and look to Him. The walk with Jesus is corporate: a lifestyle and a lifetime of learning and submission.
This will affect how you walk in your marriage, how you raise your children, how you see your job as your side-gig while walking with Jesus is your profession. It encompasses every part of your real life. It naturally makes you counter-culture swimming against the current of life in this world.
That’s why the community of believers is so important. To be with others making those same choices strengthens us for the days we live in.
TAVERN TALKS TUESDAYS
“A safe place to be real.”
“Authentic and challenging.”
“Feels like what church is supposed to be.”
These are all statements made about Tavern Talks.
We are going to start hearing from some guys on their second round of sharing. Round one everyone tells their story, where they came from, how their life has taken shape, what has influenced them, how God has encountered them along the way.
Round two will be guys sharing “What God is Teaching Me In My Life Now.”
We are blessed by Jeff Malone and Lance Welsh the last couple of weeks, giving us all a glimpse into their life and things they are overcoming.
COMING UP:
June 24- John Mathis- What God is Teaching Me- musician, father, grandfather
July 1- Josh Arnold- My Story- new grandfather, project manager at a health company, worship leader at a large Brentwood congregation.
July 8- Allen Blaxton- My Story- 25 year Navy man, ground support for Blue Angels, professional drummer
We look forward to every week together.
Tavern Talks is about our stories and God’s story. It’s not about perfect people with perfect stories but authentic working out this salvation in our lives.
Each Tuesday morning at 7am you will find two to three dozen men gathered to hear each other’s stories, to encourage one another, to teach scripture and pray together.
This gathering is at The Mission Cigar & Social in Spring Hill.
Bring your coffee, your Bible, Febreze if you go to the office after, an open mind and open heart. You can purchase a cigar as well to enjoy your first cigar of the day.
We are really grateful to Mark, Monte and Willie for opening up The Mission early each Tuesday and participating in Tavern Talks!
CHRIST IN CULLEOKA
Culleoka, TN is a beautiful community 10 minutes south of Columbia. Emily and I have been making friends here in this place and I have been pastoring/teaching at a small church called Sweetwater Church.
It is full of families with young children, with some young adults growing in the Lord, and a group of mature believers who encourage each other daily. It is a wonderful fellowship that we are growing to love.
We meet at 11:30am on Sunday mornings. I actually love the later time because it makes for a very relaxed Sunday morning! We meet in the Glendale United Methodist church building at 1423 Culleoka Hwy, Columbia TN.
We have been studying Ephesians and learning that we are SEATED WITH CHRIST and now WALKING WITH CHRIST.
We have come to Ephesians 6 and our STANDING WITH CHRIST. We will spend the month of July talking about our warfare in this world as believers:
Week 1: Introduction to the War
Week 2: Suiting Up for Setting the Captives Free
Week 3: The Greatest Demonic Battle
Come jump in with us and let’s walk this out together.
Looking Up!
Tod Bell
P.S. Freud can’t help you in this spiritual battle!
