Flip Devotional 12-30-10 "Bye Bye Tree"

Twenty Eleven

This is going to be a powerful year. I am very excited about Twenty Eleven.I have decided to go for it this year. If you are with me then stand up on your seat right now and let me hear you say "OH YEAH!" It's time to buckle up, buckle down, and get ready for the ride of your life. When you follow God and make a decision to go for it Hell might come against you but you can run confidently into the battle knowing that God has got your back.

For all you Full Turners out there don't worry, I am not going to give anything away in this blog. If you want to hear the WORD for the year Twenty Eleven then you need to be at Full Turn Church Friday for our NYE Gathering at 6pm. Don't get lost in the crowd. Step up and start leading. This is your moment. Don't settle for less. Step up, find your voice and start leading. It is time for the Full Turn Nation to rise up and take our rightful place in the Body of Christ. Jesus is calling us out! It's time to rise and shine forth the glory of God. Oh yeah, and don't forget, in this New Year let's keep it all about JESUS!

Wait On the Lord

Good Morning it’s Thursday December the 16th and today is going to be a great day. I know yesterday we had an icy day, and I am sure that you all made it home safe. Today I just want to encourage you with this thought. Isaiah 40:29 says, “He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might He increases their strength.”

Have you ever felt like you’re tired of going through the motions? You are tired of the same old same old and you are ready for things to change. Right here in Isaiah we see that God can take what is weak and make it strong. God can turn things around for you.

That is what I want you to understand today. God can do anything! God can turn things around in your life today. The Bible says that God can make the crooked path straight. God can make a way for you where there seems to be no way.

Listen to what else he says here in Isaiah. “Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

What does this mean? Well, if you look at the word wait, it means to serve. When we serve God, when we seek God, when we serve God with all of our heart, the Bible tells us that when we serve God He is going to strengthen us. God gives us power for purpose. God gives us power to walk and live the life that He has called for us to live.

So, when we are serving and seeking God we are going to run and not grow weary, we will walk and not be faint. Until tomorrow this is Pastor Alan reminding you that God has a plan and a purpose for your life!

Narrow World View

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14

You’ve got to choose a worldview. Sooner or later, everyone has to choose a way they’re going to see the world.

I’ve chosen a narrow way.

We’ve got to stop thinking that Christianity can be broad and inexclusive. It’s not. Jesus said it wasn’t. And no matter how hard we try to spin or frame it, there’s no getting around it.

There are pros and cons to a narrow way to see the world.
On the one hand, you’re focused and defined. You know your message. It’s clear, distinctive, and calls people to a decision.

On the other hand, you’re limited and exclusive. There’s going to be a large constituency that will write you off before you even have a chance to tell them your message. People aren’t going to like you. They’re going to judge you for being judgmental. Exclude you for being exclusive.

There’s no way around these pros and cons. You’ve simply got to decide how you’re going to see the world, and accept the consequences.

Just make sure you see it the way Jesus does. More is at stake here than being right. Or being right and then getting people to agree with you. The two roads Jesus talks about aren’t ways to being right and being wrong. They’re roads to life and death.

Destinations every person is walking to. And destinations that every believer in Jesus is pointing and carrying people to every second of every day.

I’ve chosen a narrow way. It might be exclusive, but it’s the only way to life. And life is exclusive of death.
In that case, I’ll accept the pros and cons of Jesus’ worldview.

Full Turn Update

Hey everybody, great things are happening at Full Turn. Our opening Sunday is September 12th @ 10:30am. Our billboard just went up on HWY/278 in Dallas, GA and our TV commercials will start airing soon in Paulding and Polk County. We are getting ready to launch our church in a big way! This week is going to be a special week for Full Turn. Jenny and I will be at a pastor's and leaders conference in Florida, so we have a special musical guest coming in to lead you in worship and Garrett Cole will be bringing the Word of God. I know that Thursday night is going to be a powerful night. Don't miss it and come expecting. I love you and I am proud to be your pastor. God is doing great things. Let's keep moving forward!

GO

God said GO and so we went! In January 2010 plans had begun for Full Turn’s first meeting in Rockmart. We began meeting on Wednesday nights at the Rockmart Community Center on February 24, 2010. Expectations were high after a crowd of 60 or more people turned out for the opening night. Our plan was to meet at the Community Center for six weeks on Wednesday nights to develop a core group of people to help establish Full Turn in the area. In March 2010 We began promotions for our opening night at our new location, a few miles down the road, in Yorkville. We did this because we needed a more permanent place to meet. The date was set. We would open on April 8, 2010. We celebrated our opening night in Yorkville with 102 people in attendance after only seven weeks in the area. This will be our fourth week in Yorkville, and already we have seen 65 people rededicate their lives to Christ at our new location. I am very excited about what God is doing. Prayers are being answered and lives are being changed. The best is yet to come.

Full Turn's Opening Night

Tonight is the night we have all been waiting for. Tonight is our opening night at our new location. So many people have worked so hard to get our new facility ready, and it is better than we even imagined. I want you to know, it does not matter what denomination you have been a part of, or what banner or name you work under. Whether the name be Full Turn Ministries or any other name. The most important thing to understand is that we are all a part of the Body of Christ and we are all working together for one goal. The goal we share is to build the Kingdom of God and to help people that are far from God find their purpose and destiny in Jesus Christ. For this reason we have planted a ministry in the Rockmart/Dallas area. I know that together we can do something great for the Kingdom of God. Together we can build a ministry that will change thousands of lives. It is time for God's people to come together. It is time to display our unity. For this very reason I ask you to come tonight and worship with us as we work together to promote the name of Jesus Christ to our world. We will have a cookout at 6:00pm. This will be a great time to meet some new people and have some fun. After the cookout, our Full Turn service will begin at 7:30pm. The address of our new location is 53 Golden South Place, Dallas GA 30157. We hope to see you there. Let's make a statement tonight to our city and to our world by coming together under the banner of Jesus Christ.

Pastor Alan Mushegan, Jr.
Full Turn Ministries

Directions:

Directions from Rockmart, Cedartown, and surrounding areas

Take Hwy 278 south towards Dallas.

Turn Right onto Hwy 101.

Take Hwy 101 (approx 4 miles) to split in the road.

Stay Right on Hwy 101.

Proceed to 2nd road on Left which is Golden South Parkway.

Turn Right into Golden South Place.

End @ 53 Golden South Place (Grey Building on your left)



Direction from Dallas, Hiram, and surrounding areas

Take Hwy 278 North towards Rockmart.

It is approximately 8 miles from hwy 61 to Yorkville.

Turn Left onto Goldmine Road.

Go approx. 2 miles, turn left onto Golden South Place (between the Dollar General and Gas Station)

Take 1st Left onto Golden South Place.

End @ 53 Golden South Place (Grey Building on Left)

St. Patrick's Day

Today is St. Patrick's Day, so I though I would give you some old Irish blessings and sayings. Some are serious and some are funny. Enjoy!

May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
And all your heart might desire!

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.

May the best day of your past
Be the worst day of your future.

May those who love us, love us
And those who don't love us,
May God turn their hearts
And if he can't turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles
So we will know them by their limping!

As you slide down the banister of life,
May the splinters never point in the wrong direction!

May your neighbors respect you,
Troubles neglect you,
The angels protect you,
And Heaven accept you.

May God grant you many years to live,
For sure he must be knowing
The earth has angels all to few
And Heaven is overflowing.

May you live as long as you want,
And never want as long as you live.

Have a great day. Full Turn is tonight. We hope to see you there.

What is a Swagger Jacker?

I don’t know where I originally heard the term swagger jacker. I don’t think it’s technically a theological designation. But I want to sanctify it for a minute and bring it over into a ministry context.

Have you ever faced any swagger jackers in your attempt to do God’s will?
I’m identifying a swagger jacker as anyone who tries to back you down from doing what you know God has told you to do. There are plenty of swagger jackers exposed in the pages of the Bible. They make a lot of noise. They inflict a lot of pain. But they simply can’t stop the purposes of God-if God’s servants stay focused on God’s will.

The swagger jackers laughed at Noah for building a boat to prepare for a flood before anyone had ever seen rain. They weren’t laughing on day 40 of the storm.
Joseph’s swagger jacker brothers threw him in a pit. But they couldn’t keep him from rising to a position of prominence in the palace-and ultimately saving their lives despite themselves.
Nehemiah faced swagger jackers like Sanballat. They insisted he halt the work of the Lord and come down off the wall. He stayed on the wall and finished the work.

And so on. You see the point.

I’ve seen too many men and women of God stripped of their courage by swagger jacking critics, haters, and generally negative or mediocre people.

Keep building your boat.
Stay faithful in the prison.
Remain on the wall.

Don’t concede your confidence in Christ. No one can take away your swagger if your swagger is rooted in Jesus-powered by grace-activated by faith.

The World's Only Hope

The church is the worlds only hope. We should be the example and we should be the light. The Bible says that we have been called kings and priests. Let's think about this for a second.The title king denotes authority. This means that the church is God's authority here on the earth. We should lead the way and make things happen. Then we see that we are not only Kings but we are also priests. A priest is someone who is subject to God. So not only have we been given great authority through Jesus Christ, but we are also people under authority. We take our orders from the King of Kings. A priest is someone that is set a part for the work of the ministry. We have all been called to be God's hands and to be His feet. We are the arm of the Lord extended to this world.

The early church in the book of Acts grew by the thousands daily. How was this accomplished. It was not accomplished by one man, but by many people filled with the Holy Spirit, spreading the message of Jesus Christ. This is why it is so important for us to continue to spread the Word. The church is made up of many people, but we have all been called to operate and carry ourselves as kings and priests, humbly following the voice of the Lord. God desires His church to grow. He desires us to be His ambassadors.

Ephesians 3:20

Ephesians 3:20 is one of my all time favorite verses:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine…

That’s a hot one right there. An astonishing promise. God can do so much more than what you’re expecting. His performance isn’t limited to the confines of your imagination. The implications of this statement are hard to believe…but simple to understand. It’s a straightforward fact: The wildest dreams you can conceive don’t even compare to the endless power of God.

Full Turn Tonight!

Tonight is our opening night in Rockmart. We will be at the Nathan Dean Community Center 604 Goodyear Street, Rockmart, GA 30153 at 7:30pm. The excitement has been building in me now for two months. The day is finally here. I can not wait to see what God is going to do. This is a verse that has been on my heart this morning. 1 Corinthians 2:9 (King James Version)"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." I have never been able to figure God out. Just as soon as I see things going one way God steps in and totally does something unexpected. He always has something better for us then what we have already seen. Trust in God and He will turn you in the right direction. He will lead you into your purpose and destiny. He will take you to places that you can not even imagine.

What is Full Turn?

About Full Turn
The heart and soul of Full Turn is to introduce and connect people with the living God. Full Turn’s mission has always been to reach those that are far from Christ. We believe that Jesus has called us to be fishers of men. Rather than run from culture we have chosen to harness it to connect with people and show them God's timeless truths. Although our approach is anything but traditional, we believe in and maintain a conservative theological position.

History
Inspired by the Holy Spirit in May of 1998, Pastor Alan proceeded with a vision for ministry to teens and young adults, which was the beginning of Full Turn Ministries. Full Turn combined a dynamic concert-style ministry with a strong spiritual insight into God's plan and calling for the individual believer. Full Turn’s cutting edge style quickly caught the attention of the youth in Marietta and the surrounding areas earning them the title of one of the fastest growing youth ministries in the state of Georgia. What started out as a youth movement quickly evolved into a ministry that reaches people of all ages and from all walks of life. Through the ministry of Full Turn, thousands of lives have been inspired by the love, goodness, and hope of a compassionate and faithful God.

The Easy Way

I recently had this thought about faith. Faith is never taking the easy way out. The Bible states that the carnal mind is the enemy of God. Our natural mind always wants to take the easiest route, when our faith is pressing us into the unknown. We should walk by faith and not by sight. Don't take the easy way out. The easy way is not always the best way. Let your faith in the Lord be your guide. Faith will always take you somewhere you have never been before. Walking by faith is not easy but it leads to health, prosperity and true happiness. Jesus said that the road to destruction is wide and easy to walk, but the road to life is narrow and takes more effort. The Bible teaches us that faith requires effort. "Faith without works is dead." Nothing good comes easy, but it comes through the trying of your faith. It is easier for us to ignore the truth and to lie to ourselves then it is to embrace the truth and walk in it. Don't take the easy way. Choose to follow God's way. Have faith in God and you can accomplish anything.

Ignite

God has given us such a great ministry vehicle here at East West Church with Full Turn Ministries. We have been given the opportunity together to change our world through the power of Jesus Christ. Last week I was thinking about this. If the ministry is the vehicle then we must be the engine. What good is a vehicle without an engine? If we are going to accomplish the plan of God then we must be an engine full of faith and power, ready to carry all that God has given us into our tomorrow. I want you to think about this. You are an important part of the engine. You are very important to the overall plan of God. Lets keep working together so that we can accomplish all of the awesome things that God would have for us to do as a people. We have the vehicle, let's make sure our engine is running right.

A Personal Invitation

Full Turn Ministries is coming to Rockmart. Our opening night will be February 24th at 7:30pm in the Nathan Dean Community Center. I really want you to be a part of this new Ministry. If you know people that are looking for an exciting worship experience you can help us by spreading the word, and by telling all of your friends in the Hiram, Dallas, Cedartown, Rome, Rockmart area about our opening night. I believe if we all work together we can start something really special in Rockmart. Thank you in advance for any help you can bring towards making this new service a success.

Who Dat Full Turn?

I desire to see thousands of people finding God and His purpose, plan, and destiny for their lives. I have a vision to see people being touched by God in a new and a fresh way. I can see a move of God sweeping this area. I know that God has called us for such a time as this. I am asking you to stand with me today in prayer and agreement. We can reach our city and we can reach our world with the message of Jesus Christ. I truly believe this. There is much to be done and we must stand together.

We are a group of people who care about one another, who want to help each other. My vision is to see a place where others can come and be welcome, be encouraged, and be loved. More than that, I want to see a place where children, young people, and families can be given hope. I picture a room full of people that have come together from different backgrounds and stages of life. They are excited and enthusiastic about their future because they are connected to a place where they can become involved and develop as a people. This is our opportunity. We have an opportunity to do something great, to be someone great for God. We have an opportunity to make a difference and be a positive influence on the people around us. We have an opportunity to be a part of something much bigger than ourselves, much bigger than what we could accomplish as individuals. This is our moment. We will reach our city with the power of God and the message of His son Jesus Christ.

Live Out Loud

Don't put yourself in a box. You can do all things through Christ. We limit ourselves when we settle for less. God has the best in store for us if we will believe. Don't hide the talents and abilities that God has given you. Use them for His glory. Live your life out loud. Let people see the goodness of God in you. Jesus said that we should shine our light before men so that they can see God at work in our lives. So don't hide your light. Take a stand for God. Ignite the passion and the purpose within.

21 Days

21 days until our first meeting in Rockmart and the excitement continues to build in me. I can see in my minds eye thousands of people finding God and His purpose, plan, and destiny for their lives. I can see people being touched by God in a new and a fresh way. I can see people being baptized and born again. I can see families being renewed. I see a move of God sweeping the area. I know that God has called us for such a time as this. I am asking you to stand with me today in prayer and agreement. We can reach our city and we can reach our world with the message of Jesus Christ. I truly believe this. There is much to be done and we must stand together. If you live or know people that live in the Rockmart, Dallas, and Hiram area, then please help us to spread the word. Opening night is February 24th at 7:30pm at the Nathan Dean Community Center in Rockmart.

Nathan Dean Community Center
604 Goodyear Street, Rockmart, GA 30153

Purpose

When you talk about purpose and destiny people often think that if their life is already mapped out for them, then whats the point in putting forth an effort. What ever will be will be. That is really not the case. Purpose and destiny come from God and our destiny lies in Jesus Christ. There are two roads before us and it is our choice which road we will follow. One day Moses gave the children of Israel an ultimatum. He said, "Choose you this day whom you will serve". We still have the same choice. Either we will serve God and fulfill the purpose and plan that He has for our life, or we will chose to go down a different road. One road leads to everlasting life, and the other road leads us to destruction. Choose you this day who you will serve. Because we are all going to serve something. Some of us choose to serve our own purpose. Some of us choose to serve the plans that others have made for us. All roads lead to a destination. Today let me encourage you to choose the right path. Follow God and He will lead you into the purpose that He has for your life. God's way is perfect. If you want to fulfill your true destiny, you have to follow the one that has authored it from the beginning of time until now.

True Wisdom

Some people say that wisdom comes with age. I say with age comes experience, but not necessarily wisdom. Let me explain. True wisdom comes from God. I believe that wisdom is not just for the elderly, but for all that put their faith and trust in God. Life experience can only teach us so much. Have you ever heard some one say, "They should have to learn it the hard way"? While I believe that experience is a good teacher, I also believe that the wisdom that comes from God can keep us from getting ourselves into a mess in the first place. Experience teaches us from past mistakes, but wisdom shows us how we should deal with the future. You can wait and gain some knowledge from experience, or you can have the wisdom to know what to do right now. Wisdom comes from God. Ask Him to show you the next step. He is ready to direct your path.

Reminder

Reminder:
Jesus is so much greater than any trial you’re facing today.
He’s so much greater than the pleasure of any sin you’re considering.
He’s so much greater than any other ambition you could pursue.

To truly be great, never forget that He is so much greater.

Keep On Keeping On

I am very excited with the things that have been happening with Full Turn Ministries. I want to thank everyone that is out there promoting our opening night. Without you we could not make a difference.

On a side note I want you to know that God will never fail you. At times we fail ourselves, but God never brings failure into our lives. If you want to affect your future in a positive way, start by making the right choices today. We are the sum total today of the choices that we made yesterday. As long as Jesus Christ is in our life we cannot fail.

My prayer is that God will continue to bless you in an awesome way. Keep up the good work. It will pay off.

Everything in the Right Place

They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.
-Luke 22:13

Jesus gave the disciples very specific instructions about the preparations they needed to make for the Passover meal. See Luke 22:7-12.

The disciples followed His instructions to the detail. And everything was in place, just like Jesus said.

When God asks you to do something just do it. There is a lot to be said about obedience. There is no way to count the number of times God has called me to take a step of obedience that seemed crazy at the time. But when I got to the place where he told me to go, I found things just as Jesus told me they would be.

When God calls you to obey Him in your finances, career, or relationships, do it. And once you get there, you’ll find everything is in its place.

Be Encouraged

Life can be like a baseball game. We see all kinds of things thrown at us and sometimes it can be hit or miss. Let me give you a few helpful ways to get through anything. First you have to have faith. There are things that we cannot see or understand, but we have to believe that God sees all and knows all. When we put our faith and trust in Him He brings us true understanding. Second you have to stay focused. Ask yourself, why do I do what I do? If you can answer that question and stay focused on the true reason for living, working, relationships, money, etc., you will be able to get through anything. The third thing is to encourage yourself. Sometimes you don't get a whole lot of encouragement from the people around you so you have to be like David in the Bible and encourage yourself in the Lord. Live your life the way that God wants you to live it and stay encouraged.

Full Turn

Tonight I am going to be playing a concert and speaking at Rockmart High School. I am very excited about the opportunities that God has given us this year to get out and minister His Word. Full Turn Ministries will be starting an outreach service in Rockmart beginning February 24th and will be meeting there every Wednesday night. If you know people that live in and around the Rockmart area, please help me to spread the word. I truly believe that we can start a movement in the city that will change lives.

This is a New Year. It is not to late for you to set goals and go for it. I believe that there are no limits to what we can accomplish if we will follow God with our whole heart. Dare to believe. Dare to dream. All things are possible if you put your trust in Him. Let's make a Full Turn towards God.

Full Turn Press Release

Below you will see a press release that we have put out in the Rockmart Journal:

Full Turn Ministries is coming to Rockmart February 24th, 2010 and will be holding meetings at the Nathan Dean Community Center. Full Turn Ministries was established in 1998 by Pastor Alan Mushegan, Jr. under the covering of East West Church in Marietta, GA. Full Turn started as a high energy worship experience for youth and young adults. Their cutting edge style quickly caught the attention of the youth in Marietta and the surrounding area earning them the title of one of the fastest growing youth ministries in the state of Georgia. Since that time, Full Turn Ministries has been seen on national and international television, published two books, and has released multiple musical projects. What started as a youth ministry has now become a ministry for people of all ages. Pastor Alan has been working with the Rockmart High School FCA and desires to plant something lasting in this city by bringing Full Turn Ministries to Rockmart. Full Turn will begin by meeting every Wednesday night at 7:30pm in the Nathan Dean Community Center February 24- March 31. Every one and every age is welcome. This will be an exciting time of worship, special performances offered by the Full Turn Ministry teams, and the word of God taught on a level that all can understand.

In a Moment Everything Can Change

Okay, I know it's been over a week since my last blog. I was taking a bit of a blogger vacation, but I am back and ready to blog again. When you look at the things that are going on in the world you can see more and more how things can change quickly. I think about the people in Haiti whose lives have been forever changed in a moment by this devastating earthquake. Yes, things can change quickly in a positive or a negative direction. So we have to be ready, awake, and alert. When a surfer is out in the water they have to be ready to catch the wave, and once they have caught it, they will ride the wave or be crushed by the swell. This is the way life is for us today. The wave of change is coming. Will we ride the wave or be crushed by the roaring tide? Here is what I want you to take from this thought today. If you are ready for change you will not be crushed by it when it comes. You can control the change in your life. Ask God for wisdom, insight, and direction. When you receive it, run with it, so that you can become what God is calling you to be.

Stick To It!

What is your plan for achievement? If you have set personal goals for the New Year, then make sure that you have developed a plan on how you will accomplish each goal. Here is a suggestion. Write your goals down and under each goal write the steps that you are going to take to make it happen. Once you have come up with a plan then stick to it. You might see a better way once you have started and that is okay, but make sure that you follow the path that leads to your success. Never give up. When it seems like your plan is failing always look to the Lord and He will show you the way. The Bible tells us that a good mans steps are ordered by the Lord. So allow God to light the way before you and no matter what stick to the plan.

"To be or not to be?"

I have found out that if it is to be, then it is up to me. In life you cannot wait for others to make something happen for you. You have to be the one to take the step of faith and make it happen. If God is for you then His purpose in you will be achieved. Stop waiting, and get going. The Bible says that faith without works is dead. This means after we have prayed, contemplated, and come up with a plan, that we have to put the wheels in motion and put some legs on our faith. Take initiative, take action, believe in God and the purpose that He has for your life. Stop thinking about it and just do it.

Think about all the great inventions out there. The car, your TV, your X-box, the phone, the computer, the internet, etc. Do you think the inventors of these things got it right the first time? Of course not, but we would not have any of these things without someone daring to dream and saying, "if it is to be, then it is up to me."