John Vermilya

Get the FUEL CD Online

2008-12-10T11:14:00.004-05:00

One of the best Christmas Gift ideas for this year is KBM's FUEL devotional CD called, "All Or Nothing." The CD is a unique discipleship tool for anyone on your Christmas list.

FUEL features KBM speakers condensing powerful teaching into a 3-4 minute tracks, and each speakers spoken words are scored to original, cutting edge music. They are great listening for the morning commute, on your iPod, or to share in a small group.

"All Or Nothing" is the theme, and is the first of an entire line of FUEL CD's coming from the KBM resource department. I am especially proud that my brother Joe is the producer and wrote and performs all the music (so you know it will rock).

Trust me, you will not be disappointed and will want to get Vol 2 & 3 which are coming soon. Follow the link below to get yours before Christmas, and tell them I sent you. http://store.kbm.org/

Sermon-Casts

2008-12-10T10:39:00.009-05:00

In an effort to better serve you and fuel your spiritual journey, the Tabernacle sermons are now available online each week. Technology can be such an awesome tool, and now you can download Sunday's sermon to a CD or listen in streaming audio. We also have a backlog of messages under the heading "more audio," and plan on having them up on iTunes by January: http://www.buckleychurch.com .

Also, please let us know what God is doing in your life and on your journey through this ministry. You can email us at johnv@buckleychurch.com .

MOTORCYCLE THERAPY

2008-10-20T09:07:00.002-04:00

Walking out of church last week, I noticed my friend strapping on his helmet to ride home on his motorcycle. It was a big bike and it was a beautiful day, and my eyes must have betrayed some kind of longing that I didn't know was even there. I had just come off a tough work week , and a grueling morning of preaching three services in a row, so I had this kind of thousand yard stare that preachers get when they have preached their guts out, and can't remember their own name. My wife was walking beside me, and must have noticed my glazed eyes locking on to the shiny chrome.

Suddenly my wife was speaking and asking my friend to take me away on a bike trip, to get me out of her hair. What is happening? My friend and I both responded incredulously, "really?" I couldn't believe it - this is the same lovely woman who informed that I was free to get a motorcycle whenever I was ready to let some other man walk my daughters down the aisle on their wedding days. For a moment I suspected she was trying to collect early on our life insurance, thought better of it, and realized that she was looking out for me. I asked her if she was sure it was okay to blow an entire Monday pretending I was a greaser from some 50's movie, tooling around Northern Michigan on a borrowed motorcycle. "It's therapy," was her response. "You need some therapy."

Therapy started the next morning. We did 175 miles in perfect weather and at the peak of Michigan's turning leaves. We stopped to eat and chat a couple of times, but for the most part it was just perfect, blissful solitude, set to the soothing bass of the 1800 cc's underneath me. The road seemed endless, and I could have rode for 300 miles, just feeling alive again. I didn't think a whole lot - I must be honest. I was too tired. I just focused on being alive, admiring God's creation, trying not to lay that big bike down at intersections, and mastering the subtle wave that bikers use to acknowledge one another when they pass.

I guess I had never really noticed that before, the biker wave. I had just got my permit that morning, and yet here I was an "insider," exchanging waves like I belonged to some elite club, from total strangers who I will never meet. And yet without fail, every passing biker dropped a hand down in acknowledgment. The only thing we had in common was risking life and limb to feel the wind in our faces, drown out the world for a while, and experience therapy on two wheels on the open road. But that bond was deeply communal - a shared experience that compelled me towards a sense of belonging.

I did pray a little bit. I found my myself whispering thanks to God for colors, for the lake flying by to my left, for wind, for my wife, and for the sense of belonging. I thanked God that He was God, for the blessings He's poured out on me and my family, and that I get to live this life and work for Him. Most of all I thanked God for the feeling of being alive again, and for the moments spent on that bike, withdrawn from the world, away from the stress, the cell phone, and things that pull us all in every direction.

It was therapy all right - a day spent with God on the open road. I found myself smiling for no reason at all, and strangely enough - my eye stopped twitching. Maybe this is what the Gospel writers meant when they said that often Jesus withdrew to be alone and pray. I don't think he was on a motorcycle out in the desert back then, but he was certainly biking with me last Monday.

Later that night, after thanking my friend for the gift of that ride, I returned home to my family still smiling. I also began surfing the web for used motorcycles.

Drinking Toilet Water

2008-10-07T10:15:00.003-04:00

As I travel across the country, I have a lot of frank off-stage conversations with Christians who are struggling with lust, porn, and illicit sex. We live in a culture that practically worships sex, and we're bombarded daily with images and temptation to all manner of perversions. The worst part it seems, is that many Christians who struggle in this area do so in silence, alone in their bondage and shame.

Christ died to set us free - free from sin, shame, and from the perversions of the enemy. Furthermore, we are commanded in Ephesians 5:3 that "among you there must not even be a hint of sexual immorality..." Jesus called himself living water - and seeking to quench our thirst through sexual sin is like drinking a tall glass of toilet water.

That phrase also happens to be the title of Chapter 1 in a great new e-book entitled, PORN AGAIN CHRISTIAN, by Mark Driscoll (www.theresurgence.com). It is a short read, almost a pamphlet, it's FREE, and very direct. In fact some might find it offensive. However for those not afraid, remember that Jesus said that the "kingdom of God is advancing forcefully, and forceful men laid hold of it."

Tapping Out

2008-09-19T13:24:00.004-04:00

Ultimate fighting has become all the rage among many young men in America. In its various forms, ultimate fighting pits 2 men in a ring who just pound each other to bloody pulps. The victor is usually determined when one of the fighters is either knocked unconscious, or "taps out" in submission to his opponent.

Tapping out is when the fighter - many times about to black out in a choke hold - smacks his hand on the canvas several times. Hence the term "tapping out." The referee stops the fight immediately and declares the other man the victor. Many fighters vow to never "tap out," a humiliating way to lose. Instead, they allow their bodies to be broken, bloodied, or even risk death to avoid submission.

For the Christian, there is only one way to approach God - in utter and complete submission. Many people try to follow Jesus, but paradoxically never "tap out" to his Lordship over their everyday lives. This makes no sense - to acknowledge Jesus as God, to supposedly give your life to Him, to claim to worship Him, but never "tap out" in every area of your heart.

I have seen this in my own life and in the lives of many who come to my church. We worship God on Sunday, hail him as King, but don't really submit the rest of our lives to him Monday through Saturday. Sometimes our marriages, relationships, habits, attitudes and sin behaviors look exactly like those who don't follow Jesus. This is not what Jesus meant His worshippers to look like.

The true worshippers God is looking for are those who worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). The integrity of a life lived in worship 24/7 is what is at stake here. Scriptures teach us that our spiritual act of worship is to offer ourselves as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2), and to submit our lives to God (James 4:7). Worship is larger than a private or corporate event, more than a style of music. Worship is the submission of a life fully to God.

I don't understand why I sometimes act as if I could actully survive in the ring with God. There can be only one response in that showdown - total and complete submission. God wants every area of my life, and my job is to surrender. To be a true worshipper of God, a follower of Jesus, tapping out daily is the only way to live. I want to live a life marked by the worship of God , 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Don't miss the Fall Sermon series at the Tabernacle: WORSHIP 24/7

Available on streaming audio, and soon as a weekly podcast at: www.buckleychurch.org

UNPLUGGED

2008-09-03T14:37:00.003-04:00

The worst-case scenario happened for a busy man in 2008...all my computers crashed.

First, my laptop started making a strange grinding noise - like an old truck with a bad fan belt. Shortly afterwards, the screen went black. All black. No power, no response, just gone. The Geek Squad kid at Best Buy announced that because it's a 5 year old laptop, I would spend more money to repair it then replace it with a new one. Are you kidding me geek squad kid?! You look like you're barely 5 years old yourself.

The home computer was next. It didn't so much crash as I crashed it. A virus sent porno pics to the machine my wife and kids use - some kind of Facebook bug. Great, my oldest kid is now scarred for life, so I pulled the plug on that one. Since it's about a 9-year old Dell, I didn't even bother asking 5-year old Geek squad kid. He'd probably advise me to shoot it.

So for the last 4 weeks I have been pretty much computer free. No information super-highway, no blogs, news updates, surfing, or networking. Sure, I checked a few emails once a week on my assistant's computer, but other than that? I've been unplugged. Furthermore, our family has moved to a new house across town, so we've been without cable too! Imagine that, no web, no cable, the end of the world could happen, and we would be up here in the great white north, oblivious to the alien invasion - and the latest on Brad & Angelina.

Truthfully, it's been awesome. Instead of feeling out of the loop, out of the know, or in the dark, I have felt strangely free. I seem to have more time on my hands (which is good because we're still unpacking boxes). I have discovered that although I am unplugged, the world is still turning, and there is still life on the planet. It seems that I have more time to talk and listen to God, because I am not drowning my attention on my 3 email accounts, Facebook, etc.

Jesus modeled a life where he withdrew often to be alone with God and pray. He didn't have an Iphone, a laptop, and a Myspace to help him do ministry. However, Jesus did have a social network (disciples, the crowds) that he frequently withdrew from to be alone with His heavenly Father. I find it interesting that He also said that he came to set us free.

Jesus wants to free me from the tyranny of the urgent. He wants my attention, and refuses to compete with all the technology I have at my disposal. Technology that is supposed to free us but instead makes us more accessible, and more enslaved to busyness and interruptions. God wants me to unplug from the world and plug in to Him.

So now I am shopping for a computer replacenment, but am hanging on to what I've learned about my time being "unplugged." My goal is to make it a tool that I use, not a machine that owns me.

KAKA

2008-07-02T14:02:00.002-04:00

The final whistle blew and the stadium roared. The players piled on each other, celebrating the culmination of everything they had worked for. All the sweat, the years of training and discipline, the grueling practices, the never-ending season, and now their perseverence had paid off. Victory was theirs, and most lost themselves in the elation of the moment.

Team sponsors toasted their commercial success in VIP booths, the team owners accepted the praise of other officials, the coaches congratulated one another, and the fans were cheering deliriously. TV announcers labored to capture the importance of the historic moment in words, while behind them, the stadium was a scene of utter euphoric pandemonium. The field itself was being flooded with people.

But in the midst of the celebrations, a lone, peaceful figure stood out. The cameras zoomed in on a single player kneeling alone apart from the rest. His jersey was off, his face and hands lifted towards heaven, his eyes were closed and his lips were moving. And there, blazoned across his undershirt, was a message for all the global TV audience to see...

The player was Kaka, the Brazilian striker who plays professionally for AC Milan and Italy. The moment was the world Club Championship. Kaka is one of the most recognizable people on the planet. Yes, even more famous than Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Paris Hilton. Kaka is an incredible soccer player, he scores brilliant goals, is handsome, articulate, and is paid millions. Kaka is one of the best players on the best soccer team in the world. But more importantly, Kaka is a passionate follower of Jesus Christ.

More than anyone else, Kaka's goals had powered Milan to this world championship. By the world's standards, the glory of this moment belonged to him. And yet there he was - paying homage to his true master and king, to God almighty, to Jesus, his savior and Lord. This was no bland Oprah-gospel spirituality, or tip of the hat to a nameless force that could be God, the tooth-fairy, or Karma. Kaka named Jesus specifically.

The shirt said: I BELONG TO JESUS.

Translation: JESUS OWNS ME.

Kaka's testimony is profound because his faith is well-known. He goes to church, studies the Bible, has a pastor, loves worship music and is committed to living out his faith on and off the field. Kaka has taken heat for it too. He's been asked to tone it down, while others have mocked him and his commitment to Jesus.

You see sprituality or the search for it is very cool with the media and the general public. But actually finding something or someone at the end of that search, namely faith in Jesus Christ - is very uncool. But through it all Kaka simply puts the ball in the back of the net, pulls up his jersy and reveals his true colors over and over: I BELONG TO JESUS.

I am thankful for that moment from Kaka, because I belong to Jesus too. There is something incredibly freeing in coming to that conclusion. Jesus is in charge of every aspect of my life. No more wringing my hands trying to figure out what to do. Jesus is in charge. No more worrying about the future, or my career, or retirement. Jesus owns me so it's His problem, His plan. My life is His. God can do with me what he wants. If I live - I live for Jesus. If I die - I die for Jesus. Everything I am, everything I have, every talent, my time, my treasure - they all belong to Jesus.

Scripture says that He bought me with a price (I Corinthians 6:20), therefore my life is not my own. I BELONG TO JESUS is profound peace in the middle of a storm.

It is also peace in the middle of a stadium.

Next Events

2008-06-10T20:14:00.001-04:00

How Big Is Your God?

2008-06-10T18:02:00.001-04:00

Sometimes a situation just seems impossible. The obstacle is too big, the hurt runs too deep, the addiction is too strong. There is not enough money, no one will help, or there are just not enough hours in the day. Nothing in our power works, so finally we turn to God in prayer, but deep in our hearts we believe that the situation is hopeless.

Whatever the scenario - in relationships, school, ministry, work, family, whatever - we end up giving in to sin, giving up on the marriage, walking away, stop showing love, or we just quit. We surrender to the obstacle, because surrender seems to be the best option.

Then scripture goes and throws us a curveball.

Long before John Lennon and the hippies, the Apostle Paul wrote a benediction in his letter to the Ephesian church. Paul wrote, "Now to him who is able to immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine..."

More than I can imagine? I have a pretty good imagination.

God can do immeasurably more than that? Maybe it's not that the obstacles are too big but that my imagination is too small. And what about the ask part? Am I asking too small as well? I remember Jesus said one time that, "we have not, because we ask not."

Don't worry, I haven't gone off the name-it-claim it, prosperity-gospel deep end. No promised blessings, shiny TV sets, and Darcey isn't caking on mascara. However - I do think that its time for some of us to go on the offensive in prayer. We might need to start imagining a bigger God and asking accordingly.

Maybe the larger question isn't how big is my imagination, how bold is my faith, or what am I willing to ask for. Maybe the question is - How big is my God?

GLASSES

2008-03-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

I just began a preaching series at the Tabernacle called, EPIC - A Study of Genesis. The first book of the Bible is critical to understanding all the scripture that follows. Genesis records God's first dealings with man, the foundations of His relationship with humans, and of course the historical context for the rest of the Old Testamant and New Testament. But more than that, Genesis provides the glasses through which the Jesus Follower looks at the world.

We all approach life with a set of glasses - a worldview - that determines our attitudes and approach to life, and also colors every decision we make. At the most basic, worldviews determine what our ideas concerning origin, meaning, morality and destiny will look like. Those ideas have consequences. Every person has a worldview, no matter how objective they claim to be.

For example, if one believes that humans came from a cosmic Big Bang, or evolved from mud, those ideas will result in a life that lacks meaning. If there was no grand design, and no grand designer, than my life is random happenstance. What is there to give my life purpose and value? I am merely the proto-plasmic mush, thrown together by chance, and when I die - nothing happens. But if I believe Genesis, that there is a God who created me and every other human in His image, the worldview changes. Now there must be purpose, meaning, and a grand plan. Now my job becomes figuring out where I fit in.

The Scriptures are an EPIC story - a story that continues to this day. The Old Testament, which begins with Genesis, sets up the New Testament. The New Testament records God coming to earth as JESUS, and closes by pointing to the future and His promised return. In other words, the story continues. The great EPIC story that God is telling is going on right now. We are living between Acts and Revelation. The great adventure of life is finding one's place in God's story. It is taking your place in the EPIC.

FACEBOOK

2008-02-20T16:24:00.000-05:00

At my last speaking event, I got a quick education on FACEBOOK, why I need one, and why people without a Facebook site are stupid. I caved. I resisted the MySpace craze but am going to give this Facebook networking thing a shot. We shall see if my Gen-X brain can wrap itself around being a part of the New Millenium. Check it out if you have a chance, let's be friends. That last sentance sounded really weird out loud...

Ask

2008-02-12T17:43:00.000-05:00

God said that, “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” (Jeremiah 29:13) Now I get ASKed questions all the time - questions about God, about the Bible, and about following Jesus. Some are relatively easy to answer, while many are extremely difficult. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but when you’re a preacher it seems you are expected to be able to dispense answers whenever someone ASKs. Don’t get me wrong – I love answering questions, probably because I have ASKed many of them myself. Sometimes however, I feel that I am being ASKed questions that any reasonable person could find if they really wanted to know. We will find the truth about God when we seek with all our heart.

One of the best things about this day and age is the wealth of great resources we have to answer our questions outside the Bible. We stand on the shoulders of over 2000 years of great Christian thinkers, preachers and theologians. The books and media available are unprecedented in human history. True, much of what you’ll find in so-called Christian books is mindless drivel, even heresy. But among the many thorns there are some great roses that can help you along when you have stuff to ASK. If you are interested in seeking God with all your heart, and having many of your questions answered – then check out the following list. These resources are some of my top choices when I ASK:

BOOKS
WHO MADE GOD? And Answers to over 100 Tough Questions of Faith – By Ravi Zacharias & Norman Geisler
This is a fantastic collection of short articles on over 100 of the toughest questions. The topics include science, Christ, the Bible, philosophy and how Christianity stands up versus major world religions.

CHRISTIANITY 101: Your Guide to Eight Basic Christian Beliefs – By Gilbert Bilezikian
This short book is a comprehensive, straight forward look at the “Big Rocks” of the Christian faith. Topics include: the Bible, God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Man, Salvation, the Church, and the End Times.

KNOWING THE BIBLE 101: A Guide to God’s Word in Plain language – By Bruce Bickel & Stan Jantz
Would you like a 22 minute overview of the entire Bible? Check out chapter 3. This is great overview of the entire Bible, both Old and New testaments – great for students or adults.

MORE THAN A CARPENTER – By Josh McDowell
Finally all the facts about Jesus, His resurrection, and the authenticity of the Bible in a short book that costs about $2.50.

CHOSEN BUT FREE: A Balanced View of Divine Election – By Norman Geisler
Finally, all your questions about Free Will & Predestination, Calvinism vs. Armenianism, answered in one place.

WEBSITES
apologetics.org
apologeticsindex.com
answersingenesis.com
Biblegateway.com

Jesus Kick

2008-02-12T17:37:00.000-05:00

I am on a JESUS kick. I know, I know, being a preacher you might expect

that. However, this is different. It seems that most people these days

are okay with "god talk." It's okay in politically correct America to

talk about god, spirituality, even faith - because all of that has become

kind of cool. It's as if our society has finally accepted that we are

spiritual beings. Oprah talks about "god" all the time. Politicians talk

about "faith," and rock stars speak of their "spirituality." So god talk

is okay - but JESUS talk is different. Talk about JESUS and you're a

freak.

My niece talked about JESUS at school and was labeled a "cross hugger."

Talk about JESUS in the public forum and you're labeled as narrow-minded.

When you talk about JESUS, you separate yourself from the god-talkers and

the spiritualists, you differentiate between faith in a "higher power"

and real live person named JESUS. Talking about JESUS makes people

uncomfortable. JESUS has that impact on people. I can keep god at a

distance, but JESUS defines things for me, JESUS gives me a shape and a

form to contemplate. JESUS represents a doctrine, a theology, a real live

personality. JESUS is God, and interacts with me and expects my obedience

and demands my worship.

It seems many people in church are uncomfortable with JESUS. They too

have become god talkers or mere "people of faith." Many churches help

people keep JESUS at a god distance by focusing teaching on so-called

"felt-needs" instead of pointing everything to JESUS. Scriptures are

reduced to self-help drivel, and sermons are devoid of JESUS. People

flock to churches to feel better about themselves but never meet or hear

much about JESUS. Is it any wonder that the term "christian" has lost

much of its meaning in our society? JESUS help us.

The bottom line is that the Gospel is all about JESUS. It's always been

about JESUS, it always will be about JESUS. Every bit of Scripture - the

Word, points to JESUS - who is THE Word. When Christians start using

JESUS in conversations, refer frequently to JESUS, focus on JESUS, and

basically go on their own JESUS kick, then we put the focus back in the

right place. When we point to JESUS, we point people in the right

direction. The Gospel isn't spiritualism, its not about me getting in

touch with my spiritual side - it is about encountering the living God,

and putting my faith, hope and trust in God - who's name is...JESUS.

Back in the Saddle...

2008-02-12T17:36:00.000-05:00

I apologize for the dormancy of the site. I was out of commission with the birth of our 5th child – a son, Benjamin Forest Edison Vermilya. Yeah I know, it’s a mouthful, but he’s the last one (we hope) so we decided to use up all the names in the name barrel. The family is adjusting well to the addition of one more. It is Benjamin we probably have to worry about. With four older sisters he’s got an extra four moms. Yikes…

Speaking events get fired up again in November. Check the schedule on the site for more information. For the past two months, I have been staying close to home up here in Northern Michigan, focusing on preaching at the Tabernacle and on some writing projects. More information will be available on that stuff soon.

Speaking of the Tabernacle – God is doing some pretty cool things at our little church. Namely it’s no longer very “little.” This Fall we have been running over 300 in attendance on Sunday mornings. For those of you in the Bible Belt, this may sound like small potatoes. But considering the size of the town of Buckley (one blinking light) and the fact that we are in the Peoples Republic of Michigan – those numbers are awesome. And each number represents a precious life to Jesus, so yeah, I am focused on numbers.

Check back for a new blog next week - in the meantime, keep running hard after Jesus.

Look Mom, No Hands!

2008-02-12T17:34:00.000-05:00

Many Christians panic in fear at the thought of explaining why they believe in God to a non-believing person. Best case, they might know some Bible verses to throw at them, or perhaps they may try to point them to their pastor. But what happens if that person doesn't believe the Bible is true? What happens if they don't want to meet your pastor? Most of those situations end up in missed opportunities to point people to Jesus. This should not be the case.

The message, "Look Mom No Hands," presents three arguments for God's existence without using scripture. Scripture says that we should always be prepared to give an answer for what we believe about God (I Peter 3:15). The cool thing is that if we use our minds, and seriously consider some easy to understand evidence, we can make a case for God's existence. No one can prove God exists - if we could, He would cease to be God (chew on that one). However, any Christian can understand why believing in God makes more logical sense than not believing in God. That always makes for a good start to a conversation about faith.

I want to thanks my friends from Souled Out, the CDYC Youth Convention, and Indian Springs Camp for their patience. We are still trying to develop this message as a CD/DVD resource - but it's not ready yet. In the meantime check back for the notes from this presentation in a format that you can download.

Keep running hard after Jesus.

The Main Thing

2008-02-12T17:31:00.000-05:00

“The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing.” The moment I heard the preacher say those words, I knew I wanted to always be a Big Rock Christian. He was talking about the words of Jesus when asked what the greatest commandment was. Jesus answered that the entire law could be summed up by focusing on loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. That’s the main thing. That’s a big faith rock of following Jesus. When Christians keep the main thing the main thing, we make Jesus look good to lost people. When we let minor things become main things, we become divisive, discouraging, and sometimes dumb.

You see there are the big rocks of faith and there are small rocks. Big rocks are what we believe about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, man, salvation, grace, heaven and hell. Small rocks are theological footballs that Christians tend to argue and debate about – things like baptism by sprinkling or immersion, King James Bibles or NIV’s, Calvinism versus Armenianism, or this denomination versus that one. Big rocks are found in the Apostles Creed, in fulfilling the Great Commission, in feeding the “least of these.” Small rock Christians are in to dissecting verses and making sure everyone’s theology is just right, but mostly that they are right. Sure, it’s important to have a theology and know what you believe and why, but many times we seem to miss the point in an effort to put God in a box, create Him in our own image, and then waste time arguing the finer points of our theology with other Christians while a world of souls are lost and dying.

I grew up on the mission field in place full of lost souls. I went to the only English speaking church on the island – a place attended by missionaries from every theological position imaginable. Instead of a nightmarish theological bloodbath, it was the best church I ever attended. You see, the English speaking missionaries, though divided by denomination were united by a cause – taking the Gospel to the people of Haiti. They were all in the trenches, in the frontlines of the spiritual battle, and the bullets and bombs only flew one way. They were never aimed at one another, but at the enemy – Satan, sin and death.

That church was a little piece of what heaven must be like. There were Christians of every stripe – worshipping together, helping one another, and actually living in genuine community. They were all focused on the main thing, the big rocks of the faith – not grinding theological axes. I didn’t even know what a denomination was until we returned to the States. How sad…