Merry Christmas to all and to all a...

Merry Christmas to all and to all a mission to complete! What do I mean? I'm so glad you asked!

As I contemplate Christmas 2007, I am reminded of the real reason Jesus was born in a manger on that first Christmas morning. There were no lights adorning the tree, just the stars dancing with glee. Most of those in the world missed this greatest wonder in the world. It reminds me that most in the world still miss this One who continues to bring transforming wonder into this world.

I wonder as you wonder why Jesus still brings wonder to the world? Jesus came with a definite purpose of becoming the only hope for humankind. He came and He went but His Mission remains. The disciple making movement was born with Jesus and now the mantle of making disciples has been passed on to us. It was not given lightly, but, it was given with all the authority as the risen Christ, the very Son of God who is God. I am learning that when God speaks to me, I better listen. God told all of humankind to finish the work He began through Jesus incarnate. His last words were His most important words.

So Merry Christmas to all and to all -we've already had enough good nights. It's time for us to spend some time on our knees pleading for the multitudes who do not know Jesus. It's time we cry out to God for opportunities to share Jesus and His wonder of wonders.

As I look to the future, I see Disciple Driven Churches being birthed by God through an army He is raising up for this purpose. I am extremely optimistic because what we are seeing in Africa and Asia is now happening in America. God is raising up an army of those who are giving it all up for Jesus so that disciples making disciples can be the heartbeat of all we do. Doing what Jesus says is worth dying for if necessary.

Christmas is ALL about the final words of Jesus.

finalllllly

We finally have our internet back up. It's been down since we moved back home on November 3oth or so with a 2 or 3 day exception. I'll be back so stay with theplanter for much more to share in the immediate days ahead.

Often...

Often when God begins to move, our normal "human" tendency is to stop or slow it down. We are afraid of.....you name it.

Let's move away from what we think is normal. Let's instead let God do whatever God wants to do. Let's try real hard to move out of our fear of what others may think.

During this year I have learned that honoring God is more important than job security. We must let go and let God do whatever He wants. While mankind seeks to restrain so people will not be threatened, God moves with those He has already prepared to become movement makers. So what if we lose our jobs, rather to lose our job than to lose the blessing of God upon us. Amen??

This reminds me that people will be threatened by what God is doing by way of making disciples who make disciples. And, there will be those who refuse to see and believe. While some doubt the work of God, others who are prepared by God for this work will take the charge to move forward under the anointing and leadership of the Holy Spirit.

We must refuse to be slowed or stopped by the fear of what man says or will do, and instead, we must let go of the anything that retrains or holds back the work of God. He is doing a new thing in America and who am I or who are you to hold Him back?

We must let go and let God for the sake of the kingdom. We must be reminded that there will always be those who seek to stop or slow God down. Why should we care about what others think when we know God has a prepared work with workers to accomplish His kingdom plan?

"God please find me 'not guilty' of such a thing."

How about you?

from tragedy to triumph...

Wow, after more than 8 months since our house fire and living in an apartment and then a hotel, we are finally home. We are busy trying to get things put where they belong and Chel is adding her finishing touches as a decorator/designer. This is right up her ally, although I tell her Rome was not built in a day. Her response, "That's because I wasn't there!"

This has been a year of trials and without bitterness. Through every trial we have remained faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. We just believed we were being attacked by the enemy and we remained constant in the belief that God would help us prevail in the end. We prevail with God, we always prevail with God.

This year my greatest lesson learned was that I needed to rely on God's timing and let His Spirit lead me in His strength alone. Throughout my life I mostly did things on my own, even in ministry I find that I have been guilty of running ahead of God. So God has taught me how to trust more deeply, wait for Him more patiently and depend upon Him completely. I must wait on the Holy Spirit to lead the charge in making His work effective through me. So I wait and when He speaks I must obey and when He leads I must follow. Through the tragedy/trials of this year God has taught me how to wait for the Holy Spirit and how to let Him do the work through me rather than me doing the work through me.

When I was on my back with sickness or blown away by the fire or deeply grieving at my brother Glenn's suicide leaving me not at my best, God was working in spite of me. Through this God reminded me that He was at work and that I must trust Him to accomplish what we were needing to do together.

As I look at the Disciple Driven Church Project I am amazed at what God has done to advance His plan for Disciple Driven Churches in America. Even though some have said this cannot happen in America like it is happening in Africa, yet we are seeing God do it here in St. Louis and other places where leaders have been trained to honor Jesus by fulfilling His mission. God is doing here what only God could do. I have learned that while God uses us, our need for God is greater than His need for us. To be eternal fruit bearers we must lean less on our own abilities, talents, gifting, experience and more on God to lead the way. Doing ministry my way at 12 hours a day leads to little or no fruit. Doing it God's way for only seconds brings in a harvest much larger than we ever dream possible.

There's more to come, so stay tuned!