Thursday, July 31, 2008

My garden...

As I said earlier this spring, I made a planter to hold my garden. I put really good topsoil (river bottom dirt) in the planter. I went out and got some really good plants and seeds. In my garden I have or had the following: pole beans, green bush beans, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, early girl tomatoes, yellow squash, zuchini, cucumbers, green sweet peppers, cayenne peppers, jalapeno peppers and herbs.

The problem I have is that it cannot be controlled. My plants are enormous. My yellow squash is growing over top my tomato plants. I cannot even get to all my red tomatoes. The growth is out of control. I was staking up the plants to hold them in my planter and they were fighting back. Who won? The plants are now overgrowing the planting and moving into my yard.

The lesson: You cannot retrain healthy growth. The plants were never meant to stay in my parameters. That is true in my garden and that is true in the church. You cannot retrain healthy growth. Growing things are not meant to be retrained/controlled/held within. If we let them go they will beat our wildest expectations.

I'm just letting go and letting God grow my plants. I must let go and let God grow me. We must let go and let God grow others. God wants to grow His Church - why do we hold Him back with structures meant to hold in when God wants us to spill out?

Pastors are being mutilated...

Since we have done some stewardship in recent posts, let me continue with another slant. In ministry these days it is the power brokers who control the church. I'd rather say they are holding the church hostage. Those with the most control win.

I just heard of another pastor who will be locked out because the power brokers have gotten together. Imagine that. Giving is down because they are making their giving down. Who would have ever thought in my lifetime that those who give the most get the most and control the most. Of course that has not and is not true of some who give with no strings attached. I have very wealthy donors (friends) who have given without control their entire lives. I greatly respect people who have the resources and they surrender them to God as faithful stewards with not a mention or suspect of wanting to control anything or anyone.

It's important for us as churchmen (if that is what we are) to hold the line on power brokers in the church. When we see them getting into power plays they must be confronted and disciplined. If someone wants to give with the hint of wanting to control you - don't accept the donation. We must not let any human being control the church with their donations or lack thereof.

When will we begin to see the Pastor as one appointed by God and not one who is fired upon at will or worse yet (maybe) fired when we get tired of him? It's amazing how lonely the job of pastor becomes when you cannot be bribed, bought or controlled. THIS IS PRECISELY the reason I am not pastoring at this time. I refused to cave in to one man's demands -demands that would have caused me to sell my soul. I cannot be bought and you shouldn't be either. When you come to that place be careful - you just might just get thrown away.

What the World Eats, Part I - Photo Essays - TIME

What the World Eats, Part I - Photo Essays - TIME

When???

When making disciples becomes a corporate Church responsibility it often ceases to be a personal responsibility.

When giving to the poor becomes a corporate church responsibility it often ceases to be a personal responsibility.

When teaching our children becomes a corporate church responsibility it often ceases to be the parents responsibility.

When reaching out to the community becomes a corporate church thing it often ceases to be every believers responsibility.

Does anyone care to really see that there is a subtle shift in responsibility taking place when responsibility for personal things becomes a corporate thing? Personal ministry and incarnational living in the world is taking a bad hit these days.

Instead of our personal involvement in the lives of people we have opted for:
Church ministries that make disciples - not us personally.
Church ministries to feed the poor - not us personally.
Church ministries to disciple our children - not us personally.
Church ministries to reach out to the lost - not us personally.

Every believer is mandated to personally make disciples, feed the poor, disciple our own children, and reach out to our lost world. The corporation is stealing our personal ministry from us. Or are we just relinquishing our rights and responsibilities from personal involvement.

When will we show believers how they should live in the world. I'm speaking of Christianity NOT Churchianity here. We do a great job teaching believers how to be good members and a terrible job at how to be a good Christian (Christ follower).

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

They did what??

There is a growing tendency for large mega churches (and even smaller ones)to do something really big in their community. One corporation (a church) bought a van with a lift for a mother and her disabled son. Another corporation (a church) built a house for a single mom and filled it full of furniture. You don't need anymore examples do you?

While initially I thought these acts of kindness were good things I must admit that I now see them as a detriment to our spontaneous and personal living out acts of kindness. What I mean to say is that it may appear to be a good thing for the corporation (the church) it is not a healthy thing for those living in the corporation (the church). There is a tendency for those living in the corporation(the church) to let the corporation (the church) handle the acts of kindness. This is not only true of large gifts as mentioned above but it begins to happen in almost every aspect of our lives from making disciples to meeting benevolence needs as they confront us daily. God wants to work personally through each of us as we spread out in our communities, but, He cannot because we have given our money and responsibility to the corporation (the church) to meet all the needs.

The Message of the Cross would be far better/more delivered if it was delivered personally by every Christ follower. As believers living in acts of kindness daily we would become great reflectors for Jesus to get the glory. Instead we have large churches doing grandiose projects and people speaking praises about the churches instead of praises to Jesus.

The corporate acts of kindness and meeting needs of benevolence have almost replaced our personal acts of kindness and benevolence giving in the streets and among our neighbors. Corporate ministry has largely replaced personal Holy Spirit led ministry.

We need to rethink how we are meeting needs and how we are using God's resources to do it. We are called to make personal investments in the lives of others. We must STOP letting the corporation (the church)stand between us and those Jesus wants to reach through us. Inviting people to church (the corporation) is not the same thing as inviting people to Jesus. Giving to build a house for some single mom is not the same as taking her under your wings and personally helping her.

Be cash-ful in a cashless society...

Technological advancements are not always the friend of God and His purposes for our lives. I'm reminded of 2 Timothy 4:2, "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage - with great patience and careful instruction."

When looking at 2 Timothy 4:2 I am fast realizing that for far too long we have (at least I have) looked at this passage through narrow glasses. It is not just a voice command. It is a life command. It involves active obedience which is lived out in our actions as well as in our voices if you get what I mean.

Lately, I've been thinking allot about stewardship. God has been teaching me things about being prepared in and out of season to give to others. I love to give. I'm especially excited when I hear about a need and the resources to meet that need are in my wallet. The problem is that I have not always been known to carry allot of cash. I use the debit technology very well. Debit technology has made my life easier to manage. At the same time it has limited God's ability to use His resources through me in situations of spontaneity. IF I CARRY LITTLE OR NO CASH - THE NEEDS THAT GOD WANTS TO MEET THROUGH ME ARE LIMITED WHEN I'M ON THE STREET SHOWING PEOPLE WHO JESUS IS. WHAT IF A NEED COMES UP AND I HAVE NO RESOURCES ON HAND TO MEET THE NEED? I have an easy out NOT to help, after all I have no money on me.

By now you are seeing where this is going. On two recent occasions God has taught me why I need to keep some cash tucked away in my wallet. On two occasions I had cash and God made me empty my wallet. That's benevolence and that is not a reimbursed expense. It is what Jesus taught us to do. That's how it works in the Disciple Driven Church. We must be ready in and out of season to speak out and give out into the lives of others at the very second the need is revealed, not ten days later after the board meets.

As believers we should carry discretionary cash to use in "ministry to the world" as God reveals those needs to us as we live out in the streets. Let me encourage you to tuck some funds back and then ask God to show you how He wants you to use them in the world.

Being cashless in the world is not a good thing if we are going to be ready in and out of season to spread the Word or the message of Christ to those in need. Don't cop out and let the church take you off the hook.

In the future I see believers making a difference because they are giving a difference in the world. Did I say personally and not just corporately?

Can you now see the advantages of carrying cash in a cash-less society? If you carry cash for that purpose I would expect God to use it for that purpose.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Beware of these two sins...

Beleivers should not struggle with these things.

Pride: I want to look better than I am and impress people I do not even like.

Greed: The more I get the more I want and the more I get the more I need.

Why tell me do we struggle with these things?

What??

What would the church look like if we gave our tithe to God and didn't demand that we get to control how it is spent?

My friend said, "It's God's money." Do we treat it as His? If God owns all that we have do we treat our money and possessions like they belong to Him?

In the New "Reformed" Church money will need to be given without strings attached.

Can you get your mind and heart around this concept?

Monday, July 28, 2008

Why don't we???

Let me share a beef I have and I remind you it is a RANT spoken in generalities.

WHY do we as believers NOT take care of other believers, in the marketplace that is?
In the market place it seems that there is room for believers to take care of other believers through networking and job offerings. If you are a believer it carries little or no weight during the interview. Why is this? Why wouldn't large corporations want believers wouldn't that be an asset? Hummm!

I have a friend who was recently and grossly mistreated in his last church and is now unemployed with a large family to feed and cloth. He has been out of the workforce for too long they say. He is qualified, he is sharp, there is no reason that I can see that he should be penalized for being out of the marketplace for too long while serving in the church all these years. A professing believer did his one and only interview. I'm RANTING! Why don't believers stick together anymore? Doesn't having a Christ follower on your staff or in your employment count for anything anymore? Whatsup with that? Do we or do we not as believers add salt or value to society in the marketplace?

Did you know that the Masonic Lodge members network to help their friends who are also Masons succeed in the market place. If someone loses their job then the network kicks in and helps the brothers out. This is another reason there is a growing populous of free masons living among us.

Why is there no Christian network to assist believers who have fallen on hard times. Why does the world have an upper hand on us? Where are the believers in the marketplace and why are they not sticking up for brothers and sisters of the faith? Believers it seems pay little notice of the fact that the brother or sister is a believer. Or maybe there are few believers in high places of authority. Who knows?

Jus wonderin...

Friday, July 25, 2008

IS HE?

Is the Holy Spirit leading your Church?

Is the Holy Spirit leading your life?

Is it evident to all that only God could do what God is doing in your life?

Jus wonderin...

The Church in America is SICK and DYING.

Do you really believe that?

Do you act like you believe that?

Does your ministry reflect that you believe that?

Do you live like you believe that?

Just wonderin.....

THE THINGS THAT MATTER

Did you ever stop and think about the fact that the things that matter to us don't always matter to God?

Does He really care about buildings?
Does He really care about the type of music we sing?
Does He really care about our programs?
Does He really care about our budgets?
Does He really care about our orders of worship?
Does He really care about who is present?
Does He really care about what happens in our services?

I have come to believe that much of what we think is important isn't really important to Him.

What is important then?

HELP US OUT HERE!

Are any of you aware of Christian Schools who do fund-raising? I have a product they can make 50% on and it has a monetary and spiritual return.

Just list the schools and contact people in the comment section.

Thanks friends,

HELP US OUT HERE!

Do any of you know of any Christian business men or women who own resorts in America?

I need their help for a project we are working on.

Can you post their info in comments?

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I still find...

I still find myself in systems of control who love to measure the wrong things. Today I was asked to defend my work here in St. Louis. I cannot defend her with measures most are looking for. Ours in St. Louis is a work of disciple-making. It is hard work. It is total 24/7 commitment top the disciple. Those who lead people to Christ must also lead them into the water of baptism, they must lead them into the steps of freedom from generational sin and bondage and addictions, they must lead them to a Holy Spirit baptism and then to discover their gifts for ministry and most importantly they must lead them to reproduce and know that it is there responsibility to personally make disciples who must also make disciples.

Why must I have to defend this work? I cannot say we have 3000 in worship on Sunday.I cannot say we have a tremendous worship band. I cannot say we have started 5 churches when we only started three. I cannot say we have a ministry for every occasion or felt need. I cannot say we have a large budget and multi-million dollar facilities. I cannot say what they want to hear. We are just engaging an army of disciple multipliers who are determined to save America for Christ.

Why do I find myself being asked to defend this work?

Church Pirates continued

Branthansen.typepad.com writes:

I Hate Pirates, Too!

There's this one Pastor who doesn't like Pirate Pastors! Pirate Pastors are pastors who start competition where there are already churches!

This pastor started his church in the unreached area of Grapevine, Texas! He's expanded into other frontiers, like Dallas! And he's also now franchised in South Florida, where we didn't have any churches! I'm glad we've got one, now!

It's BAD when pastors take business away from other pastors! Like this Pastor says, if people did that in the corporate world -- stole business -- they'd be in JAIL!

Piracy is bad, because pirates take money that really doesn't belong to them -- and they use it for themselves! They pretend they're kings, but it's not their money! I hate pirates for doing that, and I'll bet you do, too!

I'm glad, at least, that his church hasn't been completely plundered! They still have enough of God's money to build an arcade and climbing wall and $16 million ultra-awesome Communications Building and they're building a Church Lake so that more dads will bass-fish with their kids on church grounds and they're asking people to give sacrificially for the new "Town and Country" program to build an awesome new retreat center and they also have a bookstore full of the Pastor's own books and videos and a cafe that has coffee cups printed with the Pastor's favorite recipes!

Stupid pirates haven't gotten everything, yet!

---------------

In unrelated news, I've recently visited some Christian brothers and sisters who don't have enough of God's money to afford a single working toilet, and who don't get enough food, and another church trying to buy ARV drugs to keep its kids from being orphaned and another that's struggling to buy nets to cover their children and protect them from malaria. I hope God helps them sometime with His money!

---------------

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Church Pirates?

Ed young rants about how people are stealing his sheep. He calls them "church pirates" who set up shop in a church in order to steal sheep. This attitude is commonplace in the American church leadership scene. I say it is petty and ridiculous. Hearing is believing. Ed Young rants click on church planting video

Do We???

Do we really care more about SEX more than reaching lost people? It appears that sex is more important. Did you see or hear the sermon series?

This Church pastor presented the series with two bold proclamations:
If your single "abstain from sex" during the series.
If your married "have sex at least once a week" during the series.

It's quite an interesting story.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

What is a Gigachurch?

And now...Gigachurch

Original link via the BHT. From the Minneapolis StarTribune:

"We don't want anything, no matter how small, to knock the worshipers out of the mood of the service," explained Anderson, executive director of worship.

It's a recipe for worship that has worked very well for Eagle Brook, the largest congregation in the state, which holds 10 services each weekend. No longer just a "megachurch," Eagle Brook now qualifies as a "gigachurch," the term for congregations of more than 10,000 members. It serves an average of 11,000 worshipers a weekend -- and swells to 17,000 on Christmas and Easter.

Pulling off those massive services without a hitch, week after week, requires an elaborate infrastructure and precision execution. At Eagle Brook, the drill is plan, plan, plan, then rehearse, rehearse, rehearse -- with the ultimate goal of making it all look spontaneous.

snip

...among the first arrivals is Steve Duede, who leads the Christian rock music crucial to the megachurch experience. His T-shirt and faded blue jeans are emblematic of Eagle Brook's laid-back approach. When frequent greeter Cindi Franer sizes up the crowd for first-timers, she often spots them because they're overdressed. "A coat and tie is a dead giveaway," she said.

Barry has spent the week developing video graphics to accompany the music. She and Duede will spend the next 90 minutes "working the plan" to achieve the desired effect.

"Our goal is that everything has a purpose," Anderson said. "We want the worship service to be vertical, not horizontal. Meaning we want people's eyes on the platform."

snip

(Pastor) Strand is holed up in a small rehearsal room going over his message. He wrote it two weeks earlier. In the interim, it has been critiqued by the other pastors, refined and critiqued again. According to Barry's log book, it will run 28 minutes and 45 seconds, every word of it spoken from memory.

Strand spends his Saturday ensuring that his presentation comes off as conversational. That would pay off later, when worshipers laugh at something that seems ad-libbed.

snip

After the first service, Barry, Anderson and Strand debrief. In addition to Strand's use of a different word in the 23rd Psalm, there are two other glitches: A song introduction that Barry expected to be eight bars long lasted only four bars, and the hourlong service started a minute late.

As their meeting ends, the sanctuary has been cleaned from the first service, more coffee is brewing and parking lot volunteers have reconfigured the orange cones from the exiting pattern to the entering. People start drifting in for the 6 p.m. service.

One service down; nine more to go before the weekend is over and planning starts for next week.

"We do all this so we can get out of the way and let people focus on connecting with God," Anderson said.

What is the CHURCH?

Someone suggested in passing that much of our trouble in the church would be settled if we understood what the church is -if we had a new defining measure for the church.

What is the Church? How would you define her.

Be careful -if she is the Bride of Christ why are there those present who are not part of the Bride. Get what I mean?

I'll let you get real theological here if you wish.

WHY DO WE...

Why do we invite UNBELIEVERS to worship with Believers when the Bible is clearly opposed to this?

What would the church look like today if only believers gathered to worship the King and share together and take communion together?

I know this is not how you have been taught. I'm just probing for answers here. Is the church supposed to be made up of believers and unbelievers? Really?

What is the Church? Another good post!

The WRONG/RIGHT QUESTION...

The Wrong Question: Can a believer be demon possessed? (The Bible doesn't say they can and it doesn't say they can't.)

The Right Question: Can a believer be so afflicted by the enemy that they live in bondage, so bound up that they cannot live in freedom? The church in America and around the world is full of afflicted and bound up people. They clearly live with no clear victory.

If a believer claims to possess a demon we have no right to say they are or are not saved. This is not ours to determine. So if a professing believer is afflicted why not do what Jesus does, "Set the captive free?"

Lead them through a process of renouncing every stronghold, open doors, generational sins and curses in their lives. Leading them to an altar experience is not the first and last step here. It may be only a small piece in the work of setting captives free.

BETTER YET! Let's prove it.

Better yet, let's put this to the test.

Is your Church controlling you when it comes to the ministries you can create or serve in? Will they allow you to serve where the Holy Spirit is leading you to serve.

Can you decide what ministries your church is involved in?
Would your church leadership bless you to take 20+ quality leaders and start a new disciple-making church?

Better yet - Let's prove it.

Tell your pastor that God's Holy Spirit is leading you to leave the church to start a Disciple-making Church and tell him that 20-30 "very important" (name them) leaders are joining with you. Then ask Him if you have His blessing. Try to keep a straight face here. (Mike and John) You should try this. You are both ornery enough to pull this off.

If your pastor will bless you and release you & the people to do this you are in a God honoring -God releasing ministry. If your pastor does not give you his blessing than you are in a system of control. Jesus and His plan to reach the world is one of releasing to walk in Holy Spirit obedience.

God owns the people -the Church does not. The problem is that most churches do not know this.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

You don't own the SHEEP!

I am amazed at how many people are soon labeled "rebellious" when God calls them to do something outside of the local church leadership plans for them. It's like we must have permission to obey God or be involved in ministries outside the particular vision and mission of the local church leadership. Churches are great at gathering people "into" and terrible at scattering/releasing the saints "out to".

THOTS:

1. We don't own the people - GOD DOES!
2. We cannot control people - we are submitted to the will of God.
3. We think we can determine the only ministries for people but that is really about control.
4. We are often quick to accuse people of rebellion and still refuse to be clear on how or where they are rebellious. This usually means we want to control them.
5. We say we are Great Commission focused but when some want to leave the nest to make disciples they are discouraged and wrongly labeled for doing so.

While I pastored the churches I did, God often reminded me to hold the church in an open hand. If God was calling people out I must release them. If the people didn;t want me as their pastor I was to leave quietly. If God was calling me elsewhere I had to go. I never owned the people I pastored. The people I pastored clearly understood that they did not own me either. The church was not mine, it belonged to God and still does.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Music

Thot I would share some music I have been listening to. Enjoy!

See preceding posts.

YouTube - The Kelly Family - Amazing Grace (paddy crying)

YouTube - The Kelly Family - Amazing Grace (paddy crying)

Feel the heart of Paddy as she sings with crying. Paddy sings the second verse.

YouTube - Hayley Westenra - Amazing Grace (2005)

YouTube - Hayley Westenra - Amazing Grace (2005)

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone)

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - We Fall Down

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - We Fall Down

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - How great is our God

YouTube - Chris Tomlin - How great is our God

YouTube - Chris Tomlin Indescribable

YouTube - Chris Tomlin Indescribable

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

I found another new expression of Church...

When you love the Church the Body of Christ the way I do stuff like this is heart-breaking. Read the article from the ichurch link copies below. Why is this expression of Church not a good thing. Does anyone know why?


"ichurch.jpgLast night I took part in the last part of the licensing of a new 'web pastor' on i-church, an online church based in the Diocese of Oxford in the UK. Sadly, as I had a prior commitment in the early part of the evening, I was only able to get along for the prayers and the last part of the liturgy, joining about 14 other people at this virtual service which took place in a chat room on the i-church site.

I don't think I've mentioned i-church before on this blog, so I'd better explain that it is an online community, started by (but not limited to) the Diocese of Oxford, one of the Church of England's Fresh Expressions. It currently 'exists' largely on an Invision Forum (although it is shortly to move to a new Drupal CMS site) with the integrated Chat module installed. As well as a range of discussion forums, prayer boards and so on, there are 'live' services daily in the Chat Room 'Chapel'. Feel free to investigate and maybe join - you will need to join i-church to 'see' the forums that make up the bulk of the community activity.

The licensing of a half-time Web Pastor (technically licensed as Priest-in-Charge) is a significant step forward in the life of the virtual community and gives a tremendous strength and stability that most Christian forums can only dream about. The service appeared to be a moving and powerful occasion, with the Archdeacon of Oxford (in the absence of the Bishop who was sadly not well) leading the service from his laptop, and various members doing readings, prayers and so on from all over the UK and beyond. One person took part in the service from a Starbucks over in the States!

For lots of people, i-church isn't just a bit of a hobby, but a real community and - for a few - it is their one and only Church. They worship, pray and find fellowship through the virtual connections found amongst the members of the community. It serves as living testimony that virtual church or cyberchurch that was talked about a lot in the late 1990's when the Internet first became mainstream can actually exist.

Nonetheless, there are significant questions to grapple with as we move further into a Web 2.0 enabled world. Andrew Jones (a.k.a Tall Skinny Kiwi) was asking important questions in this post from right back in 2004. In it he talks about the difference between 'representational' and 'recapitulation'.

* representational - cyberchurch as a representation of real life churches, but transferred over to new media
* recapitualtion - cyberchurch that seeks to implant itself incarnationally into the culture of the new media itself

He says that i-church belongs to the first category. I think that is true on the surface and the chapel services would be an obvious example - they tend to be virtual 're-enactments' of Anglican (or other) liturgy that would be and is used in real life 'bricks and mortar' churches. But, I do think that once you get beneath the surface of something like i-church, there is something more going on, something that happens in the connections and interactions between the members. In a very real sense, community is created, friendships formed, prayers said and relationships made at a profound level.

I'm hoping that once we move to the new Drupal site, there will be more opportunity to integrate Web 2.0 applications into the site, creating space where people can explore relationships in new and fresh ways.

Of course, none of this would be truly 'recapitulation' in the sense that TSK means - after all, i-church is still a 'come to us' church. You have to find it, join it, log in to it, come at specific times to the services, and so on. The problem is that even though Andrew wrote these words about four years ago, it's still not clear where 'church' is to be found within the constantly changing, constantly evolving world of Web 2.0. It's a bit like Pete Ward with his 'Liquid Church' stuff - he is brave enough to admit that he's never seen a liquid church, led a liquid church and doesn't even really know if one could exist in a meaningful way! I'm still wondering whether a truly incarnate example of recapitualtion cyberchurch can be planted in amongst the tweets, the pokes and the chatter of Web 2.0?

Demons can and cannot...

The written word of God is the Logos...

The revelation of God is the Rhemas...

Did you know that Satan and His cohorts all know the word of God or the Logos?

The problems facing demons is that they cannot understand the revelation of the Scriptures or Rhemas of the Holy Spirit. Demons long to know the truth...or the revealed word of God. But because of their choice to follow Satan, He nor them can ever understand the deep revealed meanings of truth or Holy Spirit Rhemas.

Satan and His cohorts know what the Word of God (Logos) says. They just don't understand the Holy Spirit revealed (Rhemas) meanings.

In a recent experience of mine where demons were cast out of an individual the demon insisted on asking, "Who is the Bride?" They read or heard the word of God and know that there is a Bride. They just cannot figure out who the Bride is. Demons will never understand the Holy Spirit revelation of Truth because they cannot discern the Spiritual things of God.

Demons can know the Word of God (Logos)
Demons will never understand the Word of God (Holy Spirit Rhemas).

Thots?

Most of the American Church...

Did you ever stop to think about the fact that there is a Physical Realm and a Spiritual Realm? Yes there are two realms. The Church in America is predominantly Physical Realm focused. Herein is our downfall. The Church of Jesus Christ must operate in both realms and to continue neglecting the Spirit Realm and our involvement in that realm will never lead to Pentecost A.D. 30 on American soil. There will be no great spiritual revival without recognizing that there are two realms and that all believers are called to live in and recognize the Spirit Realm.

Why must we continue to be afraid of the work of the Holy Spirit? Why do we resist the idea that there is demonic activity in people around us and even in our ministries?

We as believers are made to operate in both realms. Are you seeing God work in your life through the Spiritual Realm?

What role...

What role does the Masonic Lodge and their secret oaths have to do with demonic possession and activity in a person's life?

Do you know how influential and satanic the Masonic Lodge is in America?

Can a believer...

Can a demon possessed person who finds Christ remain demon possessed?

This is a question of rights! Does a demon have the right to come in and stay if they were given rights to come in - in the first place?

This post may shake up your theology a bit.

Monday, July 14, 2008

What if...

God's manifold wisdom = The proclamation that Jesus is and He alone is GOD.

Stop and think about this. What if the Church, the Body of Christ is the vehicle God uses to prove to Satan and His cohorts that Jesus is and He alone is God? What in our ministries proves to the demons on supernatural ways that Jesus is and He alone is God?

Did you know that God has chosen us (His bride) to be instruments of His to prove to the world (both in the spirit and physical realms) that Jesus is and He alone is God?

Let me say it again, God's manifold wisdom is that He uses us "the Church" to reveal the awesome power of God, a power (declaring God's glory) to prove to the demons of darkness and those who are lost that He alone is God. The evidence of God in our lives needs to be so real that the demons are convinced that this must be God at work.

This is our experience! I'm not speaking of a what if scenario. The glory of God is being displayed right before our eyes. You should get in on this. God is raising up a remnant to declare His glory in order to redeem His children and render Satan and His cohorts powerless.

Just returned...

Yesterday I got home from our Disciple Driven Church training near Ottawa, Kansas. We had around 30 eager learners who are longing for Pentecost A.D. all over again but this time on American soil. God showed up.

When I say God showed up, I do not mean like He has my entire ministry. When I say God showed up, I mean God showed up in His fullness, the fullness of His Holy Spirit. I saw and experienced things I never saw or experienced before.

Some of you who were in on the training need to share here. Or others of you may ask questions about my experience.

Something supernatural happens when the Church operates as the Church in their various gifts and anointing. God's power is unleashed when we raise the bar of what He expects His disciples to look like. God's power is recognized and seen by all when when the Holy Spirit is flowing through His Church as each gift operates under His anointing. I never experienced the depth of the the Church functioning the way she did last week. And by the way, she is still functioning today the way she was prepared by the Holy Spirit last week.

A Movement of Holy Spirit led and empowered Disciple making has been birthed and is spreading across America. We just may experience Pentecost A.D. 30 right here in America.

Our training event last week turned into the Holy Spirit's training event as He showed up and gave us real life pictures of how He works through us, each of us in our gifts and anointing. UNBELIEVABLE and yet with faith it is BELIEVABLE!

This is no normal and ordinary work of God. It reminds me of Jesus and His public ministry. But then again our NORMALS do not bring glory to God, do they?

Thursday, July 03, 2008

Do you?

Do you have a church-centric view of the kingdom?

You do if you think that church is a destination. In America we view the church as a destination which in the end messes up our view of the kingdom. The mission has become the destination.

Here's the real question: If the church is not a destination then what are we really supposed to be doing?

Let me make it simple for you...

The Church is NOT a destination...
The Church is on Mission with God and what He is doing.

If the Church is a destination...
The Church has missed her reason for being the Church.

We need a new scorecard

The Church in America is measuring the wrong things.

We measure:
What happens on Sunday

We need to measure:
What is happening in the streets.

We need to measure:
How a hungry child now has food
How a homeless family is not homeless anymore
How the widows and orphans are cared for
How a person has been set free from the bondage of sin.

The things that matter to us in our present scorecard are things that do not matter to God. God doesn't count the ones who are present on Sunday morning He measures the ones who are not present. The Lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost...you get the point.

WE NEED A NEW SCORECARD...

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

What is Missional?

To be missional is to become Great-Comissional. Why are we NOT personally making disciples just as Jesus commanded? Perhaps we really do not believe He commanded all of us to do it personally. How do you get around it?

If you are NOT Great Commissional -- you cannot be missional. Missional is joining in the Mission of God which is the Great Commission.

And you think your car has problems

Carl said...

“this is not extraordinary. it feels extraordinary because we are not used to it in such a powerful dose, but this kind of calling out the good in each other’s lives should be an ordinary part of our life in community together.”

The Planter: Now I would like to meet Carl! He understands something many of us have yet to discover.

Kathy Escobar makes sense here...

NOTE: this is part of the missional synchroblog organized by rick meigs at blind beggar, over 50 bloggers participating, reclaiming the now fairly over-used and ever-popular word “missional.” although i don’t talk about it much, i consider myself a friend of missional and highly respect their work & heart to infect the kingdom with missional values. i encourage you to check out the other links (i listed them all below to make it easy) and hear what a diverse group of people across a wide strata of experiences, geography, and perspectives are sharing about living in the trenches as Christ-followers. the question was “what is missional, really?”

* * * * *

i honestly do not use the word for one primary reason–the people i know who are really truly “missional” don’t talk about it too much & the people who are trying to catch the latest church-trend use it a lot. when we were planting the refuge a little over two years ago i had a few church leaders share with me how “they were becoming ‘missional’ and were we going to be, too?”, like it was the latest and greatest thing that no one had ever heard of before and surely we wanted to jump on the bandwagon. oh how that taps into all my church institution craziness! there i was, sitting across the table with leaders who had been in ministry, making decisions for churches for years and years i thought “you don’t even know, like really know, a poor person, do you? you have never ever been in close relationship with a single mom who just got beat up by her ex and is trying to raise her babies on $1,000 a month, have you? you have never held someone’s hand when they relapsed, have you? because if you had, you wouldn’t be asking me that question!” (sorry, but these are the things that get me a little amped up). Jesus was never about words without actions, hip & cool, or the latest trends. he was always about just doing it. he came for the sick, not the healthy, and he demonstrated what it meant to be in the deepest ugliest parts of people’s story and call out their dignity and value.

For more

Interesting picture

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