The marathon begins...

Thursday

An open letter from Jesus

(I received this from my friend Gregg today, not sure where it came from but here it is)

Dear Children,

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season. Maybe you've forgotten that I wasn't actually born during this time of the year and that it was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate My birthday on what was actually a time of pagan festival, Although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that, let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn. If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. Not just during Christmas time, but all through the year. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing George complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up. It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families.

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions and words that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love.

And remember:

I LOVE YOU,

-Jesus

Sunday

Make the Vision Plain to See!

And then God answered: "Write this. Write what you see.Write it out in big block letters so that it can be read on the run. This vision-message is a witness pointing to what's coming.It aches for the coming—it can hardly wait! And it doesn't lie.If it seems slow in coming, wait. It's on its way. It will come right on time. - Habakkuk 2.2-3

We are finally at the starting line... In the new year we will be starting a Saturday evening meeting that we are calling "Church Unusual." Our goal is to "do" church differently. We are laying a foundation with a core group of people that we trust God will build into a critical mass with which to start a mission church ( that's Nazarene-speak for a church plant).

As the prayer process has been going on, I believe God has challenged me to write down what He has revealed to us. So, what follows is my best effort, so far, to write down what God has placed in my heart about what our congregation is to be.

Our mission is to build an alternative community of faith, having a distinct set of values: Relationally motivated and people focused; Demonstrate a new sense of unity amongst the community of believers; Engage the culture and love beyond it; To be messengers of hope, peace and grace in the lives of those we intersect.

Equipping believers to be ministers – Scripture shows us that all of us are called to "ministry," the 5-fold gifts were given for the equipping of the saints: Ephesians 4.11 – 12: 11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ

Equipping missionaries to go out into our community – Our local community is the Mission Field. Our goal is to reclaim the phrase "Think globally, act locally." We have all been given the ministry of reconciliation. Reconciling brother to brother, sister to sister as well as reconciling man to God, through Christ: IICorinthians 5.17 – 18: 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

Journey focused and process orientated – Life is lived in the dash between the date we were born and the day we die. This is where we find salvation and the ability to share our journeys with one another. Romans 12.1 – 2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is a change of focus from the traditional church:

From programs to processes
From demographics to discernment
From models to mission
From attractional to incarnational
From uniformity to diversity
From professional to passionate
From seating to sending
From decisions to disciples
From additional to exponential
From monuments to movements

Our desire is to build a congregation where people are exploring and rediscovering what it means to be Jesus' sent people as their identity. Engaging WITH the culture and BEING Jesus to them. Bearing the gifts of strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow; changing the world one life at a time.

The love of Jesus compels us to follow his example to love others; not as the world does, for what they can get from others, but instead for what we can give away to them... New life in Jesus.

Grow the saved, save the lost, care for the downtrodden!