This post is in response to a conversation with a friend who has struggled with the church seeming emasculated and impotent in today's culture. He feels like his way of life is under attack.
How can Christians change the world when we don't even like the people in our church that we claim are our best friends? We profess Christianity but live no differently than the world does. We can "share our faith" with everyone, but unless they see something different in our lives we are fooling ourselves to think we can make a difference. It is time for a revolution.
Jesus said: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another (John 13.34, 35)." Do we LIVE this? If we do not, are we willing to look at why not? Are we willing to change how we live, making the choice to love? It is time for a revolution.
*Caution: Generalization Ahead* Modern, American Christians are willing to point out the problems outside the church (not the building, but the relationship with fellow believers - the Body of Christ Universal), but are unwilling to, or unable to look at the lack of true relationship within the church. Church has become a "country club" with pastors being "chaplains" who say things the members want to hear, afraid to say something that will challenge the people to love - out of fear for his/her paycheck. Love is not the emotion, it is the choice to daily lay down our lives for those around us, seeking God's best for them at our own expense. Are you ready for a revolution?Let the revolution begin...
We can go out, angry at the way the world is treating the church/christians/christianity, or we can choose to accept the responsibility that the issues with the church begin with issues in ourselves and choose to be different. Ask God to change our heart towards those around us. This is the revolution.
Jesus told us how, He showed us how by living out the how. Love. As simple as it sounds, the only hope I can see in this downward spiraling world is the followers of Jesus following Jesus' example of love and righteousness - not man's righteousness, but God's. Yes, Jesus flipped over the tables and threw out the money changers in the temple - but why? Again the answer is love. He saw the injustice of what was happening in the "house of God" and addressed it. Maybe this is where we start too... the old saying that "charity begins at home" may need to be updated - Revolution begins at home.
A simple prayer: Jesus, let the revolution begin with me. Today I choose to follow Your pattern to change the world by loving those close to me and that love being the catalyst for revolution in those around me. Amen.
Tuesday
The Mission IS Possible!
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
The Mission: To build a reproducible alternative community of faith, having a distinct set of values: Relationally motivated and people focused; Demonstrating a lifestyle 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 and make disciples.
Equipping Disciples 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. If we are to build missionally, we must build our disciples into ministers.
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: II Corinthians 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. We must then build our ministers into missionaries with the mission 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. We must build our missionaries into disciple makers to start the process again!
The Mission: To build a reproducible alternative community of faith, having a distinct set of values: Relationally motivated and people focused; Demonstrating a lifestyle 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 and make disciples.
Equipping Disciples 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. If we are to build missionally, we must build our disciples into ministers.
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: II Corinthians 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. We must then build our ministers into missionaries with the mission 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. We must build our missionaries into disciple makers to start the process again!
It is a change of focus from the traditional church:
From being program focused to processes oriented
From uniformity of programs to diversity of gifts
From professional to passionate
From seating people to sending emissaries of the Kingdom
From decisions on Sunday to disciples on Monday
From additional to exponential through multiplication
From monuments of accomplishment to a world changing movement
My hearts 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 among 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!
Harry Potter Books...
This post is in response to a series of conversations I have had over the past couple of years regarding the Harry Potter books. A friend sent me the link to a wonderful article that I am passing on to you:
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/139/Jan_Markell
First, let me state:
1) I have read all seven books
2) I am NOT an advocate for Harry Potter.
The Harry Potter series is fantasy. It deals with witchcraft and wizardry, which by nature are definitely non-Christian forms of religion. It is a series that should be avoided purely because it deals with a subject that Paul tells us to avoid - the acts of the sinful nature. In Galatians 5.19-21, Paul tells us:
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
He gives us a lot of things that we should avoid, if only that we do not lose our inheritance. Witchcraft is only one of them... The author of Harry Potter is trying to sell us on the books being about the battle between good and evil. When I read it, I don't see much more than the battle between evil and evil... some just a little "better" than the others. hmm...
OK. Now tell me the difference between Harry Potter and Star Wars. Which, by the way, also deals with the battle between good and evil. It deals with people being given special powers by a creature called a midiclorian. Are the midiclorians good, evil or neutral? Is it a spiritual thing? Since there is good and evil, and based on the content of the movies, they must be neutral because it is by choice that one stays on the "good" side or the "dark" side... hmmm.. sounds kind of like eastern mysticism/Buddhism to me. Again, not Christian. What do you think?
Now, what about The Chronicles of Narnia? Just because the author was Christian, does that make his books Christian by proxy? Not necessarily. The Magicians Nephew? Hmmm, what's up with that? Magic Wardrobe? Talking animals? White Witch? Sounds kind of druidic.
Am I attempting to be an alarmist? No. I am trying to point out that these books offer us an opportunity to speak to the world about Jesus. Since the Potter books offer NO hope of redemption, as there is no guarantee that evil will not return, we have an open door to speak of Jesus as the hope and guarantor of salvation and the one who ultimately defeated Satan and all evil on the cross once and for all.
If we cast the books aside and marginalize those who read them - then make them feel guilty for having read them, we are doing just the opposite of the example Jesus gave us by befriending them and showing them the truth in love.
The lies of this age are huge. Good is evil and evil is good. It's everywhere. We can either choose to engage people where they are with love, or we can hide away in fear and the opinions of others.
Do you want to know why I read the books? Because everyone was telling me it was wrong without giving me a reasonable explaination of what was wrong with them versus any other books dealing with magic and witchcraft. I wanted to see for myself what was so wrong about it. I found the books to be written fairly well - not Tolstoy - but all together not too badly written.
Remember, these books are fantasy; so is The Wizard of Oz, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit... these are all books dealing with the same basic premise, witchcraft and wizards. These stories were all fun to read. Mis-guided? You bet. But still fun.
Now, will I advocate the reading of these books to my children or to yours? No. There are better things to read that I trust will hold their attention and help them to think good and Godly thoughts. Will I forbid them? Again, my answer is no. Does that surprise you? Go ahead, ask me why... Because I have found that people, my children included, tend to think about things more if you say "don't do"something. My commitment to them is that I will do my best to challenge their thoughts and help them to focus on something that will improve their character and self-esteem.
I leave you with this:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - Philippians 4.8
http://www.christianworldviewnetwork.com/article.php/139/Jan_Markell
First, let me state:
1) I have read all seven books
2) I am NOT an advocate for Harry Potter.
The Harry Potter series is fantasy. It deals with witchcraft and wizardry, which by nature are definitely non-Christian forms of religion. It is a series that should be avoided purely because it deals with a subject that Paul tells us to avoid - the acts of the sinful nature. In Galatians 5.19-21, Paul tells us:
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
He gives us a lot of things that we should avoid, if only that we do not lose our inheritance. Witchcraft is only one of them... The author of Harry Potter is trying to sell us on the books being about the battle between good and evil. When I read it, I don't see much more than the battle between evil and evil... some just a little "better" than the others. hmm...
OK. Now tell me the difference between Harry Potter and Star Wars. Which, by the way, also deals with the battle between good and evil. It deals with people being given special powers by a creature called a midiclorian. Are the midiclorians good, evil or neutral? Is it a spiritual thing? Since there is good and evil, and based on the content of the movies, they must be neutral because it is by choice that one stays on the "good" side or the "dark" side... hmmm.. sounds kind of like eastern mysticism/Buddhism to me. Again, not Christian. What do you think?
Now, what about The Chronicles of Narnia? Just because the author was Christian, does that make his books Christian by proxy? Not necessarily. The Magicians Nephew? Hmmm, what's up with that? Magic Wardrobe? Talking animals? White Witch? Sounds kind of druidic.
Am I attempting to be an alarmist? No. I am trying to point out that these books offer us an opportunity to speak to the world about Jesus. Since the Potter books offer NO hope of redemption, as there is no guarantee that evil will not return, we have an open door to speak of Jesus as the hope and guarantor of salvation and the one who ultimately defeated Satan and all evil on the cross once and for all.
If we cast the books aside and marginalize those who read them - then make them feel guilty for having read them, we are doing just the opposite of the example Jesus gave us by befriending them and showing them the truth in love.
The lies of this age are huge. Good is evil and evil is good. It's everywhere. We can either choose to engage people where they are with love, or we can hide away in fear and the opinions of others.
Do you want to know why I read the books? Because everyone was telling me it was wrong without giving me a reasonable explaination of what was wrong with them versus any other books dealing with magic and witchcraft. I wanted to see for myself what was so wrong about it. I found the books to be written fairly well - not Tolstoy - but all together not too badly written.
Remember, these books are fantasy; so is The Wizard of Oz, Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit... these are all books dealing with the same basic premise, witchcraft and wizards. These stories were all fun to read. Mis-guided? You bet. But still fun.
Now, will I advocate the reading of these books to my children or to yours? No. There are better things to read that I trust will hold their attention and help them to think good and Godly thoughts. Will I forbid them? Again, my answer is no. Does that surprise you? Go ahead, ask me why... Because I have found that people, my children included, tend to think about things more if you say "don't do"something. My commitment to them is that I will do my best to challenge their thoughts and help them to focus on something that will improve their character and self-esteem.
I leave you with this:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. - Philippians 4.8
Wednesday
Love is All We Need!
Matthew 22.36-40
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
All we need is love. There you go; the devotional ends here… Well, it could end here because what we need and more importantly, what others need begins and ends here. When John Lennon made that statement in the 1960’s, he was on to something. Love. But sadly, he missed the point. Love is the beginning, not the end. Jesus told us that the law and the prophets hang on loving God and loving others. His insinuation is that without these two commandments, it is pointless to follow the rest.
The thought of loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind is not new to us. It is very easy to love God. We know that we know that we know He has saved our souls from Hell. We also know that anyone who calls on Jesus will be saved from Hell too.
This is where the loving others part comes in. Jesus said to love your neighbor as you love yourself. To love others as ourselves; we need to offer them the same opportunity of a redeemed life that God has given us.
In Second Corinthians it talks about God giving us the ministry of reconciliation:
II Corinthians 5.16-18
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 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:
Love is all we need. 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... Jesus.
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
All we need is love. There you go; the devotional ends here… Well, it could end here because what we need and more importantly, what others need begins and ends here. When John Lennon made that statement in the 1960’s, he was on to something. Love. But sadly, he missed the point. Love is the beginning, not the end. Jesus told us that the law and the prophets hang on loving God and loving others. His insinuation is that without these two commandments, it is pointless to follow the rest.
The thought of loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind is not new to us. It is very easy to love God. We know that we know that we know He has saved our souls from Hell. We also know that anyone who calls on Jesus will be saved from Hell too.
This is where the loving others part comes in. Jesus said to love your neighbor as you love yourself. To love others as ourselves; we need to offer them the same opportunity of a redeemed life that God has given us.
In Second Corinthians it talks about God giving us the ministry of reconciliation:
II Corinthians 5.16-18
16 So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 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:
Love is all we need. 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... Jesus.
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