I want to hear what God is speaking to you. Let me know what Scriptures you are reading and that now seem to be reading you. The more I study the Word of God the more convinced I am that true growth transpires when I allow the Word to study me. I transition from trying to apply the Word to my life and allow the Word to apply me to life. Sounds strange doesn't it? Well, I guess it is somewhat different. But if the Word of God is alive and active and doesn't return to God void of It's missional purpose, then don't you suspect that It's authority and Spirit-driven activity are in more control of applying us to life than we are at controling It and applying It to our lives? Anyway, just wanted to take a second to ask you what God is doing, how He is moving and how you are responding.
God bless,,,
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
The Insider track...
I've been thinking...I am most definitely an insider when it comes to issues of faith. I am fourth (or fifth) generation Pentecostal. (That means my family was one of the first groups of people to join the Pentecostal movement that began in 1896 and gained momentum in 1906--for those who care.) My parents were traveling speakers (Evangelists) when I was conceived (sorry for any images there...yikes!) They took a small church for my first 4yrs of life then planted the church they currently lead (28yrs ago). Well, I'm 32 and have been in one church for 28yrs, so I believe this qualifies me as an insider. Earned three degrees from our denominational educational institutions, received three levels of ordination from same denomination. Served in full-time ministry for 9+ yrs now.
Well, not writing a resume or job appl. just illustrating my inside track. I say all this to qualify the next few statements. As an insider, everything just is. You know, you grow up believing and adhering and following certain creeds. To the outider, thinking, learning, processing and experiencing these new elements of faith maybe strange and awkward at first. This sounds, to me, a lot like counting the costs as Christ mentioned in the New Testament.
Recently, I began a certain counting of the costs. Now, grant it, it is something I am familiar with. I have been considering health, wellness and exercise again. These are issues I have been passionate and consumed with before. I know well the cost, price and sacrifice needed to obtain levels of fitness and health I so desire. Much like with issues of faith, cares of this world, selfish desires and the influences of friends often deter our intentions. However, as with faith, intentions do absolutely no good. All of my research online, thinking, praying, and past knowledge of training, exercising and nutrition are useless unless I put them into practice. James, in the Bible, speaks of this as well when he states that faith without works is dead. I know about resistance training, cardio, nutrition and rest, I wholeheartedly agree with it and believe in it. I have seen with my own eyes the benefits and results. I have tasted and seen that exercise is good. I have led others toward lifestyles of health and wellness. However, if I am not walking in it and living it daily then it becomes of no use. Often, we gym rats, or ex-gym rats, speak of how quickly we lose it. The benefits. I don't know how quickly we lose it spiritually. I am not saying that two weeks out of the spiritual gym and we are hell bound. But the blessings, protections, directions and favor seems to slip. I hope we can stick to it when things get tough and we hit the walls and the plateaus. Oh, well, let me know what you think. God bless....
recently
Well, not writing a resume or job appl. just illustrating my inside track. I say all this to qualify the next few statements. As an insider, everything just is. You know, you grow up believing and adhering and following certain creeds. To the outider, thinking, learning, processing and experiencing these new elements of faith maybe strange and awkward at first. This sounds, to me, a lot like counting the costs as Christ mentioned in the New Testament.
Recently, I began a certain counting of the costs. Now, grant it, it is something I am familiar with. I have been considering health, wellness and exercise again. These are issues I have been passionate and consumed with before. I know well the cost, price and sacrifice needed to obtain levels of fitness and health I so desire. Much like with issues of faith, cares of this world, selfish desires and the influences of friends often deter our intentions. However, as with faith, intentions do absolutely no good. All of my research online, thinking, praying, and past knowledge of training, exercising and nutrition are useless unless I put them into practice. James, in the Bible, speaks of this as well when he states that faith without works is dead. I know about resistance training, cardio, nutrition and rest, I wholeheartedly agree with it and believe in it. I have seen with my own eyes the benefits and results. I have tasted and seen that exercise is good. I have led others toward lifestyles of health and wellness. However, if I am not walking in it and living it daily then it becomes of no use. Often, we gym rats, or ex-gym rats, speak of how quickly we lose it. The benefits. I don't know how quickly we lose it spiritually. I am not saying that two weeks out of the spiritual gym and we are hell bound. But the blessings, protections, directions and favor seems to slip. I hope we can stick to it when things get tough and we hit the walls and the plateaus. Oh, well, let me know what you think. God bless....
recently
Thursday, October 16, 2008
An Ear to Hear.....
Seems like, after reading back through this blog of mine, that all I do is talk about vision. Well, I guess it's close to my heart. I know that God has placed a passion deep within each of us and without a clear vision fostered by an intimate relationship with Him we will simply bounce from fad to fad and burn out and become discouraged in the process.
One prayer I pray often is, "Father give me an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church." And by church I mean quite a few things. 1. I mean the global Body of Christ. I feel that God's global plan is cohesive. By that, I mean, there is a commonality found within our (TC) mission and the village hut in Africa. Generalities in Gospel to evangelize and serve according to our giftedness and personal make-up. The whole one-body many members thing has always been important to my theology and praxis. 2. I mean the local community of faith. What are the specific actions and laser focus the Spirit is speaking to our unique DNA church. What special practical expression of love does the Father desire to flavor East Tennessee with through our faith group? Not copying and competing with ministries 2 miles from us, but being uniquely different and individual as God has made us special. Truly doing things no one else is doing to reach people that no one else is reaching. 3. I mean me. Who am I supposed to be? What do I really look like in the eyes of God? Where am I supposed to be going and what am I supposed to be doing? Know, be and do. These three define our identity and are only truly discovered in authentic relationship with Christ. Knowing Him in faith, doing acts of service for Him and others in love and being/becoming who He has called me to be. These are the essential issues of the life of faith. The guideposts on the journey of intimacy. This simple, yet profound prayer helps guide my passion with vision toward accomplishing the mission I was created to live for. hope this helps you in your faith walk.
God bless.....
One prayer I pray often is, "Father give me an ear to hear what the Spirit is saying to the church." And by church I mean quite a few things. 1. I mean the global Body of Christ. I feel that God's global plan is cohesive. By that, I mean, there is a commonality found within our (TC) mission and the village hut in Africa. Generalities in Gospel to evangelize and serve according to our giftedness and personal make-up. The whole one-body many members thing has always been important to my theology and praxis. 2. I mean the local community of faith. What are the specific actions and laser focus the Spirit is speaking to our unique DNA church. What special practical expression of love does the Father desire to flavor East Tennessee with through our faith group? Not copying and competing with ministries 2 miles from us, but being uniquely different and individual as God has made us special. Truly doing things no one else is doing to reach people that no one else is reaching. 3. I mean me. Who am I supposed to be? What do I really look like in the eyes of God? Where am I supposed to be going and what am I supposed to be doing? Know, be and do. These three define our identity and are only truly discovered in authentic relationship with Christ. Knowing Him in faith, doing acts of service for Him and others in love and being/becoming who He has called me to be. These are the essential issues of the life of faith. The guideposts on the journey of intimacy. This simple, yet profound prayer helps guide my passion with vision toward accomplishing the mission I was created to live for. hope this helps you in your faith walk.
God bless.....
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Vision........
You are here today because you have passion; you will be here tomorrow because you have vision.
Most often we read the Bible for comfort, assurance, and certainty, but not for courage-------at least not in the truest sense. We’re willing to engage in battle if we believe that God has promised ultimate victory. We have somehow convinced ourselves that God has signed a contract with us, promising that we will never fail. Implied in that is that we will never suffer, go through disappointment, or even be inconvenienced in the journey.
What does it really mean to live by faith? THE RESPONSE OF FAITH IS NOTHING MORE THAN OBEDIENCE. Faith begins with God speaking and materializes when we RESPOND. Somehow we’ve come to believe that faith removes ambiguity rather than calls us to live in it.
The starting point of living by faith is recognizing that God has revealed so much of His will that we have plenty to live by without ever hearing another word. Some things you simply do not need to pray about. When God has spoken and commanded His people, praying sometimes becomes a way of resisting God’s will rather than a way of responding to it.
A church doesn’t need to pray about whether it should pray. It doesn’t need to pray about whether it should serve. It doesn’t need to pray about whether it should evangelize. We somehow believe that God is more interested in our comfort and our prosperity than His purpose in human history.
What took faith yesterday is sight today. When we live by faith, we allow God to take us into new experiences of who He is and how He works. The church cannot live on the faith of the past. The church is called to be the living expression of faith.
A community with the servant heart of God knows no limit to sacrifice, and when its people are doing what God created them to do, there is no limit to impact.
Character transformation is more than the elimination of sin. God is about reclaiming the divine potential He has planted within each individual.
You are here today because you have passion; you will be here tomorrow because you have vision. Vision is birthed through relationship. Passion is kindled in relationship. Mission is accomplished through community. Relationship with God and relationship within the community of God.
Falling hopelessly in love with God and staying hopelessly in love with God are the keys to discovering His loving action flowing through you as it fosters passion and maintains vision. Love is central to the heart of God and the ethos of the New Testament church without it we have no claim to be the disciples of Jesus Christ. In the end love manifests itself in sacrifice. John 13:34: The world will know that we are His disciples because we have love one for another. The practical expression of love is servanthood, love begins to change everything about your relationships. The church erupted out of an act of love. Love produces servanthood. Servanthood sees sacrifice as a privilege.
Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the culture of love established in the New Testament Church and in need of reclaiming in the contemporary church. Without loving, caring, serving and sacrificing relationships; the church ceases to exist.
Most often we read the Bible for comfort, assurance, and certainty, but not for courage-------at least not in the truest sense. We’re willing to engage in battle if we believe that God has promised ultimate victory. We have somehow convinced ourselves that God has signed a contract with us, promising that we will never fail. Implied in that is that we will never suffer, go through disappointment, or even be inconvenienced in the journey.
What does it really mean to live by faith? THE RESPONSE OF FAITH IS NOTHING MORE THAN OBEDIENCE. Faith begins with God speaking and materializes when we RESPOND. Somehow we’ve come to believe that faith removes ambiguity rather than calls us to live in it.
The starting point of living by faith is recognizing that God has revealed so much of His will that we have plenty to live by without ever hearing another word. Some things you simply do not need to pray about. When God has spoken and commanded His people, praying sometimes becomes a way of resisting God’s will rather than a way of responding to it.
A church doesn’t need to pray about whether it should pray. It doesn’t need to pray about whether it should serve. It doesn’t need to pray about whether it should evangelize. We somehow believe that God is more interested in our comfort and our prosperity than His purpose in human history.
What took faith yesterday is sight today. When we live by faith, we allow God to take us into new experiences of who He is and how He works. The church cannot live on the faith of the past. The church is called to be the living expression of faith.
A community with the servant heart of God knows no limit to sacrifice, and when its people are doing what God created them to do, there is no limit to impact.
Character transformation is more than the elimination of sin. God is about reclaiming the divine potential He has planted within each individual.
You are here today because you have passion; you will be here tomorrow because you have vision. Vision is birthed through relationship. Passion is kindled in relationship. Mission is accomplished through community. Relationship with God and relationship within the community of God.
Falling hopelessly in love with God and staying hopelessly in love with God are the keys to discovering His loving action flowing through you as it fosters passion and maintains vision. Love is central to the heart of God and the ethos of the New Testament church without it we have no claim to be the disciples of Jesus Christ. In the end love manifests itself in sacrifice. John 13:34: The world will know that we are His disciples because we have love one for another. The practical expression of love is servanthood, love begins to change everything about your relationships. The church erupted out of an act of love. Love produces servanthood. Servanthood sees sacrifice as a privilege.
Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. This is the culture of love established in the New Testament Church and in need of reclaiming in the contemporary church. Without loving, caring, serving and sacrificing relationships; the church ceases to exist.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
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