Church on the move!

Wow, I love to hear stories of God working in lives and in churches. Here's one that's on its way.
Kingsland Lexden which is the one I'm a part of is planning a move. Check it out here.
It's a God thing upto now and has to be a God thing to complete.

Who are you listening to ?

Steven Furtick offers good counsel regularly. A recent blog made me think a bit more than usual. Thanks Steve!

We receive so many messages every day and have heard them from birth. We learn and seek to be discerning and sort out the good from the bad. Sometimes, perhaps when we were younger we listened to some from authority figures like parents, teachers etc, perhaps some were not so helpful.
I need to listen to the my Father's voice and ask him to help me remove the messages I've taken on board that are not the truth. More than that now I need to find my identity in Him - and filter all the messages through that.

HT: Steve Furtick

Good challenge out of Orange Conference

SOmebody at the conference shared this on their blog... Reggie Joiner shared last night about Prodigal Son story at the Orange Conference! I was there last year and would've liked to go again this year ...

Comparing the Loving Father’s response to the returning son to that of the Older Brother.

LOVING FATHER: Preoccupied with whoever is missing
OLDER SON: Preoccupied with self

LOVING FATHER: operates on a context of forgiveness
OLDER SON: operates under a context of shame

LOVING FATHER: throws a party
OLDER SON: throws a fit

LOVING FATHER: confronts the older brothers thinking
OLDER SON: criticizes the loving father ways of thinking

LOVING FATHER: probably kept the porch light on for the sons return
OLDER SON: probably turned the light off and locked the door

As a church - our heart, our mission needs to be that of the LOVING FATHER. We need to treat every prodigal the way a loving father treats his prodigal son. We need to make sure our church emphasizes FORGIVENESS & JOY.

Good stuff to act on.

It broke Dad ! Can you fix it ?

I'm not a poetry kind of guy, but every once in a while a poem will really grab me. Ratna, one of our amazingly hard working and caring office staff here at First Alliance Church shared this poem with me last night.

First I was reminded of my son who had just yesterday morning asked me to help him build a Lego project, but then immediately after I start to help him pushes me out of the way so he can build it. A few minutes later he comes and grabs me again and syas he really, really really needs my help this time, because it seems to be broken and not working out right.

Next my mind goes to Moses and his grasping God's calling on His life to save his people in Egypt. He starts off by killing two Egyptians who abusing his fellow Jews, which he seemd to think fitted into the plan. However that only made him have to wait another forty years to nove into his calling!

Anyway I'll let you read the poem ...

Broken Dreams

As children bring their broken toys

with tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God

because He was my friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him

in peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help

with ways that were my own.

At last, I snatched them back and cried,

"how can you be so slow?"

"My child," He said,

"what could I do?

You never did let go."

Author unknown

Change, growth and maybe, even discipleship !

As you can see our Church's vision prayer focus is asking God to change us.

"Oh God, make us a body of people so transformed and empowered by
Your Spirit that our community, nation, and world will see and know
Jesus Christ as the Way, the Truth, and the Life"

I think we need to keep growing otherwise we go stale, stagnate and get bored. so where do we go from here ... John Johnson helps us think about this ...

Walter Brueggemann was asked—“If you came into a room of ten of the brightest, committed, determined to change the world kind of pastors, and had one word of advice, what would it be?” Without any hesitation, he responded—“Discover how it is people change, and build your ministry accordingly.” I hear him saying—find what it is that more than inspires—find what transforms people, what transforms all of their
being, and give your best ministry to that. This seems to be what Thomas has devoted himself to doing in his latest book—and where the church needs to get
its focus.

Short cuts and other efforts at being efficient :)

I don't know about you but I'm always trying to do more with less - trying to be efficiant with everything God has given me. But when I stop and think about it - I don't think that's the way God operates. For instance wouldn't it have been more efficient for Jesus to go and heal Lazarus then raise him from the dead after he had died! Steven Furtick has a great observation on another Biblical short cut -

As God led the children of Israel out of Egyptian slavery, the Bible
records that:
God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.
Exodus 13:17-18

God knows me much better than I know myself. And sometimes He takes me the long way because He knows that if He took me straight to my destination, I wouldn’t be ready.

Are you single and wishing God would hurry up and bring you a man?
Maybe God’s taking you the long way for a reason…to cultivate and prepare
and stabilize you.

Do you feel like God has got you in a place of obscurity and monotony in this season of your life?
Maybe God is sharpening your skills, perfecting your gift, and fortifying your character.

Are you praying a prayer that seems to be met with silence from heaven?
God is infinitely wise, and He knows what you need, when you need it, and He’s
navigating your route according to His limitless knowledge.

Sometimes God takes us around by the desert…the long way…
Because He knows what battles are ahead, and when we’re ready to fight.

It's all about who ?

Joel Osteen has been on News TV a lot this last week. I guess he was promoting his new book. A better You I think it's called. That might be good for You but is it the gospel or the whole gospel. I like what Paul Dazet has been writing. It's not about me. It's about God as the greatest commandment reminds us. The "me" only comes in the second greatest commandment and then only as standard for loving others.
thanks Paul for redirecting our thoughts in the right direction.

Morris Dirks at CMA-Canada Eastern District Conference part 2

Morris knows where it's at. He was encouraging us to look at our motives and emotions as we serve.

What are our motives -

Are we compromising to please other ? (1 Thes 2:1-6)

Are we working to prove ourselves ? (Phil 1:6)

Are we staying on a pedestal that people put us on ? (I Cor 3:4-9)

Emotions
Let God be in touch with your emotions otherwise they'll rule you !

Much to chew on !

Morris Dirks at CMA-Canada Eastern District Conference part 1

Morris Dirks laid it out for us and was a BIG encouragement. In Isaiah 43, 100 years before the babylonian captivity, God was sowing seeds of hope for when they would be exile.
In that place of captivity Isaiah points to

NOT the CAPTOR but the CREATOR(v 11-14)
Not to look at the chains or things that bind us but our creator.

NOT the PAST but the FUTURE (v16-19a)
forget the great things God has done already and all our garbage, He's going to do a new thing.

NOT the DESERT but the STREAMS(v19b-20).

It was totally encouraging. thanks Morris.

I'm the 231,544,348 richest person in the world

I've checked out the www.globalrichlist.com and I'm in the top 3.8% of world's richest people. What a responsibility!

How rich are you compared to the rest of the world !

to learn or unlearn that is the question :)

Have you thought about unlearning some things. There come a realization that sometimes what we think or more the way we think is not the best way. So what's the choice - keep on keeping on with the less than best way - I guess some people can do that or to unlearn the less than best way and learn a better way.


Bob Roberts shares 9 things he's learning and unlearning

Bob Roberts on church and mission:9 Things I'm Learning and Unlearning

I'm learning … that mission begins with Christology not ecclesiology. Following Jesus leads us to mission, which leads to churches gathering.

I'm unlearning … my assumption that starting churches naturally leads to mission. It doesn't. Churches default to self-focus unless a commitment to be like Jesus in the world comes first.

I'm learning … that being glocal means decentralizing power, decision making, information, all of it. The kingdom of God means ministry opportunities are available to almost everyone.

I'm unlearning … the American church's traditional focus on a super-star speaker, worship leader, educator, and shepherd, which serves mainly to attract spectators rather than igniting the power of everyone else.

I'm learning … that we serve not to convert but because we have been converted. We serve because Christ has changed us and made us servants to people who are hurting and lost.

I'm unlearning … the assumption that "Christian" is defined primarily as acknowledging a moment of conversion. Becoming a follower of Jesus depends on what happens after that.

I'm learning … to love people, which means to see them healed, educated, and given the same opportunities that we have.

I'm unlearning … that the Christian faith is all about heaven. I believe the church has denied the future by just waiting for the Second Coming. We need a story that includes the future.

I'm learning … the kingdom will be established not by human power or entertainment, but by realizing God's concern for humanity and the whole of society.

What are you learning or unlearning ?

Jesus to be crowned king ?

If some people in Poland get their way Jesus is going to be king of their country. I wonder if more people will listen to him if he is their king - perhaps they will - a different kind of evangelism to be sure.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2006/12/20/jesus-poland.html?ref=rss

Christian no more - what a thought

Check out these "sermons" out. A challenge to stop being a Christian and to become a Christ follower. what a thought.

Beyond belief - well more than one anyways

The Times
September 08, 2006
Hinduism no barrier to job as priest in Church of England

I came across this incredible news story - what is he thinking ? What is he believing ? - What is his Bishop thinking ? What is his Bishop believing ? I really understand why some Christians are re-naming themselves Christ Followers. This story really helps you understand their thinking.

Big God

How big is our God ? Mark Batterson asks us. And gives us a great quote from A.W.Tozer

I think A.W. Tozer said it best: "A low view of God is the cause of a hundred lesser evils." But a person with a "high view" of God "is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems."

It reminds me of when we were kids - I remember saying my Dad is bigger than yours or some such like - my Dad can lift a cow and then the other kids would say my Dad can lift 3 cows - well - mine can lift 6 cows and so on
It's great that we can boast about our human dads and have confidence because they are bigger than us. But how much more can we have confidence with our heavenly father who made eveything else - nobody can be bigger than Him.