Morris Dirks at CMA-Canada Eastern District Conference part 3

Morris moved even closer to home as he took us to the parable of the two me who prayed (Luke 18:9-14).
Our spituality - do we have Pharasaical Spirituality which has something to prove or something to compare ?
or do we have Tax collector spirituality ?

He posed a to-the-point question for us to ask ourselves as we serve others - What is the primary emotion God has for you ? Is it anywhere near love ?

Finally bringing it to an end he asked us if we were thinking - I'm glad I'm not like the pharisee - then we are the pharisee :0

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 !

What are we doing ? let's think about this !

From http://pathwaypaloalto.blogspot.com/2007/02/church-20-series-incarnational-living.html via http://weallspeak.blogspot.com/2007/02/redesign-what-is-our-focus.html

Think for a second about what Jesus did for us. He became one of us, lived with us, then died and rose again from the dead for us. That’s the method he used to reach us. He made himself known and showed His love to us. Jesus modeled incarnation as a way of ministering to the world. He showed us the power of going to a group of people and loving and serving them as one of them.He also revealed this as the method we should use when he gave the disciples this command in Matt. 28, “Go into all the world…”

But Jesus isn’t the only one to reveal this method! Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23… 19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

This is the way the Bible reveals to us to reach people! It tells us these simple instructions: Go to people in a way they can understand. Serve them. Love them. Tell them the truth. That’s it! This is the incarnational way to reach people.

But for some reason many churches focus on the opposite way to reach people: Make them come to you. Make them become like you and learn your lingo. Get them to serve the church. Get them to love the church. If they can do all that they’ll learn how to be saved!This is the attractional way to reach people. Do you see how opposite these two ways are

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 ?

wow What an almost great Opportunity !

WOW- free Foxfaith movie premieres at church by Satelite for free - BUT NOT in Canada - that's too bad for us but for the US it is a wow - I think - what do you think !

Make a commitment to Jesus ?

Over this weekend it's struck me directly and indirectly - that we ask people to commit to Jesus - (even sometimes to church) but is that what God wants from us - a commitment to Him ?
Some of the old hymns can teach us about this
I Surrender All
When I survey the Wonderous Cross
Just as I am
Someone commented that when you defeat an enemy you don't ask for his commitment to your cause, you ask for his complete surrender. Are we short changing those we invite into a relationship to Christ ?

Not so discouraging divorce rates

Todd Rhoades picks up on Bradley Wright's analysis of recent stats and shows that Church goers don't have the same rate of divorce as non-church goers. However does point out that the results on not totally conclusive.
But this is not so discouraging as saying church goers are no different from non-church goers :)

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.

Second Life

In the Toronto Star and few other respected papers around the western world, there's a growing number of reports about second life - a alternate reality where youmake yourself up and there are no social/ethical boundaries. I understand that Reuters has an offic eis this world and has reports from it. In the star they say that people are making $5,000 (real money) a month from sales.
In the Austin Statesman it even says a church has been built and organised.
Midwest Dayton, director of the Christian group building the church by the lake, will reveal only limited real-life information about himself. For the record, he says he's a 50-something married father of three who teaches at a university in Oklahoma. "Temptation is temptation. Hearts are hearts. People call this a game, but there are real fingers on those keyboards," he says, virtual Bible in hand, standing before the small gathering of like-minded men whose stated goal is to spread the word of God in Second Life. "These are real souls that can still be reached."
It is true the gspel is the truth even in the the land of make-believe.

Nativity come out tomorrow and ...

It's banned already. - Having said that it's still going to be in mainline movie theatres so people will still get to see this awesome movie - that highlights the real meaning behind CHRISTmas. In fact don't they say bad publicity is as good as good publicity. I pray that God will use this to get people on their path either to Him or back to Him. Amen ?

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.

Insanity

The definition of insanity is doing the same things over and over but expecting different results. Are we insane in the church ?

Ted Haggard situation

He's done the right thing
More wisdom from Mark Batterson - balance grace and truth as Jesus did (John 1:14). We're challenged to know to which side we sway and move to be more balanced. We might be balanced in our own eyes but we need a diiferent perspsctive to gauge properly where we're at. And for taht we need people that we can trust and conifde in.
I want accountability - I pray that I'll continue to accept and act on it with the Lord 's help.

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.

Family Ministry in Canada

This is something that's really hit me over the last two years. Family Ministry is the way forward for the Canadian Church. Bibby is saying the same thing. Let's do it !


http://www.christianweek.org/stories/vol20/no15/story2.html

It's all his except the money !

It's all His except the money - go figure !
http://mondaymorninginsight.com/index.php/site/comments/new_bible_version_takes_out_all_references_to_money_to_make_a_point/

It's all His

When it comes down to it - It is all His - He created it all and holds it all together.
I remember a Tom Skinner video where he asked the pianist to play a b flat- which the pianist did - then he asked him to play a Christian b flat. It belongs to him. Amen