Monday, May 15, 2006
Friday, May 12, 2006
They May See
“Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16)
There are several interesting elements to this verse. First of all Jesus said, “Let your light so shine.” What happens when you open a kitchen window on a spring April day? You let the cool fresh air in. The air is already cool, fresh and blowing. The opening of the window simply lets that reality into your kitchen. Likewise, Jesus isn’t telling us to go make light, but rather simply open the window and let the wind, or in this case the light out. It should be natural, unforced and full of grace. The good works were never intended to be a program or a project, rather it was intended to be a living projection of Who Christ is within us.
Relections
What are some passions, giftings, areas of resource that God has given you, that could be used to shine in our community?
When you look around our community/city, what real problems do you see that could use practical solutions?
Recommended Reading
More Ready Than You Realize, Brian McLaren
The Secret Message of Jesus, Brian McLaren
A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren
that they may see your good works
and glorify your Father in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16)
There are several interesting elements to this verse. First of all Jesus said, “Let your light so shine.” What happens when you open a kitchen window on a spring April day? You let the cool fresh air in. The air is already cool, fresh and blowing. The opening of the window simply lets that reality into your kitchen. Likewise, Jesus isn’t telling us to go make light, but rather simply open the window and let the wind, or in this case the light out. It should be natural, unforced and full of grace. The good works were never intended to be a program or a project, rather it was intended to be a living projection of Who Christ is within us.
Relections
What are some passions, giftings, areas of resource that God has given you, that could be used to shine in our community?
When you look around our community/city, what real problems do you see that could use practical solutions?
Recommended Reading
More Ready Than You Realize, Brian McLaren
The Secret Message of Jesus, Brian McLaren
A New Kind of Christian, Brian McLaren
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Practical Solutions for Real Problems
“If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,’ but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works is dead.” (James 2:14-17)
Traditional models of evangelism have been something akin to a group of people going out into the community and telling the people in need to come to church building. “All you need is Jesus.” We went, we told them the answer and we pointed them to the house of God. As well intended as this may have been, there seems to be a slightly different model portrayed in Scripture. It was a model that intersected culture in deep ways. It’s a model that looked at the real problem surrounding that culture and then extended a hand with practical solutions. The motivation was simply, loving their neighbors as themselves.
Reflections
What would it look like, if rather than pointing people to the church building to go get help and answers, followers of Christ decentralized from the church building, engaged the communities surrounding and became an incarnational reality of Christ in their midst?
What would it look like for these areas of need to become areas of commonality, where little communities emerged full of people learning what it truly means to follow Christ?
In the context of this paradigm, each of us becomes ministers for the cause of Christ. Our platform may be more like Stephen and Philip’s than Peter and Paul’s, but the end result is nonetheless the same and equally as important.
Serving precedes anointing.
Traditional models of evangelism have been something akin to a group of people going out into the community and telling the people in need to come to church building. “All you need is Jesus.” We went, we told them the answer and we pointed them to the house of God. As well intended as this may have been, there seems to be a slightly different model portrayed in Scripture. It was a model that intersected culture in deep ways. It’s a model that looked at the real problem surrounding that culture and then extended a hand with practical solutions. The motivation was simply, loving their neighbors as themselves.
Reflections
What would it look like, if rather than pointing people to the church building to go get help and answers, followers of Christ decentralized from the church building, engaged the communities surrounding and became an incarnational reality of Christ in their midst?
What would it look like for these areas of need to become areas of commonality, where little communities emerged full of people learning what it truly means to follow Christ?
In the context of this paradigm, each of us becomes ministers for the cause of Christ. Our platform may be more like Stephen and Philip’s than Peter and Paul’s, but the end result is nonetheless the same and equally as important.
Serving precedes anointing.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Serving Precedes Anointing
“In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, "It would not be right for us to give up the ministry of the Word to wait on tables. Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this business.”(Acts 6:1-3 HCSB)
There was a group of Greek speaking Jews of a Greco-Roman background who were raising a complaint against the Hebraic speaking Jews from Palestine. The complaint was simple, their widows were being overlooked in the daily distributions of food. To help solve this dilemma, the apostles sought out seven individuals who had a good reputation and were full of the Spirit and wisdom. On the surface these are strange credentials for waiting on tables. How much wisdom does it really take to dish out food? That is, unless there was more going on than just tables being set and cleaned.
It is true these seven’s primary responsibility would be to serve tables and wait on widows, but there’s a very important principle at work here that the apostles knew very well - serving precedes anointing. As we follow these seven out of the kitchen, we see some extraordinary things beginning to transpire.
Stephen was one of these appointed waiters. Scripture says that he “full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” He was so full of wisdom that even the most educated resisters of the gospel could not “resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:8,10). His life was loud and his influence was powerful. Stephen became the first person martyred for the cause of Christ.
Or, what about Philip, another of these original table waiters. The book of Acts records that in the midst of persecution against those following Christ, all the disciples were scattered, dispersing from their headquarters in the city of Jerusalem. “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5-8).
Serving precedes anointing.
Something happens when we simply step out and serve without pretension or hidden agenda – an anointing is released and supernatural signs begin to follow.
“There are many of us that are willing to do great things
For the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.”
D. L. Moody
There was a group of Greek speaking Jews of a Greco-Roman background who were raising a complaint against the Hebraic speaking Jews from Palestine. The complaint was simple, their widows were being overlooked in the daily distributions of food. To help solve this dilemma, the apostles sought out seven individuals who had a good reputation and were full of the Spirit and wisdom. On the surface these are strange credentials for waiting on tables. How much wisdom does it really take to dish out food? That is, unless there was more going on than just tables being set and cleaned.
It is true these seven’s primary responsibility would be to serve tables and wait on widows, but there’s a very important principle at work here that the apostles knew very well - serving precedes anointing. As we follow these seven out of the kitchen, we see some extraordinary things beginning to transpire.
Stephen was one of these appointed waiters. Scripture says that he “full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people.” He was so full of wisdom that even the most educated resisters of the gospel could not “resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:8,10). His life was loud and his influence was powerful. Stephen became the first person martyred for the cause of Christ.
Or, what about Philip, another of these original table waiters. The book of Acts records that in the midst of persecution against those following Christ, all the disciples were scattered, dispersing from their headquarters in the city of Jerusalem. “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them. And the multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. And there was great joy in that city” (Acts 8:5-8).
Serving precedes anointing.
Something happens when we simply step out and serve without pretension or hidden agenda – an anointing is released and supernatural signs begin to follow.
“There are many of us that are willing to do great things
For the Lord, but few of us are willing to do little things.”
D. L. Moody
A Good Anointing
“How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him.”(Acts 10:38)
When people think of the ministry of Jesus on earth they typically recall the miracles He did. Things like healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. These are most certainly true and did take place, but Luke, the author Acts makes an interesting notation to Jesus’ ministry. He said, Jesus went about doing good to all. Moreover, Luke says that He was anointed to do good by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Reflections
Have you ever considered asking God for an anointing to do something good for someone?
Take a few moments and meditate on Acts 10:38. Then spend some time talking to God. Ask Him to anoint you with the Holy Spirit to do good.
with the Holy Spirit and with power,
who went about doing good and
healing all who were oppressed by the devil,
for God was with Him.”(Acts 10:38)
When people think of the ministry of Jesus on earth they typically recall the miracles He did. Things like healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead. These are most certainly true and did take place, but Luke, the author Acts makes an interesting notation to Jesus’ ministry. He said, Jesus went about doing good to all. Moreover, Luke says that He was anointed to do good by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Reflections
Have you ever considered asking God for an anointing to do something good for someone?
Take a few moments and meditate on Acts 10:38. Then spend some time talking to God. Ask Him to anoint you with the Holy Spirit to do good.
Monday, May 08, 2006
Go There
“Go therefore
and make disciples
of all the nations.”(Matthew 28:27 NKJ)
Jesus simply instructed His disciples to go out into the world and be change-agents for the Kingdom of God. Interestingly, Jesus did not say, go out into the streets, round up as many people as you can, then bring them into a church building so the preacher can tell them about Jesus and call them to repentance. Rather, it seems that Jesus was putting the responsibility upon each disciple to go, interact with and engage those with whom they came in contact with, allowing the life that they lived before God to be proof-tested in the eyes of others. And, in the midst of these encounters they would journey with those coming to discover Christ for themselves first hand.
Jesus didn’t say, go and make decisions, or go and make converts, or go and lead them in the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ All of these could be done in an afternoon, or a one one-hour church service. But this is not what Jesus wanted – He wanted disciples, which is a byproduct of on-going relationships. When we reduce the Great Commission to a tag-on to the end of a church service, or an isolated event where the goal is to get people to the altar to pray the prayer, we may be in danger of cheapening the true gospel and leading people astray, for this is not the biblical expression of making disciples. This is not to say that the challenge to surrender one’s life and follow Christ should not be part of our corporate gatherings. Rather, it is to say Christ distributed the responsibility to everyone, everywhere, not simply clergy on Sunday.
Reflections
What does it mean to go and make disciples in the culture we live in?
How is this different than going and telling them about Jesus?
What are some symptoms of our cultures openness/hunger for spiritual things?
and make disciples
of all the nations.”(Matthew 28:27 NKJ)
Jesus simply instructed His disciples to go out into the world and be change-agents for the Kingdom of God. Interestingly, Jesus did not say, go out into the streets, round up as many people as you can, then bring them into a church building so the preacher can tell them about Jesus and call them to repentance. Rather, it seems that Jesus was putting the responsibility upon each disciple to go, interact with and engage those with whom they came in contact with, allowing the life that they lived before God to be proof-tested in the eyes of others. And, in the midst of these encounters they would journey with those coming to discover Christ for themselves first hand.
Jesus didn’t say, go and make decisions, or go and make converts, or go and lead them in the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ All of these could be done in an afternoon, or a one one-hour church service. But this is not what Jesus wanted – He wanted disciples, which is a byproduct of on-going relationships. When we reduce the Great Commission to a tag-on to the end of a church service, or an isolated event where the goal is to get people to the altar to pray the prayer, we may be in danger of cheapening the true gospel and leading people astray, for this is not the biblical expression of making disciples. This is not to say that the challenge to surrender one’s life and follow Christ should not be part of our corporate gatherings. Rather, it is to say Christ distributed the responsibility to everyone, everywhere, not simply clergy on Sunday.
Reflections
What does it mean to go and make disciples in the culture we live in?
How is this different than going and telling them about Jesus?
What are some symptoms of our cultures openness/hunger for spiritual things?
Friday, May 05, 2006
Leaving the Shell
“Speaking the truth in love,
may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head – Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)
From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart, yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison – and finally their casket.
The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For awhile, at least, that old shell must look pretty good.
We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells – a structure, a framework – we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when he bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow, and leave our “shells” behind.
Regardless of age and level of maturity, this is a call we all must answer. Dietrick Bonhoeffer, author of The Cost of Discipleship said, “When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to His person.” This is the essence of Biblical discipleship, attaching oneself to another – learning in close quarters.
Christ calls a man. The call bids him to come and die. This is Biblical Christianity. Bonhoeffer says, “Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship. Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” He goes on to say, “Discipleship without Jesus Christ is a way of our own choosing. It may be the ideal way. It may even lead to martyrdom, but it is devoid of all promise. Jesus will certainly reject it.”
Discipleship cannot truly exist outside of the context of Christian community. Christ’s intention is that we become wholly transformed. In order for this to happen, He more often than not chooses to use people in the process of our formation. When we find ourselves outside the context of intimate, truth telling relationships, we will find ourselves in some form of spiritual stagnation.
Reflections
Is there anyone in your life right now that has permission to ask you the difficult questions?
• How’s your relationship with God?
• How’s your relationship with your spouse?
• How’s your relationship with your vocation/job?
• How’s your relationship(s) with the people you work most frequently with? (the tough one’s)
Do you have someone that’s mentoring/discipling you?
Who are you pouring yourself into and mentoring/discipling?
Recommended Reading
Everybody’s Normal Until You Get to Know Them, John Ortberg
may grow up in all things
into Him who is the head – Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)
From time to time, lobsters have to leave their shells in order to grow. They need the shell to protect them from being torn apart, yet when they grow, the old shell must be abandoned. If they did not abandon it, the old shell would soon become their prison – and finally their casket.
The tricky part for the lobster is the brief period of time between when the old shell is discarded and the new one is formed. During that terribly vulnerable period, the transition must be scary to the lobster. Currents gleefully cartwheel them from coral to kelp. Hungry schools of fish are ready to make them a part of their food chain. For awhile, at least, that old shell must look pretty good.
We are not so different from lobsters. To change and grow, we must sometimes shed our shells – a structure, a framework – we’ve depended on. Discipleship means being so committed to Christ that when he bids us to follow, we will change, risk, grow, and leave our “shells” behind.
Regardless of age and level of maturity, this is a call we all must answer. Dietrick Bonhoeffer, author of The Cost of Discipleship said, “When we are called to follow Christ, we are summoned to an exclusive attachment to His person.” This is the essence of Biblical discipleship, attaching oneself to another – learning in close quarters.
Christ calls a man. The call bids him to come and die. This is Biblical Christianity. Bonhoeffer says, “Christianity without the living Christ is inevitably Christianity without discipleship. Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ.” He goes on to say, “Discipleship without Jesus Christ is a way of our own choosing. It may be the ideal way. It may even lead to martyrdom, but it is devoid of all promise. Jesus will certainly reject it.”
Discipleship cannot truly exist outside of the context of Christian community. Christ’s intention is that we become wholly transformed. In order for this to happen, He more often than not chooses to use people in the process of our formation. When we find ourselves outside the context of intimate, truth telling relationships, we will find ourselves in some form of spiritual stagnation.
Reflections
Is there anyone in your life right now that has permission to ask you the difficult questions?
• How’s your relationship with God?
• How’s your relationship with your spouse?
• How’s your relationship with your vocation/job?
• How’s your relationship(s) with the people you work most frequently with? (the tough one’s)
Do you have someone that’s mentoring/discipling you?
Who are you pouring yourself into and mentoring/discipling?
Recommended Reading
Everybody’s Normal Until You Get to Know Them, John Ortberg
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