Wow, where do you begin? This is by far my favorite holiday. Even as a child Thanksgiving seemed special. It was like a peaceful prelude to Christmas. Thanksgiving is simple compared to other holidays. I know that the ladies that prepare the meal might have a different opinion but overall the activity of the day is less stressful. After all, we have to eat anyway.
There is a sense of reflection and quiet appreciation on Thanksgiving. Everyone reflects a bit on Thanksgiving. We add up all that we have and appreciate in life and we see that things aren't so bad. We see those around us that God has given us to be our family and friends and we are filled with thanksgiving.
When I think about all that life brings, I think about God's intention for all of us. My best way of describing Him to any who ask is that He is faithful. He is faithful to us in our worst moments. He is a faithful supplier of love and grace. Without His faithfulness life would not continue because He would no longer be a part. So thank you Lord for hanging in there for all of us. Your grace is more than sufficient.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
What Unifies the Church?
It's obvious that the church universal may need to be redefined because what we perceive as the global wide church may not in it's total be the real church. There are many beloved brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world that have been consumed by institutional Christianity. These brothers and sisters are viable and essential to the organized church because they are actually missionaries to these organizations. The man made organized church cannot unify. It's obvious. The sectarian behaviors that exist divides us all and so we are a bit confused when we read the scriptures about the unity in the body of Christ.
How are we ever to unify? It's apparent that this unity will never occur through human effort. That actually gives me great joy. I'm very weary of the results of our work.
Unity in the Body of Christ
Ephesians 4:1-6
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The unity is in the Spirit! This is a hard saying for those of us who want control and don't want to yield to the Spirit of God. I can imagine a day when those led by the Spirit will unify with Him and that will be a day the world will have to reckon with. Jesus has not given us an illusion of things to come.
One Body
One Spirit
One Hope
One Lord
One Faith
One Baptism
One God
How are we ever to unify? It's apparent that this unity will never occur through human effort. That actually gives me great joy. I'm very weary of the results of our work.
Unity in the Body of Christ
Ephesians 4:1-6
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
The unity is in the Spirit! This is a hard saying for those of us who want control and don't want to yield to the Spirit of God. I can imagine a day when those led by the Spirit will unify with Him and that will be a day the world will have to reckon with. Jesus has not given us an illusion of things to come.
One Body
One Spirit
One Hope
One Lord
One Faith
One Baptism
One God
Monday, November 24, 2008
Self Awareness
How much do we need to know about ourselves? How much introspection is enough? The Scripture teaches us the very opposite of what the world is promoting. You can visit any library or prominent book store and find shelves loaded with self-help books. I find this to be very revealing as to the state of mind that is prevalent in the world. We actually think that we can help ourselves. I do believe that there are times that we need to examine ourselves but that should be a short rest stop.
Without quoting large numbers of scripture there is every indicator in the Bible that we are our own worst enemy. The Bible teaches us to lose ourselves. What does that mean? What do we lose and what do we gain with that kind of thinking. The religious person may think that I am talking about self denial. No sweets, no meat, no beer, no pizza, no dancing, no smoking etc....... Well that process takes me to do that and I don't think that I am capable of rescuing myself from all of those vices (especially the pizza). Is that what God wants anyway? That sound like a lot of duty and religion.
I always thought it was very cool when I would read about Jesus hangin' out at parties with sinners. He wasn't condoning all the drinking and rebel rousing but I'm sure that he enjoyed being in a non-religious setting so that He could touch the hearts of real people that were lost and yet not relying upon the cloak of religion.
Our model for fixing our future is self help. We even made up our own religious saying," God helps those that help themselves." There is nothing further from the truth than that statement. The Lord has no limitation on who He helps.
I know this for sure. I enjoy those times when I have little or no thought of Davey Buhl. That means my focus is on the Lord and others. There is no greater feeling than ridding ourselves of unreachable self expectations but rather accept who we are and move on. The therapy for growth in our own life is losing our self awareness and self introspection and enjoying life through the Spirit of Christ deep within us. I have heard so many sermons about us becoming more like Christ. Do you know what would happen if that actually occurred? Our life would not be the same because the more we become like Him the more we do the things that He does. That would turn the world upside down. Now we can see how far away we are from becoming the true body of Christ on this earth.
I have come to the conclusion that I have sporadically seen many people that have a lived a life similar to Jesus. There seems to be a short life span for that life style because we continually short circuit the Spirit filled life by mixing it with our man made religion. That quenches the Spirit of God and we lose our effectiveness. When we take control, we lose Him. When He takes control, we lose us.
Without quoting large numbers of scripture there is every indicator in the Bible that we are our own worst enemy. The Bible teaches us to lose ourselves. What does that mean? What do we lose and what do we gain with that kind of thinking. The religious person may think that I am talking about self denial. No sweets, no meat, no beer, no pizza, no dancing, no smoking etc....... Well that process takes me to do that and I don't think that I am capable of rescuing myself from all of those vices (especially the pizza). Is that what God wants anyway? That sound like a lot of duty and religion.
I always thought it was very cool when I would read about Jesus hangin' out at parties with sinners. He wasn't condoning all the drinking and rebel rousing but I'm sure that he enjoyed being in a non-religious setting so that He could touch the hearts of real people that were lost and yet not relying upon the cloak of religion.
Our model for fixing our future is self help. We even made up our own religious saying," God helps those that help themselves." There is nothing further from the truth than that statement. The Lord has no limitation on who He helps.
I know this for sure. I enjoy those times when I have little or no thought of Davey Buhl. That means my focus is on the Lord and others. There is no greater feeling than ridding ourselves of unreachable self expectations but rather accept who we are and move on. The therapy for growth in our own life is losing our self awareness and self introspection and enjoying life through the Spirit of Christ deep within us. I have heard so many sermons about us becoming more like Christ. Do you know what would happen if that actually occurred? Our life would not be the same because the more we become like Him the more we do the things that He does. That would turn the world upside down. Now we can see how far away we are from becoming the true body of Christ on this earth.
I have come to the conclusion that I have sporadically seen many people that have a lived a life similar to Jesus. There seems to be a short life span for that life style because we continually short circuit the Spirit filled life by mixing it with our man made religion. That quenches the Spirit of God and we lose our effectiveness. When we take control, we lose Him. When He takes control, we lose us.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Do the Things That You Did At First
Revelations is such an interesting book. It takes us into the future. It examines our past and it offers remedies for the present. That just about covers it all, wouldn't you say? The writer, which is believed to be John, writes a critique and anecdote for the seven churches in Asia. As you read the first few chapters of Revelations it is very easy to identify with the flaws of each church. In the first chapter you will read about the Church of Ephesus.
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Many of us readily identify with the Church in Ephesus. It seems that they were a hard working group of Christians that were fighting the good fight but they really lost their way with their relationship with the Lord. This happens when the task becomes the center piece of our existence. The remedy for this behavior is in verse 5, "do the things you did at first". For some of us the things that we did at first were exciting and passionate but there may be many of us that didn't have a very good start and so they cannot completely identify with this verse.
How we start is important. Some of us cannot readily identify a starting point. Some of us think that we were just born a Presbyterian because our parents were Presbyterian. That is not what John is talking about in the first chapter of Revelations. To become a Christian is to experience a "birthing of a new life". Those that have this experience a radical change in their thinking and behavior. Newborns of any life form are frisky and hungry at all times. The new babe in Christ is no different. The initial growth period is exciting and adventurous. It doesn't have to a dramatic Damascus road experience like the one the apostle Paul had but there should be evidence of a new birth by our behavior and change of heart.
If you have had this kind of experience, remember the things that brought you great joy and return to them. If you never had that kind of experience then it may be time for some soul searching and self examination. A new beginning may be what you need. Either way, the Lord has spoken. He has clearly given us a way to return to Him or start anew. We just have to respond accordingly.
To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands: I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.
Many of us readily identify with the Church in Ephesus. It seems that they were a hard working group of Christians that were fighting the good fight but they really lost their way with their relationship with the Lord. This happens when the task becomes the center piece of our existence. The remedy for this behavior is in verse 5, "do the things you did at first". For some of us the things that we did at first were exciting and passionate but there may be many of us that didn't have a very good start and so they cannot completely identify with this verse.
How we start is important. Some of us cannot readily identify a starting point. Some of us think that we were just born a Presbyterian because our parents were Presbyterian. That is not what John is talking about in the first chapter of Revelations. To become a Christian is to experience a "birthing of a new life". Those that have this experience a radical change in their thinking and behavior. Newborns of any life form are frisky and hungry at all times. The new babe in Christ is no different. The initial growth period is exciting and adventurous. It doesn't have to a dramatic Damascus road experience like the one the apostle Paul had but there should be evidence of a new birth by our behavior and change of heart.
If you have had this kind of experience, remember the things that brought you great joy and return to them. If you never had that kind of experience then it may be time for some soul searching and self examination. A new beginning may be what you need. Either way, the Lord has spoken. He has clearly given us a way to return to Him or start anew. We just have to respond accordingly.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
An Open Invitation
Our Vineyard plant was on and so our first step was to invite folks to Doug and Jackies. A lot of the folks that we invited were already plugged into a local church. We were just trying to serve as an adjunct to what they were already doing. Not many responded because they knew that we ultimately wanted to become a church but we still had some nice gatherings. I can remember the sharing of life in our small group. It was about as innocent and pure as it could be. We really wanted to see God come and use us mightily. In hindsight, I can see some things that may have impeded our progress.
Our home group was centered around worship and music. The folks that came enjoyed the strength and quality of our worship experience. My background and talent in music was a strength but as I look back, it may have been a hindrance. Our group would have been very difficult to duplicate. There just didn't seem to be a lot of musical types around to start a new group and so everyone that wanted to be a part came to Doug and Jackie's. We spent a lot of time in prayer. We petitioned the Lord continually.
I would often attend a Vineyard church planting conference in Columbus. The conferences were informative and very uplifting but I still felt a sense of disconnect. It was like nobody knew or even cared that we existed in our little church plant in Valencia, Pennsylvania. The Vineyard church planting team adopted you once you became successful in your growth pattern. They really didn't have people in place to closely oversee new church plants. They were always accommodating and encouraging but they had no real connection to many of the church planters on the east coast. East Coast Vineyards did not grow at near the same speed as their western counter parts.
This was troubling to me because I felt very alone in my endeavor. Pastor Ron had moved to Africa to do missionary work and so I had no one to guide me. The group was faithful though. We all wanted to persevere. Our hope was that the Lord would bring us through and that His Spirit would reveal to us the steps that we needed to take.
Next Up....
A Building and a Band
Our home group was centered around worship and music. The folks that came enjoyed the strength and quality of our worship experience. My background and talent in music was a strength but as I look back, it may have been a hindrance. Our group would have been very difficult to duplicate. There just didn't seem to be a lot of musical types around to start a new group and so everyone that wanted to be a part came to Doug and Jackie's. We spent a lot of time in prayer. We petitioned the Lord continually.
I would often attend a Vineyard church planting conference in Columbus. The conferences were informative and very uplifting but I still felt a sense of disconnect. It was like nobody knew or even cared that we existed in our little church plant in Valencia, Pennsylvania. The Vineyard church planting team adopted you once you became successful in your growth pattern. They really didn't have people in place to closely oversee new church plants. They were always accommodating and encouraging but they had no real connection to many of the church planters on the east coast. East Coast Vineyards did not grow at near the same speed as their western counter parts.
This was troubling to me because I felt very alone in my endeavor. Pastor Ron had moved to Africa to do missionary work and so I had no one to guide me. The group was faithful though. We all wanted to persevere. Our hope was that the Lord would bring us through and that His Spirit would reveal to us the steps that we needed to take.
Next Up....
A Building and a Band
Monday, November 17, 2008
Revisiting the Church at Antioch
When we read the Book of Acts we often miss the great value it can bring particularly to our understanding of the development and growth in the early church. It was at a place called Antioch that people were first called Christian. Antioch(Antakya) is located on the southeastern border of modern day Turkey. When you read Acts you will notice the spontaneity by which the early church grew. The church was perpetuated because of a movement deep within the heart of the people. The body at Antioch grew much the same way our physical bodies grow from childhood. Childbirth creates family and families by their very nature cause unity and responsibility one to another. The Christians at Antioch were a combination of three types. There were many persecuted Christians that landed in Antioch after the persecution and death of Stephen. They were on a mission to spread the good news of Jesus Christ every where they traveled. There were the new born babes in Christ and there were the prophets and teachers of that particular locality who were considered the prominent local ministers.
If we could go back in time to observe and participate in the growth of the church at Antioch then we would be able to see upon our return the tremendous of amount of rubble that has been thrust upon us over that 2000 year span. The beauty of having a locality and its true believers create the identity of local church is so much healthier than dividing up communities with those that followed Luther, Wesley, or Calvin. We have divided the Body of Christ and broken the bonds of unity that God planned for us from the very beginning. We have broken up the family and so we wander around like orphans. We don't even know each other that well. Our adopted parents from our institutional style church have very often been good to us but that was not God's best for us.
Some believers today have had an Antioch type experience with a number of new births in Christ with friends and neighbors only to see them lose their unity because these small groups when birthed do not recognize the Body of Christ and end up attending the system that exists today. Their passion soon dwindles as they become a part of organized religion.
The church at Antioch can happen today if we would recognize the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is obviously not an organization. It is a living vibrant moving being under the headship of Christ that covers the whole earth. Things that are alive have spontaneity. Life is spontaneous and so is the Church. You can't organize life or spontaneity. Spontaneity makes life exciting and worth living. God knows that. We shouldn't be messin' with His plan. We should return to it.
If we could go back in time to observe and participate in the growth of the church at Antioch then we would be able to see upon our return the tremendous of amount of rubble that has been thrust upon us over that 2000 year span. The beauty of having a locality and its true believers create the identity of local church is so much healthier than dividing up communities with those that followed Luther, Wesley, or Calvin. We have divided the Body of Christ and broken the bonds of unity that God planned for us from the very beginning. We have broken up the family and so we wander around like orphans. We don't even know each other that well. Our adopted parents from our institutional style church have very often been good to us but that was not God's best for us.
Some believers today have had an Antioch type experience with a number of new births in Christ with friends and neighbors only to see them lose their unity because these small groups when birthed do not recognize the Body of Christ and end up attending the system that exists today. Their passion soon dwindles as they become a part of organized religion.
The church at Antioch can happen today if we would recognize the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is obviously not an organization. It is a living vibrant moving being under the headship of Christ that covers the whole earth. Things that are alive have spontaneity. Life is spontaneous and so is the Church. You can't organize life or spontaneity. Spontaneity makes life exciting and worth living. God knows that. We shouldn't be messin' with His plan. We should return to it.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The First Body Builders
Nah! This isn't about tightening up the abs or burning fat in the weight room. It is about building up the body of Christ. Jesus was the first apostle or "sent one". The twelve apostles that the Lord hand picked were His personal disciples. After those twelve there came an event recorded in the scriptures that still holds true today.
Acts 13:1-3
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
We all know the story about the apostle Paul. He and Barnabas were the first to be sent by the Holy Spirit. The prophets and teachers in Antioch were spoken to by the Holy Spirit. This is God's way of activating ministry. He initiates the call. He fore ordains whom He will call. The qualifications of Paul and Barnabas had nothing to do with them being chosen. Paul was a former enemy of God. God humbled Paul and his incredible conversion laid the groundwork for the incredible work that God would eventually call him to do. This is the way it is supposed to work. When God initiates the call then we have a much better chance for success as long as we are obedient to that call.
The church today is in great need for true apostolic ministry. The true body builders are the ones appointed by the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Spirits' call. It's His engagement that we so desperately need. For many of us, we see this as a dangerous path. I believe that the root of that kind of thinking comes from our inability to hear spiritually. We have not exercised our spiritual ears. We are greenhorns in the spiritual realm. We like to have control. That is our downfall. We cannot have control and reap the fruits of the Spirit.
The church will have unity when we unleash God's body builders to do His work. He has shown us how it is done. He has given us clear instruction. Lord give us the eyes and ears to see and hear your Spirit at work.
Acts 13:1-3
Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
We all know the story about the apostle Paul. He and Barnabas were the first to be sent by the Holy Spirit. The prophets and teachers in Antioch were spoken to by the Holy Spirit. This is God's way of activating ministry. He initiates the call. He fore ordains whom He will call. The qualifications of Paul and Barnabas had nothing to do with them being chosen. Paul was a former enemy of God. God humbled Paul and his incredible conversion laid the groundwork for the incredible work that God would eventually call him to do. This is the way it is supposed to work. When God initiates the call then we have a much better chance for success as long as we are obedient to that call.
The church today is in great need for true apostolic ministry. The true body builders are the ones appointed by the Holy Spirit. This is the Holy Spirits' call. It's His engagement that we so desperately need. For many of us, we see this as a dangerous path. I believe that the root of that kind of thinking comes from our inability to hear spiritually. We have not exercised our spiritual ears. We are greenhorns in the spiritual realm. We like to have control. That is our downfall. We cannot have control and reap the fruits of the Spirit.
The church will have unity when we unleash God's body builders to do His work. He has shown us how it is done. He has given us clear instruction. Lord give us the eyes and ears to see and hear your Spirit at work.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Sent or Self Appointed....
Ministry goes on everywhere in the church of Jesus Christ. A lot of it is fruitful and a lot of it is not so fruitful. In some cases it is down right futility. I have been a participant in both camps of ministry. After 36 years of examining my own path in ministry it has become increasingly clear to me that most of my self appointed ventures lacked something. I would volunteer my services all the time because I thought in some way I could help. The problem with the self appointed volunteer method is that it completely disregards the leading of the Holy Spirit. I'm sure that the forces that war against God's people love the self appointed volunteer approach to ministry. The intentions are good but we all know about the path of good intentions and who might be leading us there. As Christians we are to be followers of Christ and we are to be led by the Spirit of Christ. We cannot be presumptuous in our walk but rather we should be abiding in and hearing from God through His Spirit. The way we should do ministry has been clearly modeled through the life of Jesus.
Jesus did not volunteer to do His Father's will, He was "Sent" to do His Father's will. The word apostle means "Sent one". Jesus was the first apostle or sent one (Heb 3:1). A call from God is a commission from God. It doesn't start with us. It starts with Him. Herein lies a problem that is vastly overlooked in the church. How many are sent verses how many are self appointed or volunteered. Whenever we abdicate the Lord's pattern for anything in our life we suffer the consequences of falling short in our endeavors.
It behooves us therefore to seek a fresh start in the Spirit. The Old Testament was the time of the Father. He was for us. The New Testament was the time of Jesus. He was with us(Emmanuel). We are now living in the time of the Holy Spirit (Christ in You). We cannot neglect the Holy Spirit or we will surely fall into the trap of being self appointed in what we do. If we are weary, it may because we are operating in our own strength and our own strength in insufficient to do the work that God calls us to do. It all starts with Him. It has to or we labor in vain.
Jesus did not volunteer to do His Father's will, He was "Sent" to do His Father's will. The word apostle means "Sent one". Jesus was the first apostle or sent one (Heb 3:1). A call from God is a commission from God. It doesn't start with us. It starts with Him. Herein lies a problem that is vastly overlooked in the church. How many are sent verses how many are self appointed or volunteered. Whenever we abdicate the Lord's pattern for anything in our life we suffer the consequences of falling short in our endeavors.
It behooves us therefore to seek a fresh start in the Spirit. The Old Testament was the time of the Father. He was for us. The New Testament was the time of Jesus. He was with us(Emmanuel). We are now living in the time of the Holy Spirit (Christ in You). We cannot neglect the Holy Spirit or we will surely fall into the trap of being self appointed in what we do. If we are weary, it may because we are operating in our own strength and our own strength in insufficient to do the work that God calls us to do. It all starts with Him. It has to or we labor in vain.
Monday, November 10, 2008
The Local Church By Watchman Nee
My foundational beliefs and understanding of Christianity and the church was greatly influenced by China's Watchman Nee. I've recently been reading Nee's "Normal Christian Church Life". This is a wonderful little book about the formation of local churches and Christian community. When I read Nee's writing I am always amazed how clearly he see's and explains governmental issues in the church as well as his keen insight into life in the Spirit. Here is an excerpt from a chapter in Nee's Normal Christian Church Life.
If in a given place anyone believes on the Lord, as a matter of course he is a constituent of the church in that place; there is no further step necessary in order to make him a constituent. No subsequent joining is required of him. Provided he belongs to the Lord, he already belongs to the church in that locality; and since he already belongs to the church, his belonging cannot be made subject to any condition. If, before recognizing a believer as a member of the church, we insist that he join us, or that he resign his connection elsewhere, then "our church" is decidedly not one of the churches of God. If we impose any conditions of membership upon a believer in the locality, we are immediately in an unscriptural position, because his being a member of the local church is conditioned only by his being a believer in the locality. All the saved ones who belong to the place in which we live belong to the same church as we do. I mean by the church a scriptural church, and not a man-made organization. A local church is a church which comprises all the children of God in a given locality.
Doesn't that sound absolutely refreshing and simple? Wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up on a Sunday morning and gather together with believers in your neighborhood and local community instead of the devisive way we huddle together in our own little groups under a denominational or non-denominational label. Nee also goes on to define believer. Here is that excerpt:
How can we know who is a Christian and who is not? "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him" (Rom. 8:9). According to the Word of God, every person in whose heart Christ dwells by His Spirit is a true Christian. Christians may differ from one another in a thousand respects, but in this fundamental matter there is no difference between them: one and all have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within them.
The members of the church of Jesus Christ have the Spirit of Christ. We do not have unity with those who do not yet have the Spirit of Christ. Herein lies the problem with the American church scene. True believers are not gathering in their repective localities and so disunity occurs. We have folks organized and forced to be members of pseudo-christian communities and so there will always be constant division with the real church of Jesus Christ. The essence of what Nee is writing about in his book Normal Christian Church Life quenches my thirst for a simple understanding to the problems we face. It just sounds Normal.
If in a given place anyone believes on the Lord, as a matter of course he is a constituent of the church in that place; there is no further step necessary in order to make him a constituent. No subsequent joining is required of him. Provided he belongs to the Lord, he already belongs to the church in that locality; and since he already belongs to the church, his belonging cannot be made subject to any condition. If, before recognizing a believer as a member of the church, we insist that he join us, or that he resign his connection elsewhere, then "our church" is decidedly not one of the churches of God. If we impose any conditions of membership upon a believer in the locality, we are immediately in an unscriptural position, because his being a member of the local church is conditioned only by his being a believer in the locality. All the saved ones who belong to the place in which we live belong to the same church as we do. I mean by the church a scriptural church, and not a man-made organization. A local church is a church which comprises all the children of God in a given locality.
Doesn't that sound absolutely refreshing and simple? Wouldn't it be wonderful to wake up on a Sunday morning and gather together with believers in your neighborhood and local community instead of the devisive way we huddle together in our own little groups under a denominational or non-denominational label. Nee also goes on to define believer. Here is that excerpt:
How can we know who is a Christian and who is not? "If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not of Him" (Rom. 8:9). According to the Word of God, every person in whose heart Christ dwells by His Spirit is a true Christian. Christians may differ from one another in a thousand respects, but in this fundamental matter there is no difference between them: one and all have the Spirit of Christ dwelling within them.
The members of the church of Jesus Christ have the Spirit of Christ. We do not have unity with those who do not yet have the Spirit of Christ. Herein lies the problem with the American church scene. True believers are not gathering in their repective localities and so disunity occurs. We have folks organized and forced to be members of pseudo-christian communities and so there will always be constant division with the real church of Jesus Christ. The essence of what Nee is writing about in his book Normal Christian Church Life quenches my thirst for a simple understanding to the problems we face. It just sounds Normal.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Where is your treasure?
I have to admit that the presidential race has taken a toll on much of my thinking. Now that it is over I can see with much more clarity that the driving force behind our politics is money. The American treasure is the "American Dream" of economic fulfillment. I have lived the American dream. I have succeeded in that regard but I can readily see that the American Dream is really not what I treasure down deep in my heart. Way down deep, I treasure love and friendship. I treasure the gift of life that God has given me. I treasure my wife and family. I treasure God's grace. I treasure moments of deep passion and inspiration. I treasure the hope of the Gospel. None of these treasures depend on money. They are eternal.
The American lifestyle too often strips us of our deepest treasure. We lose ourselves in the pursuit of economic gain. When we can't find ourselves anymore then our life becomes a life of futility. The American political process is clearly in place to protect and advance the American Dream. It's obvious that the heart of America is all about its money. Christians try to infiltrate the political system to promote Christian values. This seems to be failing. You cannot legislate morality and values. They are matters of the heart.
Look at the two parties. The one on the left wants to give entitlements to the lower and middle class and make them government dependent. The one on the right wants us to become self dependent and free from government control to pursue the American dream. Either way you look at it, the focus is centered on what we do with our money.
We have unconsciously created a false treasure. A treasure that we cannot keep. Yes we can hand it down but is that the best inheritance for our children or are we just pushing them deeper into the cycle of economic gain.
I have learned from this election that I need to pursue real treasure. I want nothing more in life than valued friendship and the Lord's purpose for me with the years that I have left on this earth. I pray that all who read this will pursue the same and not be too caught up one way or another with the American political process.
Render to Caesar what is Caesars but more importantly render to the Lord what is the Lords. His treasures are eternal.
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
The American lifestyle too often strips us of our deepest treasure. We lose ourselves in the pursuit of economic gain. When we can't find ourselves anymore then our life becomes a life of futility. The American political process is clearly in place to protect and advance the American Dream. It's obvious that the heart of America is all about its money. Christians try to infiltrate the political system to promote Christian values. This seems to be failing. You cannot legislate morality and values. They are matters of the heart.
Look at the two parties. The one on the left wants to give entitlements to the lower and middle class and make them government dependent. The one on the right wants us to become self dependent and free from government control to pursue the American dream. Either way you look at it, the focus is centered on what we do with our money.
We have unconsciously created a false treasure. A treasure that we cannot keep. Yes we can hand it down but is that the best inheritance for our children or are we just pushing them deeper into the cycle of economic gain.
I have learned from this election that I need to pursue real treasure. I want nothing more in life than valued friendship and the Lord's purpose for me with the years that I have left on this earth. I pray that all who read this will pursue the same and not be too caught up one way or another with the American political process.
Render to Caesar what is Caesars but more importantly render to the Lord what is the Lords. His treasures are eternal.
Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also
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