Out of control. It just sounds bad. For most of us it just feels all wrong. Most of us are not control freaks, but most of us equate a little control with safety, if not survival. I feel it about my kids sometimes, “they might get hurt if I don’t control… ” – A lot of us feel it about our self -”I might get hurt if I’m not in control of…”, both true.
But what if God was in control? What would that feel like. We all say we would like that (after all we are good Christians) but do we really want a God coming out of nowhere and taking over stuff? Our stuff. What if God said “I’m going this way, change direction and follow me.” What if he said “I want to change the way you think about being a believer,” or “I want you to quit spending so much time at work” or “take lunch to that drunk” or “Your church life is a drag, lets change it”.
God is changing things. God is bringing together a ragtag bunch of spiritual warriors who will have done with all the usual distractions and enter the rhythm of prayer and power – and strongholds will come down. We are laying aside all other motives, honorable or not, and deferring to God’s call for our lives and our city.
“It’s a frightening thing when you blink and discover that you’re in a speeding car but no longer driving. It’s scary to realize that God is moving and you are somehow caught up in something much bigger than you could possibly have known.” (Red Moon Rising, Greig/Roberts)
There are people all around you that are beginning to welcome this reality into their lives. God is calling people to turn over the controls and people are responding.
Doesn’t look like church? “A revival is something that can only be explained by the direct action and intervention of God…these events belong to the order of things that men cannot produce…and if you can explain what is happening…then it is not revival.” – Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

A lot of people have been asking how the church should approach the role of the pastor. It has been alarming how many church people have no Biblical understanding of this. Mel Menkle does a good job of summarizing this here at Author’s Den. Please take a look at it and share! My only concern is breaking that horrendous mindset that sees this as a position, not a calling. Even when Mel Menkle talks about a Bishop (overseer) most of us will think of a manager at the top of the pyramid, in a position we have created, educated according to the rules, pays his annual ordination fee, does a good enough job that he doesn’t get fired. Truth is, a bishop is an elder that God is using to minister to other’s. Not some position we have created and filled. Philippi had multiple people referred to as bishops or “overseers”. These men, “elders” certainly did not all have the same gifts or same abilities (and all certainly functioned mostly in their areas of giftedness), They were all called by the Holy Spirit to be spiritual leaders of God’s flock (Acts 20:28). This calling is recognizable by apostolic standards (2 Cor 8:16). Appointing was made by men with true apostolic calling. From a practical point of view you know them them by their spirit (1 John 4:1 – does not mean by the degree of comfort with your human spirit, but the homogeneity with the Holy Spirit).They bear spiritual fruit, have spiritual authority, move the flock towards the living God. Someone with this calling burning in their heart will certainly not be distracted by buildings, finances, waiting tables and rummage sales.
When God’s man is in a place and ministry that God has called him into, there is accountability. When it’s not a God thing, when we do it our own way none of this is necessarily true. The 12 tried this once and we have no idea how things went for Matthias (Act 1), apparently not much came of it. When God chose a man things happened!

p.s. Some of the most unlikely, ragtag people are shepherding God’s flock with true love and spiritual authority. At this very moment God is raising up a generation of leaders. It’s not about some “official” “church” position, it’s a function, a ministry – ordained by God and not by men. At best we recognize what God is doing and engage these called people in the body. Yes, leadership is needed, but it is God doing the calling.

I woke to new day #4 feeling a little heavy, mostly just because of my concerns for the needs of my family and the unknowns of how I will be providing for them.  Then I started reading…. where Paul told the body to be devoted to prayer, watchful and thankful. Col 4:2

Keep reading.  When he mentioned his (and his ministry partners) personal needs it was all about an “open door for our message” and his ability to proclaim it clearly. You know what it’s like when the Holy Spirit comes in the room and settles in to counsel with you? The hair is still standing on the back of my neck.

This is what Janelle and I have always believed our calling to be about, and if so then why wouldn’t we welcome God to make everything in our life supportive of this purpose. Oh sure, it was easier when we were twenty and we could live in our car, but the only thing that has changed is us. The call of God is still the same, and the need for it is greater. Maybe the situation we were in before was a closed door for the message … and God is answering our prayer right now.

My heart is so full of worship. What an amazing God.

I have been the pastor of a small older church for 5 years. The direction of about 10% of the body is opposite of myself, (I am instinctively drawn to making disciples and reaching out to unbelievers, a number of folks here are uncomfortable with all that). I suggested that the leaders designate me as an interim pastor so that they could start a pastoral search. They were without a pastor for over a year before, and I thought it was the honorable thing to do and would get us thinking positively about it. I also thought we were friends with good relationships and a sense of trust. I was approached yesterday and told to take my stuff and go now-  as in today. Yesterday became a crazy day as we moved both my wife’s (best CE person I have ever know) and my operation out of their building, it’s amazing how much stuff you have in your office, all now in my crowded living room! I think my head has stopped spinning by this morning. Now I’m sitting here grasping what happened yesterday.
I guess I had kind of a gut check that this could happen, a couple of the guys have been in that place, but it really hurts that they had no consideration whatsoever for the devastating impact this would have on my beautiful family. I am now trying to tell my children that church does not suck.
One of the leaders made a stunning statement as I was leaving the building. Referring to an elderly handful of people that had abandoned the church because of the usual things, (a sermon was 5-10 minutes too long, didn’t like the music, communion wasn’t done right), he said they: “are the people that need us most.” … I thought people going to hell needed us most.
This to me is a breathtaking statement. These people whom he said need us most are Christians, strong, prosperous, pretty healthy, resentful Christians.
God had lately given this little church a tremendous calling, and as is usually the case, we have seen the fruit right before our eyes. We have seen souls come into the kingdom in the last few months, it has been so exciting. But the leaders have decided that the folks that have been saved most of their lives, and that have abandoned the work because they didn’t like the songs 2 weeks in a row should be the consuming (and it is going to be consuming) focus of the church’s ministry.
And all those neighbors who are destined to go to hell unless they are reached for Christ? I guess they’re not our problem!
As a shepherd I have been putting a little pressure on leaders to be spiritual leaders over God’s flock, not just buildings and rummage sales, I guess they’ve just had enough. It is a very unhealthy body, and has been since long before my time. I’m wondering if it would please God more to confront reality than to sweep it under the rug in the name of unity. Oh well, not my problem any more.
It’s hard to let go when you have been a shepherd. But as I sit here I am beginning to feel a little more liberty in my spirit, what can I do today?

I think I’ll start by listening to this:

“Your love is teaching me how to kneel” – Vertigo – U2

The annual report can be seen here Trafficking in Persons Report 2008.

I am no expert on Human trafficking – this is a truly heart-wrenching reality.

Did you know that 12.3 million people are in forced labor, forced child labor and sexual servitude. 800,000 people are trafficked across national borders a year, 70-80% women and 50% minors.  Enslavement within the borders of one’s own country is a gargantuan problem.

It is a $5 Billion to $9 Billion a year (Wikipedia) business.

From the Report:

The TVPA defines “severe forms of trafficking” as:

a. sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such an act has not attained 18 years of age; or b. the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.

A victim need not be physically transported from one location to another in order for the crime to fall within these definitions.

An incredibly complicated problem, not to be helped by UN Peacekeepers (anybody surprised?) whose presence increases sex-trafficking prostitution (Refugees International). As you might expect UN is initiating a “series of reforms” to address the problem among its 100,000 people in the field. Bleh.

Find something to do about. Not For Sale. Stop the Traffic. If you know of effective/trustworthy org’s, (especially from Christian perspective) that are involved in helping please leave a comment.

The other day I heard a couple Christian people talking about ‘people of faith’ and the 08 election. One of them made this stunning comment, “You know we could lose again.”

We could lose again?

If I could be facetious for just a moment: Surely you realize that Barak loves you, so does John, not to mention Mike, Ron and Hill, and probably Ralph and Cindy.

80’s retro Billy Squire (From the days of Ron R and Jimmy C)

Salvation Station.

Larry Norman: God Part III

]

]

Larry Norman died on Feb 24, his brother Charles posted this message LarryNorman.com the following day from Larry:

“Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away at 2:45 Sunday morning. Kristin and I were with him, holding his hands and sitting in bed with him when his heart finally slowed to a stop. We spent this past week laughing, singing, and praying with him, and all the while he had us taking notes on new song ideas and instructions on how to continue his ministry and art.

“Yesterday afternoon he knew he was going to go home to God very soon and he dictated the following message to you while his friend Allen Fleming typed these words into Larry’s computer:

I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God’s hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.

My brother Charles is right, I won’t be here much longer. I can’t do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help.

My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement, transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc. However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you.

I’d like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.

Goodbye, farewell, we’ll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.
—Larry

Kim Walker – How He Loves Us

]

Or whatever – maybe you lied or stole or maybe lust (same as adultery per Jesus) or hate (same as murder) …. Truth about you and me is that we are guilty of breaking laws that God said would never change. We’re not guilty because we’re bad or worthless, shoot…Jesus thinks your so worthwhile He died for you. We are guilty because we broke the laws. It’s kinda weird that we get this “there is no Law” thing going on – like God changed the rules for us cause we’re different, when the truth is that the one thing that changed is that our fines are being paid by someone who loves us.
This is love, this is Jesus being glorious. He took the punishment for us and if we’re walking in faith in Him were guiltless because of His actions.
Isn’t it also kinda weird that we translate “Jesus does it all” (true) into we pretend it’s not there (insane). Or is it like saying we believe He died for something that’s not all that important, at least not us?
When it becomes important to us we are very close to that thing called repentance. And repentance is the first step to the most mind-blowing life-fixing experience in the universe.

We Cry Out

The following are not my words – they are pasted right outa What Would Jesus Blog? at Blogspot:

“Every so often, somebody likes to yell at Me in My blog comments. Rarely do I respond via this blog. However, I would like to respond a recent comment, which I have copied and pasted below. The comment was as follows:

IF GOD REALLY DOES EXSIT WHY IS IT THAT HE MAKES UP SUFFER AND IF HE IS REAL WHY DOES HE GIVE US EMOTIONS WHEN SOME OF THEM WILL HURT US OR THE PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT. WHY IS IT THAT HE GIVES US LIFE AND LITTLE HAPPINESS BUT TAKES AWAY LIFE AND OUR HAPPINESS WHEN WE ARE GLAD TO HAVE WHAT WE HAVE AND HE TAKES IT AWAY. I SAY THAT IF GOD REALLY LOVED US HE WOULDN’T MAKE US SUFFER AND WOULDN’T TAKE AWAY THE THINGS OR THE PEOPLE WE CARE ABOUT THE MOST.

And now, My response…

Dear Anonymous,
I have created your world and your life. I have loved you ever since I made you in a special place. While creating you, I placed in your heart a set of morals. I remember the morals which I gave you, and I remember specifically placing in those morals the rules of when and when not to excessively use your caps lock key. You clearly went against your own heart which I made for you when you went against your better judgment and typed your whole comment in capitol letters. You know this is wrong, and yet you do it anyway.

Unfortunately, Anonymous, you live in a world surrounded by people that go against the seeds of righteousness I have planted in their hearts. When the world turned against Me, the world fell apart. Why the suffering? Why the Hurt? Why the excessive use of the caps lock key? The answer is only three letters long… S.I.N.

I’m sorry that you have to wrestle about Me in a world so screwed up. The good news is I did something about it. I’ve created a place better than where you’re stuck, a place where suffering doesn’t even exist. I also made a way for you to get up here. If you want in, and believe in Me you do, then calm down on your caps lock key and keep searching for the truth. At the end of your journey, you’ll find Me with My arms spread wide open. That’s a cross reference, get it?

I died for you. I died for your excessive caps lock key use. I died for your anger. I’m sorry you are hurting. You won’t be much longer. I love you. Read My biography and we’ll chat.

Jesus Christ

Anybody else got anything they want to vent My way? Drop Me a line and maybe I’ll respond back in blog format. posted by wwjblog @ Monday, January 07, 2008″