Why The Bible ROCKS!

I'm off to Melbourne today to go to the Auzzie National Apostolic Conference. I will endeavor to keep posting daily... but if I don't quiet keep up, please do keep checking in. I'm sure I'll have lots of exciting things to share!

Today I wanted to share an exert from Rob Bell's book called Velvet Elvis (pg 59-60). Its a boomer of a book, and if you haven't already got a copy... go and get one!

So the exodus is the Israelites' story, but it is also our story. It happened then; it happens now.

In fact, in a Jewish synagogue to this day, you will probably hear kids taught the story of exodus as their story. A friend of mine recently heard a Jewish kid say, "We were slaves in Egypt and Moses led us out, and we complained in the wilderness."

This is why the Bible is still so powerful: These ancient stories are our stories. These stories are reflective of how things are.

And this is why the Bible loses its power for so many communities. They fall into the trap of thinking that the Bible is just about things that happened a long time ago.
But the Bible is about today.

These stories are our stories. They are alive and active and teaching us about our lives in our world, today.

The Rabbis spoke of the text being like a gem with seventy faces, and each time you turn the gem, the light refracts differently, giving you a reflection that you haven't seen before. And so we turn the text again and again because we keep seeing things we missed the time before.

I was talking to a pastor several years ago who was preparing a sermon, and I asked him if he was ready to give it. He said, "Oh yeah, I've got this passage nailed." How is that possible?

When you embrace the text as living and active, when you enter into its story, when you keep turning the gem, you never come to the end.

May you & I continually delight in God's Word with an ever increasing intensity as the days roll by!


I look forward to your comments!

Ministering In The Spirit

As Pentecostals when we think of ministering in the Spirit, we think of people falling under the power of God... we think of people receiving words from God... receiving healings etc.
And while these are all valid and incredible ways of ministering in the Spirit... there is so much more.

Everyday we are ministering to people. Most of us aren't even aware of it.
"When was I on the stage preaching... when was I upfront praying for people... or counseling people?" I hear you ask.
We have such a limited view of ministering!

Think of the countless times you have approached a cashier... usually they aren't over friendly... their job is monotonous and they have to put up with grumpy customers.
You have several choices available to you:

• You can totally ignore them...
• You can get irritated with their vacant stare and disinterested state...
  
• Or you can change their day... bless them... lift their spirits
  

In all these 3 examples, you would have ministered to that person...
The question is never 'did' you minister... but rather 'what' did you minister!

Gal 5:22-25 ESV
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
(24) And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
(25) If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.

We are called to minister love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...

When I go up to that cashier, whatever mood I am in... grumpy, uninterested, loving... that is the mood I will serve up to the cashier when they come into my 'space'.

Haven't you ever met people in a foul mood... it didn't take you 5 seconds to pick it up and it didn't take you 5 more seconds to react to their mood... to put your defenses up... possibly to even retaliate... joining them in their mood!
They served you up their mood.
And we can do the same! Except we have the opportunity to serve up 'God's mood' - the fruits of the Holy Spirit!

Next time you face that person in a fowl mood ask yourself, "How do You feel about this person Lord?"
"If I was filled with your love for this person... what would that feel like?"
"How would you like me to serve this person Lord?"
Can you imagine if you mediated on these questions / feelings how you would be able to serve up God's moods to the fowl mooded person. Can you imagine how infectious your mood would be?
Now thats being Jesus in the flesh to that person!

Let me ask you... what are you ministering?
To minister 'God's mood' all we need to do is switch our focus off of ourselves & others... and focus on God... & spend a few seconds meditating on 'His mood'.
Its that simple! I can do it, and so can you.

I challenge you to apply this challenge for just one day... and see how you can minister to people in an awesome way.



Let me know what you thought and how your one day challenge went!

My Next Messages

These are the thoughts I have lined up for the next few messages.
I'd love your thoughts and input into my messages!

SHAPE:
Tackling the subject of burnout... and self leadership.
Is burnout caused by working too hard... or is it something else all together?
What is the cost of leading a visionary life?

Jer 12:5 CEV
(5) Jeremiah, if you get tired in a race against people, how can you possibly run against horses? If you fall in open fields, what will happen in the forest along the Jordan River?

Mat 10:37-39 CEV
(37) If you love your father or mother or even your sons and daughters more than me, you are not fit to be my disciples.
(38) And unless you are willing to take up your cross and come with me, you are not fit to be my disciples.
(39) If you try to save your life, you will lose it. But if you give it up for me, you will surely find it.


7pm SERVICE PERP:
Grace but not as you know it... I'm not talking about the forgiveness stuff... I'm talking about having the KAZAM to live life out of God's strength and not ours! Stop trying in your own human wisdom and strength to live right... and live out of God's wisdom and strength.
How do we do this?

Php 2:12-13 CEV
(12) My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved.
(13) God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him.

2Co 12:9 MSG
(9) and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness. Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness.


7pm SERVICE PERP:
What am I ministering to the world... my moods or the fruit of the Spirit?
What I feel... I serve.
How can I get over myself and walk in these fruits of the Holy Spirit?

Gal 5:22-23 ESV
(22) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(23) gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.




Please don't forget to share your thoughts and input into my messages! ie. COMMENT!

Can You Feel It?

I was privileged enough to spend 1 1/2 hours in the car today with Shane Willard

I thought I'd share one of the gems that we spoke about:

You can only serve what you feel...

ie. If you are in a really really foul mood... what do you serve up to people?
If you are really lost in your own self importance... what do you serve up to people?
If you are ecstatically joyful... what do you serve up to people?

If I am feeling miserable and depressed... is it possible for me to serve up joy to those I come into contact with (even if I do plaster on the fake smile and jovial platitudes)?
No... I serve up what I am feeling!

So how do we change our feelings?
We must meditate / think on the feelings that we are after!
eg. If I am stuck in traffic and I'm getting really ticked off... I am faced with some choices.
Either I can give into the irritation and become irate and do a whole bunch of things that I may later regret...
Or I can ask myself this question, "How does God feel right now?"
I then begin to sense God's calmness... peace...
I can then take that further by asking myself, "How would I feel if God's calmness and peace enveloped me right now?"

How do you think that you would begin to feel in this situation if you meditated correctly?

The western mindset has really scoffed at the whole 'feelings' thing... guys especially try and stay well clear of that subject. We have exalted the stoic philosophy's cutting out emotion and exalting logic...
But this is not the Eastern mindset (from which the Bible has been written) at all!
Its only in the western thinking that we could write a paper on God's attributes and think about grabbing a MacDonalds after...
An Eastern minded person would be caught up in the feeling of the majesty of God! Just look at the Psalms!

Anyway... I'm rambling now... just do yourself a favour... spend a few minutes... and begin asking God how He feels... about you! Get ready to have your world ROCKED!!!


If you tried the exercise... please leave a comment and let me know about your experience!!!

Doing God's Will

Knowing God's will for your life is all the rage now days... we all want to know what next steps God wants us to take as we journey through life... (and so we wait... and wait... and wait).

But how much does the Bible really talk about us 'waiting' on His will.
For example, Paul on his 2nd missionary journey in Acts 16 seems to more just forge a path, and if God doesn't open doors... then he tries else where.

There is far more in the Bible about God's revealed will... yet thats not such a hot topic. But we qualify ourselves for the specifics by following the general I believe.
So what is God's revealed will for all of us? I believe that there are 4 things that God wills of each of us:

1) To be sanctified (ie. that we live according to God's standard... esp sexually).
Check out 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8 & 1 Peter 2:15.

2) To be joyful always through continual prayer and thanksgiving.
Check out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

3) That we be (daily) filled with the Holy Spirit.
Check out Ephesians 5:17 - 18

4) That all are saved (and therefore that I invest my life in sharing Jesus with others).
Check out Matthew 18:14 & 2 Peter 3:9

I have by no means made a comprehensive study on God's will... but I think what I have looked at thus far is worth thinking about.

Some questions for you to ponder:

• How often in your life has God directly revealed to you what 'step' you must take next? (what could that mean in the light of our discussion?)
  
• Do you think that God wants to lead your every step, or should we be taking initiative and looking for God's guidance as we move?
• What Biblical evidence do you have to support your thoughts?
• Why do you think that God chose these 4 things to be such a high priority for each of our lives?
• Aren't these 4 our biggest struggles generally?

I would love to hear your ponderings...

10 Observations From Churches Who Get It

This is an article taken from Monday Morning Insight.

Ten Observations from Churches Who “Get It”

It has been my extreme privilege during the past month or so to visit some great churches… some churches that are really firing on all cylinders. I was thinking about my visits the past few days and decided that there were some similarities in these churches that I really should write down. At least six of these churches have reported over 250 decisions for Christ over the past year. In my opinion, with that many conversions per year, that should place these churches in at least the top 5% of churches who are making a real Kingdom impact in the country today. Here are some serious (and not so serious) observations about these churches:

1. Each church has a pastor with a vision. And it’s not just that these pastors have a vision… it’s that they have a gift for communicating that vision to their staff and their entire church. While it might not be a surprise to anyone that churches that ‘get it’ have pastors who ‘get it’, it is a glaring similarity among these churches: their pastors are great leaders with a great vision.

2. Each church hires almost exclusively from within. Most every staff member of these churches was hired from within. When asked if this was intentional, most said that it was. Here’s the deal: most of these churches do a tremendous job of training leaders and empowering people in ministry. When that happens, the cream rises to the top, and that’s how they find their best staff people. Most do not have church staff experience, but rather bring their expertise from another area of business or commerce. And, I have to say, these are some sharp people.

3. Speaking of staff, the staff of these churches ‘get it’ too. The staff in these churches are very loyal to their church and to their leadership. These are people that have a long history with the church; and they are totally sold on the mission, vision and values of their church. They also view their job not only as to serve God, and the church; but also to come along side and support the vision and leadership of the senior pastor. These churches have very loyal staff.

4. A larger percentage of their staff (or staff wives) are pregnant. Just an observation here… but there are a lot of staff pregnancies at these churches. I’ve done no official polling or investigation here… it’s just a trend I’m seeing in these churches that ‘get it’.

5. These churches and pastors don’t have a clue what they’re doing. No really… more than one of the senior pastors told me something to the effect of “I really have no idea what I’m doing.” But, they’re having a great time doing it! Most of these leaders have never led a church larger than what they’re currently pastoring. One pastor said, “I’ve never even attended a church like this one.” They expressed the amount of faith they need to place in God just to lead where they are. In other words, they don’t have it all figured out!

6. Since they don’t have it all figured out, these pastors all shared with me their desire to connect with other leaders who can help mentor them. Each and every leader I’ve spoken to has asked in one way or another, “Who are some people that you think I should talk with?” In other words… who are the people out there that can help mentor me? Another encouraging thing is that these pastors are also excited about mentoring others.

7. These churches are not shy about sharing resources. Each one of these churches that I visited share their stuff with others freely. These aren’t a group of stingy churches… they are sold on their mission; and at the same time want to help other churches and their leaders however they can. Some are becoming ‘teaching churches’ who actively put the ‘helping other churches’ right in their DNA as a part of their identity and mission.

8. Most all of these pastors are bloggers. Not sure what the correlation is here; but four out of the six senior pastors are active bloggers. Some blog more to their church audience; others blog for other church leaders. Many of these churches have multiple church staff blogs. And the influence of their blogs and voice is expanding.

9. These churches are not afraid to make tough calls. If they see a ministry that needs cut, they’ll cut it. A staff member that’s not pulling his/her weight? They’ll reassign them or help ‘free their future’. They are not afraid to make gutsy and/or controversial calls. And best of all, it is their vision and mission that make these decisions, according to them, much easier.

10. Numbers are important to them. Each and every one of them. Because each person represents someone that Jesus died for, they make an effort to count that person because that person matters. While numbers is not the end-all measurement; it does provide insight into the amount of ministry and serves as one stat to how well you are achieving your ministry goals. As I said, each of these churches have counted at least 250 conversions in the past year. That’s something to count and get excited about.

Am I saying that these churches are flawless? Not by any means. And their pastors would tell you the same thing. I am saying that after visiting these churches fairly closely together that these are some of the common threads that I see. Take them for what they are worth, and see how many of these things these churches have in common with your church. It could be an interesting exercise!

About the Author: Todd Rhoades is the Managing Editor and Publisher of MondayMorningInsight.com (MMI as most of us know it). Besides spending a good amount of time maintaining this website, Todd is on the staff of Leadership Network, helping large churches to better connect, innovate, and multiply what they do best. Todd was also the founder of ChurchStaffing.com, until he sold the site in 2005. Todd lives with his wife, Dawn, and four children in Bryan, OH. He can be reached at trhoades@mondaymorninginsight.com.

So how does your church rate?

I personally feel great about insight #5... its not the first time I've heard it, but it encourages me every time!

What are your thought on these 10 observations?

Its About What You Do, Not What You Know...

This is a great article on cultivating generosity in your life... you can check other articles like these at the Ask Moses website.

Pushka Power
by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman

What makes a Jewish house Jewish? Well, there’s a Mezuzah on the doorpost and books of Jewish wisdom on the shelves. Guests are welcome, and when a needy soul knocks on the door, he doesn’t go away empty-handed. And then there’s a little box or tin can sitting on a counter somewhere. Every day, a little spare change gets dropped in there, plus a few more coins just before Shabbat. When it’s full, it goes to whichever good cause the family chooses.

It could be there’s a top-of-the-line entertainment system in this house; maybe a leading-edge computer, along with many expensive appliances and gadgets. But none has as great an impact on people’s lives, or fills the house with as much meaning and adds as much beauty as the pushka (Yiddish for “little box”).

There are, of course, other ways to give charity. What’s so special about the pushka?

Every Day
“How often,” said the 12th-century sage Maimonides, “is more important than how much.”

Why? Because when you write a check for $365, a good cause gets another $365. But give a dollar every day for 365 days—and your hand becomes a giving hand. As an anonymous Jewish sage wrote, “A person is more influenced by the things he does than by the knowledge he is taught.”

We are no more than treasurers. Everything that comes through our hands is given us in order to use for good things

So if you want to pick yourself up, get into some elevated habits—like dropping coins in a box.

Holy Space
And it’s not just you—your pushka will pick up your living space as well. “A charity box in a home or office redefines the entire space,” the Lubavitcher Rebbe taught. “It is no longer just a home, just an office. It is a center of kindness and caring.”

That is why the Rebbe suggested making a pushka box a permanent fixture in your home or office. Affix it to a wall, or more correctly: affix your house to it.

High Time
Then there’s your time. Time needs to be elevated, too. One action elevates the time in which it was done. Many actions—even if they are small—elevate so many more moments. That’s why the Baal Shem Tov taught, “Don’t let a day go by without its own act of giving.”

The Kabbalists refer to this as “elevating time, space, and person.” Or you can just call it “making a better world.”

No Charity, Please
Charity, everyone knows, means being a nice guy and giving your money to someone with less. That’s why, in Jewish tradition, we never give charity. It’s unheard of.

Our sages teach that whatever we have doesn’t really belong to us. We are no more than treasurers. Everything that comes through our hands is given us in order to use for good things, such as educating our kids, or nourishing our body with Kosher and healthy food, or giving to people who are short on what they need.

That’s why in Jewish tradition we call it “giving Tzedakah.” Tzedakah means “doing the right thing.” Putting your stuff where it really belongs. That’s where your money will reap you the most benefit and bring you the most good—because that’s where it’s meant to be.

Republished with permission from www.kosherspirit.com.

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I would love to hear your thoughts on this article...