How Do We Relate?

How do we as the church and as christians remain relevant to the world and increase our ability to reach the unbelievers….and not compromise the Gospel and the msg of Christ?
Thoughts?

Healer

Not sure if you have heard about the recent controversy about the song Healer that is on the new Hillsong album “This is Our God”.  The first time I heard the song, I was blown away.  But then when I saw the testimony of the songwriters story I was even more moved.

It was heart breaking to hear that the songwriter had deceived his family and the Hillsong team and had faked having terminal cancer to promote his song….to be honest I wanted to stop doing the song here at our church and wanted to burn the chord chart and lyrics….

But two things have happened that has since made me reconsider and fall in love w/ the song again…

1)  God spoke to my heart….He always knows what to say…how to say it…and the best time to say it….He simply said….”Does His deception change the truth of the Song…Read the Words….and ask yourself if what the words say are not still true….”

The bible says “Let God be true…and every man a lier”

2)  A friend told me of a video response to the situation where one girl simply stated….The song was still inspired by God….even if cancer wasn’t the disease God wanted to heal in him….

Obviously the songwriter had some issues….as do most humans…and the truth is that God wants to heal us all of what ever ails us….

No matter what humanity does or doesn’t do….will never change the truth of God and His word…will never change His faithfulness…and will never change His love for us…God is our Healer….

Here is the video interview that followed the scandal….

What seperates success and failure?

that is my question….What serperates those that  succeed and those that fail.  Is there 1 golden key to success.  Is there a certain formula to rise above.  What does it even mean to succeed. Very interested in your thoughts.
I look forward to learning from our discussion

UNCHRISTIAN

Read a few of the stats from unchristian.com and was absolutely blown away….go read the summary and see what you think….also saw this interview…The Church has a lot of work to do…

What are your thoughts…

What does it mean?

I have had a revelation that will tie the last few questions I have asked together….but before I reveal this revelation…I have 1 more question…

Phil. 4:19   And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
I want your thoughts on this…..what are “His Riches in Christ Jesus“?

I will explain my thoughts soon…until then leave your thoughts…I am positive I have much to learn from you on the meaning of this….

Questions continued

What is one thing you could do…to add value to someone else’s life….make their life better…

and when i say…add value…i am not referring to their monetary value…I am talking about lifting their level of living….

Question 2

What could someone do for you, to add value to your life?

My first question…I noticed that most of what would make our life better…was in our own control..had the power to do something about it…so now I want us to think outside our own control or ability…what could others do for us to make our life better….

I will make a point soon….

Can I ask You a question?

What would add value to your life?  What is the top 2 or 3 things that would just make your life better?

Just curious.

dead or alive…how do those in your world want you?

Prov. 11:10(amp)

10When it goes well with the [uncompromisingly] righteous, the city rejoices, but when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.

I am sure that you have read this verse before.  I have heard this from time to time and have just never given it much thought.  But recently I have found myself asking why?

Why does the city rejoice? Why are they excited when the righteous do well and find good things in life?  Why do they celebrate when the rotten of life take a turn for the worse and find their demise.

In my thinking and pondering I have come to this conclusion.  To be righteous means you are in “right standing w/ God” which equivocates to having a heart that is a replica of the heart of God.  People like King David where called righteous and God said of K. David that “he was a man after God’s own heart”.  When you understand the Heart of God you understand that nothing moves or touches his heart more than people and what is close to His heart determines his movement / speech / and actions. So those that have his heart…move / speak / and act like God….

So  understanding that you can now see why the city rejoices…they get excited because when the Righteous do well in life…The righteous never live this posh life that is self absorbed w/ only having more and more and more, but they instead live w/ a sense of responsibility that causes them to live a life consumed w/ helping others.  As they prosper and find success they live to help those that are around them prosper and find success.  They lived the “blessed to be a blessing” life and not the “blessed to be more blessed so that I can be more blessed than you” life. They live w/ a responsibility to help others.

The city shouts when the rotten perish because the reverse is true of them…they live a self absorbed / consumer life that only sucks the life out of or at the very least the joy out of life for those around them.

So which are you…are the people around you Shouting for joy you are around or wishing you would die?  Tough question but might help you realign your life….are you consumed w/ helping others or a consumer sucking the life out of them?

Thoughts…

Will Work for Food

I have been listening to several Teachings by Paul Scanlon. I highly recommend you get your hands on anything he has available, it will add value to your life. The focus of his most recent set of teachings, on the topic of becoming a Church that is a Soul Winning Machine and NOT a Machine w/ Soul Winning Parts, has very much inspired me.

Thinking on this teaching…has led to a revelation that I would like to share w/ you today.

The Gospels record an encounter between Jesus and a now well known Samaritan woman. The story is recorded and the encounter leads to the woman’s life being forever changed. His disciples, having left for a while to run down to the local restaurant for a bite to eat, brought some food back for Jesus. The words that came out of Jesus’ mouth next are profound….He basically says…No thanks…not Hungry….I have a source of being fulfilled and satisfied that you don’t YET understand…I have food you don’t know about……

I put the “YET” in there and think that Jesus knew that he was modeling what he hoped they would catch and would hopefully follow His lead…

In other words Jesus was saying “I have been fulfilled by sharing my faith w/ another person and seeing that life touch it has brought a satisfaction that only those who do what I have done will ever

experience….

After pondering this encounter for a time…my mind shifted to another verse that I have never heard spoken in context w/ this story…and has opened a new thought for me…

In Paul Scanlon’s teaching on being a Soul Winning Machine….it is all dependent on each member of the Church feeling an internal not external accountability and responsibility for the lost. We have to feel responsible…we have to feel like it is our mission…not a  matter who we are or what we do for career…not a matter of status….we must reach out to those that God has put in our world…it is not a question of if you are good at sharing your faith…not a question of if it is your gift…not a question of if you feel comfortable doing it…not an issue of joining a program or outreach ministry…but it is a question of “Do I feel responsible?”

Now for the verse I spoke of earlier…

“If you don’t work, you don’t eat.” And now we’re getting reports that a bunch of lazy good-for-nothings are taking advantage of you. This must not be tolerated. We command them to get to work immediately—no excuses, no arguments—and earn their own keep. Friends, don’t slack off in doing your duty. 2 Thess. 3:10-13 (msg)

We have to realize that reaching a lost world is Work….and work is sometimes hard…uncomfortable…sweaty…awkward…but because we feel responsible…because we have been entrusted w/ a task…we get the job done…we find a way to accomplish what is needed….and there is always a payoff….our paycheck and the self satisfaction of a job well done….

Jesus experienced the payoff for the work of reaching out to a hurting lost world….and that is what He was referring to when he told His disciples…”no thanks…I have already eaten…Got the payoff….I have helped someone find a new direction in life…”

So here is the point….

If you don’t work at reaching a lost world….don’t overcome the awkwardness or weirdness…don’t step out of your comfort zone….You won’t eat….You won’t find the payoff…won’t feel the satisfaction of being used to change a life….

The big question is… “DO YOU FEEL RESPONSIBLE” because if you don’t….YOU WON’T….if you do…..YOU WILL

thoughts? / comments