The leader I want to be and develop in others

Luke 10:1-2
After this, the Lord appointed 70 other disciples and was about to send them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place that he intended to go. So he instructed them, “The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers out into his harvest.

This scripture came to mind today. As I was in prayer and thinking about what Jesus was doing, I was amazed by the leadership of Jesus. Who Jesus was and the gifts He brought to any circumstance weren't ever seen by him as "for him", but instead He desired to impart these gifts for the work of the ministry and to see people discipled and actively working in these gifts. He held nothing for himself!
It's easy when gifted in a certain realm to become very self focused.

"God has gifted me for the purpose He has made me for."

The difference between a self focused person and a people focused leader is that you no longer see yourself as the tool, but the equipper. It becomes less about you and more about equipping those around you to do the work of the ministry! As leaders, we are called to pour out to those we lead the very giftings we posess. Jesus did!
The word appoint in this text is:

to proclaim any one as elected to office
to announce as appointed a king, general, etc.
to lift up anything on high and exhibit it for all to behold

Jesus is placing these disciples in way to give them the same authority and gifts that He has by position. Not that they share the position of Jesus, but they carry all the authority and power by His name as appointed ones. He empowers them to fully realize that He has equipped them to the same work in the same giftings He carries!
Jesus was an equipping leader holding nothing back for himself.
When is amazing about this type of Godly leadership is that we see people being empowered and excited to be apart of Gods plan in any given moment of service.

Luke 10:17-20
The 70 disciples came back and joyously reported, “Lord, even the demons are submitting to us in your name!”
He told them, “I watched Satan falling from heaven like lightning. Look! I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to destroy all the enemy’s power, and nothing will ever hurt you. However, stop rejoicing because the spirits are submitting to you. Rather, rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”

These people were able, through Jesus pouring into them, to do the work of the ministry that before His appointing and discipling, they were unable to fathom. What strong reminder though to rejoice not in the things we do, but that it is all possible because we are in the will of God! Rejoicing in our relationship with God from whom all blessings and gifts flow!
I want to be a leader that has a legacy of holding nothing for myself, but instead pouring out everything I have been given into those God has given me to lead. If you are a leader, it's a valid question to ask yourself,

"Who has been lifted up in your care? Who has seen untapped potential became a reality for the work of the Kingdom? Who has walked in the places you have walked and came back rejoicing because they have seen the previously impossible become possible because you poured into people the same way Jesus did?"

Don't be a leader who buries what God has given to you deep within yourself.....when God has given you position to plant that seed deep within those around you!

Ephesians 4:11-16
And it is he who gifted some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, and still others to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints, to do the work of ministry, and to build up the body of the Messiah until all of us are united in the faith and in the full knowledge of God’s Son, and until we attain mature adulthood and the full standard of development in the Messiah. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed like waves and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, or by clever strategies that would lead us astray. Instead, by speaking the truth in love, we will grow up completely and become one with the head, that is, one with the Messiah, in whom the whole body is united and held together by every ligament with which it is supplied. As each individual part does its job, the body builds itself up in love.

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Being reminded of the calling

Last night as i watched Dave Williams preach at the Dream Center, God spoke to me. I fell to my knees and began to pray, "Lord! Rekindle the fire that was once in me!" So begins this journey of study of scripture, prayer, faithfulness to my family, and living out the fullness of the call in my life. These are the two scriptures God gave me 4 years ago that started my journey to become a Pastor and teach, love, and encourage people around me.
(part of this time is not being on Facebook. Although my blog posts directly to my Facebook and twitter, I apologize in advance that I will not be able to respond to any comments on Facebook)
Reminder of what scripture God spoke to me and called me to ministry:
Isaiah 43:10-13
“You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and trust me and understand that I am the One. Before me no God was formed, nor will there be one after me.
I, yes I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.
I’ve revealed and saved and proclaimed, when there was no foreign god among you — and you are my witnesses,” declares the Lord.
“I am God; also from ancient days I am the one. And there is no one who can deliver out of my hand; when I act, who can reverse it?”
Romans 8:14-17
For all who are led by God’s Spirit are God’s children. For you have not received a spirit of slavery that leads you into fear again. Instead, you have received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, we are heirs—heirs of God and co- heirs with the Messiah —if, in fact, we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
What He is reminding me of:

I must know and trust Him
I must understand He is the only God eternal
He will reveal, save, and proclaim when I have no gods other than Him in my life.
I must hold to the promise that Nothing can reverse what God has done

The declaration for every morning when I wake up:

"I am a child of God. I will not fear what was, but declare what now is through my adoption by God my Father. I have inherited through Jesus the promises of Gods word. Struggles will come, but from that being led by the Holy Spirit God will release His glory into my life."

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Mark 4

I have been attempting to write simple clear ideas that come to me as I read through Mark one chapter everyday, but I hit chapter 4 and it's came to big for a simple status update, so I hope this thought is still manageable although much larger.

I believe the premise of Mark chapter 4 is one of evangelism and how we are to approach it from a Kingdom perspective. Jesus starts us with an initial idea that is the thesis for the rest of His discussion.

Mark 4:3-9
“Listen! A farmer went out to sow. As he was sowing, some seeds fell along the path, and birds came and ate them up. Others fell on stony ground, where they did not have a lot of soil. They sprouted at once because the soil wasn’t deep. But when the sun came up, they were scorched. Since they did not have any roots, they dried up. Others fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes came up and choked them out, and they did not produce anything. But others fell on good soil and produced a crop. They grew up, increased in size, and produced 30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.” He added, “Let the person who has ears to hear, listen!”

We often think that when we share the Gospel, we are to convert those on the spot. That somehow salvation comes at the moment we share and we have the responsibility in the result. This is not so in the case of how Jesus begins are journey in sharing His message.

This first idea shows us as farmers simply throwing seed. Our responsibility is in the throwing and not the growing! I believe Jesus is showing us here that as we throw seed or share the Gospel, two factors are at work that are out of our control.

1. The condition of the soil or heart of the person
2. The condition of the circumstances that person lives out

His first lesson for us is:

"Share this message with many knowing that it will not produce fruit in every circumstance. We are not the Holy Spirit and cannot till ground....only throw seed."

The second thing He speaks to His disciples is that they have received the "secret of the Kingdom".

Mark 4:11-12
He told them, “The secret about the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside, everything comes in parables so that
‘they may see clearly but not perceive,
and they may hear clearly but not understand,
otherwise they might turn around and be forgiven. ’”

What is the secret of the Kingdom? I believe it is the Holy Spirit speaking to an individual the truth of Jesus is! In these men, the Holy Spirit tilled the ground of their heart and prepared the way for them to receive this truth and therefore unlocked the potential to see the words of Jesus in their fullest through a kingdom lens. Without the revelation of Jesus as Son of God and Savior, His words seem to be only wise stories instead of Kingdom power.

His Second Lesson for us is:

"To see the Kingdom, you must recognize the King!"

Next, He seems to rebuke His disciples, but I believe in fact that He is stressing the absolute importance of this Thesis statement to the rest of what is about to share. We must realize that God is God and we are simply His work and workers.

Mark 4:13-20
Then he told them, “You don’t understand this parable, so how can you understand any of the parables? The farmer sows the word. Some people are like the seeds along the path, where the word is sown. When they hear it, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. Others are like the seeds sown on the stony ground. When they hear the word, at once they joyfully accept it, but since they don’t have any roots, they last for only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall away. Still others are like the seeds sown among the thorn bushes. These are the people who hear the word, but the worries of life, the deceitful pleasures of wealth, and the desires for other things come in and choke the word so that it can’t produce a crop. Others are like the seeds sown on good soil. They hear the word, accept it, and produce crops—30, 60, or 100 times what was sown.”

The third lesson for us is:

"It's the word that works in someone and not us."

Next, He begins to speak of how we are to live our lives within this work.

Mark 4:21-25
Then Jesus told them, “A lamp isn’t brought indoors to be put under a basket or under a bed, is it? It’s to be put on a lamp stand, isn’t it? Nothing is hidden except for the purpose of having it revealed, and nothing is secret except for the purpose of having it come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him listen!
He went on to say to them, “Pay attention to what you’re hearing! You will be evaluated by the same standard with which you do your evaluating, and still more will be given to you, because whoever has something, will have more given to him. But whoever has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.”

He is saying to us that this secret or in dwelling of the Holy Spirit isn't something to be hidden, but we must live in the light to share the light. Along with this message, He gives us a warning that the world we share this light with will judge us by the same light. Although they do not understand, they will recognize the standard. As we live by Gods standard, He will reveal an even higher standard of living for Him!

The fourth lesson for us is:

"Live in the light and those around you will be attracted to the light in you that is the living God!"

As if He is beating a dead horse (sorry for that image lol), He continues to hit on the same subject. "You are a worker, but God is at work."

Mark 4:26-29
He was also saying, “The kingdom of God is like a man who scatters seeds on the ground. He sleeps and gets up night and day while the seeds sprout and grow, although he doesn’t know how. The ground produces grain by itself, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head. But when the grain is ripe, he immediately starts cutting with his sickle because the harvest time has come.”

This is a fundamental error I believe in our tent style, mega-phone approach to sharing the Gospel. Jesus is saying here to His disciples that conversion isn't a one moment event, but a process over time and many conversations and ultimately only comes to harvest when the Lord decides and not us. Like the farmer, we have no control over the process, only a responsibility to the work given us. We demand those we meet to come to Jesus instead of being sensitive to what the Holy Spirit is doing and asking of us in the moment.

After this He adds a supportive statement to the previous I believe.

Mark 4:30-32
He was also saying, “How can we show what the kingdom of God is like, or what parable can we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed planted in the ground. Although it is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, when it is planted it comes up and becomes larger than all the garden plants. It grows such large branches that the birds in the sky can nest in its shade.”

The fifth lesson for us is:

"Be sensitive for where the Holy Spirit has someone. Not where you want them to be. Before your very eyes God will grow something amazing!"

The final thought is one of compassion on the part of Jesus and where we should come from when sharing the Gospel.

Mark 4:33-34
With many other parables like these, Jesus kept speaking his message to them according to their ability to understand. He did not tell them anything without using a parable, though he explained everything to his disciples in private.

We must recognize where people are at and speak to them from that place. We must put aside "Christian lingo" and speak in terms of their culture and understanding. At the moment of transformation through Jesus, He will draw them into the inner circle of His chosen and begin to speak deeper things. That is the responsibility of the Holy Spirit and not us. We must declare the simple Gospel message in a way that we do not get in the way of God.

The final lesson for is:

"Do not speak to seem intelligent or enlightened. Allow the Holy Spirit to enlighten those you speaking to."

Hope is was understandable and simple. It was a lot to process :-)


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Marriage in two points......

For those married out there, I wanted to share with you what I shared at my sisters wedding.

1. God has ordained your marriage from before time began

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome."

God has placed you with your spouse for the purpose of His glory to be a partnership of great joy and blessing. Every morning as you wake up and every night as you lay down, look at your spouse, and say He has blessed me with this person for a future of good things and joy!

2. In every marriage we will face difficult times

But Remember,

Romans 3

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

We recognize in our marriages that two imperfect people have been joined by a perfect God. Many times we fall short of each others expectations, but how much more did we fall short of the perfection of God and yet He extended grace and love beyond measure to us in our worst moments!

Romans 8:28

"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son"

Marriage is a place God uses to sanctify and purify us. We are called in every circumstance to show our spouse the love and Grace God first showed us.

Don't let the enemy change our focus to anything else.

Marriage isn't a place for judgement, but a place for grace, love, and commitment that is beyond our abilities, but with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!!


- Posted in the moment

Thoughts coming up to a wedding.....

Genesis 2:18

Later, the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make for him a companion that is a suitable match for him.”

We see through all of Genesis, God repeating over and over it is good. In this moment with in creation, we see the one time God says, "it is not good". But as we come to the conclusion of creation we see God no longer use, "it is good" to "it is VERY good".

Weddings are amazing not because we are celebrating a civil coming together or reproductive responsibility being met. Even the animals were given the command "be fruitful and multiply", but instead, it is the very capstone of Gods creation that man and women would come together in covenant and together take their place as one flesh, one mind, and one in Gods unfolding story.

"At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. This one will be called ‘Woman,’ because she was taken from Man.”

You may not believe in soul mates, but I do. As we see here, what is separated in the flesh, He spiritually rejoins in the beauty of marriage. God has predestined two souls waiting to be reconnected as one. We all wait to hear that soul response echoed back to us from the cry our soul sends out seeking the one God has made specifically for us.

In this we rejoice....

- Posted in the moment

Servants, Rights, and Responsibilities: The Law of Love

1 Corinthians 8:7-13

But not everyone has this knowledge. Some people are so accustomed to idolatry that when they eat food that has been offered to an idol, their conscience becomes contaminated because it is weak. However, food will not bring us closer to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat food that has been offered to an idol, and no better off if we do. But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak. For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you, who know better, eating in an idol’s temple, he will be encouraged to eat what has been offered to idols, won’t he? In that case, the weak brother for whom the Messiah died is ruined by your knowledge. When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak consciences, you are sinning against the Messiah. Therefore, if food that I eat causes my brother to stumble, I will never eat meat again, in order to keep my brother from stumbling.

I've continued to think about unity, our responsibility to those around us, and what we can do to cultivate unity within the gathering. Not to long ago, I had some people tell me that if I drink a beer, I would be living a life style that was against God. My first reaction was one of frustration because I didn't see biblically or morally an issue with it. After all, it was something I felt was what I did no different than a coffee or pop. My reaction was a result of an action of others to declare a law of restriction, but also a lack of understanding what it meant to live by love. I asked myself, "How dare they produce a law over my life! This is who I am and I'm not hurting anyone!"

Recently, I have come across this scripture and asked myself, "What is Paul's saying?" We typically look at a person doing what seems wrong to be the weaker brother. Should he say that the person eating the idol meat as the weaker person? I heard a Pastor recently speak on this scripture and he taught it well. He said that the weaker brother is a brother attempting to live a life under the law of restriction and not fully understanding the law of freedom in Christ.

But as we see here, Paul speaks very clearly that there is a law greater.....The Law of Love.

But you must see to it that this right of yours does not become a stumbling block for those who are weak.

As a believer in Christ, I do have the right and freedom to drink a beer because I wasn't abusing that right by becoming drunk which is sin, but in declaring my rights when others around me either lived currently in a struggle with alcoholism or without a clear understanding of those freedoms we have. I was in effect sinning against them by not living by the law of love where they come before me. I am called to be a servant to all as Jesus was!

This scripture shows it best,

Philippians 2:4-8
Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus by right of being God also had the right to come as he pleased, but instead knowing our weakness, he came as a man giving up his rights. Even to the point of death!

We recognize that in any circumstance, we will find a weaker brother or sister in Christ that either:

1. Doesn't understand the freedom they possess
Or
2. They are in the process of finding the victory over something

We aren't meant to declare our rights in those moments. We are called to the Law of Love and become the servant of them recognizing their conscience over our rights.

This could mean how we dress, what we eat or drink, how we speak, or many other things. The first question shouldn't be why can't I live out my freedoms, but how can I live like Christ and his law of love?

The greatest revelation for me was when I realized each of us in different circumstances ARE the weaker brother! None of us has come to perfection...

So we should live as servants seeking to encourage one another and being less about the rights we demand and more about what following Christ demands of us for the uplifting of those we lead....sometimes without even knowing they are following.

- Posted in the moment

Servant leaders lead by serving

Matthew 20:25-28
But Jesus called the disciples and said, “You know that the rulers of the gentiles lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them. That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That’s the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Are we servants when we come to satisfy our own needs and desires as leaders of others? When we make decisions that satisfy ourselves with out regard for those around us, are we being servants? I wonder sometimes if God was to say to me tomorrow, "For the next 3 months you will play only hymns with piano." or "I want you to only wear a white shirt and black slacks because those you are leading need it.", would I comply? If these things would better serve those I lead in worship, would I chose to be a true servant separate from my desires?
It's easy to be a positional leader because the only responsibility is to the position. Being a servant leader demands a responsibility to those you are leading before and above any positional self awareness or personal desires.
Are you placing those those you serve above any personal desire?
- Posted in the moment

Continuing to look at unity

2 Chronicles 5:13-14

"The trumpeters and musicians played in union, praising and giving thanks to the Lord. They praised the Lord loudly and sang, “He is good, and his gracious love is eternal,” accompanied by the trumpets, cymbals, and other musical instruments.) As they did this, a cloud filled the Temple, that is, the Lord’s Temple, and the priests were unable to complete their duties because of the cloud, since the glory of the Lord had filled God’s Temple."

Acts 2:1-4

"When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability."

Unity is something God responds to so powerfully. Lately, I have been inundated with this idea of unity and what God does when we come to Him in that way. It's something we talk about often in church circles and at a base level desire, but don't always achieve.

What does it take to be unified? Is it about us and our actions? Is it about something God does? I think this is another wonderful example of YES to both! Gods Holy Spirit ultimately is who brings unity as we see here:

1 Corinthians 12:13

"For by one Spirit all of us—Jews and Greeks, slaves and free—were baptized into one body and were all privileged to drink from one Spirit."

If we are to be unified, we all first start with this beautiful realization that it doesn't start with us. Unity first comes by way of what God did through Jesus and is worked out by the Spirit within the Body of believers. How wonderful it would be if we started every gathering with some recognition of that work. Before we sing, teach, give testimony, or any other action. We would give recognition to the living God as a congregation for this wonderful work He has done in this world.

Maybe that was the attempt of the ancient church in their liturgical rituals and doxologies that over time lost its meaning and became action without understanding. As a modern church without an educated view of History, we just threw it aside because we have lost the awe of what was being proclaimed for an interaction of little recognition for what the Gospels means in the grand sense of Missio Dei or this God in mission to save a lost creation. I'm not writing this as a condemnation of how we do church, but a strong belief that what church is can be so much more.

So unity is something that first starts with the work of the Holy Spirit, but this doesn't leave us off the hook. We also carry a responsibility in seeing a unified body of believers!

Psalm 133

"Look how good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, descending to the beard— even to Aaron’s beard— and flowing down to the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Zion’s mountains. For there the Lord commanded his blessing — life everlasting."

Ephesians 4:1-3

"I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to live in a way that is worthy of the calling to which you have been called, demonstrating all expressions of humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another in love. Do your best to maintain the unity of the Spirit by means of the bond of peace."

Philippians 2:1-5

"Therefore, if there is any encouragement in the Messiah, if there is any comfort of love, if there is any fellowship in the Spirit, if there is any compassion and sympathy, then fill me with joy by having the same attitude, sharing the same love, being united in spirit, and keeping one purpose in mind. Do not act out of selfish ambition or conceit, but with humility think of others as being better than yourselves. Do not be concerned about your own interests, but also be concerned about the interests of others. Have the same attitude among yourselves that was also in the Messiah Jesus."

Colossians 3:12-14

"Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Be tolerant of one another and forgive each other if anyone has a complaint against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you also should forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which ties everything together in unity."

Over and over again, Paul reminds those of ancient times and us today that we are an active chooser in if we will live together in the unity of the Spirit at work in us. Some words he uses are humility, gentleness, patience, acceptance, love, peace, compassion, sympathy, joy, kindness, meekness, tolerance, and forgiveness.

Do we actively choose these actions when we gather? Sometimes, but how wonderful to see all these working in concert together in the gathering of believers. We have been given such an amazing task to encourage one another in unity with His Spirit as the bonding agent. That excites me to just think about it!

Be an encourager, a lover, and humble servant to others this Sunday as you gather for the purpose of Worshiping God in unity and see the Glory of God come!

Amen :-)

- Posted in the moment

Unity

1 Corinthians 1:9-18
"Faithful is the God by whom you were called into fellowship with his son Jesus the Messiah, our Lord. Brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus the Messiah, I urge all of you to be in agreement and not to have divisions among you, so that you may be perfectly united in your understanding and opinions. My brothers, some members of Chloe's family have made it clear to me that there are quarrels among you. This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, "I belong to Paul," or "I belong to Apollos," or "I belong to Cephas," or "I belong to the Messiah." Is the Messiah divided? Paul wasn't crucified for you, was he? You weren't baptized in Paul's name, were you? I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Oh yes, I also baptized the family of Stephanus. Beyond that, I'm not sure whether I baptized anyone else.) For the Messiah did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, not with eloquent wisdom, so the cross of the Messiah won't be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is nonsense to those who are being destroyed, but it is God's power to us who are being saved."

This year I think God has grown me up. Like children, we seek our own way in this world. We are idealistic and refuse the status quo out of sheer need to find who we are outside of the covering and boundaries of those older (and wiser) than us, but I don't discount this because we have to know that we know that we know what we believe is rooted in us apart from what is demanded of us.

Like Paul going away for years after the Damascus road, I have come back to the council of elders understanding 4 things:

-I respect their long view and consistency
-I recognize the power and anointing of coming under the corporate vision
-I have a calling that at times will buck the status quo
-In those cases, God will make the way and I don't need too

Some would say that should have been dealt with before I found my way into different places, but I don't believe I would have learned what I have without it. The Church is a complicated and at times messy place filled with people at different levels of hurt and spiritual discipline. I see now why I have heard the horror stories of people going through seminary only to quit after there first pastoral ministry position. I needed the cellophane to be taken off the box, so I could see what was inside and make a decision if that was truly what I was willing to accept in answering Gods call.

It's been a challenging journey this far and I haven't even really began in a sense, but this is what I have come to this year......

Our Pastor has for some time been speaking of a vision based on the statement "Kingdom Community". In this, we see a call to the people of our church to begin to see the beauty of the Body of Christ as one. We see the unity that comes when the people of God recognize the authority, beauty, and commission of the head of that body which is Jesus.
We are called much like the Corinthians are here by Paul to be in agreement or say the same things. I think there is wisdom in this not because he is calling us or them to conform and become monotone in our expression of faith, but through the Holy Spirit he understood that a people speaking the same goals and seeing the same picture of the mission would be a people in movement. When we have our own personal mission that doesn't connect with the central vision we see a core being split from factions pulling outward instead of forward.
As the worship director of Portland Mount Hope, I have been given a vision for our team this year and it is at its core, "Congregational Unity in Worship." As I check and recheck this vision against both my Pastors God given vision (the leader of this local body) and the God given mission of Jesus (the head of the universal body), I am confident in what God has given me and excited to see the corporate anointing that comes with a corporate unity.
We are at a time of great choices.

-Are we a people pointing back to the core vision of Kingdom Community?

-Are speaking that Kingdom Community vision into each other?

-Are we prepared for the sacrificing of things we hold to dearly that are a Good calling, but for this season not a God calling?

In worship where I am called at this time, you will continue to hear me speak with a repetitious consistency of a refocus every time we gather to this core conviction of Kingdom Community. As a team, a core conviction tied to both the mission of Jesus and vision of our Pastor of Corporate Unity in Worship for the glory of God and the empowerment and encouragement of His people for the days ahead.




- Posted in the moment

His bigness

I shared this with some friends this morning because since the new year, I have had a desire to know the bigness and majesty of God. I know what he can do, but I have this strong desire to just become more aware of Hid greatness. This is what I shared,

"To know the bigness and majesty of God, all we have to do is read Genesis 1 and stop our busy lives for 5 minutes to look around us at this amazing creation."

I also shared a paraphrased quote from AW Tozer that reads in full,

"With our loss of the sense of majesty has come the further loss of religious awe and consciousness of the divine Presence. We have lost our spirit of worship and our ability to withdraw inwardly to meet God in adoring silence."

How scathing is this to our attempts at times. We come in with big problems and big concerns any given Sunday, but we don't stop to recognize the bigger God we worship and serve!

We must come together in corporate worship with first a big and majestic sense of who God is BEFORE we can ask for anything. How can we see His ability for big solutions if he is smaller than the problem in our hearts and minds? We must sing of His glory, power, character, and Kingship. We must remind ourselves and each other of this before we do anything else.

I love the amazing cathedrals you see in Europe, but not because of an admiring of the workers skill and artistry although wonderful. I love them because they were attempting to show everyone that entered the greatness, bigness, and majesty of the
God these people have come to worship.

He is so big....... Have you taking a moment to stop and look at this creation he made? It displays all these things for us to see.

You may love the work of Michelangelo, Da Vinci, or Van Gogh, but when we step back from there work and look, we find they are only attempting to make a reproduction of the greatest artist and creator in History.

Jehovah-Elohim -- The Eternal Creator!

Take the time to stop, look, hear, and feel the creation our big and majestic God!

"God, fill our hearts with awe and wonder to your bigness and majesty! Show us who you are before we come to ask what you can do. We worship you, our God and King! Creator and father! Amen"

- Posted in the moment

Living by supernatural trust and not by what we see

"For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, then, and would prefer to be away from this body and to live with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away from home, our goal is to be pleasing to him." 2 Corinthians 5:7-9

I really feel strongly about this year ahead of us. I haven't been this fired up about a sense of a great move of God in awhile, but I have also learned a lot over the past couple years. I have found that if God has given you a burden for something, you have a responsibility to be faithful to see it through even when the natural doesn't seem to show it. He gives us a responsibility to believe that the supernatural things are being put in place and the natural will follow suit in His timing. We live by faith or a trust in God and His plans and not by sight or how things feel, look, or sound like. That's tougher than it sounds sometimes because we are so driven by the 5 natural senses we experience everyday! But he has given us a 6th sense by the discernment of His Spirit living in us and we have to trust in Him, His word, and His Spirit. When we live in this way, we please God! This scripture speaks of this life style and also,

"Now faith is the assurance that what we hope for will come about and the certainty that what we cannot see exists......Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who diligently search for him." Hebrews 11:1,6

So I will continue to live by the faith and trust that God has given a word that we will experience His Holy Spirit Fire and be compelled into His mission like never before! Our desire is to please Him, so let's walk by faith and let nothing stop us from seeking His fire for our lives everyday!!

"Father fill us with a supernatural faith to please you and see your fire come! Send the Fire and consume us!"

- Posted in the moment

Your fire or God's?

Leviticus 9:22 - 10:3

Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings. Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting. When they came out and blessed the people, the glory of the LORD appeared to all the people. Then fire came out from before the LORD and consumed the burnt offering and the portions of fat on the altar; and when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces. Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD. Then Moses said to Aaron, "It is what the LORD spoke, saying,

'By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.'" So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.

Wow this has been on me all morning! What a revelation to realize that there sin was "bringing there own or strange fire". I have to ask myself and you,

"Do we bring our own fire to our life's and when we gather? Do we bring our own agendas and expectations to our gatherings?"

How convicting this passage is when we look at ourselves and how we approach God. Our first concern should be, what do you want God? What do you desire? So often we come saying this is what I want to do or what I want to see without even looking to him!

We may do it out of stubbornness, zeal, or even pride, but none of them will place us in the will of God or being lit up by the true fire of the Holy Spirit!

God we are listening and desire to only have your fire! Ignite us with the true fire of the Holy Spirit and show us your desires! Amen.

- Posted in the moment

On fire!

"I believe that tonight the world is going to hell fire because the church has lost Holy Ghost fire, it’s as simple as that." -Leonard Ravenhill

I always find myself railing against what I see as an inactive world church powerless to be apart of the extraordinary mission of God. I think at times it makes me less friends than detractors, but every time I read the bible, I find a church filled with the power of the Holy Spirit on the move. They didn't come to church. THEY WERE THE CHURCH! But not on their own power or cleverness. It was because they were filled over flowing with the power of the Holy Spirit that compelled them out into a world in darkness. A group of torch bearers spreading the light of Jesus and His Gospel message.

We and I mean I so many ways, have become so stagnate. We come to church, we expect a emotional build up that makes us feel good, and then we dissipate in excitement until next Sunday, but that is not the model of the bible or of our examples given to us is it?

Acts 2:1-4 "When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place. Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit gave them that ability." Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up among the eleven apostles and raised his voice to address them: "Men of Judea and everyone living in Jerusalem! You must understand something, so pay close attention to my words."

At the encounter with the Holy Spirit, we see a group of people working in their giftings openly among the people and at the height of this as people are saying, "These men must be drunk!", Peter stand up and begins to proclaim the Gospel!

This then begins the Church of Jesus activated by the power of the Holy Spirit being compelled to share this amazing message! We see Peter, Stephen, Paul, and so many others empower to Go to the far reaches of the world.

My questions I guess are:

Is it that we aren't educated enough in scripture?

Is it that we don't have that calling anymore as a church?

Or is it that we have lost focus on our first love and desire for the baptism of the Holy Spirit in power in our gatherings?

Before this upsets someone, I'm not saying those that believe that it is possible have stopped believing, but that to wait like these men waited....to place the timetable in Gods hands as become an inconvenience. Have we time managed the real reason for gathering out of our church's? Have we allowed a board meeting business model to take the place of a Holy Ghost encounter?

Church this way is the way of the Methodists and many other denominations that at one time were in the midst of revival and the fire of God, but now stand broken and hollow in many places.

Dominion of this land was the very first mission God gave mankind and we are letting it go to the way side for convenient end times eschatology that says this place is going down and we are going up. "Take dominion" is still the mission as shown by the live of Jesus and his command, "Go and make disciples of nations!"

If this has stirred something up, go to a place....any place and begin to pray like I have began to pray this year,

"God send the fire! In my life, send the fire! In my church, send the fire! In the leadership, send the fire! Light this city up God and send the fire that compels us into your mission to take dominion of this land for your glory and honor in Jesus name!"

- Posted in the moment