This morning I posted my Facebook status as having been introduced to what a real problem is and that the definition of what a real problem is has been rearranged in my life.
This is in response to a day of sitting on the floor with a two year old bone marrow transplant patient struggling to breathe and fighting for her life. She’s hooked up to multiple IV’s pouring steroids into her body in hopes that the new cells won’t be rejected by her system. This brought on the side effect of filling her with water bloating her tummy out like a football and making it difficult to sleep or be comfortable in any position. She is on day 5 of 100 days of watching for rejection. This is a long road to travel for anyone and this two year old has a baby sister, two older sisters and two step-sisters, along with her mom and dad none of whom asked for this or planned this for the lives of their family.
When I see the commitment and love mom has for her baby girl, the sacrifices and devotion given by the entire family, the fight little Aryonna has in her to keep breathing and live, and the care the medical staff has for sustaining life, I know I am seeing what God is like. I know that God is love and love does not mean the absence of pain or trouble, but of acceptance, endurance, and faithfulness.
I know of a lady who for years has had a substance abuse problem, dysfunctional behaviors in relationships, and she has made bad choice after bad choice in how to find sustenance and provide for herself on the streets and yet she has found herself open before God saying she has nowhere else to go but to be honest with God and find her way back to Him.
I know a young couple who want to start their new life together on the right foot with God’s blessing and direction but have reservations about who is telling the truth out there. They have heard of God’s truth all their lives having been told one thing but having seen another. They want to serve God with all their heart, they want life to be good and pleasing to Him, but they have found they can’t trust what they’ve been told so they are keeping all of the things God has for them at an arm’s length because they don’t want to bring contradiction into their lives any longer. So, they are just staying away from God for now.
Interestingly, in all three of these situations their churches have told them that they are the problem. Their choices have made them bad people. They have been labeled as displeasing to God because they are travelling a different journey than the expected norm of the local church behaviors. I ask myself, “Has anyone read John 8:11 recently? How about John 3:17 or, Revelation 22:17?” Jesus and His church are all about the real life situations of people; their stories are all over the Bible!
Nothing has changed except we have attempted to redefine the meaning of God’s love. We want it to be the absence of pain; but Jesus said that He was here to comfort those who mourn, meaning there will be pain. We want it to be the elimination of dysfunctional behaviors and bad choices; but Jesus said He was here to set the captives free and bind up those who are brokenhearted, meaning there will be those who do selfish things and make bad choices. We want it to be sanitized and clean, what we call holy, before God and each other; but Jesus said that the Holy Spirit would lead us and teach us in the ways of holiness – it can’t be done by holding each other to a man-made standard of behaviors, because if the fruits of the Spirit are growing in us the more we will become productive and useful in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8).
Yeah, the church is supposed to be made up of the whosoever will and that means a lot of brokenness and a lot of pain and a lot of people who aren't all God wants us to be yet. I heard someone say once that if you find a perfect church, don't join it because it won't be anymore. The message of the Holy Spirit and the message of the church is supposed to be the same; "Come." Let the thirsty ones come-anyone who wants to. Let them come and drink the water of life without charge. (Revelation 22:17)
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
HE: Series
"When man left that righteous relationship with God in the garden, there was more at stake than a curse, a sin, disobedience, and a separation from God; as if these weren’t bad enough. But, I believe that these are only the core things that we can identify and list; it’s what they “flesh out” like, or “live out” like, the subtleties of what they have done and are doing to us yet in the 21st century that I want to look into today." - excerpt from the "HE" series part 1 June 13th, 2010 at Branches Church
Thursday, May 6, 2010
SHE Series Part II Excerpt
"The common thread I see running through the stories of the women in Jesus’ life is that an encounter with Jesus is life changing! These women encountered Jesus while broken, sick, confused, abandoned, used, abused, neglected, poor, tired, mistreated, ill-reputed, determined and some just plain mean. But…they came to Jesus one way, and they left changed for the better. They were made whole, they were healed, and they were enlightened. They were rescued, redeemed, and relieved. They were accepted as they were and honored for who they were. They received purpose, were given respect, and handled with gentleness, goodness, and kindness, and restored back to life. 'The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.' – Jesus, in John 10:10" - excerpt from next Sunday's SHE Series Part II
Sunday, May 2, 2010
SHE Part 1 Notes
(These are my notes from Sunday May 2nd, 2010 for the first part of the "SHE" series)
SHE – is the crowning last piece of God’s creation. When all was created and God steps back and says it is all good…He raises the bar and says wait, I can go one better. This is good, but I can do better. We must always remember that SHE was on the mind and heart of God long before the heart or mind of any man. Ladies, if you’re alone and waiting for the right one to come along, I encourage you to remember who was thinking of you first…
SHE – is the mother of all living. God created Adam, God created Eve. SHE was the beginning of the rest. This makes her the last of God’s creation and the first of how that creation is to work itself out.
SHE – is Adam’s equal; not above him or below him but in his words, “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” Toe to toe, eye to eye, shoulder to shoulder…just like me.
SHE – is an independent thinker; a learner and adapter. SHE is more than the finishing touch on God’s creation SHE is what enables creation to be finished and flourishing.
SHE – is a friend and source of strength. SHE sticks with it through the tough times as well as the easy times. SHE is in the sweet easy life of the garden and SHE is there in the wilderness and sweat. SHE is there in the life and SHE is there in the death.
SHE – if SHE isn’t living in her God-given design…the rest of us aren’t living in ours!
Proverbs 31:10-31 is not a list of qualifications, requirements, or duties; but an observation of character traits that allow a woman to see where she is at in her life when it comes to her self-worth, or her relationship with God, or her relationship to her husband, her children, her boss, or her employees. It established her social standings and recognizes the depths of her involvement in her home and community and how capable she is to handle them.
Vs 10-12 deals with her worth to her family and their design
Vs 13-30 deals with the character traits that identify the design of this godly woman
Vs 31 deals with OUR responsibility to publicly give her recognition by letting everyone see these traits in action
I believe it all started here; where the scriptures in Genesis that say that the woman was created by God to be a “help meet” or in some translations “companion” for her husband has been reduced from “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” meaning “just like me”, or “equal”, to becoming a “domestic servant that will take care of my needs.” That’s the kind of mindset that has allowed women through the years to buy in to thinking that these verses in Proverbs are a “to do” list. We are hindered from actually seeing what is in them that allows fullness of life and the intended design for her that comes from the very heart of God.
Adam was alone. God saw that was not good so, He made him an equal; someone “just like him” - they were equal in the purposes and creation and image of God.
From the book “Captivating” by John and Staci Eldredge:
And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and conquer it, and hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and every beast that crawls upon the earth.” – Genesis 1:26-28
Call it the Human Mission – to be all and do all God sent us here to do. And notice – the mission to be fruitful and conquer and hold sway is given both to Adam and to Eve. “And God said to them…” Eve is standing right there when God gives the world over to us. She has a vital role to play; she is a partner in this great adventure. All that human beings were intended to do here on earth – all the creativity and exploration, all the battle and rescue and nurture – we were intended to do together. In fact, not only is Eve needed, but she is desperately needed.
The word used (ezer) to describe what God wanted to create for Adam is inadequately translated in English as “companion” or “helper” or “help meet”. What little girl dances through the house singing “One day I will be a help meet?” Or companion? A dog can be a companion. Or helper? Sounds like an assistant to the person who holds the real authority. The actual word used is only used twenty other times in the entire Old Testament and in every other instance the person being described is God Himself, when you need Him to come through for you desperately. It means to be there right beside you as a lifesaver. Or you’re dead!
We often blame Eve for dropping the ball first with the eating of the fruit. But I believe it was Adam who dropped the ball first. He neglected his original role as her protector, provider, and representative of God to her by not watching over her close enough to see what was going on and help her and keep her safe from the situation. He, apparently, had somehow assumed the mind-set that Eve was there for him and his purposes and needs; and because of that inward view of her role he was there with her physically but not spiritually, intellectually, or emotionally and missed the greatest need of her life.
After the disobedience in the garden when they ate of the fruit of the tree they were instructed not to, God explains that this was how it was going to be from now on…
16 Then he said to the woman,
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
This is the direct result of the sin they fell into and it is not a directive from God. We have wanted to take what God says here about her desire to control her husband and his rule over her as if God had for some “new reason” came up with a new way of relationship that will help them. This isn’t the way God set it up in the beginning…and nothing in the relationship had changed except - it is now viewed through and lived out as the result and rule of sin; it is not God’s declaration of their “new roles” in some twisted form of hierarchy…it is Him acknowledging their need.
17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. 19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” – Genesis 3:16-19 NLT
He’s not referring to actual thorns and thistles or we could evade the curse and rule of sin by not working the ground and finding another career to work in. No. He’s talking about life being hard, and worry, and fear of not providing, and turmoil in relationships, and life will just be hard.
We haven’t come very far in all these years. Because of sin, both men and women have allowed this miss-guided mind-set of “God cursed Eve to be submissive and the man to be the ruler” to creep into the DNA of our relationships throughout the centuries and women have taken the brunt of the pain, slavery, isolation, shame, work, and death throughout the ages.
But her original design, and part of the redemptive purposes of God, is to be the lifesaver. This is what we see unfolding before us in the Proverbs 31 woman.
The original design for her is to be the lifesaver. Now, since sin entered their lives, SHE has become the tired worker, the slave, the sex-object, the baby machine, the cook and janitor, the maid or the trophy…the biggest complaint counselors get from women is: “I feel like a kitchen appliance.”
Proverbs 31 takes us to a new level
Verse 10 says, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?”
Virtuous – a force of means, resources, virtue, valor, strength
This is not a quiet, mousy, hidden, and timid character trait! How does a woman find that kind of strength and valor and still not come across as overbearing turning everyone in her life away from her?
Proverbs 31 unfolds it a bit for us (actually in 17 ways)
13 – happy in her work
She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. NAS
14 – fun, treats for the family, always a surprise waiting for them, exotic
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. NLT
15 – CEO capable
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan
the day’s work for her servant girls. NLT
16 – has her “own” earnings to use at her discretion in business dealings
She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. NLT
17 – takes care of her body – lots to go wrong
She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. NAS
18 – business savvy and applies herself to it
She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. NLT
19 – a hands-on worker, not afraid to get it done, identify with the average “worker bee”
Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. NLT
20 – involved in the community with the less fortunate – benevolent, philanthropist – she
gives out and takes ‘em in
She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. NLT
21 – family’s satisfaction comes from her capabilities and skills
She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. NLT
22 – likes to dress nice
Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
23 – likes to see her husband/brother/son/father looked up to because of her dealings –
the lifestyle is one of civic involvement – they belong
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of
the land. NIV
24 – an entrepreneur
She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. NLT
25 – has a plan and investing in the future
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 – a life coach
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. NLT
27 – involved in the daily lives of her kids and spouse
She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28, 29 – because of her involvement her family likes to stick around where she is – they know
by her investment in them that they are valued
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous
and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” NLT
30 – knows that beauty is only skin deep
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will
be greatly praised.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Her priorities…
Among those who are SHE - There are those who have wasted or are wasting their influence and aggressively trying to overturn God’s design for woman by trying to make us believe that defining independence as equality will empower women with their “due” Independence does not bring equality, but one of the God-designed fruits of equality is independence
Among those who are SHE - their God-given gifts and strengths have been ignored or crushed in favor of doing what is expected of them in serving the needs of others
Among those who are SHE - there are those who have been mistreated and abused and exploited
Among those who are SHE - there are those who have never been given the opportunity to see how God has made them and how walking in that design makes them more productive and happy and fulfilled and influential, and successful
Among those who are SHE - there are those who just need to be told that Jesus is for you – regardless…because He’s not measuring you by a list of qualifications, He loves you and champions you as you are and wants you to be free and to live. (and guys, this is our example)
John 8:3-11
3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
I would assume the redemptive work of God is exactly that; redemptive?
What if we looked at this story in Jesus’ life and said it this way: Jesus, we found this girl caught up in human trafficking and we want to know what to do with her…
From the result of sins curse we want to look at the activity as a perpetration – she’s the perpetrator, she’s guilty.
From the result of redemption and God’s design and intent, we can see the activity as exploitation – a victim – and we want to do all we can to get her to a place where she can live free and be all that she can be with a safe, clean, productive, and cherished life. And not only is her heart restored with God in relationship, but her design and purpose as a woman is restored also.
So, if we were to continue thinking that the design and role of women is to be ruled under the world of men – we’re living under the curse and result of sin and not the plan of God’s redemptive purposes for us. To the women of this fellowship, I apologize.
I want to live in an environment where the women of my life, my wife, my daughter, my mother, my sisters, my friends, and the women of my church are living redeemed of the curse of sin; including its attitudes of submission and hierarchy that more resemble a crushed spirit and lack of identity and purpose than a righteous heart. That attitude actually reveals the fear, selfishness, greed, and lack of generosity in the hearts of men – not a plan for a woman’s “role” or design.
I, as a redeemed man, as a pastor, want to produce for those who are SHE an environment similar to the one our Lord made for us when He said to come and be set free from sin and death and its curse and begin abundantly living according to the design God intended for you through Jesus Christ; where you become a joint-heir with Christ, an equal in God’s eyes, rightfully called the children of God, and everything that is His is ours by the grace of God.
SHE – is the crowning last piece of God’s creation. When all was created and God steps back and says it is all good…He raises the bar and says wait, I can go one better. This is good, but I can do better. We must always remember that SHE was on the mind and heart of God long before the heart or mind of any man. Ladies, if you’re alone and waiting for the right one to come along, I encourage you to remember who was thinking of you first…
SHE – is the mother of all living. God created Adam, God created Eve. SHE was the beginning of the rest. This makes her the last of God’s creation and the first of how that creation is to work itself out.
SHE – is Adam’s equal; not above him or below him but in his words, “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.” Toe to toe, eye to eye, shoulder to shoulder…just like me.
SHE – is an independent thinker; a learner and adapter. SHE is more than the finishing touch on God’s creation SHE is what enables creation to be finished and flourishing.
SHE – is a friend and source of strength. SHE sticks with it through the tough times as well as the easy times. SHE is in the sweet easy life of the garden and SHE is there in the wilderness and sweat. SHE is there in the life and SHE is there in the death.
SHE – if SHE isn’t living in her God-given design…the rest of us aren’t living in ours!
Proverbs 31:10-31 is not a list of qualifications, requirements, or duties; but an observation of character traits that allow a woman to see where she is at in her life when it comes to her self-worth, or her relationship with God, or her relationship to her husband, her children, her boss, or her employees. It established her social standings and recognizes the depths of her involvement in her home and community and how capable she is to handle them.
Vs 10-12 deals with her worth to her family and their design
Vs 13-30 deals with the character traits that identify the design of this godly woman
Vs 31 deals with OUR responsibility to publicly give her recognition by letting everyone see these traits in action
I believe it all started here; where the scriptures in Genesis that say that the woman was created by God to be a “help meet” or in some translations “companion” for her husband has been reduced from “bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh” meaning “just like me”, or “equal”, to becoming a “domestic servant that will take care of my needs.” That’s the kind of mindset that has allowed women through the years to buy in to thinking that these verses in Proverbs are a “to do” list. We are hindered from actually seeing what is in them that allows fullness of life and the intended design for her that comes from the very heart of God.
Adam was alone. God saw that was not good so, He made him an equal; someone “just like him” - they were equal in the purposes and creation and image of God.
From the book “Captivating” by John and Staci Eldredge:
And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and conquer it, and hold sway over the fish of the sea and the fowl of the heavens and every beast that crawls upon the earth.” – Genesis 1:26-28
Call it the Human Mission – to be all and do all God sent us here to do. And notice – the mission to be fruitful and conquer and hold sway is given both to Adam and to Eve. “And God said to them…” Eve is standing right there when God gives the world over to us. She has a vital role to play; she is a partner in this great adventure. All that human beings were intended to do here on earth – all the creativity and exploration, all the battle and rescue and nurture – we were intended to do together. In fact, not only is Eve needed, but she is desperately needed.
The word used (ezer) to describe what God wanted to create for Adam is inadequately translated in English as “companion” or “helper” or “help meet”. What little girl dances through the house singing “One day I will be a help meet?” Or companion? A dog can be a companion. Or helper? Sounds like an assistant to the person who holds the real authority. The actual word used is only used twenty other times in the entire Old Testament and in every other instance the person being described is God Himself, when you need Him to come through for you desperately. It means to be there right beside you as a lifesaver. Or you’re dead!
We often blame Eve for dropping the ball first with the eating of the fruit. But I believe it was Adam who dropped the ball first. He neglected his original role as her protector, provider, and representative of God to her by not watching over her close enough to see what was going on and help her and keep her safe from the situation. He, apparently, had somehow assumed the mind-set that Eve was there for him and his purposes and needs; and because of that inward view of her role he was there with her physically but not spiritually, intellectually, or emotionally and missed the greatest need of her life.
After the disobedience in the garden when they ate of the fruit of the tree they were instructed not to, God explains that this was how it was going to be from now on…
16 Then he said to the woman,
“I will sharpen the pain of your pregnancy, and in pain you will give birth. And you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you.”
This is the direct result of the sin they fell into and it is not a directive from God. We have wanted to take what God says here about her desire to control her husband and his rule over her as if God had for some “new reason” came up with a new way of relationship that will help them. This isn’t the way God set it up in the beginning…and nothing in the relationship had changed except - it is now viewed through and lived out as the result and rule of sin; it is not God’s declaration of their “new roles” in some twisted form of hierarchy…it is Him acknowledging their need.
17 And to the man he said,
“Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat, the ground is cursed because of you. All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it. 18 It will grow thorns and thistles for you, though you will eat of its grains. 19 By the sweat of your brow will you have food to eat until you return to the ground from which you were made. For you were made from dust, and to dust you will return.” – Genesis 3:16-19 NLT
He’s not referring to actual thorns and thistles or we could evade the curse and rule of sin by not working the ground and finding another career to work in. No. He’s talking about life being hard, and worry, and fear of not providing, and turmoil in relationships, and life will just be hard.
We haven’t come very far in all these years. Because of sin, both men and women have allowed this miss-guided mind-set of “God cursed Eve to be submissive and the man to be the ruler” to creep into the DNA of our relationships throughout the centuries and women have taken the brunt of the pain, slavery, isolation, shame, work, and death throughout the ages.
But her original design, and part of the redemptive purposes of God, is to be the lifesaver. This is what we see unfolding before us in the Proverbs 31 woman.
The original design for her is to be the lifesaver. Now, since sin entered their lives, SHE has become the tired worker, the slave, the sex-object, the baby machine, the cook and janitor, the maid or the trophy…the biggest complaint counselors get from women is: “I feel like a kitchen appliance.”
Proverbs 31 takes us to a new level
Verse 10 says, “Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?”
Virtuous – a force of means, resources, virtue, valor, strength
This is not a quiet, mousy, hidden, and timid character trait! How does a woman find that kind of strength and valor and still not come across as overbearing turning everyone in her life away from her?
Proverbs 31 unfolds it a bit for us (actually in 17 ways)
13 – happy in her work
She looks for wool and flax And works with her hands in delight. NAS
14 – fun, treats for the family, always a surprise waiting for them, exotic
She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. NLT
15 – CEO capable
She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household and plan
the day’s work for her servant girls. NLT
16 – has her “own” earnings to use at her discretion in business dealings
She goes to inspect a field and buys it; with her earnings she plants a vineyard. NLT
17 – takes care of her body – lots to go wrong
She girds herself with strength And makes her arms strong. NAS
18 – business savvy and applies herself to it
She makes sure her dealings are profitable; her lamp burns late into the night. NLT
19 – a hands-on worker, not afraid to get it done, identify with the average “worker bee”
Her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber. NLT
20 – involved in the community with the less fortunate – benevolent, philanthropist – she
gives out and takes ‘em in
She extends a helping hand to the poor and opens her arms to the needy. NLT
21 – family’s satisfaction comes from her capabilities and skills
She has no fear of winter for her household, for everyone has warm clothes. NLT
22 – likes to dress nice
Ornamental coverings she hath made for herself, Silk and purple [are] her clothing.
23 – likes to see her husband/brother/son/father looked up to because of her dealings –
the lifestyle is one of civic involvement – they belong
Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of
the land. NIV
24 – an entrepreneur
She makes belted linen garments and sashes to sell to the merchants. NLT
25 – has a plan and investing in the future
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 – a life coach
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. NLT
27 – involved in the daily lives of her kids and spouse
She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.
28, 29 – because of her involvement her family likes to stick around where she is – they know
by her investment in them that they are valued
Her children stand and bless her. Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous
and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!” NLT
30 – knows that beauty is only skin deep
Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will
be greatly praised.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Her priorities…
Among those who are SHE - There are those who have wasted or are wasting their influence and aggressively trying to overturn God’s design for woman by trying to make us believe that defining independence as equality will empower women with their “due” Independence does not bring equality, but one of the God-designed fruits of equality is independence
Among those who are SHE - their God-given gifts and strengths have been ignored or crushed in favor of doing what is expected of them in serving the needs of others
Among those who are SHE - there are those who have been mistreated and abused and exploited
Among those who are SHE - there are those who have never been given the opportunity to see how God has made them and how walking in that design makes them more productive and happy and fulfilled and influential, and successful
Among those who are SHE - there are those who just need to be told that Jesus is for you – regardless…because He’s not measuring you by a list of qualifications, He loves you and champions you as you are and wants you to be free and to live. (and guys, this is our example)
John 8:3-11
3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 “Teacher,” they said to Jesus, “this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?”
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger. 7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” 8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman. 10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?”
11 “No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”
I would assume the redemptive work of God is exactly that; redemptive?
What if we looked at this story in Jesus’ life and said it this way: Jesus, we found this girl caught up in human trafficking and we want to know what to do with her…
From the result of sins curse we want to look at the activity as a perpetration – she’s the perpetrator, she’s guilty.
From the result of redemption and God’s design and intent, we can see the activity as exploitation – a victim – and we want to do all we can to get her to a place where she can live free and be all that she can be with a safe, clean, productive, and cherished life. And not only is her heart restored with God in relationship, but her design and purpose as a woman is restored also.
So, if we were to continue thinking that the design and role of women is to be ruled under the world of men – we’re living under the curse and result of sin and not the plan of God’s redemptive purposes for us. To the women of this fellowship, I apologize.
I want to live in an environment where the women of my life, my wife, my daughter, my mother, my sisters, my friends, and the women of my church are living redeemed of the curse of sin; including its attitudes of submission and hierarchy that more resemble a crushed spirit and lack of identity and purpose than a righteous heart. That attitude actually reveals the fear, selfishness, greed, and lack of generosity in the hearts of men – not a plan for a woman’s “role” or design.
I, as a redeemed man, as a pastor, want to produce for those who are SHE an environment similar to the one our Lord made for us when He said to come and be set free from sin and death and its curse and begin abundantly living according to the design God intended for you through Jesus Christ; where you become a joint-heir with Christ, an equal in God’s eyes, rightfully called the children of God, and everything that is His is ours by the grace of God.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Mythbusting the Church
This next series of sermon topics for Branches will be centered around the theme of, "Is it truth or is it myth?" We'll tackle some of those subjects that we too often just take for granted about religion, spirituality, expected behaviors, and long accepted practices deemed sacred...or are they?
Gone are the days of churches being able to tell their people that "we've always done it that way", or "you just have to do this or that" because of fear of disappointing God or worse yet, of missing out on your chance to go to heaven.
God is raising up leaders and churches in our country that are not willing to live in the imperial mindset; one that puts the individual second for the good of the organization and that you must do what the organization has always done in order to be right. When the church stops offering what we've got and starts offering people what they need - which is real life with a real God, not religion - then we will see lives transformed and hearts turned to God.
The Mythbusting series will take on some of those hard questions that keep people in the dark about what God's heart is for them and what we can do to respond.
See you in church!
Mike
Gone are the days of churches being able to tell their people that "we've always done it that way", or "you just have to do this or that" because of fear of disappointing God or worse yet, of missing out on your chance to go to heaven.
God is raising up leaders and churches in our country that are not willing to live in the imperial mindset; one that puts the individual second for the good of the organization and that you must do what the organization has always done in order to be right. When the church stops offering what we've got and starts offering people what they need - which is real life with a real God, not religion - then we will see lives transformed and hearts turned to God.
The Mythbusting series will take on some of those hard questions that keep people in the dark about what God's heart is for them and what we can do to respond.
See you in church!
Mike
Friday, March 12, 2010
No Fear
We are going into the Easter season at Branches Church addressing the issue of not being afraid. Jesus was constantly telling His followers to not fear, not be afraid, and to have faith. We're going to be looking at how to not be afraid of God, our neighbor, and our culture, and how to live as the Body of Christ in this world.
I believe too many think that the objective of the church is to convince people they need to leave the culture in which they live and hide out in the four walls of the church --- that somehow it is the culture we live in we are to be extracted from in order to find God in the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is creating fear, worry and dread in our Christian churches. Jesus' last words to the church were to go out into the world. His priestly prayer in John chapter 17 asks the Father NOT to take us out of the world, but to keep us from the evil. What part of this are we supposed to be afraid of? None!
What is being twisted, or confusing here is this: it's not the culture we need to be removed from - it's our sin we need to be removed from! That's why we can separate ourselves from the surrounding world and still struggle with sin. We can stop being involved in the culture around us and still struggle with issues of indulgence, addictions, lust, envy, and pride. We can literally move ourselves to an isolated island and live alone for the rest of our lives, offering our body as a sacrifice to poverty and dedication to prayer and still die with lust and pride and envy and hatred in our hearts. It's not the culture we as the church need to extract people from - it's teaching Christ's work on the cross and Resurrection from the grave that separates us from our sin and empowers us to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. It's not separating ourselves from the world around us. Stop being afraid of it! Just stop already!
Paul asks the question, "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?" He goes further and lists more things that are everyday occurrences in this present life: "Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away."
As we celebrate the Easter message of death and Resurrection, we know we can live without fear in this present life because Jesus has conquered it all and we are his, not our own! No Fear!
I believe too many think that the objective of the church is to convince people they need to leave the culture in which they live and hide out in the four walls of the church --- that somehow it is the culture we live in we are to be extracted from in order to find God in the church. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is creating fear, worry and dread in our Christian churches. Jesus' last words to the church were to go out into the world. His priestly prayer in John chapter 17 asks the Father NOT to take us out of the world, but to keep us from the evil. What part of this are we supposed to be afraid of? None!
What is being twisted, or confusing here is this: it's not the culture we need to be removed from - it's our sin we need to be removed from! That's why we can separate ourselves from the surrounding world and still struggle with sin. We can stop being involved in the culture around us and still struggle with issues of indulgence, addictions, lust, envy, and pride. We can literally move ourselves to an isolated island and live alone for the rest of our lives, offering our body as a sacrifice to poverty and dedication to prayer and still die with lust and pride and envy and hatred in our hearts. It's not the culture we as the church need to extract people from - it's teaching Christ's work on the cross and Resurrection from the grave that separates us from our sin and empowers us to live by the Spirit and not by the flesh. It's not separating ourselves from the world around us. Stop being afraid of it! Just stop already!
Paul asks the question, "Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death?" He goes further and lists more things that are everyday occurrences in this present life: "Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away."
As we celebrate the Easter message of death and Resurrection, we know we can live without fear in this present life because Jesus has conquered it all and we are his, not our own! No Fear!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Good Words
"Anxiety in a man's heart weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad." - Proverbs 12:25
In the last two weeks I have seen this to be true. I have been with parents who sat in the hospital by their newborn as it fought life-threatening sickness with their only rest coming from the words of assurance that their God is with them and their church family loves them and is praying and standing by them regardless of their situation.
I have been with single dads and moms who have been through the ringer, so to speak, with the legal system draining everything they've worked for, their estranged spouses spreading confusion and then finding rest in the comfort of words that remind them that they are good and they are Gods...as they are.
I have sat and listened to dozens of personal stories from people who have been told over and over how wrong they are about this or that in their life and left with their heart heavy, filled with anxiety, and hurting, only to hear words of life that God really loves us as we are and we can't change that by believing a certain religious doctrine or following a prescribed way of doing church. But God is patient, tolerant, and kind waiting for us to hear His voice and come to Him.
I believe we can look at this proverb and accurately deduct that if it is words that bring the gladness to the heart, it it also the words that can bring the anxiety. The Bible teaches us that we will give an account of everything we say; that the tongue can be used for both blessing and cursing; that it is a hard thing to control; that it usually controls our life; and that a tree cannot bear both bitter and sweet fruit. Jesus reminded us that whatever we had in our heart would eventually come out our mouth.
The age old saying stands true: "Four things come not back: the spoken word; the speeding arrow; time past; the neglected opportunity."
Branches Church has come about because God has opened an opportunity for the doors to the Kingdom of God to be opened wider in this area. The Holy Spirit led our hearts to hear that call and we answered. But, there is nothing we can do to gain time back, to re-do yesterday, to go back to the way life was when it seemed easier or simple or worry free. There is nothing a person can do about choices made, once they were made the "arrow was speeding" and there it is. And so it is with the spoken word. We cannot get them back. But we do have a choice to control what they are BEFORE we speak them.
Branches is committed to being a safe, authentic, accepting, and growing place...
So, if our words are creating heaviness or anxiety in the hearts of others...let's be careful to consider the condition of our own eye before we try and clear the vision in another persons eye. The writer of Proverbs also said that a wise person doesn't broadcast what they think is knowledge, only a fool does that because it may be folly, and not knowledge at all.
"May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14
In the last two weeks I have seen this to be true. I have been with parents who sat in the hospital by their newborn as it fought life-threatening sickness with their only rest coming from the words of assurance that their God is with them and their church family loves them and is praying and standing by them regardless of their situation.
I have been with single dads and moms who have been through the ringer, so to speak, with the legal system draining everything they've worked for, their estranged spouses spreading confusion and then finding rest in the comfort of words that remind them that they are good and they are Gods...as they are.
I have sat and listened to dozens of personal stories from people who have been told over and over how wrong they are about this or that in their life and left with their heart heavy, filled with anxiety, and hurting, only to hear words of life that God really loves us as we are and we can't change that by believing a certain religious doctrine or following a prescribed way of doing church. But God is patient, tolerant, and kind waiting for us to hear His voice and come to Him.
I believe we can look at this proverb and accurately deduct that if it is words that bring the gladness to the heart, it it also the words that can bring the anxiety. The Bible teaches us that we will give an account of everything we say; that the tongue can be used for both blessing and cursing; that it is a hard thing to control; that it usually controls our life; and that a tree cannot bear both bitter and sweet fruit. Jesus reminded us that whatever we had in our heart would eventually come out our mouth.
The age old saying stands true: "Four things come not back: the spoken word; the speeding arrow; time past; the neglected opportunity."
Branches Church has come about because God has opened an opportunity for the doors to the Kingdom of God to be opened wider in this area. The Holy Spirit led our hearts to hear that call and we answered. But, there is nothing we can do to gain time back, to re-do yesterday, to go back to the way life was when it seemed easier or simple or worry free. There is nothing a person can do about choices made, once they were made the "arrow was speeding" and there it is. And so it is with the spoken word. We cannot get them back. But we do have a choice to control what they are BEFORE we speak them.
Branches is committed to being a safe, authentic, accepting, and growing place...
So, if our words are creating heaviness or anxiety in the hearts of others...let's be careful to consider the condition of our own eye before we try and clear the vision in another persons eye. The writer of Proverbs also said that a wise person doesn't broadcast what they think is knowledge, only a fool does that because it may be folly, and not knowledge at all.
"May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer." - Psalm 19:14
Friday, February 12, 2010
It's February 14th and it's a Reality!
This year, February 14th is not only Valentine's Day, but it falls on a weekend with all the winter activities of snowmobiling, skiing, sledding, hockey games, ice fishing, community fund raisers, shows, and the opening of the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. Oh, Yes, it is also the official day of the Branches Church launch as the newest ARC church plant in Wisconsin!We are one of four churches launching this weekend through the Association of Related Churches. The other three are: Champion Center Church in New York City; The Freedom Church in Anniston, Alabama; and Second Place Church in Monee, Illinois. You can learn more about these and other church plants preparing to launch at the Association of Related Churches website at: http://www.arcchurches.com/
We are celebrating what God has done in opening the door to the Kingdom of God wider in the Dunn County area! We are thankful for everyone who has captured the vision of having a place where people can "come as they are" and joined the team to help build that reality. So, for Sunday, with all its activities to capture our time and attention, I say we are still going to have a celebration! I'll see you there!
Pastor Mike
Monday, February 1, 2010
Let's Start the Journey From Here
We are coming to the end of our eight weeks of advertisements to the community that lead up to Branches Church officially launching on February 14th, 2010. We have tried to create interest and communicate in simple 'teasers' what Branches Church is all about. We started the week of Christmas and chose to run a different 'teaser' each week. Each ad began with, "Branches Church: Real People, Real Lives, Real Jesus" followed by:
Week #1 - "Still Jesus After all These Years"
Week #2 - "Keeping Church Uncomplicated"
Week #3 - "Thinking Outside the Box - Church"
Week #4 - "People Don't DO Church - People ARE Church"
Week #5 - "Because We Shouldn't Do Life Alone"
Week #6 - "A Safe Place to Grow"
Week #7 - "Just Come as You Are"
Week #8 - "Feel the Love"
God has a plan for the me He wants me to be, and the you He wants you to be. He is not a mass producer, but a hand-crafter. His plan for you will not look exactly like His plan for anyone else, which means it will take freedom and a little exploration for us to learn how God wants to grow each of us.
When Theodore Roosevelt Jr. landed on the Normandy beaches on June 6th, 1944 with the men he was commanding, they realized they had come ashore on the wrong beach. They were not where they had planned on being. They were not where other people thought they should be. The terrain didn't match the maps they had studied. They did not however, head back to the relative safety of the ship. They did not try to get into the 'right spot'. Roosevelt is credited with saying, "Boys, let's start the war from right here!" And they did.
From where we can see it as humans, we do not know exactly where God is working in someone as they start to form the intention of following God's leading in their life. They may not be where they thought they would be at, or where we think they should be at in this point of their life. They may not recognize God at work around them because it doesn't look like what they've been told it would look like. Or maybe they haven't left the comfort of the familiar surroundings they are in even if they are destructive or dangerous.
If the Church will stop trying to get the world to want what we've got (denominational affiliations, church membership, fellowship among ourselves, and member services) and start offering what they need, which is what people have always needed: God in their lives, we'll see transformation in those whose lives we touch. We'll see fruit OF the Spirit in lives being transformed BY the Spirit. Branches Church has been compelled by the Spirit to embark on a journey that will create a church community where people do not have to become 'like us' in order to find God.
We all learn differently, struggle with different sins, and relate to God in different ways. What we at Branches Church value as the measure of your devotion to God is not your religious life, or lack thereof, but simply your life; the trajectory of your heart toward God. We are going to start by saying, "Just come as you are, we'll start the journey from here!"
Week #1 - "Still Jesus After all These Years"
Week #2 - "Keeping Church Uncomplicated"
Week #3 - "Thinking Outside the Box - Church"
Week #4 - "People Don't DO Church - People ARE Church"
Week #5 - "Because We Shouldn't Do Life Alone"
Week #6 - "A Safe Place to Grow"
Week #7 - "Just Come as You Are"
Week #8 - "Feel the Love"
God has a plan for the me He wants me to be, and the you He wants you to be. He is not a mass producer, but a hand-crafter. His plan for you will not look exactly like His plan for anyone else, which means it will take freedom and a little exploration for us to learn how God wants to grow each of us.
When Theodore Roosevelt Jr. landed on the Normandy beaches on June 6th, 1944 with the men he was commanding, they realized they had come ashore on the wrong beach. They were not where they had planned on being. They were not where other people thought they should be. The terrain didn't match the maps they had studied. They did not however, head back to the relative safety of the ship. They did not try to get into the 'right spot'. Roosevelt is credited with saying, "Boys, let's start the war from right here!" And they did.
From where we can see it as humans, we do not know exactly where God is working in someone as they start to form the intention of following God's leading in their life. They may not be where they thought they would be at, or where we think they should be at in this point of their life. They may not recognize God at work around them because it doesn't look like what they've been told it would look like. Or maybe they haven't left the comfort of the familiar surroundings they are in even if they are destructive or dangerous.
If the Church will stop trying to get the world to want what we've got (denominational affiliations, church membership, fellowship among ourselves, and member services) and start offering what they need, which is what people have always needed: God in their lives, we'll see transformation in those whose lives we touch. We'll see fruit OF the Spirit in lives being transformed BY the Spirit. Branches Church has been compelled by the Spirit to embark on a journey that will create a church community where people do not have to become 'like us' in order to find God.
We all learn differently, struggle with different sins, and relate to God in different ways. What we at Branches Church value as the measure of your devotion to God is not your religious life, or lack thereof, but simply your life; the trajectory of your heart toward God. We are going to start by saying, "Just come as you are, we'll start the journey from here!"
Monday, January 25, 2010
My Quote of the Week
My quote of the week would be: Religion requires behavior - Relationship requires faith. I say that because it is not a prerequisite of Christian growth to do certain religious behaviors in order to please God. But the Bible says it is impossible to please God without faith. Everyone comes to Christ the same - broken and separated from God. No one is, or has ever been, or ever will be an exception. It takes faith to have a relationship with God, not how well we think we are being "good" at our religion.
We can have religion by dutifully following religious behaviors but that does not equate relationship with God. It does not forgive our sin, remove guilt, or reveal God's love for us. It does, however, give us some level of comfort thinking we can have something to do with earning our salvation or that we deserve it or are even owed something from God. Dangerous territory when we start to think we are responsible for our salvation.
God so loved that He gave; John 3:16. Next verse, Jesus didn't come to condemn. How do we get so far off track and try to "fix" ourselves or each other by requiring, controlling, or even manipulating behavior? I think it has it's roots in wanting something tangible to "do" or "prove" or "see". One of my favorite movie scenes is in the movie "Contact" with Jodi Foster. She is a scientist who wants to go into space and look for intelligent life. She was given this dream as a child from her single father after her mother's death. Her minister friend tells her to not take the risk and accept things on faith. She says she cannot accept things on faith because to be real, it has to be proven. He asks her to prove that she loved her now deceased father. She is challenged to consider faith because she cannot prove that very real truth to anyone but herself.
I cannot believe that God so loved this broken, mixed up world as it is, so that He would give us His Only Son so that we could try harder to do better at following religious rules in order to please Him! That is absurd! But it is also a cannonball dive into the world of faith. Faith is evidence of things we cannot see. Faith is relationship with God. Faith is salvation through Christ. Faith is knowing God's will for our life. Faith is knowing Jesus in daily living. Faith is even righteousness according to the scriptures. That's why without it, we cannot please God no matter how well we do church, or agree with theology, or are faithful in giving and attending, or which denomination we belong to.
I want my life to be more like depending on faith and less like depending on behavior!
Pastor Mike
We can have religion by dutifully following religious behaviors but that does not equate relationship with God. It does not forgive our sin, remove guilt, or reveal God's love for us. It does, however, give us some level of comfort thinking we can have something to do with earning our salvation or that we deserve it or are even owed something from God. Dangerous territory when we start to think we are responsible for our salvation.
God so loved that He gave; John 3:16. Next verse, Jesus didn't come to condemn. How do we get so far off track and try to "fix" ourselves or each other by requiring, controlling, or even manipulating behavior? I think it has it's roots in wanting something tangible to "do" or "prove" or "see". One of my favorite movie scenes is in the movie "Contact" with Jodi Foster. She is a scientist who wants to go into space and look for intelligent life. She was given this dream as a child from her single father after her mother's death. Her minister friend tells her to not take the risk and accept things on faith. She says she cannot accept things on faith because to be real, it has to be proven. He asks her to prove that she loved her now deceased father. She is challenged to consider faith because she cannot prove that very real truth to anyone but herself.
I cannot believe that God so loved this broken, mixed up world as it is, so that He would give us His Only Son so that we could try harder to do better at following religious rules in order to please Him! That is absurd! But it is also a cannonball dive into the world of faith. Faith is evidence of things we cannot see. Faith is relationship with God. Faith is salvation through Christ. Faith is knowing God's will for our life. Faith is knowing Jesus in daily living. Faith is even righteousness according to the scriptures. That's why without it, we cannot please God no matter how well we do church, or agree with theology, or are faithful in giving and attending, or which denomination we belong to.
I want my life to be more like depending on faith and less like depending on behavior!
Pastor Mike
Monday, January 18, 2010
Friends & Family Success
We've spent months seeking God and praying; organizing church government, structuring administration, building ministry groups, establishing vision and purpose; and now, Friends & Family Preview Sunday, January 17th, 2010, was a great day for Branches Church! It was the beginning of the rest of our journey as a community of believers and seekers who want to do life together as we look to live everyday life in the good things God intends for us as His people.
I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who stepped up to fill the needs of everything it takes to do "portable church" - from doughnuts to dismissal, from sign placement to nursery and conversations. I believe we communicated our vision and purpose well to the 170 people who were there. I am very encouraged by the surveys they filled out. They spoke highly of us being in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.
As God continues to complete His work in us, know that each week will hold new and challenging things as the Spirit directs our path into the will of God for this community. Always remember that Branches Church is safe, authentic, accepting, and growing. We come as we are, but we just don't stay that way because there is so much more God has for His people than just religion...He's offering life! Let's keep doing it together!
Pastor Mike
I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who stepped up to fill the needs of everything it takes to do "portable church" - from doughnuts to dismissal, from sign placement to nursery and conversations. I believe we communicated our vision and purpose well to the 170 people who were there. I am very encouraged by the surveys they filled out. They spoke highly of us being in the right place at the right time doing the right thing.
As God continues to complete His work in us, know that each week will hold new and challenging things as the Spirit directs our path into the will of God for this community. Always remember that Branches Church is safe, authentic, accepting, and growing. We come as we are, but we just don't stay that way because there is so much more God has for His people than just religion...He's offering life! Let's keep doing it together!
Pastor Mike
Monday, January 11, 2010
Friends & Family Preview
This Sunday, January 17th, will be what we are calling Friends & Family Preview Sunday. Even though Branches Church hasn't "officially" opened its doors yet, we want to be ready for our "Grand Opening" on February 14th. One way we are going to do that is to share our vision and purpose and the way we do church with our friends and families, giving them a survey to fill out and evaluate their experience of attending a Branches Church service.
The principle is, we shouldn't do life alone. God made the Body of Christ to be relational and not just with each other, or other churches; but in using the hope that is within us and our generosity of spirit with relationships, families, friends, and businesses in our community. Sunday Church doesn't exist for God, it exists for people and we're going to do our best to get that right from the beginning.
So invite your friends and families, no obligation, but we do need their support with understanding and their input in order to measure our vision and purpose with the needs of the world around us. We have plenty of room, coffee, food, and chairs. The music will be fun, the children will have fun and learn, the day will be filled with hope and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The topic of the day is: Why Branches Church? Because We Shouldn't Do Life Alone.
The principle is, we shouldn't do life alone. God made the Body of Christ to be relational and not just with each other, or other churches; but in using the hope that is within us and our generosity of spirit with relationships, families, friends, and businesses in our community. Sunday Church doesn't exist for God, it exists for people and we're going to do our best to get that right from the beginning.
So invite your friends and families, no obligation, but we do need their support with understanding and their input in order to measure our vision and purpose with the needs of the world around us. We have plenty of room, coffee, food, and chairs. The music will be fun, the children will have fun and learn, the day will be filled with hope and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The topic of the day is: Why Branches Church? Because We Shouldn't Do Life Alone.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Keeping Church Uncomplicated by Thinking Outside the Church
Branches Church is about people. I know there are those who would immediately cringe at that philosophy and say that church is supposed to be about God. I believe the complications of religion begin right there in the why of doing church. One of the things Branches Church values is keeping church uncomplicated. So we're going to try to think outside the box of church, or religion, and see what God is up to in the world around us.
I once spoke with a guy who said he was reading his Bible and asking God to show Himself to him, but he didn't see God anywhere in it--it was just a bunch of stories about people. I replied with, "You mean stories about people who were trying to find God in their own life situations and circumstances and responding by either accepting or rejecting Him?"
"I never thought of it like that!" he said.
You see, even the Bible is written in such a way that we would have example after example of people to learn from, their footsteps to follow in, or their choices to learn from. Yes, it's God's Word - but it's not God, it's His Word. Much like this blog is not me, it's my thoughts and words put down for you to read. If you want to get to know me, come and visit, don't just read this blog. This format is too limited for me to reveal my whole thought process in.
The same goes for church or religion-- it's not God. It's not even for God, as if He needed anything from us. I can't imagine Him saying, "Oh boy, there's something I never thought of!" or "Wow, I never knew where to get one of these, thanks!" Church is supposed to be our expression of worship to God.
If we were to make church for God, it would become a to-do list of things we wouldn't want to forget and things we would want to remember in order to gain His acceptance or approval. Things we would define as acceptable or unacceptable. Things we would consider God is more pleased with because of the way we do them. Church would ultimately become about following the rules we set down for fear of not getting it right. We would constantly be comparing our own behavior to each other's to be sure we were doing it "correctly."
But if we make church about people, our church community becomes a safe place to share the ways God is speaking into our lives. Instead of comparing our to-do lists, we begin encouraging each other by pointing out where God is already at work in us. We begin to see where His life is showing itself in our daily living! That's the "why we do church" Branches is about - people finding God in the twists and turns of daily life! Uncomplicated.
Mike
I once spoke with a guy who said he was reading his Bible and asking God to show Himself to him, but he didn't see God anywhere in it--it was just a bunch of stories about people. I replied with, "You mean stories about people who were trying to find God in their own life situations and circumstances and responding by either accepting or rejecting Him?"
"I never thought of it like that!" he said.
You see, even the Bible is written in such a way that we would have example after example of people to learn from, their footsteps to follow in, or their choices to learn from. Yes, it's God's Word - but it's not God, it's His Word. Much like this blog is not me, it's my thoughts and words put down for you to read. If you want to get to know me, come and visit, don't just read this blog. This format is too limited for me to reveal my whole thought process in.
The same goes for church or religion-- it's not God. It's not even for God, as if He needed anything from us. I can't imagine Him saying, "Oh boy, there's something I never thought of!" or "Wow, I never knew where to get one of these, thanks!" Church is supposed to be our expression of worship to God.
If we were to make church for God, it would become a to-do list of things we wouldn't want to forget and things we would want to remember in order to gain His acceptance or approval. Things we would define as acceptable or unacceptable. Things we would consider God is more pleased with because of the way we do them. Church would ultimately become about following the rules we set down for fear of not getting it right. We would constantly be comparing our own behavior to each other's to be sure we were doing it "correctly."
But if we make church about people, our church community becomes a safe place to share the ways God is speaking into our lives. Instead of comparing our to-do lists, we begin encouraging each other by pointing out where God is already at work in us. We begin to see where His life is showing itself in our daily living! That's the "why we do church" Branches is about - people finding God in the twists and turns of daily life! Uncomplicated.
Mike
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