It's exciting to see the great work of God throughout the West, as he breaks up the traditional thinking about church. It's not complicated. It's simple. Church -- ecclessia -- is People loving God, Loving one another, and loving the lost... right into our homes... and into our Lives!
There are dozens of great videos out there but this is one of my favorite overviews, esp. because it includes Kent Smith. Kent was one of my professors at ACU in the missions program, and is a very humble teacher. He was also a co-founder of several simple churches in Abilene in which I was a part. Those are some cherished memories -- times of finding out just how simple the LIFE of Christ is truly supposed to be!!
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
The Gospel in a Nutshell
Life Through the Spirit
1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Crud, I spoke (blogged) too soon...
Right after I wrote the last post about asking for the Holy Spirit I read the next chapter in Chan's book entiled, "Why Do You Want Him." I'll have to post the entire chapter or something later, but for now, I can just say, Crud, I spoke (blogged) too soon..."
IF we do want the Holy Spirit in our lives, why DO we want the Holy Spirit? That's the question.
Until I have time to write more, here's a Song. This Song comes to me on the same day as reading that chapter. No way that's an accident. And NO Way this is an easy prayer to pray. So I'm listening to the song for a few days .... trying desperately to sing it.. and mean it.
IF we do want the Holy Spirit in our lives, why DO we want the Holy Spirit? That's the question.
Until I have time to write more, here's a Song. This Song comes to me on the same day as reading that chapter. No way that's an accident. And NO Way this is an easy prayer to pray. So I'm listening to the song for a few days .... trying desperately to sing it.. and mean it.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
"...give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him."
Barely any time to really blog this month due to explosive growth with HomeLife Academy. However, in my spare time I'm still working through perhaps the best book I've ever read on the Holy Spirit: Forgotten God, by Francis Chan. He must be one of the most humble teachers I've ever read. (But more on that later.) For now, this week, I read the following scripture and saw something new! Jesus said to His followers:
But wait a second!! The conclusion of Christ's message here is this..."how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" The HOLY Spirit!? Wait a second Son of God! You mean we're supposed to ASK for the Holy Spirit?? Is that just a one time deal, or multiple times. Can you clarify?
This is amazing. Though we are evil we still know how to give good gifts to our children. That's true. So "how much more" will God give His Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!! That's good news for sure. And we're not just asking, and knocking, and seeking for something unimportant. We're asking for God Himself; for MORE of HIM! And how does He give us MORE of Himself?
By His Spirit.
We get to have God Himself living right inside of us!!! Is that amazing or what??? Do we really believe that? That God would make a way into the human heart by His Spirit and live and move through us?? This is not the stuff of fairy tales. It's reality! It's God's goal in us. ALL of God's movements through the first Covenant, through Christ, and through the resurrection point to this fact: God wants to make HIS home in US!!! That's crazy! That's crazy talk I tell you.
But don't take my word for it. Just go to Bible Gateway.com and put "Spirit" in the search. Whoa! Jesus Himself spoke of the Spirit multiple times. And the writers of the gospels described a Spirit-filled Jesus... multiple times. And Paul wrote letters where He declared the essential place of the Spirit... multiple times. The more I study this the more I become convinced of the Spirit's importance. The Spirit with us is really what give us hope. HE, the Spirit of God, gives us hope. Without Him we are alone. This hope begins with our very own study and our very own prayer. And it begins with believers talking about and praying together for the Spirit as well. I don't think Jesus was just telling us this ask, seek, knock thing to make us grin a little. And he wasn't suggesting that "IF" we ask for the Spirit God will give Him to us. Christ was saying we NEED to ask, seek, and knock. And we NEED to ask for the Spirit. It seems to me that is the only conclusion we can draw.
But I know what you're thinking (if you've made it this far in this post). Any concentration on the Holy Spirit can only lead to theological disaster. Just look around, you say. And you're right, there is a great deal of confusion about the Spirit. All I can say is I highly recommend a complete study of the Holy Spirit in scripture for yourself and read this book by Chan. It's good. It's balanced. But mainly.... read the Bible! It's all in there. And it's very, very exciting.
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!Right, heard that first bit before... Ask, Knock, Seek, etc. Sure. Memorized that one at age 5.
But wait a second!! The conclusion of Christ's message here is this..."how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" The HOLY Spirit!? Wait a second Son of God! You mean we're supposed to ASK for the Holy Spirit?? Is that just a one time deal, or multiple times. Can you clarify?
This is amazing. Though we are evil we still know how to give good gifts to our children. That's true. So "how much more" will God give His Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!! That's good news for sure. And we're not just asking, and knocking, and seeking for something unimportant. We're asking for God Himself; for MORE of HIM! And how does He give us MORE of Himself?
By His Spirit.
We get to have God Himself living right inside of us!!! Is that amazing or what??? Do we really believe that? That God would make a way into the human heart by His Spirit and live and move through us?? This is not the stuff of fairy tales. It's reality! It's God's goal in us. ALL of God's movements through the first Covenant, through Christ, and through the resurrection point to this fact: God wants to make HIS home in US!!! That's crazy! That's crazy talk I tell you.
But don't take my word for it. Just go to Bible Gateway.com and put "Spirit" in the search. Whoa! Jesus Himself spoke of the Spirit multiple times. And the writers of the gospels described a Spirit-filled Jesus... multiple times. And Paul wrote letters where He declared the essential place of the Spirit... multiple times. The more I study this the more I become convinced of the Spirit's importance. The Spirit with us is really what give us hope. HE, the Spirit of God, gives us hope. Without Him we are alone. This hope begins with our very own study and our very own prayer. And it begins with believers talking about and praying together for the Spirit as well. I don't think Jesus was just telling us this ask, seek, knock thing to make us grin a little. And he wasn't suggesting that "IF" we ask for the Spirit God will give Him to us. Christ was saying we NEED to ask, seek, and knock. And we NEED to ask for the Spirit. It seems to me that is the only conclusion we can draw.
But I know what you're thinking (if you've made it this far in this post). Any concentration on the Holy Spirit can only lead to theological disaster. Just look around, you say. And you're right, there is a great deal of confusion about the Spirit. All I can say is I highly recommend a complete study of the Holy Spirit in scripture for yourself and read this book by Chan. It's good. It's balanced. But mainly.... read the Bible! It's all in there. And it's very, very exciting.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
The Way walked The Way of the Cross
He traded his crown for a crown of thorns
He picked up His cross and laid down His sword
He stumbled down the road bruised and beaten for me
Jesus walked the way of grief
Hallelujah!
[Chorus]
On the via dolorosa!
All my sin was carried away!
And the power of hell was broken
As He gave His life away
He knew it was to come from the very start
But his love for the world beat inside His heart
He climbed the road of suffering to the hill of calvary
Where the saints would be redeemed.
Hallelujah!
[Chorus]
On the via dolorosa!All my sin was carried away!
And the power of hell was broken
As He gave His life away
Jesus fixed His eyes upon the new horizon
Soon he would arise and the world would be forgiven!
Jesus fixed His eyes upon the new horizon
Soon he would arise and the world would be forgiven!
Hallelujah, Jesus rose again!
On the cross He she'd His blood on Calvary
I'm thankful for the journey of my King!
[Chorus]
On the via dolorosa!
All my sin was carried away!
And the power of hell was broken
As He gave His life away
As He gave His life away
Leeland
Via Dolorosa lyrics
Sunday, August 7, 2011
This is how we are saved...
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
- Isaiah 53
LOVE in Bodily Form, laid up on a cross for ME, for YOU.. Oh, how we love him.
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
3 He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to our own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
Yet who of his generation protested?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was punished.
9 He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
10 Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.
- Isaiah 53
LOVE in Bodily Form, laid up on a cross for ME, for YOU.. Oh, how we love him.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
It's not just another movement....
This is probably one of the better descriptions of the Soma (Body) LIFE of God I've ever heard. Pause it when he gets to the "Big Red Tractor" and watch the video below. Then restart the Chan video. Enjoy! (and then ask God for change...)
Francis Chan: Following Jesus [VERGE 2010 Main Session] from Verge Network on Vimeo.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Review? What's to Review? Just let loose the tongue in praise!
Soul Cry – Misty Edwards
By JacksonNote: The chords sheet is a condensed version with just the choruses, for the sake of space. The lyrics sheet is a more complete transcription.
 | Song: Artist: Album: | Soul Cry Misty Edwards Fling Wide | Chords: Lyrics: |   |
As the deer pants for the water, my soul longs for You
As the body dies without water, my soul dies without You
As the body dies without water, my soul dies without You
They may say, “Come on, get over it
Drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die”
Drink, be merry, for tomorrow we die”
That’s why I’d rather sit in the house of mourning
Than at the table with fools
Blessed are the hungry—You said it, I believe it
Hunger is an escort into the deeper things of You
You satisfy, you satisfy
Than at the table with fools
Blessed are the hungry—You said it, I believe it
Hunger is an escort into the deeper things of You
You satisfy, you satisfy
My soul cries, my soul cries, my soul cries for You
Take me to the place where You satisfy, take me to the river
I’ll do anything, God; there is no price, take me to the river
I’ll do anything, God; there is no price, take me to the river
They may say, “Come on, get over it, everything is okay”
They may say, “Why the hunger?
Why the thirsting? Why the mourning?”
They may say, “Why the hunger?
Why the thirsting? Why the mourning?”
But my soul cries, my soul cries
All my tears You hold in a bottle; You will pour them out like rain
Weeping endures for the night, for the night
But joy comes in the morning, joy comes in the morning
Weeping endures for the night, for the night
But joy comes in the morning, joy comes in the morning
Blessed are the hungry, blessed are the thirsty
You said it, I believe it; I believe it, I believe it
You said it, I believe it; I believe it, I believe it
Hunger is the escort into the deeper things of You
Deep is calling out to deep is calling out to deep
Yesterday’s depth is feeling really shallow
I’ve gotta go deeper, deeper, deeper still
And all Your waves and all Your billows crash over me
Pulling me deep, deep, deeper
I’ve gotta go deeper, deeper, deeper still
And all Your waves and all Your billows crash over me
Pulling me deep, deep, deeper
From glory to glory, from strength to strength
From depth to depth, I want to fellowship with You
You’re not so far away, it’s not too mysterious
You’re living on the inside of me, Your Spirit on the inside of me
You’re living on the inside of me, Your Spirit on the inside of me
Spring up, O well; spring up, O well; spring up, O well, within me
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