Urgency vs Complacency

It is so easy for a person, business or organization to get complacent. The status quo sounds good sometimes. It is so much easier to let old dogs lie because you really can't teach an old dogs new tricks anyway.

How do you get the fire burning again? How can you get people who are not urgent, urgent?

Here are some thoughts:

Spill your guts. Talk about what you are feeling. Get yourself out of the rut. Look for the positive. Take action. Do something that will break you out of the ordinary. Start to think out of the box. Start to believe that the impossible is possible.

Why is what you are planning to change so important. Will what you are dreaming really make a difference? Don't just talk about it, do it!!!!

Cool or Not

Great post from the guys at Lifechurch.tv

Here it is:

The American Church is not lacking for “cool” pastors. Like a single guy who is trying just-a-bit-too-hard to impress a girl, some churches are simply trying too hard to be cool.
I’m very encouraged to see a shifting in direction. For years, many of us seemed focused on:

Designing relevant church experiences.
Producing entertaining videos.
Creating inviting environments.
Crafting sermon series to draw a crowd.
Writing sermons with shock value and plenty of humor or stories.

While all of the above can be effective tools, many of my friends are intentionally moving in a stronger direction. So many great Christian leaders are seeing far better results with:

Bathing a sermon in prayer.
Fasting regularly.
Practicing personal confession and repentance.
Preaching from the overflow of time alone in God’s word.
Caring deeply for others in biblical community.

I’m thrilled so many leaders are placing less emphasis on being cool and more emphasis on being like Christ.

learning again

I remember a preacher once said that the journey of Israel out of Egypt to the promise land was suppose to last 40 days but ended up being a 40 years experience. As the preacher put it when they did not learn the lesson God said "take another lap". I have since understood what was happening. Israel needed 40 years to undo what they had become in 400 years. God used those years to help Israel rid itself of the Egyptian influence.

Was God with them in the wilderness? Just study the Tabernacle and it is very clear He was. In the study of the Tabernacle we see God helping His people understand there past, present and future. Just as there are 3 areas in the Tabernacle we must also see what God wants to understand about our past, present and future.

The Outer Court- every person starts on the outside. We are sinners by nature. We are lost without hope. We need help to get right with God. The Cross of Jesus is our way in the door. We need forgiveness of sin. Our past must be washed in the Blood of Jesus. Our sins must be washed away. We need a new beginning. In Christ we are new creatures, the old is past away and everything becomes new.

The Holy Place- In the present we are living daily by the help of God through His Holy Spirit. We are righteous because of what Christ has done for us. In the Holy place we have bread, light and access to God. The bread is His word. The Light is His will and the incense is our walk with the Lord.

The Holy of Hollies- One day we will be in the completed presence of God. Right now we only know in part but one day we will fully know. The future is bright for those who have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

So what is God up to? God is calling all believers to work out there salvation with fear and trembling. Our God is sanctifying us and preparing us to present us as church without spot, wrinkle or blemish.

more later.