The Re-Launch of a Previously Misdirected Blogsite
I was part of a ministry at one point in my life where the apostolic leader launched a church planting initiative in his city. I found out about six months into those church plants that the apostolic leader had allowed every senior leader in each of those churches one transitional period where they were able to “fire” the entire staff. The lead pastor would then “rehire” those on the staff that fit with the direction the church was going and fill in the gaps left by those who weren’t rehired. A little dramatic? Pehaps. But the wisdom behind this leader’s thought process is that everyone needs one fresh start. We all make mistakes, especially early in the game. So now I’m going to tell you about mine.
I began this blog to be a journal and sounding board for those of us who believe that God desires to change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the Earth. The very first thing I posted was “Wolfgang Simpson’s 15 Theses,” which is this amazing article about the shape that I believe the church is going to look like before this whole thing is over. But then I took a step back and looked at the article. It’s revolutionary. It’s brilliant. I’ll probably post it again some time. The only problem is it was pointing my heart into a different direction. It talks much of the church and the change that is coming, but it speaks little of a vibrant relationship between Christ and His people. It didn’t direct my heart into the love of God.
And as I reflected about my situation, I realized that I found myself in a place similar to much of the body of Christ. We’re constantly focused on what’s next. Our message is the change that’s coming to the structure of the church or how to prophesy or more effective ways to reach lost people. The preaching and teaching and writings in the land have everything to do with the church and have little to do with Jesus. We have an obsession of what we look like, who we are, and how we do things. In the end, it’s clouded our vision of Jesus.
We have to come to an understanding that everything is about Christ. The Apostle Paul had this as his aim. He says in Galatians 1, “But…it pleased God…to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach Him…” (Galatians 1:15-16). It was the pleasure of God to reveal Jesus to Paul, not so that Paul could teach about the five-fold ministry or inner healing or cross-cultural missions. It was the pleasure of God to reveal Jesus to Paul so that Paul might preach Jesus. God desired a vessel to declare the excellencies of Christ. “ To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,” (Ephesians 3:8). Christ and Christ alone consumed Paul. I’m convinced Paul saw his life as a relationship with Jesus that happened to be apostolic in nature.
A great example of this was Sadhu Sundar Singh. He was born in India and accepted Christ at the age of 15. He lived out his love for the Lord by leaving everything he owned, walking through India meditating on Christ, and preaching to anyone who would listen. His ministry had an enormous impact on India and eventually lead to him preaching abroad in Europe. His message wasn’t how to do what he did or a new secret to powerful ministry, but “the universal human need to seek God, and on God's revelation in Christ. The one thing necessary for those in both East and West was to sit in silence at the feet of the Divine Master, who was equally hidden and equally accessible to all,” (“Wanderer For Christ” by Timothy Dobe, Christian History, Issue 87, Summer 2005, Vol. XXIV, No. 3, Page 37.).
My goal in saying all of this about us is that for me, it’s time to repent. Not only is it time to re-launch the blog site a little differently, but its time to live life differently. I want to start living with Christ as the center and the reason for who I am. Not my ministry, not my brand of Christianity, not my talents, just Christ.
I don’t know what it’s going to look like at all but I want to invite you along in the journey. A leader I greatly respect has repeatedly said that, “it takes God to love God,” and I think the first step we have to take is to find our way into His presence, waiting on Him, knowing Him. Christ had to be revealed to Paul before He could be revealed through Paul. The same will be true for us. Let's begin to spend real time meditating on Him, not for meditations sake, but to truly know Him. Let’s seek to know this God-Man and make Him the center of finances, our emotions, our words, and our lives. When this really happens, I believe that true apostolic Christianity will emerge on the Earth, and the result will be like nothing ever seen on the face of the planet.
I began this blog to be a journal and sounding board for those of us who believe that God desires to change the understanding and expression of Christianity in the Earth. The very first thing I posted was “Wolfgang Simpson’s 15 Theses,” which is this amazing article about the shape that I believe the church is going to look like before this whole thing is over. But then I took a step back and looked at the article. It’s revolutionary. It’s brilliant. I’ll probably post it again some time. The only problem is it was pointing my heart into a different direction. It talks much of the church and the change that is coming, but it speaks little of a vibrant relationship between Christ and His people. It didn’t direct my heart into the love of God.
And as I reflected about my situation, I realized that I found myself in a place similar to much of the body of Christ. We’re constantly focused on what’s next. Our message is the change that’s coming to the structure of the church or how to prophesy or more effective ways to reach lost people. The preaching and teaching and writings in the land have everything to do with the church and have little to do with Jesus. We have an obsession of what we look like, who we are, and how we do things. In the end, it’s clouded our vision of Jesus.
We have to come to an understanding that everything is about Christ. The Apostle Paul had this as his aim. He says in Galatians 1, “But…it pleased God…to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach Him…” (Galatians 1:15-16). It was the pleasure of God to reveal Jesus to Paul, not so that Paul could teach about the five-fold ministry or inner healing or cross-cultural missions. It was the pleasure of God to reveal Jesus to Paul so that Paul might preach Jesus. God desired a vessel to declare the excellencies of Christ. “ To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ,” (Ephesians 3:8). Christ and Christ alone consumed Paul. I’m convinced Paul saw his life as a relationship with Jesus that happened to be apostolic in nature.
A great example of this was Sadhu Sundar Singh. He was born in India and accepted Christ at the age of 15. He lived out his love for the Lord by leaving everything he owned, walking through India meditating on Christ, and preaching to anyone who would listen. His ministry had an enormous impact on India and eventually lead to him preaching abroad in Europe. His message wasn’t how to do what he did or a new secret to powerful ministry, but “the universal human need to seek God, and on God's revelation in Christ. The one thing necessary for those in both East and West was to sit in silence at the feet of the Divine Master, who was equally hidden and equally accessible to all,” (“Wanderer For Christ” by Timothy Dobe, Christian History, Issue 87, Summer 2005, Vol. XXIV, No. 3, Page 37.).
My goal in saying all of this about us is that for me, it’s time to repent. Not only is it time to re-launch the blog site a little differently, but its time to live life differently. I want to start living with Christ as the center and the reason for who I am. Not my ministry, not my brand of Christianity, not my talents, just Christ.
I don’t know what it’s going to look like at all but I want to invite you along in the journey. A leader I greatly respect has repeatedly said that, “it takes God to love God,” and I think the first step we have to take is to find our way into His presence, waiting on Him, knowing Him. Christ had to be revealed to Paul before He could be revealed through Paul. The same will be true for us. Let's begin to spend real time meditating on Him, not for meditations sake, but to truly know Him. Let’s seek to know this God-Man and make Him the center of finances, our emotions, our words, and our lives. When this really happens, I believe that true apostolic Christianity will emerge on the Earth, and the result will be like nothing ever seen on the face of the planet.
posted by Travis at 1:48 PM
1 Comments:
I am with you bro!
Bryan
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