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Harvest? What Harvest?

2011-04-17T10:49:00.000-07:00

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of April 18, 2011

All past newsletters now posted as PDF files in our Newsletter Archives at www.safehousesofhopeandprayer.org.

Dear Friends,

Much swirling around right now. I’ve included an update on “My Brother’s Keeper” below and would appreciate your prayers as we enter a critical phase of identifying and recording personal stories of adversity and triumph. I’ve already been blessed and we’re just getting started.

Blessings,
Maurice
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Harvest? What Harvest?

Sorry I haven’t been more active lately (well, I have been, just not here on this page!). This musing was prompted by a recent post by our friend Guy Muse (The M Blog) in Ecuador. Guy posted an article entitled “20 Reasons why we don’t see harvest”. Just like I’m doing now, Guy was reflecting on an excellent post by our mutual friend Felicity Dale who blogged on “15 reasons we don’t see harvest” . Guy added 5 more reasons to come up with an “even 20".

Not being a terribly creative dog and of limited abilities, I thought I would simply “piggy back” on what Guy and Felicity have done and make some comments of my own concerning the lack of any significant harvest in the Western Church. Some of these thoughts have appeared in other articles (hey, I told you I wasn’t very creative), but here I want to apply them to the topic of “Why no harvest?”.

1. Post Modern Skepticism. I’ve beat this drum before and I’ll continue to beat it until we get it. Specifically, the Post Modern skepticism of our culture has infected the Church and is rotting us from the inside out. A growing number of people in the Church genuinely believe that there are other ways to God and that adherents of other faiths will make it to heaven without conversion to biblical faith in Christ. If that’s true, who needs missions or a harvest? Combine this with the rising number of “practicing universalists” in the Church who believe that God loves everyone so much that He will find a way to get them into heaven, even if He has to break his own clear Scriptural rules and concoct some form of “post-mortem salvation”. In an article in Relevant Magazine posted on-line, Scot McKnight writes: “My own estimation is that somewhere near 75 percent of my students, many if not most of them nurtured in the church, are more or less universalist. They believe in Jesus and see themselves as Christians but don’t find significant problems in God saving Muslims and Buddhists or anyone else on the basis of how God makes such decisions. The Baylor Study of Religion, if my memory is correct, asked a question or two that reveals that an increasing number of American evangelical Christians think the majority of humans will be saved.” If you want more evidence of this, read Jon Meacham’s article on Bell in TIME on-line. Simply put, how do you raise up a generation of missionaries and martyrs in such a pervasive cloud of doubt and skepticism?

2. Thinking that better training equals a bigger harvest. Let me be clear. Training can often times be helpful, but the people attending “training weekends” are (generally speaking) those already motivated to make a difference and simply need to work on their “technique”. As a college student during the tail-end of the Jesus Movement I cut my teeth on Campus Crusade for Christ leadership training and went on to spend 2 years on staff before heading off to Seminary. So I am well aware that training can be helpful. But my spiritual hair was on fire long before I ever attended a Campus Crusade Leadership Training Class, Group or Conference. Why is there no harvest in America today like there was during the Jesus Movement? The correct answer certainly isn’t “training” or a lack thereof (if you need some excellent organic house church training, go to www.CMAResources.org). Training alone will not turn “Laodicean believers” into fire-breathing missionaries. That requires a burning coal fresh from God’s altar. If I must ever choose between a “trained” person and a “passionate” person, I’ll choose passion over training. Why? Because the passionate person can be “trained” and his passion productively channeled, but a trained person can’t be made passionate. Passion is “caught” not “taught”. Either your heart and your hair are on fire for God or not. On a side note, lots of “training” is what you get from a Church dominated by “teachers”. Teachers have never encountered a problem which (in their opinion) couldn’t be solve with more and better teaching. Likewise, prophets have never met a problem which couldn’t be solved with a “fresh word from God”. Apostles have never encountered a problem which couldn’t be resolved with a better strategic understanding of what God is doing and a renewed commitment to pioneer new ground. Well, hopefully, you get the point. Where more training is the answer to all the Church’s woes (including a bigger harvest), teachers are in charge. And when the only tool in your tool box is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail. I’m just sayin’ . . .

3. Equating “harvest” with “reaping”. Consider the words of the Apostle Paul, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-8) Simply put, everyone wants to “reap”, but no one wants to sow or water. Can God allow us to reap where no one has sown? Certainly He can. He’s God. But that is the “exception”. Paul is giving us the “rule”. If we want a harvest, then we need to pray for laborers willing to sow and water, possibly without seeing any fruit in their generation. In an excellent article on the changing role of missionaries in Ecuador, Guy Muse points out that the current harvest being experienced in Ecuador among house churches represents the fruit of many years of sowing and watering by others in that country. Some laborers will sow. Other laborers will water. Still others may harvest. But Jesus is Lord over all their labors. On a side note, American Christians have been taught to equate “evangelism” with “closing the deal”, sort of like a door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. When our “prospect” doesn’t immediately respond to our sales pitch with an order to buy (i.e., pray to receive Christ on their doorstep) we pack up our traveling display case and move on to greener pastures, leaving a trail of confused and bewildered non-Christians wondering what that little episode was all about. Spend more time sowing and watering and less time trying to sell vacuum cleaners and maybe we’ll see more and better fruit.

4. A Failure To Understand Seasons of Spiritual Awakening. Yeah, I know. I’m a broken record on this theme (or in today’s jargon I guess I’m a looped mp3 file or something). The point is simple, historical and unmistakable. Men’s training and techniques notwithstanding, the history of the Western Church for the past 300 years demonstrates that the greatest periods of church growth - both in numbers and percentages - has occurred during times of historic spiritual awakening. Such periods, on average, witnessed between 5 and 7% of the population of the affected areas making first time professions of faith in Christ, usually within a span of 2 or 3 years (localized percentages could be much higher). In an America of over 300 million people, this would mean a dramatic influx of between 15 and 21 million new believers in 36 months or less. That’s what I call a harvest . . . and a discipleship challenge. For more on this topic see my book, “Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring” (ISBN 978-0981528922), available on Amazon.

“My Brother’s Keeper” Moving Forward

When you get a chance I would suggest that you visit our website, especially if you’re short on details regarding this video project. We’re starting more frequent updates and beginning the first phase which I’ve entitled “Everyone Has A Story”. We’re going to begin videotaping personal stories of hunger, homelessness, drug/alcohol addiction and recovery, and more. These stories will be professionally edited down to 2-to-3 minutes and then posted on the “My Brother’s Keeper” website. Our long-range goal is to identify compelling stories which can be developed into half-hour episodes of “My Brother’s Keeper”. Keep us in your prayers as we move forward with this project, designed to communicate the love of God in practical terms to those in need.

This past week I met with several students from a local community college. One of the professors at the school works for the City and teaches classes on social service. He received the e-mail I circulated to all of the ministries and social service agencies in the city concerning “Everyone Has A Story”. He copied my e-mail and distributed it to students in his classes, telling them “Here’s an opportunity for you to tell your personal story”. My phone began ringing and last Thursday I met with several students who were interested in becoming involved, including Shauna (not her real name). She told me how she had started using drugs at the age of 9 and was a full blown addict by age 13. She told me of having three children which she placed for adoption, and that she now has a daughter of her own. I told her how much I appreciated her moral courage of being responsible and doing the right thing. She is now finishing an Associate’s degree and is living in a transitional living home. As I talked with the students (Shauna was one of 3 I talked with together at one sitting) I shared the Christian and biblical roots of “My Brother’s Keeper”. When we were done and everyone was getting ready to leave, Shauna spoke up. “I need you to know that I am not a Christian,” she told us (the other 2 students were and attended the same church). “But I still want to tell my story.” It was a poignant moment. “You need to tell your story, and we want to help you tell it in your own words,” I responded. So, our journey into demonstrating the love of Christ through practical service to those in need has begun. Pray for us, as I am certain many challenges lie ahead. But I am constantly reminded of the Biblical truth that “when you did it to the least of these, you did it to Me.”

Support Our Ministry Financially

As you can no doubt surmise, these are tight financial times (and not just for us). The good news is that donating to and supporting this ministry is quite simple. Go to our website and click on the “Donate” button at the top of the right hand column. This takes you to our PayPal account where you can donate quickly, easily, and securely. Your financial support is greatly appreciated!

© 2011 THE PAROUSIA NETWORK (www.safehousesofhopeandprayer.org)

And They Dreamt Of A Kingdom

2011-04-03T15:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well and prospering. Over the past couple of years I have been giving increasing thought to the topic of “The Kingdom of God”. In the organic house church movement we need to explain how we see the relationship between organic house church and the Kingdom. In short, the Kingdom of God is the “big picture” of which the Church is but a snapshot in time. As someone has well said, “You cannot drive the Kingdom of God thru house church. You must drive house church through the Kingdom of God”. In other words, the Kingdom defines house church, not the other way around. Unfortunately, I have been somewhat disappointed with much contemporary writing on the Kingdom. In my opinion, the best book on the Kingdom remains one written by George Eldon Ladd entitled “The Gospel of the Kingdom” (1959). A recent study on the parables as discipleship lessons again pricked my thoughts to ask, “What does it mean to be a disciple of the Kingdom?” This led to additional thoughts about house church and the Kingdom of God. My plan is to do some writing on the topic, and I thought I would share some initial thoughts, hopefully with more to come later.

Blessings,
Maurice

Author’s Preface

"The most difficult subjects can be explained to the most slow-witted man if he has not formed any idea of them already; but the simplest thing cannot be made clear to the most intelligent man if he is firmly persuaded that he knows already, without a shadow of doubt, what is laid before him." -Leo Tolstoy, The Kingdom of God is Within You

"There is nothing in the world more powerful than an idea. No weapon can destroy it; no power can conquer it, except the power of another idea." -Albert Einstein, 1879-1955

"I can find in my undergraduate classes, bright students who do not know that the stars rise and set at night, or even that the Sun is a star." -The late Carl Sagan, astronomer

October Tomatoes & The Kingdom of God

I have a confession to make. I love tomatoes, and nearly everything made with them. As a result I have often found it necessary to grow my own during the summer. Most store-bought tomatoes are picked green and allowed to “ripen” while in transit. All too often the net result is something resembling a tomato, but whose taste and texture more closely resemble the box they were shipped in than the whole-bodied flavor God intended and I enjoy on a sandwich, or in a Greek salad with generous amounts of Feta cheese. In northern latitudes where I live, a couple hours south of the U.S.-Canadian border, the mild summers make for slow growing and slow ripening tomatoes. It is usually late August or early September before tomatoes achieve that deep red richness of color and flavor which reward the months of tending, pruning and watering that must be invested in their growth. All too soon the first frosts of late September bring an end to this summer delight. But occasionally, even rarely, if the plants haven’t been cleared out and the frosts have been mild or late, you may find yourself treated to an out-of-season delight. October tomatoes.

No. In case you’re wondering, this isn’t a book on horticulture or on growing tomatoes, but on life. And life sometimes offers us important lessons out of due season. Some of the most meaningful lessons in the Christian life come to us by surprise, like October Tomatoes. Truths which should have fully ripened and been enjoyed earlier in the spiritual seasons of life come to us late, but not too late to be either deeply meaningful or fully appreciated. In my own life and Christian experience the truth of the Kingdom of God has come like October tomatoes, ripening only after a thirty-five-year-long growing season.

This new-found appreciation for the truths of the Kingdom of God is somewhat embarrassing. To place it in perspective, for a Christian to not understand the Kingdom of God is on the same embarrassing level as Carl Sagan’s undergraduate student who doesn’t know that the stars rise and set at night, or that the Sun is a star. Now, please don’t misunderstand me. It wasn’t that I was a complete stranger to the concept of the Kingdom. During my seminary days I had studied the idea of the Kingdom both in Scripture and in systematic theology. In my files I still have a 21 page paper on the Kingdom of God I wrote for Dr. William Klein’s New Testament 202 class (a paper entitled “The Fact And Nature of the Present Kingdom.” I even received a “A” on the paper). But all of that was simply knowledge, rather than understanding. It’s one thing to know that Rudolph Bultman or Adolf Harnack or Oscar Cullman wrote books about the Kingdom of God. It’s quite another to understand and to wrap one’s life around the truth that the Kingdom of God in all its fullness is the central message of the New Testament, indeed, of the Bible itself. The difference between such knowledge and genuine understanding is like . . . well, being able to name the stars in the sky, but not knowing that they rise and set at night, or that our own Sun is, in fact, a star.

I am hopeful that as we unfold this study on the Kingdom of God, at least two things will happen. First, I am hopeful that you can and will successfully avoid the trap of Tolstoy’s intelligent man who was firmly persuaded that he already knew, without a shadow of doubt, the truth of the matter at hand. This may (and probably will) require you to temporarily set aside what you think you already know about the Kingdom of God. In suggesting that you set aside what you already know, I am not asking you to suspend any discernment, only that you set aside any preconception you may have. Sometimes the greatest enemy of learning . . . is knowledge. If you can avoid the “frost” of existing knowledge which wilts some things while freezing and killing others, you may yet be surprised by October tomatoes - fresh understanding of the Kingdom of God which you never expected. Secondly, I am hopeful that in the process you will discover what Einstein understood - the power of an idea. I am convinced that, properly understood and fully embraced, the Kingdom of God is that “idea” which could revolutionize and transform the barren spiritual landscape of our Postmodern generation.

The Kingdom of God as Postmodern Meta-narrative

Nos fecisti ad te et inquietum est cor nostrum donec requiescat in te.

(“Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in Thee.”)

St. Augustine of Hippo

The barrenness of our present Postmodern spiritual landscape was brought home to me not long ago at an Institute of Ministry sponsored by Whitworth University, a Presbyterian liberal arts school in Spokane, Washington (and my daughter’s alma mater). One of the workshop presenters for the week was Ian Torrance, President of Princeton Seminary. In a workshop on Postmodern ethics (i.e., the problem of making ethical decisions in a Postmodern world) Dr. Torrance treated us to a brilliant overview of the history of ethics in the 20th Century. He then summarized the current thinking in the philosophy of ethics, namely, that all ethical choices must be local in nature. Within a church context (such as the Presbyterian Church, for example), ethical choices regarding such things as same-sex marriage or the ordination of practicing homosexuals, must be made on the local level. Why? Because in a Postmodern world, there are no universally binding moral standards which can find universal acceptance and command the ethical decision-making of everyone concerned.

In the question and answer exchange which followed I responded that if we assumed the validity of this approach I saw no way to avoid the eventual outcome of reducing all ethical choices to individualism and relativism (In other words, the “moral standard” which guides my ethical choices is ultimately . . . me and my preferences! In Biblical terms this is known as every man doing that which is right in his own eyes - Judges 17:6; 21:25). I further argued that as Christians, and contrary to our Postmodern culture, we do not reject the validity of all “meta- narratives” (i.e., over-arching truths - including moral truths - which are universally applicable). After the workshop, as we walked from the classroom to the cafeteria for lunch, I suggested to Dr. Torrance that what was needed was to reclaim and restate the biblical truth of the Kingdom of God as a Postmodern meta-narrative. He agreed, and it was this conversation (among other things) which prodded me to begin writing this book.

Despite its protestations to the contrary, our Postmodern culture, is in a desperate search for something bigger than itself to believe in. When David Lehman observed that “The 20th Century is the name of a train that no longer runs,” the unspoken implication was that of a genuine interest in a train that does run. While Postmodernism publicly proclaims its distrust of all meta- narratives due to histories of the abuse of power by their proponents (e.g. religious meta narratives have been used to justify inquisitions and to suppress women, etc.), our Postmodern world quickly goes about constructing its own new meta-narratives which demand personal conversion and universal acceptance: political activism, liberalism, environmentalism, secularism, post-modernism, post-foundationalism, etc. All trains which don’t run. But that inconvenient truth doesn’t stop the Postmodern hucksters who continue to sell tickets for their particular passage to nowhere.

As St. Augustine observed some 1500 years ago, the human heart is a vacuum which constantly searches for something bigger than itself to fill that void. The atheists of our Postmodern age deny God’s existence while trying to explain away the void left by His departure, secretly wondering all the while if the sounds they hear in the night are really the footfalls of the hound of heaven, that eternal friend that they most fear. The agnostic, on the other hand, simply says, “I don’t know,” wondering all the while if the void he feels might somehow be one-day filled by some “unknown God” he has yet to encounter.

The unbeliever, whether agnostic or atheist, is a soul in search of an alternative story to explain his (or her) existence. Ivan Illich (1926-2002) was a brilliant Catholic thinker and insightful critic of modern culture, society and institutions. His most celebrated work, Deschooling Society, offers a revealing and devastating critique of the ineffectual nature of modern institutionalized education. Illich was once asked his opinion regarding the most revolutionary way to change society. “Is it violent revolution or is it gradual reform?” He gave a careful answer. “Neither,” he replied. “If you want to change society, then you must tell an alternative story.”
The Kingdom of God is, I believe, God’s alternative story in our Postmodern world. Unfortunately, God’s alternative story has suffered greatly at the hands of its friends and messengers in our Postmodern culture. Some have complicated it beyond recognition to the point that it takes a graduate degree in business along with a host of consultants to manage what, in Jesus’ day, was first entrusted to fishermen and peasants. Others have traded a simple message for a simplistic one and, in the process, have bored our culture with the greatest alternative story ever told.

For more thoughts regarding the relationship between the Kingdom of God and organic house church, see Chapter 6, “The Kingdom In Your House” in our book “River Houses Rising: The Rise of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer”, available as a PDF download from our website.

© 2011 THE PAROUSIA NETWORK

Seven Steps To Cloning An Elephant

2011-03-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Maurice’s Musings For 3-10-11

I recently came across two blog posts which piqued my curiosity and motivated me to write this post. The first post was one I found on Ed Stetzer’s “Lifeway Research Blog” (an official Southern Baptist outlet). This particular post was in response to an earlier post regarding the top 7 issues facing church planters. As I read the current post, thinking about how the author was responding to these seven issues, the thought that “popped” to mind was, “Seven Steps To Cloning An Elephant”. I have noted before in different newsletters that planing and running the modern evangelical church has become so complicated that the Apostle Paul wouldn’t be able to do it, and Jesus probably wouldn’t even recognize it. While I have great regard for those individuals who feel called and have dedicated themselves to “church planting”, I can’t help but ask, “What are you planting?”. And the advice I commonly see offered to budding “church planters” more resembles cloning instructions for producing an elephant than anything resembling the creation of a New Testament Church. Which brings me to the second blog post which grabbed my attention.

It was posted by our friend and fellow house church planter (and, like Stetzer, a Southern Baptist) Guy Muse. It was entitled “How To Start A House Church”, but I think it should have been entitled, “Two Steps To Cloning A Rabbit”. Guy’s steps were quite simple: Gather people, and make disciples. Wow! That’s simplicity that even I can understand. And the chances are quite high that, if followed, the result could be a rapidly reproducing and multiplying church planting movement. After all, biblical church planting is simply a discipleship process that leaves a church in its wake.

Isn’t it time to close down the elephant cloning project and buy a rabbit hutch?

Reflections On Pocket Change And Living By Faith (1 Kings 17)

2011-03-07T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Price of Obedience (17:1-7)

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the settlers of Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.” 2 And the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 3 “Go away from here and turn eastward, and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 4 “And it shall be that you shall drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to provide for you there.” 5 So he went and did according to the word of the Lord, for he went and lived by the brook Cherith, which is east of the Jordan. 6 And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he would drink from the brook. 7 And it happened after a while, that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land.”

Perhaps it was Wolfgang Simson who said it best when he observed, “Most Christians today don’t live by faith; they live by faith in their planning”. Perhaps that’s one of the characteristics which distinguish contemporary believers from someone like Elijah. Elijah didn’t have a plan. He simply chose to obey God, regardless of where that obedience might lead him. Where that obedience to God led Elijah was two-fold. First, it led him to one of the most profound demonstrations of prophetic power and ministry in all of Scripture - the proclamation of a prolonged drought which was nothing less than a declaration of spiritual warfare against the local “baal gods” which were thought to rule the weather. Second, it led him into the wilderness where he became the “victim” of his own spiritual success and the object of God’s special instruction.

My impression is that Elijah had no plan for what he would do or how he would live following his pronouncement of the coming drought. He obviously couldn’t stay in Israel, hunted and persecuted by an irate King Ahab. But God had a plan, one which probably had not crossed Elijah’s mind. He would send Elijah off to the wilderness of Trans-Jordan, beyond the reach of human help, and provide for him there. We are not told how long Elijah sojourned east of Jordan by the brook Cherith (or Kerith). Probably for several months. But he was there long enough to experience the “consequences” of his own obedience and success. With no rain (just as Elijah had declared), the brook dried up, and Elijah became a victim of his own success in ministry. God’s promised provision came to an end, and it was soon time to trust God and move on.

There are lessons to be learned through all of this. If you choose to obey God and live by faith - and not faith in your ability to plan - several things will happen. First, God Himself will assure your success, just as He did for Elijah. Second, God Himself will provide for you in unexpected ways, ways you could never have planned on your own. Do ravens providing food morning and evening figure prominently into your plan for how God should provide for you? Didn’t think so. God’s plan usually isn’t our plan. That’s why it requires faith on our part to embrace it. Third, your obedience and success will come at a personal price. If you walk by faith in public ministry for any length of time, and should you experience any degree of success, you will eventually experience this lesson. God will work overtime to test our faith and to conform our character to match our gift and our calling. The price of obedience is the tests and trials necessary to transform our character. F.B. Meyer summed it up this way:

“The education of our faith is incomplete if we have yet to learn that God’s providence works through loss, that there is a ministry to us through failure and the fading of things, and that He gives the gift of emptiness. It is, in fact, the material insecurities of life that cause our lives to be spiritually established. The dwindling brook at the Kerith Ravine, where Elijah sat deep in thought, is a true picture of each of our lives. “Some time later the brook dried up” - this is the history of our yesterdays, and a prophecy of our tomorrows. One way or the other, we must all learn the difference between trusting in the gift and trusting in the Giver. The gift may last for a season, but the Giver is the only eternal love. The Kerith Ravine was a difficult problem for Elijah until he arrived at Zarephath, and suddenly everything became as clear as daylight to him. God’s hard instructions are never His last words to us, for the woe, the waste, and the tears of life belong to its interlude, not its finale. If the Lord had led Elijah directly to Zarephath, he would have missed something that helped to make him a wiser prophet and a better man - living by faith at Kerith. And whenever our earthly stream or any other outer resource has dried up, it has been allowed so we may learn that our hope and help are in God, who made heaven and earth.” F.B.Meyer, From “Streams In The Desert”.

Daily Pocket Change (17:8-16)

8 Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying,9 “Arise, go to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and stay there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to provide for you.”10 So he arose and went to Zarephath, and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, “Please get me a little water in a jar, that I may drink.”11 And as she was going to get it, he called to her and said, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.”12 But she said, “As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar; and behold, I am gathering a few sticks that I may go in and prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die.”13 Then Elijah said to her, “Do not fear; go, do as you have said, but make me a little bread cake from it first, and bring it out to me, and afterward you may make one for yourself and for your son.14 “For thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘The bowl of flour shall not be exhausted, nor shall the jar of oil be empty, until the day that the Lord sends rain on the face of the earth.’”15 So she went and did according to the word of Elijah, and she and he and her household ate for many days.16 The bowl of flour was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah.

I suspect that when Elijah headed for Zarephath in Sidon (a hotbed of baal worship) he genuinely had no idea what to expect. All he knew was that God had a plan to provide for him through a widow who lived there. What he found was probably a step down in his mind - from ravens providing twice-daily meat to a widow and her son, out of food, on the verge of starvation and out of hope. I also suspect that Elijah had two immediate “revelations”. God quickly revealed that in His economy, He often uses those who have the least as instruments to provide for His work. The widow and her son, the widow and her mite (Mark 12:41), the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1). You get the point, and I think Elijah did, too. In the process God also revealed that in His Providential ordering of all things, He planned to provide not only for Elijah, but for the Widow and her son as well. God’s work in our lives often resembles a multi-layered Chess game in which one move affects many others on many levels. God’s withholding in your life is intended to touch many others as they witness your response to His dealings. And His provision to meet your needs it intended to demonstrate His faithfulness not only to you, but to all those who see and hear. Your provision is, in many ways, their provision as well.

In case you haven’t figured it out yet, this particular newsletter has been birthed out of my own current experiences. Regular victims - eh, readers - of this newsletter already know that for the past ten years or so God has called Gale and me to live by faith. God provides, and we never know how. After providing a wonderful writing sabbatical in Hawaii last summer we came into this past Fall not really knowing what God was up to. Then, in November, a health crisis with Gale’s mom required us to move in with Gale’s parents to help them through four months of medical procedures, rehab, recovery, etc. Interestingly, in our own situation during that same time we watched the brook dry up in terms of ministry resources. As we were reflecting on our situation last week, God reminded Gale of this passage about Elijah. Gale commented that, for the past four months, like the jar of flour that never ran out, we have watched God provide what we have come to joke about as “daily pocket change”. He provided our larger needs as we helped meet her parents’ needs. But on a daily basis, just when we thought our “pocket change” would be exhausted, God would provide again. It has genuinely been a daily walk of faith. We now sense that this season, too, is about to change. Elijah eventually left the widow and her son. The seasons of life and of God’s dealings change for all of us, but more importantly we are forever changed by them. And so are the people we leave behind.

I have received enough e-mails from people on this newsletter list to know that we are not alone. The purpose of this letter is to say, “You’re not alone, either”. Some of you have shared heart-wrenching experiences of financial loss, bankruptcy, foreclosure, debilitating health problems, and more. Some of you feel like the widow and her son - out of provision and out of hope. Others of you are in ministry and you’re wondering why God has you parked in a wilderness, withholding His provision as you live on what both you and I can only describe as “pocket change” while wondering what comes next. Be encouraged. The days of “pocket change” will come to an end. In the mean time He is using your faith in the midst of the wilderness as a testimony to others. Soon, He will vindicate your faith through a provision that meet your needs while teach others about His faithfulness to those who put their trust in Him.

Reflections on Six Megathemes

2011-03-02T12:12:00.000-08:00

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of March 2, 2011

Dear Friends,

I hope this note finds you well, and your house church growing and prospering. Much going on. I have “traded newsletters”. In the last newsletter I promised one entitled “Seven Profound Changes Confronting The Church”. But after finishing it I just didn’t feel at peace about sending it, and my thoughts turned to this one entitled “Reflections on Six Megathemes”. I actually wrote it well over a month ago, and it has been sitting in my draft folder, awaiting the proper moment. And apparently this is it. I’ll either save the other letter for a later time, or simply post it as an article on the new website. Haven’t decided.

I have posted a new page on the website entitled “Discipleship”. I would encourage you to look at it. I plan to begin posting more thoughts on discipleship and house church there. I have recently been deeply struck by the observation that “church planting is a discipleship process which leaves a church in its wake”. I cannot tell you how profound that observation has become in my own thinking, except to say that the new “Disciplehsip” page on the website is one of the results of its impact on my thinking. We have also begun a weekly Monday night discipleship gathering where our expressed intent is to discuss, teach and model the “values” of biblical discipleship. Notes from these meetings will be posted on the “Discipleship” page of the website. While those of you in the Spokane area are invited to attend, no “tire kickers” please. This is where we lay all of our cards out on the table and ask God to shape us into a community of disciples in pursuit of a Jesus-shaped spirituality. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested. Again, Don’t forget to visit the new website.

Blessings,
Maurice
Join me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/housechurchdog

Reflections on Six Megathemes

The Barna Group (www.barna.org) recently published an article entitled “Six Megathemes Emerge from Barna Group Research in 2010". The Barna article is essentially six observations regarding the life of the Church at large, distilled from their various church research projects over 2010. I found most of the observations (called “Megathemes”) interesting enough to spend some time (both yours and mine) reflecting and commenting on them. I would encourage you to read the entire Barna article for yourself. For my part, I simply want to repeat their observations and make my own comments.

1. The Christian Church is becoming less theologically literate. I’m tempted to place an exclamation point at the end of that sentence. As I was reflecting on this newsletter a controversy erupted in the “blog-o-sphere” over an upcoming book by Mars Hill Pastor Rob Bell which – according to reviewers of incomplete copies – appears to endorse Universalism (feel free to groan appropriately at this point). You can read the ChristianityToday Online article here. The original blog which sparked the article was by Justin Taylor. After 1,500 responses to the original blog post (including one by me, posted on our home page blog) I feel vindicated in my view that therapy has replaced theology throughout evangelicalism (see point 3 below), and that heterodoxy is quickly replacing orthodoxy (O.K., “orthodox” comes from Greek orthodoxos meaning “having the right opinion”, whereas “heterodox” comes from the Greek “heteros” meaning “other” or “another” and “doxos” meaning “opinion”). The postmodern view of personal opinions being self-validating (“it’s true because I believe it”) has found its way into the Church. “Universal Salvation is true because I believe it is true, and I even found a website that agrees with me”. Once the ability to define the boundaries of orthodoxy has been lost to the Church (and that includes your house church), it is a rapid descent into one of three traps: 1) theological nihilism (we can’t know anything with certainty), theological existentialism (“I believe it, therefore it’s true for me”) or New Age metaphysical mysticism on the other (“it’s all God” - no, it’s not, but thanks for sharing!). My response to the perennial question of “What do you believe about (fill in appropriate doctrinal blank)” is becoming my standard response: “Go buy a copy of Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology and read it. When you’re done, if you still have questions, call me and we’ll talk”. As the Church becomes increasingly theologically illiterate, we are losing the theological context required to have intelligent theological discussions (hence, the need to read a good systematic theology).

2. Christians are becoming more ingrown and less outreach-oriented. While this observations doesn’t really say anything new, the trend it represents is growing and disturbing. The Church is modeling and teaching a “bunker” or “fortress” mentality which says, “You’re safe inside these four walls, so let’s stay here and have another Bible study, or watch another video.” The ripple effects of this thinking are profound, not the least of which is reducing evangelism to little more than preaching to the Choir in the ever present hope of snagging the occasional unsuspecting unbeliever who happens to wander in. But there’s more. Perhaps you remember the scene from one of my all-time favorite movies, “Patton”. General Patton is surveying a recent battle scene with his aide. He comments that the moment is ripe to invade Germany, that he could be in Berlin and end the war in a matter of weeks. “What about the German defenses and fortifications?” queries the aide. “Fixed fortifications are a monument to human stupidity,” Patton responds. “If mountains and oceans can be overcome, anything made by man can be overcome.” Now that’s profound. Do you get it? In the cultural and spiritual war currently being waged, our postmodern culture is in the process of successfully overcoming the “fixed fortifications” of our traditional churches where believers are being encouraged to huddle for protection. Our only hope for survival, and the only hope for our Postmodern culture to hear the gospel and experience its transforming power, is for us to leave our buildings and join the battle. And this applies to “hunker-down house churches”, too.

3. Growing numbers of people are less interested in spiritual principles and more desirous of learning pragmatic solutions for life. This falls into the category of abandoning theology in favor of therapy. The goal of the growing, bustling evangelical church seems to be for people to come, have a positive religious experience and to leave feeling good about themselves. Let’s be real. We ALL find ourselves in need of pragmatic solutions to some of life’s practical challenges. And while I’m all in favor of people feeling good about themselves, I’m unwilling to sacrifice truth in order to get there. My fear is that the road to hell will be paved with a generation of people who felt good about themselves and their journey right up to the last moment, but who found themselves unprepared for the ultimate of all practical problems - standing before God’s Judgment Seat and giving an account of themselves on God’s terms instead of theirs. I’m all in favor of “practical pragmatic solutions for life” so long as they don’t mask underlying spiritual conditions of unrepented sin and spiritual “rot”. Jesus didn’t suffer and die so you and I could watch a Dobson video on marriage or graduate from “Financial Peace University”. He died to deliver us from the moral catastrophe of sin, death and judgment. Everything else is negotiable. I’m reminded of the words of A.W. Tozer,

"Every age has its own characteristics. Right now we are in an age of religious complexity. The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of Christ scarcely at all." A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

4. Among Christians, interest in participating in community action is escalating. I actually find this theme encouraging. It means that a growing number of believers want to take their faith outside of the four walls of the Church and to have an impact in their communities. I see this as an important trend. Do you remember the book, Jim and Casper Go to Church: Frank Conversation about Faith, Churches, and Well-Meaning Christians. One of the observations made by Matt Casper (the atheist) regarding nearly every one of the fifteen largest evangelical churches in America that they attended and analyzed was, “When do you get around to telling people to DO things?” Allow me to quote from the book:

"Casper simply could not imagine Jesus telling his followers that the most important thing they should be doing is holding church services. And yet this was the only logical conclusion he was able to come to based upon what he’d observed. If people who had never heard of Jesus wanted to see what Christians were most interested in, they would probably start their search in some of the same churches we visited. ‘If that’s where they started, they would have to conclude that Jesus’ number one priority was that Christians invest the very best of their energy and their money into putting on a huge church service - a killer show, as it were,’ said Casper. ‘Jim, is this what Jesus told you guys to do?’”

The short answer to Matt Casper’s question is: “No”. And a growing number of believers are waking up to this biblical reality. In our forth-coming book, “The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality” I discuss 15 “Good Deeds Principles”. Principle #6 on page 70 is “Make Yourself Valuable!” where I discuss several historic examples of the Church making itself valuable to the people and communities where they live. I conclude that section by saying, “As believers seeking to live out an authentic Jesus-shaped spirituality in our skeptical Postmodern culture, we need to once again make ourselves “valuable” to those around us through our good deeds.”

5. The postmodern insistence on tolerance is winning over the Christian Church. Wow. This one could fill a book or two. As Dr. Phil McGraw might say, “You either get it your you don’t”. The concept of “tolerance” (“I’ll leave you alone, you leave me alone, and we’ll agree to disagree”) has morphed into “code-speak” for “approval”. I recently read a news report about a county registrar in England. Registrars in Britain are empowered to perform civil weddings. When an openly gay couple was scheduled to be married on his shift, this registrar arranged to trade shifts with a co-worker in order to avoid performing the ceremony for private reasons of conscience. A sensible solution to a practical moral dilemma. Right? No, not really. When gay co-workers learned of this “plot” they reported his behavior to his superiors and accused him of (drum roll please) being “intolerant”. The individual received an official reprimand and was threatened with losing his job for demonstrating “intolerance”. The Postmodern “doctrine of tolerance” now means the “death of conscience”. You are no longer allowed to have a private conscience of moral convictions if those private moral convictions run contrary to the official “doctrine of tolerance”. This is nothing less than our Postmodern culture waging moral warfare against biblical moral convictions and people who hold them. When this type of politically correct tolerance becomes official “public policy”, a legal basis will have been established to challenge the legal standing (including the tax exemption) of any Churches or organizations whose beliefs or practices run contrary to this “public policy”. This type of cultural pressure is slowly compromising the moral/spiritual message and authority of the Church and will extract an increasingly high price from those who stand for biblical moral truth. On a cultural level, the Church of Jesus is in the moral/spiritual fight of its life, yet few leaders or believers seem to understand it.

6. The influence of Christianity on culture and individual lives is largely invisible. That’s an understated, polite way of saying that as Christians we are losing our culture, both on an individual personal level as well as on a societal level. And losing one’s culture spiritually is (biblically speaking) a prelude to collapse. For nearly 10 years I have contemplated writing a Francis Schaefferesque commentary on the Book of Jeremiah, entitled “A Time To Weep”, comparing the spiritual and cultural collapse of ancient Israel with that of the Western world. May yet do it. Losing their culture spiritually was the prelude to God’s judgment. Any similarities there?

C. S. Lewis once observed that popular culture can be likened to “the road into Jerusalem”, what I like to refer to as the “suburbs of Jerusalem.”(See “Christianity and Culture” in C.S. Lewis, Christian Reflections). In other words, a Judeo-Christian culture that resonates with biblical values, symbols and thought processes prepares the mind (if not the heart) to consider the claims of the Gospel. In the West, our Judeo-Christian “suburbs” are being quickly razed to the ground by the all-consuming fires of Post-Christian Postmodernism. What does that mean in practical terms? It means that the 10 Commandments must be removed from public buildings, public nativity scenes must go, the Pledge of Allegiance must be attacked, the Boy Scouts must accept atheists and gay troop leaders, and Christian campus ministries - such as InterVarsity at Rutgers University - must sign agreements not to discriminate on the basis of religion when it comes to the leadership of their groups (!?) or lose their campus status.

History records that in the years leading up to the Third Punic War (ca. 201-156 B.C., against the Carthaginians) the famous Roman orator Cato ended all of his speeches to the Roman Senate, regardless of the subject, with the words, Ceterum censeo delendam esse Carthaginem - “Besides, I think that Carthage must be destroyed.” So too, the orators of our Postmodern culture, in government, the media and elsewhere, seem duty bound to end every public discourse with the words, “Besides, I think that the Judeo-Christian suburbs must be razed.” Their plan is simple. Burn the Christian past, and all bridges which connect to it, lest some innocent passerby stop, notice and ask the question, “What do these religious things mean? Is there more to reality beyond what I see here?”

And the Postmodern prophets of our age whisper back, “Take the blue pill, Neo. Go back to sleep. There is no matrix and there never was.”

My Brother’s Keeper Website Up (www.mybrotherskeepertv.org)

We have a new website up for our project, “My Brother’s Keeper”. You can view it here. Again, I would appreciate your feedback. Discipleship and house church is about values as opposed to structure. And one of the core values of the Kingdom of God is serving others particularly “the least of these”. This is the operating value behind “My Brother’s Keeper”. We should have a dedicated website up shortly. I will post more info there, as it will quickly become our “information hub” for this project.

Monthly Area-Wide House Church Gathering Successful

Our February 26 area wide gathering was a success. My thanks to Ed Cain for coming and sharing his heart, both for house church and for spiritual awakening. We had good discussions and introductions, and my thanks to all who came and participated. We hope to have videos from the evening posted in a few days. Although attendance was down, there were several new faces which means that word is spreading. We’re planning our next gathering, probably for the last Saturday in March. Details will be posted on the “Gatherings” page of our website www.safehousesofhopeandprayer.org. Stay tuned, and plan to join us soon!

© 2011 THE PAROUSIA NETWORK (www.safehousesofhopeandprayer.org)

Area-Wide House Church Gathering

2011-02-15T10:10:00.000-08:00

Area-Wide House Church Gathering
Saturday, February 26, 2011

Last month’s meeting was well attended and well received, so we thought we’d do it again! You are cordially invited gather for an evening of fellowship and challenge with an area-wide “Y’all Come” house church gathering. So this is your invitation to come and be a part. This just may turn into a monthly house church gathering for organic HC people in the greater Spokane area. But whether or not it succeeds is up to YOU!

When:     Saturday, February 26, 2011
Time:       7:00 PM
Where:    The Service Station (Upstairs meeting room), 9315 N. Nevada, Spokane
Theme:   “The Who’s, What’s and Why’s of Organic Discipleship”

Special Guest:

Ed Cain – Ed was supposed to speak at last month’s gathering, but a family crisis called him away at the last minute. So, I’ve asked him to share at this gathering. Ed has been a traditional church pastor for many years, but recently God called him to plant a new work oriented around house churches. Ed will share briefly about his amazing journey into organic house church and his vision for the upcoming year. You should also know that Ed was a student at Asbury College in 1970 when a spiritual awakening broke out on that campus. Ed was one of the many students touched during that “One Divine Moment”. If you would like to see some video footage from that divine encounter which transformed a band of students for a generation, you can view it here. I’m going to ask Ed to share some about that visitation, so come prepared to be encouraged and challenged.

Come Share What God Is Doing In Your Life & House Church

The purpose of this gathering is to “stimulate one another to greater love and good deeds.” This will be a combination of “get to know one another” and exploring the nature of house church discipleship. Because we want to keep this as “organic” as possible, we want YOU to be involved. Got a song or music you want to share. Bring it. Have a word God has laid on your heart? Bring it. This is an opportunity for us to come together and “be” the Church. I hope you will come, be a part and invite your house church friends. For more Information, call me at (509) 475-8856.

Leadership Moving Forward

If these are to truly become area wide house church gatherings, then we need more people willing to be involved in the planning of these gatherings. As you prepare to come to this gathering, ask yourself how YOU would like to become involved in planning and leading future gatherings.

Blessings, Maurice Smith

How God Brings Change To His Church

2011-02-09T15:56:00.000-08:00

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of February 10, 2011
All past newsletters now posted as PDF files in our Newsletter Archives at www.safehousesofhopeandprayer.org

How God Brings Change To His Church

The history and experience of the Church over the past 20 centuries tells us that when God desires to bring about profound change in the life of His Church, He usually does it in one of four ways. I want to explore those four ways God brings about change, and then reflect a bit on those change He is bringing about in His Church today, particularly as it impact’s the organic house church movement.

1. Change Through Leaders Whom He Sovereignly Raises Up and Anoints For A Purpose. In the year 1904 Seth Joshua was an official evangelist of the Welsh Presbyterian Church (then called the Calvinistic Methodist Church) and an official evangelist for the Methodist Forward Movement in Wales. He had become concerned with the over-emphasis of the Presbyterian church upon the academic and educational qualifications of its ministers. So, Seth Joshua had begun to pray that God would raise up a lad from the mines or fields of Wales, even as He had taken Elisha from behind the plough. Not from Cambridge or Oxford to pander to the people’s pride, but a lad from the mines or the fields to revive his people and lead them back to God. His prayer was soon answered in the person of a 26-year old former coal miner and first year bible school student named Evan Roberts.

At a gathering for organic house church leaders several years ago, George Barna suggested that a revolution without leaders is like a war without Generals. When it comes to spiritual revolutions, the same principle seems to hold true historically. The story of Seth Joshua and Evan Roberts is only one of many which we could share to illustrate this point. The starfish concept of leaderless movements not withstanding, every great move of God’s Spirit in the past 500 years of western Christianity can be linked to identifiable individuals (people we call “leaders”) whom God sovereignly raised up and anointed to carry the torch of His purposes for that move or that generation. And in every situation that I can document, these individuals did not set out with the intent of becoming a leader, or of even leading a movement. Quite the contrary, they were simply people who chose to obey God. And God significantly used them, usually to their own surprise (and I’m not talking about false humility).

Who are the people around you whom God is raising up to lead in this new season? Don’t look in the mirror. Look in the harvest.

2. Change Through The Collapse of Old Paradigms and The Rise of New Ones. God often changes His Church by challenging its existing values and paradigms. A good Scriptural example of this is found in Acts 15 where the mission work of both Paul and Peter to the Gentiles forced the Church to re-consider its spiritual values to include non-Jewish believers without requiring them to become practicing Jews. This re-evaluation and change of values represented a water-shed moment in the life of the early Church.

An historical example of God challenging old values and changing old paradigms while raising up new ones can be seen in the Protestant Reformation and the doctrine of “the priesthood of all believers”. For nearly a thousand years the Church taught, and people believed, that personal access to God could only be gained through the ministry and intercession of recognized and ordained priests of the institutional Church. The teaching of the Reformers challenged and changed this widely held belief through their insistence that every believer is a priest before God with access to Him through Jesus Christ His Son. Once this biblical doctrine was understood, the Medieval Catholic Church lost its institutional grip on the hearts and lives of men and Protestant Christianity was born.

A third example of God changing old values and paradigms can be seen in the missions movement of the 19th Century, including the idea that world missions are the responsibility of all believers. Few Christians today realize that prior to roughly 1795 there were no Evangelical Protestant missions or mission organizations, apart from a handful of isolated missionaries and a small band of Moravians in Germany who were starting to send out missionaries (the Moravians were pioneering missions in the mid-1700s, which brought them in touch with John and Charles Wesley). Beginning in the late 1700s, God began raising up individual missionary leaders who taught that missions to reach the lost in foreign lands was the responsibility of every believer. This was a radical notion that was strongly resisted by Church leaders. But when it caught on it ignited a missionary movement which resulted in what Church historians describe at the great century of Christian missions throughout the 1800s.

A fourth example of God challenging and changing old paradigms while raising up new ones can be seen in the radical idea of the Church as a change agent in society. This idea that the Church could and should change society for the better took root during the Evangelical Awakening in England. There was a book written in 1938 by a fellow named John Wesley Bready entitled “England Before and after Wesley: the Evangelical Revival and Social Reform”. The author documents the profound changes in British society which came about as a result of the Evangelical Awakening under Wesley, including the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain and the establishment of such things as child labor laws and the Sunday School movement. The greater impact was the idea, born out of that spiritual awakening and its aftermath, that the Church - working through the lives of redeemed individuals in their particular spheres of influence, could be a powerful agent for profound change in society. This idea found expression through people like William and Catherine Booth, who were chased out of the Methodist Church for their participation in the Awakening of 1857 in England and went on to found The Salvation Army with the vision of bring profound spiritual and practical change to the poorest populations of England. Do you know who the acknowledged father of modern investigative journalism is? If you ask any reputable school of journalism in America today who the father of modern investigative journalism might be, one name comes up. He was a close friend of William and Catherine Booth and an evangelical Christian himself. His name was William Thomas Stead - W.T. Stead. He was a journalist who, by his own testimony, got into journalism in order to give the devil a black eye! He worked with William and Catherine Booth to expose the reality of child prostitution and sex slavery within upper British Society and to secure legislation to outlaw it. He was nominated 5 times for the Nobel Peace Prize. It was widely believed that he would have received it in 1912 had he not perished aboard the Titanic on his way to a peace conference in New York in April of that year.

I want to close this section on the collapse of old values and paradigms and the rise of new ones by offering one current-day example that is relevant to our situation in the organic house church movement: the rise of the idea and the value of Church as an organism rather than an organization. I believe that the idea of the Church as an organic gathering of believers irrespective of any institutional setting or organizational requirement represents the most significant change of values and paradigm shift since the Protestant Reformation. Its full implications are yet to be fully understood or felt, but it is an earthquake of historic proportions in the life of the Church. Are you part of it?

3. Change Through Social Upheaval. In a workshop at a CMA Conference in 2007 Alan Hirsh asked this question: “How did the early church grow from 25,000 in AD100 to between 20 & 25 MILLION in just 200 years (by the time of its legalizing under Constantine)?” Alan went on to muse even further. How did they do it? What makes it all come together in a movement that can only be described as KABOOM!? These questions are particularly challenging when we consider that these early believers owned no buildings, possessed only fragments of Scripture (if they could read at all, which many of them could not), had no seeker friendly services or any of the things people today associate with “church growth”. Hirsh went on to suggest that one of the reasons can be found in the “viral” nature of Christianity at that time: it was so simple as to be “sneezable”: “Jesus is Lord”. This “sneezable” proclamation of faith stood in sharp and direct contrast to the official proclamation demanded of every Roman: “Caesar is Lord”.

But to say that the faith of the early church was “viral” and “sneezable” begs and leaves unanswered another question that must be confronted, especially since the declaration that “Jesus is Lord” doesn’t seem to be viral today in most of the Western world. What set of circumstances must exist in order for Christianity and its timeless proclamation that “Jesus is Lord” to become viral and to spread uncontrollably. I want to suggest two things. First, Church history seems to bear clear testimony that Christianity becomes spontaneously viral during times of spiritual awakening and outpouring as God sovereignly moves to renew His church and expand His Kingdom. I’ll spare you another lecture on the history of revival to illustrate my point. If you’re interested, you can read my book on the great Welsh Revival of 1904, posted on our website. That spiritual awakening went viral and circled the globe in three years, brought millions into the Kingdom of God and left a legacy spiritual legacy (including Azusa Street) which still resonates today.

Second, Church history also clearly testifies to the power of persecution to turn Christianity “viral”. Just look at China. When China expelled all Western Missionaries in 1949 the Chinese church numbered somewhere between 1 million (on the low side) to around 5 million (on the high side, based on 1% of a population of 541,670,000 in 1949). When China re-emerged on the world scene and began to open its doors following the disastrous “Cultural Revolution” of the ‘60 and ‘70s, during which Christians were ferociously persecuted, the Christian world was “stunned” to discover that the Christian community - far from being destroyed - had grown to an estimated 25 million (on the low side) to 50 million (on the high side) by the early 1990s (these numbers are based on publicly available studies. The CIA World Factbook suggests that 3%-4% of all the population in China are Christians as of 2002. Independent estimates of the underground house church movement there have ranged from 40 million to 100 million). How can we explain such phenomenal growth of the Church in China between 1949 and 2000? I would suggest that persecution, combined with a genuine move of God’s spirit, turned Christianity “viral” in China (which also explains why there is no “China model” that can be reproduced or implemented elsewhere, but why persecuted churches in other hostile countries experience a similar “viral” phenomenon).

In case you were wondering, my “punch line” here is exactly what you feared it might be; that the prospect of our seeing genuine “viral Christianity” in the West (and, yes, that includes the organic house church movement) depends upon whether or not we experience the two primary catalysts of such viral growth: persecution or genuine spiritual awakening (or both).

4. Change Through Seasons of Divine Visitation and Spiritual Outpouring. My fear in even broaching this subject is that regular readers of this newsletter will cry out in exasperation and frustration, “Enough already! We get it! We need a spiritual awakening!” My response is twofold. First, historically speaking, spiritual awakening doesn’t come to the frustrated, but to the desperate. The “bane” of the Church in the west is that we’re frequently frustrated, but seldom desperate. Frustration means our carefully laid programs aren’t working out the way we planned them - huge expenditures of time, effort and money with little to show for it. Desperation means we’ve given up on both programs and on fixing the problem ourselves, and we are willing to humble ourselves and beseech God for His solution on His terms. Second, I’ll place my bet-for-success on the history of God’s sovereign dealings with His people, rather than on recent (and constantly changing) church growth fads. Scripture teaches and history records identifiable seasons (kairos) of divinely inspired awakening and renewal through which He transforms His Church, empowering and equipping it for the task at hand. That’s where I’m placing my hope, my prayers . . . and my bets. Next Week: Seven Profound Changes Confronting The Church

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of February 2

2011-02-04T10:28:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Short newsletter this time. It has been a busy week or so since our last newsletter. Most of the news is contained in the information below.

Blessings,
Maurice

New Website Up

We now have a new website up and functional: www.safehousesofhopeandprayer.org I hope you will visit and explore. We still have some work to do (temporary graphics will soon be replaced by their permanent replacements, etc.) We have been busy moving content from the old site to the new. In another week or two we will repoint the DNS server so that the old URL simply redirects everyone to the new site. You will note some changes. First, all of our e-letter archives have been converted to PDF files and are listed in the right hand menu. Those e-letters which have been used in books are no longer in the archives. Sorry. Second, those of you interested in the Association will find this by clicking the “Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer” tab in the menu. There is a link there for the “Application for Association”. Third, you can now contact us easily by posting a comment on any page allowing comments (a couple don’t), or by utilizing the “Contact Us” tab in the menu. Fourth, all of our books are now contained and linked on the website. Those which have been published are linked to Amazon.com. Those which are not yet in print are linked as PDF files which you can now download and read. Once we get them into print, the PDF links will be replaced with Amazon links. Fifth, each current newsletter will be posted on the “Out of Ur” page (see menu link) where you can read and comment. Several people have asked me to continue sending out full (as opposed to abbreviated with a link) newsletters. We will do this. But the letter will be posted both on our blog (which feeds to our Facebook “Notes” page) and on the new website. Eventually the Cyber Café Blog will probably disappear in favor of the new site, but not right away.

There is more to come. I am slowly posting links for all of our audio files and their menu will show up in the right hand menu, so keep watching. We are working on additional pages but have not yet published them (“Discipleship”, “Community” and others). I have visited numerous sites over the past several weeks and have come away with the impression that they were designed by some people who are seriously ADD or ADHD. I have aimed at simplicity and functionality. We can’t be everything to everybody, and I won’t try. Our goal is to be a clear voice for the organic house church community, to promote discipleship which results in the planting of house churches, and offer an Association of organic house churches where people can plug in, get grounded, be encouraged, find practical resources and grow.

My Brother’s Keeper Promotional Video

I have spoken before regarding our video project, “My Brother’s Keeper”. It is progressing along and I am encouraged. One of our first steps has been to create a promotional video which illustrates and explains the project. That promotional video is now available for viewing. This is a high definition video (which means “big file”) and may take a few minutes to buffer, so be patient. We are working on a compressed version with credit titles and graphics, but that’s probably a week away at this point. I would appreciate your feedback. Discipleship and house church is about values as opposed to structure. And one of the core values of the Kingdom of God is serving others particularly “the least of these”. This is the operating value behind “My Brother’s Keeper”. We should have a dedicated website up for this within a week. I will post more info there, as it will quickly become our “information hub” for this project.

Monthly Area-Wide House Church Gathering

Our last area wide gathering was so successful that we have decided to proceed with another one. If you want to see videos from that previous meeting, you will find links on our new website. Click on the “Gatherings” tab in the menu. If you’re going to be in the Spokane area, put this date on your calendar. Saturday evening, February 26, 7:00pm at The Service Station. Details to follow. Come and bring your gift to the table for everyone’s benefit.

Where Is God Going In 2011?

2011-01-24T12:49:00.000-08:00

I want to spend a few minutes talking about the state of organic house church as I see it along with a vision for moving forward. I want to begin by offering a little perspective. As of 2009, the population of Spokane County stood at 468,684 people. According to historians of revival, during times of historic revival roughly 5 to 7% of the larger area population comes to genuine faith in Christ. If that holds true in the coming spiritual outpouring it would mean somewhere between 23,434 and 32,808 new believers coming into the Church in a short period of time.

Either of those numbers is greater than the present attendance of every mega-church in our area combined! Here’s the simple question: If God answers all of our prayers for revival and spiritual awakening and we simply achieve the historic averages for an historic awakening, where do we plan to put those 23,434 new converts. What’s our plan to disciple them in a way that’s sustainable and reproducible and which turns them into committed protagonists of the faith rather than committed pew sitters in a church.

Using the average size church congregation in America as a guide (186 people), our traditional approach of putting people into church buildings would require building, opening and staffing between 125 and 175 new churches. The average cost of planting a new church, not including building a new building, is $176,000 per church plant. In other words, planting 125 to 175 new traditional churches - not including any building programs, would cost between $22 and $30 million dollars. My friend Jerry Twombly of Building God’s Way has spent his career doing capital drives and building churches and church schools. He recently wrote an article declaring that, in his professional opinion, the age of the mega-church is over because it is no longer financially viable.

So, let me ask the question again. What’s your plan B. If God graciously answers all of our prayers for revival and spiritual outpouring, what’s our plan for preserving the fruit of that harvest? Revival is the unplanned extra-ordinary work of the Holy Spirit by which God renews His church and expands His Kingdom. It is outside of our control. Planning how to accommodate and disciple the fruit of that extra-ordinary work of God’s Spirit is the ordinary work of the Church.

Last fall, I published a weekly e-letter which got widely distributed and raised some eyebrows in the organic house church community. It was entitled “10 Years of House Church, Where Do We Go From Here?”. It’s available now on our new website as a PDF file. It was intended to challenge the organic house church community to “come of age”, so to speak, and to get more intentional about who we are and what we are all about. So, I want to offer several observations as well as some specific challenges for moving forward as an organic house church community as well as movement.

Observation & Challenge # 1: It’s time to break out our umbrellas. In the absence of a plan, our prayers for revival without any thought for what we might do when God answers those prayers resembles Christians in drought stricken areas gathering together to pray for rain but leaving their umbrellas at home. You can’t help but question either the seriousness or the thoughtfulness of those kinds of prayers. It’s time to break out our umbrellas.

Observation & Challenge # 2: It’s time for the organic house church community in Spokane (and elsewhere) to become intentional about who we are, where we’re going and what our mission is. It has been said, by people more insightful than myself, that God doesn’t have a church in need of a mission so much as He has a mission in need of an obedient church. It’s time for the organic house church community to become that obedient church and to re-focus ourselves on God’s mission rather than our programs. A programmed church is an impotent church. A missional church is a powerful church. Which are you?

Observation & Challenge # 3: Organic House Church is a revolution in need of leaders. A couple of years ago at a National House2House Labor Day Conference George Barna gave a talk on the characteristics of revolutions and revolutionary leaders. Great presentation and I find myself going back to my notes from time to time. The presentation was a distillation of leadership principles he had discovered by studying revolutionary movements throughout history. One of his observations was that revolutions only grow as fast as their ability to reproduce leaders. To put it another way, one of the quickest and most effective ways to stop a revolution or a movement dead in its tracks (including one where the Holy Spirit is moving) is to disrupt its ability to raise up leaders. Organic house church is a revolution in both how we “do” church as well as and how to “be” the church. It is a revolution led, not by “qualified clergy” but by completely unknown revolutionaries just like you. I am convinced that as we move forward, part of becoming more intentional is that we need to become intentional about identifying, challenging and equipping organic house church leaders who can lead the church which meets in their house. And that includes some of you. There is no one in this room tonight who could not be an effective leader in this on-going spiritual revolution . . . IF - IF - you were to set your heart on it.

The real question is this: Are you prepared to become a part of what God is doing? Arthur Wallis said, “If you would make the greatest success of your life, try to discover what God is doing in your time, and fling yourself into the accomplishment of His purpose and will”. God knows what He is doing in organic house church and in spiritual revival and awakening. Do you know what He’s doing? And are you prepared to take a step of faith and wholeheartedly fling yourself into it?

If you aren’t willing to fling yourself wholeheartedly into what God is doing, then it’s time to ask yourself “Why?”.

Observation & Challenge # 4: We need to get back to basics. Chapter 1 of my forthcoming book, “The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality” is entitled “Jesus And Hoola Hoops”. My point in that section is simple: We are a terribly fad-driven and easily distracted people, both as Americans in our culture, and as Christians in our churches. What’s distracting you from being a part of what God wants to do in your life, particularly when it comes to becoming the organic house church leader He has called you to be? In the Church we call our distracting fads “programs”. I’ve been an interested and involved observer of the religious/church landscape in Spokane for well over a decade now. And one of my conclusions is that we are a distracted version of Thomas Edison’s lightbulb experiments. Do you remember those? After his 1,000th lightbulb experiment burned out someone asked Thomas Edison how he felt about another failure. Edison responded, “That wasn’t a failure. I now know one more way not to make a light bulb!” We as an extended church body seem intent on discovering and testing every conceivable way to NOT do what God has called us to do, saving obedience to His clear commands for the absolute last alternative. If all other plans fail, we’ll give up and do it God’s way. But not until we’ve tried everything else. Now, let me say a couple of things about getting back to basics in organic house church.

First, getting back to basics means measuring our activity by its relevance to what God has called us to do. In his classic book on the ministry of Jesus and His disciples, The Master Plan of Evangelism, Robert Coleman put it this way:

“Objective and relevance - these are the crucial issues of our work. Both are interrelated, and the measure by which they are made compatible will largely determine the significance of all our activity. Merely because we are busy, or even skilled, doing something does not necessarily mean that we are getting anything accomplished. The question must always be asked. Is it worth doing? And does it get the job done?” To put this in simple terms that even I can understand- are we doing what we’ve been told to do?

Second, getting back to basics means asking ourselves on a regular basis: “Are we in our house church doing what Jesus told us to do?”

Third, getting back to basics means either discovering or reminding ourselves of what Jesus has commanded us to do. And what has He commanded us to do?:

"All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (Matthew 28:18-20)

What’s the command? Make Disciples. Yep, even in the Greek. Now, two points here. First, all of the verbs in this sentence are participles, except one. In Greek, participles are frequently used to set the stage for the action of the primary verb. Here, the participle is “Go”. This isn’t a command as much as it is an assumption. “As you are going”. Jesus ASSUMED that His Church would obey Him and go in to all the world. Simply put, a Church - a gathering of genuine believers - that isn’t going anywhere is a contradiction in terms. Let me bring this a little closer to home. If your house church isn’t going anywhere, you have a Jesus-sized problem.

Second point on this verse. The verb that is not a participle is the phrase “make disciples”. Jesus assumes we will be going, and along the way He commands (Imperative) us to make disciples. Someone has said that Church planting is best understood as a discipleship process that leaves a church in it's wake. That’s brilliant! Let me say that again. Church planting - including organic house churches - is best understood as a discipleship process that leaves a church in it's wake.

This is why Jesus never preached a single message on “the Church”. He didn’t need to! He preached the Kingdom of God. He made disciples of the Kingdom, and that very process of discipleship which He initiated and modeled and taught left the church in its wake. You see, discipleship and the message of the Kingdom produce the Church. The Church doesn’t produce either disciples or the Kingdom. You don’t plant house churches and expect disciples. You make disciples and the very process of disciple making creates an organic house church in its wake. This is why Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that He would build His Church. He already knew that the message of the Kingdom which He had preached and taught, combined with the process of discipleship which He had modeled would produce the Church. And it did. (By the way, the word “disciple” appears twice as many times in the NT as the word “church”).

Want to know why we aren’t planting more house churches? Because we aren’t making disciples. Make disciples and you’ll plant churches. Plant churches and you may or may not get disciples. Advocates of Church growth today have a new mantra that is making the rounds. It basically says, “Planting Churches is the most effective means of evangelism”. While I hope it works for them, I have to disagree, for two reasons.

First, it isn’t particularly biblical. But why let a little thing like that stop you, right?

But, secondly, according to Jesus, making disciples is the most effective means of evangelism. Chapter 13 of our new book, “River Houses Rising” is entitled “God Has A Math Problem”. In that chapter I demonstrate the basic problem behind the math of planting churches to do evangelism. Specifically, planting churches and simply adding people to them is a methodology that guarantees our inability to fulfill the great commission in our lifetime, or any time within the next 274,963 years! I go on to demonstrate how a simple strategy of discipleship and multiplication could reach the entire world in 11 years.

Now, here’s the real kicker. How many people do we have here tonight? Let’s pretend for just a moment that there are only 8 of us here tonight. Let’s pretend we’re a house church of only 8 people whose hair is on fire for Jesus. Now, remember those 468,684 people who live in Spokane county? How long do you think it would take a house church of 8 people to reach everyone of those people with the gospel? Answer: roughly 6 ½ years. And in the weeks to come I’m going to show you how. Here’s the bottom line: Your organic house church of 8 people/families has the potential to have a greater long-term impact for reaching this city and this community and even the world with the Kingdom of God than the largest mega churches in our city COMBINED - but ONLY if your focus is upon making and multiplying reproducing disciples rather than adding participants. Adding occasional participants or “Jesus fans” to your house church is a formula for going no where.

The Christian life - including life in your organic house church - consists of may things. But the long-term success and significance of all those other things you and I do depend upon our obedience to Jesus’ central command: make disciples. Life in the Church stagnates whenever and wherever our multitude of activities become disconnected from this simple command. The end result is that we spend our time preaching to the choir, fishing in an aquarium and holding pep rallies to entertain the crowd of “Jesus fans” who show up at our meetings. When we lose our focus upon making disciples by focusing upon other things, we slowly surround ourselves with fans in search of a pep rally to relieve their boredom, rather than disciples looking to take up their cross and to proclaim a kingdom.

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

Well, we need to start thinking about umbrellas, and we obviously need to become more intentional about who we are and where we’re going. We also need to be thinking more seriously about what it means to raise up and equip house church leaders. What does that look like. And we begin devoting time and thought to how we get back to the basics of making disciples. If you aren’t making disciples, then you’re just attracting fans. And as every sports enthusiast knows, fans can be a very fickle bunch. I’m not going to have the time to share everything I would like to share on this topic tonight. I’ll save some of them for our next gathering. HINT HINT! But let me offer at least one additional thought about where we go from here.

We begin gathering regularly to encourage one another and to keep each other “on task”.

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

a. Holding fast - many of you here tonight are holding on by your fingernails, both in your personal life as well as in your house church ministry. Your faith is being challenged by unbelievers, tested by circumstances and refined by the Lord. I’ve got good news - I just saved a bundle of money on my car insurance by switching to Geico. Just kidding! One of the purposes of gathering together as we’re doing tonight is to encourage each other to “hang in there” - to “hold fast”.

b. Consider - the Greek here means “thoughtful reflection”. Discipleship in the church requires thoughtful reflection regarding one another and what it takes to “provoke” one another to “love and good deeds”. How much time have you spent this past week or month thoughtfully reflecting on how to provoke and stimulate people in your oikos - your house church sphere of influence - to greater love and good deeds?

c. Stimulate - this is an intense word which literally means to incite or to provoke to the point of irritation. The only other place it occurs in the New Testament is Acts 15:39 to describe the contention between Paul and Barnabas. Scripture reminds us that “iron sharpens iron”, but when it does, sparks fly! In a very real sense, if I’m not irritating you right now to some degree, I’m not doing my job. And if we aren’t provoking and inciting one another to greater things we’re not really being a body.

d. not forsaking . . . BUT encouraging one another. Believe it or not, I tend to be a private person. I empathize with St. Jerome who retreated to a cave to translate the Latin Vulgate and watch Rome collapse. Meetings like this are actually difficult for me, but I know what God has called me to do, and I understand that these gatherings are important for the life of the house church community moving forward. Some of you will leave this gathering tonight telling yourself that you really don’t need this. It is the tendency of your nature - your “ethos”, to use the Greek word in this verse - to forsake or walk away from gatherings like this, telling yourself “I don’t really need this”. This verse is for you. I believe God’s word would admonish you NOT to do that. Don’t walk away. Why, because contrary to your first response - your “ethos” - you need the challenge and the encouragement of gatherings like this.

O.K., it’s about time for me to wrap this up for tonight, because I want to leave time for us to pray for and minister to one another. As I said earlier, I’m not going to have the time to share everything I would like to share. For example, next time I want to spend some time talking about how we all need to exercise our gifts to equip one another and build one another up in our ministries in obedience to Ephesians 4. I also want to talk about how we can organize for greater effectiveness. There are certain tasks which are better done together as a body than as individuals or as individual fellowships, and we’ll talk about some of those.

Now if this sounds suspiciously like we’re already planning another gathering, you’re right. My prayer goal is that this gathering will become a regular monthly gathering for mutual encouragement. We’ve already reserved this room for Saturday, February 26th. And if you would like to be part of planning for that gathering, simply let me know. Maybe you want to be part of the intercessory team to pray for these gatherings. Maybe you want to be involved in arranging or providing worship music. Maybe you want to be involved in the teaching. Maybe you’ll have a testimony of God’s work in your house church you’ll want to share. Organic house church means that you step up and be involved, just as Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 14.

Now, just a couple more house keeping items. First, this week we have a new website going up, and on that site you will find a “Gatherings” page. On that page we are planning to post the video of this gathering and of any future gatherings. We literally have people from here to England, Sweden and Thailand watching what we are doing here in Spokane. We hope to have this video posted on the new site by late next week.

Second, as we move forward we have expenses to cover. For example, this room costs us $175 for the evening. In addition, at the next gathering we hope to have copies of our new books on organic house church available for distribution. Personally, I’m prepared to give the books away at this meeting for free, but to put a book in print costs is $350 per book. After that they’re about $5 per copy. If you want to be part of making that possible so that we have them available at the next gathering, let me know. But beyond that, as we move forward with creating the Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer Association (which you’ll see on the new website), we’re making a commitment to handle financial donations as follows: 1) To pay the administrative costs of the association (including putting books into print); 2) To support organic house church planters who are laboring full time by faith to plant house churches, and 3) To support benevolence toward “the least of these”. For example, my goal is that we will become significant financial supporters of Truth Ministries. So, if you choose to give tonight, those are our money priorities. If you have any questions about that, talk to me after the meeting.

Area-Wide House Church Gathering

2011-01-10T10:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

You are cordially invited to join us for an evening of fellowship and challenge. We want to “kick off” the New Year with an area-wide “Y’all Come” house church gathering. So this is your invitation to come and be a part. We hope that this will become a monthly house church gathering for organic HC people in the greater Spokane area.

When:     Saturday, January 22, 2011
Time:      7:00 PM
Where:    The Service Station (Upstairs meeting room), 9315 N. Nevada, Spokane, WA Theme:    “Where’s God Going In 2011?”

Special Guests:

Ed Cain – Ed has been a traditional church pastor for many years, but recently God called him to plant a new work oriented around house churches. Ed will share briefly about his amazing journey into organic house church and his vision for the upcoming year.

Al West – Al has been a prison chaplain and ministry leader for over 20 years and is currently planting house churches among inmates both inside and outside the prison system. Al will share his amazing story and his equally amazing vision for planting more house churches throughout our community.

Paul Byerly – Paul is with House2House Ministries and director of “The Marriage Bed” ministries. I’ve asked Paul to share briefly about what is going on around the country with respect to organic house church. You won’t want to miss this!

Marty McKinney – Marty and Julie McKinney are the Directors of Truth Ministries, a homeless men’s shelter in Spokane. I’ve asked Marty to share some about his work on the streets, because I’m excited about the possibility of planting organic house churches among the homeless (how’s that for a divine contradiction in terms?!).

Brock Weigum – Brock is an amazing young man with a ministry to Jehovah Witnesses (having been raised as one!). I’ve asked him to share about his ministry, because I see it as an example of the potential for planting house churches among specific people groups.

The purpose of this gathering is to “stimulate one another to greater love and good deeds.”“Where’s God Going in 2011?” This will be a combination of “get to know one another” and exploring . Because we want to keep this as “organic” as possible, we want YOU to be involved. Got a song or music you want to share. Bring it. Have a word God has laid on your heart? Bring it. This is an opportunity for us to come together and “be” the Church. I hope you will come, be a part and invite your house church friends. For more Information, call me at (509) 475-8856.

Blessings, Maurice

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of January 3, 2011

2011-01-03T11:34:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

Welcome to a new year, and to the promise which it holds for spiritual awakening and the exponential growth of the house church movement that would come as a result of a genuine spiritual outpouring. Early on during the Great Welsh Revival of 1904, as the awakening began to spread to the American Church, a Presbyterian leader observed, “Theoretically, we are opposed to revivals and in favor of an even and uninterrupted growth of the Churches, but unfortunately, the facts are against us.” The facts were indeed against them. The reality was that roughly one- half of the membership of the Presbyterian Church of 1905, and an equal proportion of its ministers, had come to faith and ministry during some revival. There is a clear school of thought within the organic house church movement which openly urges less talk (and I’m assuming less prayer) about revival and more focus on what J. Edwin Orr described as “the ordinary work of the church”. While I am all in favor of the “ordinary work of the Church” (which is why we are pursuing long term stability through the creation of a house church Association), I am also keenly aware of other factors which strongly argue that the future welfare of the Church – including the organic house church movement - is increasingly dependent upon a sovereign move of God’s Spirit in spiritual awakening. Not the least of these is the collapse of Church attendance from roughly 45% of adult Americans in 1965 to roughly 20% today. Add to this the stunning rise in the number of people self-identifying as “no religion” (now around 10% of adults, up from 4% ten years ago), and it is very difficult to build a case that the Church in America has gained or is gaining any significant ground. While anecdotes of success are heart-warming, the statistical realities regarding the contemporary spiritual landscape are much like gravity – a harsh mistress to those who would try to cheat on her. Let this be your encouragement, as it is mine, to begin this new year with fasting and prayer for a divine visitation, a genuine outpouring of God’s Spirit in spiritual awakening in this new year that will flow through His Church in great power and blessing, including the Church which meets in your house.

Blessings, Maurice

First Area-Wide House Church Gathering of 2011

We want to “kick off” the New Year with an area-wide “Y’all Come” house church gathering. So this is your invitation to come and be a part. We hope that this will become a monthly house church gathering for organic HC people in the greater Spokane area. Here are the details:

When:     Saturday, January 22, 2011
Time:      7:00 PM
Where:    The Service Station (Upstairs meeting room), 9315 N. Nevada, Spokane, WA
Theme:    “Where’s God Going In 2011?” (Come and be prepared to share!)

This will be a combination of “get to know one another” and exploring “Where’s God Going in 2011?”. Because we want to keep this as “organic” as possible, we want YOU to be involved. Got a song or music you want to share. Bring it. Have a word God has laid on your heart? Bring it. This is an opportunity for us to come together and “be” the Church. I hope you will come and be a part. And invite your house church friends.

Books Currently Available

Just by way of info and update, I wanted to remind everyone of our books which are currently available for order through Amazon.com

You Wanna Do What In Your House?!: Straight Answers To Your Most Frequently Asked Questions About House Church - This was our first widely available book on House Church, built around answering 47 specific and frequently asked questions regarding organic house church. It is a great starting point for the person who is seriously curious about organic house church (and brilliantly illustrated by my talented wife, I might add). Contains our bible study of the 7 signs of the Gospel of John – complete with notes and Leader’s Guide.

All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They?: Biblical Reflections on Christian Universalism and Ultimate Reconciliation - I continue to receive reports of house churches struggling with Universalism (or “Ultimate Reconciliation”). This book is your answer to those nagging questions. As a house church ministry it represents our “line in the sand” on this controversial issue (and, no, all dogs DON’T go to heaven. In case you were wondering). Again, brilliantly illustrated by my talented wife who continues to amaze me with her artistic “flexibility” (O.K., you try illustrating medieval philosopher William of Ockham as a dog. She did, and it’s brilliant!). Buy a copy for yourself and a struggling friend. And while you’re at it, write a review!

Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring - This book is a “labor of love”. Evan Roberts once told a friend that he could stay up all night talking about revival. I understand. This is a compilation of all of the weekly newsletters I have written over the past 7+ years on the topic of the coming spiritual outpouring, chronologically ordered and lightly edited. Together they tell the story (from my perspective) of what God is doing to prepare His church for spiritual awakening. I think you’ll find it encouraging.

Books In The Pipeline To Be Available Soon

When Jesus Visits His Church: Studies In The Seven Churches of Asia – If you knew that Jesus was going to visit your house church, what would He find, and how would you prepare for His visitation? We find some biblical answers to that question when we examine the messages of the Risen Christ to the Seven Churches of Asia Minor. Available in early 2011. ISBN 978-0- 9815289-3-9

River Houses Rising: The Rise of Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer - This is the first book in the Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer series on organic house church and the coming Spiritual Awakening. In this foundational book we weave together history, theology and extensive personal experience in the organic house church movement to explore the role of organic house churches in the coming spiritual awakening, why present day institutional churches are inadequate for the fruit of the coming harvest and much more. Available in early 2011.

Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer: Your Practical Guide To Organic House Church - This is the second book of the Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer series on organic house church and picks up where the first book in this series, “River Houses Rising,” left off. Where that book laid the foundation for organic house church, this book builds on that foundation by offering practical insights into the day-to-day functioning of an organic house church, including the danger of trying to drive “religious square pegs” into “spiritual round holes”, how John Wesley discovered and used house churches during the Evangelical, how to avoid “Honey, I Shrunk The Church” and much more. Available in early 2011.

The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality - This is the third book of the Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer series on organic house church and the coming Spiritual Awakening. Where the previous two books in this series provided practical insights into the philosophy and functioning of organic house church, this third volume sounds a clear call for organic house churches to become “incarnational” and “legendary” in their practice of “good deeds” as they pursue a Jesus-shaped spirituality. Available in early 2011.

Christmas Reflections On House Church, Changing Paradigms and The Journey of The Magi

2010-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends,

This week’s letter is becoming our regular “Christmas Letter”. I hope you find something in it that causes you to pause at the manger this Christmas and reflect on God’s incredible plan for our salvation.

Blessings, Maurice

Christmas Reflections On House Church, Changing Paradigms and The Journey of The Magi
By R. Maurice Smith
Written and Posted 12-15-06
© The Parousia Network 2006

One of the seminal literary figures of the 20th century was T. S. Eliot. Born in 1888, he studied at Harvard and Oxford and eventually won the Nobel Prize for Literature early in his career. But he was an unfulfilled soul who saw the vanity of contemporary life. His search for meaning led him through Hinduism and Buddhism, and finally to Christianity. In 1927 he converted to Christianity. In the same year he penned a poem entitled "The Journey of the Magi" which came to be regarded as autobiographical of Eliot himself. In it he described the search of the Magi for the Christ child as seen and narrated through the eyes of one of the Magi.

The Journey of the Magi
by T.S. Eliot

A cold coming we had of it,
Just the worst time of the year
For a journey, and such a long journey:
The snow was deep and the weather sharp,
The very dead of winter.
And the camels galled, sore-footed, refractory,
Lying down in the melting snow.
There were times we regretted
The summer palaces on slopes, the terraces,
And the silken girls bringing sherbet.
Then the camel men cursing and grumbling
And running away, and wanting their liquor and women,
And the night-fires going out, and the lack of shelters,
And the cities hostile and the towns unfriendly
And the villages dirty, and charging high prices.:
A hard time we had of it.
At the end we preferred to travel all night,
Sleeping in snatches,
With the voices singing in our ears, saying
That this was all folly.

Then at dawn we came down to a temperate valley,
Wet, below the snow line, smelling of vegetation;
With a running stream and a water-mill beating the darkness, And three trees on the low sky,
And an old white horse galloped away in the meadow.
Then we came to a tavern with vine-leaves over the lintel, Six hands at an open door dicing for pieces of silver,
And feet kicking the empty wine-skins.
But there was no information, and so we continued
And arrived at evening, not a moment too soon
Finding the place; it was (you may say) satisfactory.

All this was a long time ago, I remember,
And I would do it again, but set down
This set down
This: were we lead all that way for
Birth or Death? There was a Birth, certainly,
We had evidence and no doubt. I have seen birth and death, But had thought they were different; this Birth was
Hard and bitter agony for us, like Death, our death.
We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.
I should be glad of another death.

Eliot has used the story of the Magi to make a point - how difficult and painful it is to be confronted with a radical change of paradigms. A change of paradigm often, if not usually, feels like death - our death, because we hold to the old paradigm so tenaciously. Dying to self and our traditional ways of doing things (what I am referring to here as “paradigms”) is a painful process, which most people spend their lives trying to avoid.

Reflecting on Eliot’s poem this Christmas season, I found myself thinking about how the various groups of people involved in the Christmas story responded to the radical change of paradigm which confronted them in the birth of Christ. I hope my thoughts and reflections will stimulate you to think about how we in the house church (or simple church, or whatever moniker you are operating under) movement are understanding and responding to the dramatic shift in spiritual paradigms which is taking place today. The nativity stories are found in Matthew 2:1-12 (the Magi), and Luke 2:1-20 (the shepherds & angels). For the sake of space I’ll let you read them on your own. I want to talk briefly about those five groups of people who were involved.

The Magi - Often referred to as “wise men” or “kings” in Christmas tradition, the Magi were, in fact, an hereditary Zoroastrian priesthood, often wielding great religious and political power in the Median, Babylonian, Persian and Parthian empires (right up to the time of Christ). During Israel’s Babylonian captivity Daniel, as a reward for services rendered and in recognition of his profound spiritual gifts, was promoted by the King to the position of Chief of the Magi. As such, Daniel was in a unique position to impart to the magi the prophecies of a coming Messiah (which they remembered, passed on and studied for the next 500 years). But as D.W. Jayne points out, the visit of the magi wasn’t simply a courtesy call from old friends. In the world of the first century the Magi functioned in both a priestly and a governmental role. The early church father Tertullian’s description of them as “wellnigh kings” (fere reges) is close to the truth. They were, in the words of Jayne, “a group of Persian-Parthian king makers.” Jayne goes on to describe how their visit might have been perceived: “In Jerusalem the sudden appearance of the Magi, probably traveling in force with all imaginable oriental pomp, and accompanied by adequate cavalry escort to insure their safe penetration of Roman territory, certainly alarmed Herod and the populace of Jerusalem, as is recorded by Matthew. It would seem as if these Magi were attempting to perpetrate a border incident which could bring swift reprisal from Parthian armies. Their request of Herod regarding him who “has been born king of the Jews” was a calculated insult to him who had contrived and bribed his way into that office.” These Magi, strangers to the Kingdom of God yet spiritually perceptive, saw the signs better than anyone else and somehow understood that a profound change of paradigms was underway. Although their understanding was somewhat flawed due to reasons unique to their own situations, they took the time and the considerable risk of traveling great distances to confirm what they already suspected - that a sign in the heavens signaled the fulfillment of great prophecies and portended profound changes here on earth. The paradigms of this world were about to change. The magi understood. Do we?

The Political Establishment - The story of the Magi leads to the story of the existing political/power structure as embodied in Caesar Augustus and Herod the Great. We can safely say that Caesar Augustus (real name Octavian, the adopted son of Julius Caesar) had no idea that a simple decree to enumerate his empire (i.e., probably to prepare accurate tax rolls) would set the stage for the fulfillment of biblical prophecy and the establishment of the Kingdom of God. The heathen rage and the princes of men devise a vain thing, but God uses the wrath of men to praise Him, simply because He so seldom gets their active cooperation. Caesar was clueless as to God’s dealings (in other words, situation unchanged in 2000 years), although Augustus probably eventually received reports of the Magi and their visit to Jerusalem. What Augustus Caesar could not know (although the Magi probably suspected) was that among the many prophecies being fulfilled that Christmas night was one which declared that the kingdoms of this world would one day become the kingdom of our God and of His Christ (see Daniel 2:31-45).

The paradigms of this world had profoundly changed due not to events in the halls of power but due to events in a stable, and Caesar Augustus was clueless, reminding us once again that profound change seldom originates in the seats of political power. When the powers-that-be finally do become aware of a profound change of paradigms they resist it, even violently, just as Herod the Great did. Herod the Great was many things, but a naive political fool was not one of them. His 35+ year rule over the Jews of Judea was coming to an end. He would be dead in a few short years. His hold on power was slipping and the visit of the Magi confirmed what he already feared - that his paradigm of power was being challenged. The paradigm was indeed changing, beyond Herod’s ability to resist or stop it, but he was still willing to extract a terrible price from those around him in a vain attempt to maintain what could not be maintained. In that respect, was Herod all that much different from us? He fought and resisted what God was doing because it threatened everything he had spent his life to build and achieve. Don’t we do the same?

The Religious Establishment - Like the Magi, for some 500 years the religious establishment of Israel had known and studied the prophecies of a coming Messiah. But during those same intervening years they had also become experts in answering obscure religious questions and turning the 613 requirements of the Law into more than 5,000 religious requirements which held the people of God in practical bondage. They had all the right answers to all the wrong questions. In addition, the Pharisees who controlled the synagogues and the Sadducees who controlled the temple & the governing Sanhedrin, along with the scribes who served both, had made their accommodation with the prevailing power of Rome. The prevailing religious establishment was in no mood for anything that might upset their carefully crafted status quo. The result was spiritual stagnation, religious legalism and blindness even to new stars in the sky announcing the messiah’s birth. When the Magi arrived looking for a king, Herod gathered together the religious establishment and “began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born.” They had an immediate answer: "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet.” They, too, had probably seen the new star in the sky. They, too, like all Jerusalem, had probably learned of the visit of the Magi searching for a new-born king. But despite knowing all the correct religious answers, they lacked the passion, the curiosity or the spiritual integrity to make the short 5-mile journey to nearby Bethlehem to discover if “The Desire of Ages” had indeed finally arrived. Is our religious establishment (ourselves included) much different today? Profound, God-breathed changes in our spiritual paradigms are underway. And yet, isn’t much - if not most - of the church today bogged down in giving warmed over answers to questions which few in our post- Christian post Modern culture are even asking? And are we in the house church movement doing anything substantially different than the religious establishment around us, other than changing our meeting place and taking over the local Starbucks?

The Shepherds - Throughout Scripture God has a fascinating love for shepherds. Many notable biblical saints were shepherds. The children of Israel were shepherds in the land of Goshen. Moses was a shepherd in the land of Midian. David was a shepherd, as was the prophet Amos. And it is the image of the good shepherd which Jesus used to describe himself in John 10:11 & 14. God seems to be partial toward shepherds. But as well as being a biblical and honorable occupation, it is also a dirty one. It was, for the most part, rugged outdoors work. Shepherds lived with their sheep 24/7. And before long they began to smell like their sheep. For reasons both practical and snobbish, this made them “social outcasts” to be numbered among “the least of these”. There are many aspects of God’s economy and dealings which I don’t understand (that’s an understatement). For example, why didn’t the angels appear to Caesar or Herod? Why didn’t they appear to the religious leaders? That would have been interesting since the Pharisees believed in angels but the Sadducees did not (would such a visitation have ended their intra- mural theological rivalry or have simply fed the fire of controversy? Hmmm). Why shepherds? Perhaps it was because God wanted to ignite a spiritual fire in the minds of ordinary men - the least of these - and ignite a revolution, a spiritual wildfire. He didn’t particularly want to bless either religious or political institutions, which often pride themselves in their ability to put out wildfires, lest they “get out of control” and threaten existing structures & paradigms. Religious leaders (and their secular counterparts) often walk in a sense of “entitlement” which says “God owes us an epiphany, after all, we’re leaders”. Yet for some reason God seems to have a heart for the least among us who walk in no such sense of entitlement. Interesting that the Shepherds did not disappoint. They can be counted among the few who had the personal curiosity and spiritual integrity to leave their comfort zones and make the trip into Bethlehem to actually see what God was doing. And for their efforts they received the blessing: “And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.”

Joseph & Mary - It’s difficult to think or write any new ideas concerning these two ordinary people (essentially a carpenter and a peasant girl) called upon by the God of their fathers through angelic messengers to play a role in this divine drama that the most learned religious leader would have found impossible. Nothing in their religious background could have prepared them for what God now called upon them to do. Could the Pharisaical Judaism of the Synagogues prepare Mary to willingly and joyously accept the role of an unwed-mother-to-be in a culture where such behaviour was punishable by the religious establishment with death by stoning? Or could it prepare Joseph for his divine call to obedience in marrying Mary and embracing a lifetime of questions, rumors and enuendos regarding Mary’s faithfulness or Jesus’ legitimacy? It is safe to say that the comfortable religious paradigm in which they, their friends and their families had spent their lives thus far was now being shaken to its very foundation as they were now visited by angels and commanded by God to take steps of faith and obedience outside of any religious “box” they had ever known. The shaking of our religious paradigms today is in small what theirs must have been in large. God is once again calling His people out of their comfortable religious boxes. Are you prepared to respond in faith and obedience, knowing that if you do so your world will profoundly change and that you will probably never be able to go back to what you knew before? Changing paradigms have a way of doing that to us.

The Inn Keeper - One of my first jobs after seminary when Gale & I moved to Spokane was at a local airport hotel. Yep, I was an “inn keeper.” Well, actually, I was a desk clerk on the 3-to-11 pm shift. Late one November evening an elderly gentleman came to the desk looking somewhat disheveled and asking for a room. He explained to me that he had no money or credit cards, but did have a “Money Market Account” draft book and asked if we could accept that in payment (our general policy was no, because such accounts at that time were unreliable). He told me that he had just had eye surgery (one of his eyes was bandaged) and was to catch flight to go and be with his family for the holidays the following day. The rest of the staff urged me to say no - bad risk. But, as the manager on duty at the time, I decided in favor of taking a risk and giving him a room. It was just the right thing to do, I felt. I got him settled in his room, my shift ended and I went home. The next morning I received an early morning phone call from the hotel staff announcing (even celebrating) that the bookkeeper had called the bank and the check was good. Word of my risky good deed had spread. When I went to work later that day I was gently chided by the general manager (a good fellow) for placing the hotel at risk, but the tone of his voice and the expression on his face told me we had done the right thing. I have occasionally thought of that elderly gentleman over the years, even musing as to whether he was an angel unaware (with a bank account?!) who had paid us a visit and tested all of our hearts. In the Gospel account, Luke simply tells us that Mary “gave birth to her first-born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” We should neither vilify nor idolize the inn keeper (or inn keepers) who turned Joseph and Mary away. They weren’t heartless or cruel people. They were probably just a family business run by ordinary people trying to earn a living, and they were full to capacity (even overflowing) for the evening. How could they know that God Himself was homeless that night at their door, that Angels stood ready to proclaim a birth, that Magi from the east would soon be arriving in search of a King and that political and religious paradigms would be forever changed by events that would now take place in a cattle stall within earshot of a baby’s cry. What a night to be an inn keeper and to have no room! Allow me to use this story to stretch the boundaries of your paradigm. The message of the house church movement is similar and profound. God wants to visit your house. Are you prepared to have your paradigm radically changed? Are you ready to invite Him in?

Conclusion & Personal Application

Where are you in this season of significant paradigm shift in God’s dealings in and through His church today? Do you see a reflection of yourself in the mirror of the five groups of people who participated in the Christmas drama? I would dare to say that, in the midst of this present shaking of existing religious paradigms, there are many believers who feel somewhat like the Magi of T.S. Eliot’s poem:

We returned to our places, these Kingdoms,
But no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation,
With an alien people clutching their gods.

If you are one of those who are “no longer at ease here, in the old dispensation” then allow me to make a suggestion during this Christmas season. Take some time to get alone and stand as an involved observer at the manger of Christ. Consider the participants in this divine drama as it unfolds around you. And ask yourself some simple questions. If I had been at the stable that Christmas night, what would my response have been to the paradigm change unfolding before me? How is my paradigm being shaken, challenged and changed today by God’s unfolding plan for the Ages. And how is my response different from (and hopefully better than) the responses of those around me?

“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” (Luke 2:10-14)

Joyeux Noël
Maurice Smith
Christmastide, 2010

Jesus and Hula Hoops

2010-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

Chapter 1 of “The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In A Jesus Shaped Spirituality”
© The Parousia Network 2010

Americans are a fad-driven people. Whether it’s hula hoops, silly putty, pet rocks or cabbage patch babies, we are incorrigible fad-followers with short attention spans. Unfortunately, the same is often true of the Evangelical Church in America. We don’t call our activities “fads”. We refer to them as “programs”, and in my nearly 40 years in the Church I have been through countless local “programs” and several national ones: Here’s Life, Atlanta!, Here’s Life, America! Here’s Life, World!, Key ‘73, Evangelism Explosion, Operation World, Basic Youth Conflicts, Shepherding, The Purpose Driven Life, The Purpose Driven Church, 40 Days of Purpose, megachurch mania, seeker sensitive services, and more that I could list but won’t. Hopefully, we get the point.

The Church in America is nearly as fad driven as our culture. We seem incapable of doing anything without a program - a “religious fad”. We like to ask, “What would Jesus do?”. But our answer is almost always that He would create a new program for 40 days of something-or-the-other complete with a book, CD/DVD, study guide and matching bracelet. My wife and I recently took a personal writing sabbatical to Maui, Hawaii as the guests of Christian friends. In a Christian book store there I discovered a display offering “faith rocks”. I quipped to my wife that apparently someone with a warehouse full of “pet rocks” had finally figured out how to get rid of them! And my mind immediately turned again to hula hoops. “Jesus Hoops”, I mused. “There’s got to be a market out there for ‘Jesus Hoops’”.

The Church in America is driven by many things. But at the end of the day, as the sun sets on another day of ceaseless activity, the question we really need to ask - but seldom do - is this: “Are we Jesus-driven?” The long-term result of our religious fads and programs is that we have created a personal spirituality that is shaped by many other things, including “religion” and “church”, rather than being shaped by Jesus. Indeed, a Jesus-shaped spirituality is becoming increasingly rare.

The Mission of Jesus

“As He hung on the cross Jesus probably never thought the impact of his sacrifice would be reduced to an invitation for people to join and to support an institution.” - Reggie McNeal

It was never the heart of God or the mission of Jesus to raise up a religious people. Camp on that thought for just a moment and let it sink in. When Jesus came to earth during the reign of Augustus Caesar, the land of Palestine was already filled with religious people. They worshiped daily in the Temple in Jerusalem and every Sabbath in hundreds of synagogues scattered throughout the land of Israel. Their leaders debated theology, divided themselves into competing sects, studied the sacred Scriptures, argued politics, and made public displays of their personal piety. I don’t know if they sponsored any “programs”.

No, God neither needed nor wanted more religious people. He had plenty of those to spare. The landscape of Palestine was littered with them. The Judaism of Jesus’ day had degenerated from a Jehovah-shaped spirituality to a religion-shaped spirituality which had turned the 612 requirements of the Old Testament Law into over 5,000 religious rules and expectations (known as the “traditions of the elders”) which governed the religious life of Ancient Israel and held the people of God in religious bondage. It was the mission of Jesus to change that.

As He undertook His all-too-brief three year ministry and called His disciples to Himself, Jesus never once challenged any of His would-be disciples to be religious, to join a synagogue or even to start a church. He simply challenged them to follow him . . . and to learn. When the disciples of John the Baptist asked Jesus “Where are you staying?”, He didn’t give them a set of directions. He simply challenged them to “Come and see” (John 1:38-39). They would come. They would see. And they would be forever changed by what they saw. Up to this point in their lives they had seen the religion-shaped spirituality of the rabbis and scribes, the Pharisees and Sadducees. But they now saw something very different. They saw the Jehovah-shaped spirituality of a carpenter from Nazareth Who chose not to associate with religious leaders or the rich and powerful, but with the spiritually poor, the dispossessed and the marginalized; one who could heal lepers with a touch and still a raging storm with a word. And life for those twelve men would never be the same.

For His part, Jesus’ desire was to establish a spiritual Kingdom, populated with disciples whose distinguishing characteristic would be a spirituality formed and shaped around Himself. For three-and-a-half years He model it for them to imitate, and later to duplicate. By the time He returned to His Father, Jesus left a handful of men who manifested a Jesus-shaped spirituality. And disciples with a Jesus-shaped spirituality stand out. So much so that when the Jewish religious authorities later examined the disciples in Acts 4 they were stumped to explain their uniqueness until they realized that these were men who had been with Jesus. “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were marveling, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). A Jesus-shaped spirituality stands out, like a spiritual round peg in a world dominated by religious square ones.

The same was true when the early Church took root in Antioch, “. . . . .and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). We don’t know who first referred to the disciples in Antioch as “Christians” in Acts 11. I suspect it was people outside the Church who intended the label as something approaching a slur. The Greek phrase is a diminutive meaning “little-Christ-ones”. If so, they unwittingly paid those early disciples the highest possible compliment. They accused them of looking like Jesus. They accused them of manifesting a Jesus-shaped spirituality.

From Purpose Driven To Jesus Driven

Please don’t get me wrong. I really don’t care what you think about hula hoops, pet rocks, faith rocks, purpose driven churches or any other fads or church programs. But more importantly, I don’t think our Postmodern culture cares either. Hula hoops appear to be out of favor (again), and so do purpose driven, seeker friendly churches. For the most part, unbelievers have come to our mega-services, sipped our lattes, watched our multi-media productions and have left unimpressed and asking, “Is that all you’ve got?” They came looking for a Jesus-shaped spirituality among a community of professing believers, and what they found was another religious program on steroids . . . and mediocre coffee.

The evangelical church in America and the West is in serious need of a wake-up call that will shake us out of our religious boxes and challenge both our religion-shaped spirituality and our Laodicean lethargy. We have become complacent in the midst of an on-going catastrophe. Our “attractional” model of Church simply isn’t working to any noticeable degree. Despite all of our seeker-friendly church growth efforts over the past generation, church attendance in America has fallen dramatically, from 42% of adults in 1965 to as low as 20% today. The “Ship of Church” is listing badly, but few seem willing to acknowledge the problem, much less address it. As Michael Spencer adroitly observed, Evangelical Christians seem to believe - indeed, they insist - that “their ship is listing to one side because it gives them a more interesting look at the iceberg.”

A Manifesto, Of Sorts

This book is a part of a manifesto of sorts - an integral part of a larger apologetic for a new spiritual paradigm which involves five basic commitments:

A Commitment to Revival and Spiritual Awakening. Throughout church history, when the “Ship of Church” has found itself “listing badly”, God has heard the desperate cries of His people and has and responded with seasons of profound spiritual renewal and revival. That’s where we find ourselves today - listing badly and in need of divine intervention. And it is for this reason that we are committed to the vision of a coming spiritual awakening, an end-time harvest of historic proportions, which will sweep millions of people into the Kingdom of God.

A Commitment to spirit led organic house churches. We are committed to a vision of organic house churches as the new “channel” or “vessel” through which that spiritual awakening will flow. God is raising up a “new wineskin” for the “new wine” of this coming harvest, a wineskin consisting of tens of thousands of organic house churches where the focus is upon holiness and the fear of God, personal repentance, genuine worship, personal discipleship, biblical community and local outreach.

A Commitment to Fasting & Prayer. It is impossible to separate personal discipleship, biblical spirituality or even Church from the biblical disciplines of fasting and prayer. Jesus never said “if you pray” or “if you fast”. It was never about “if”. It was always about “when” (See Matthew 6:1-18). The practical reality of this spiritual truth is that every historic spiritual revival in the Church for the past 300 years has been preceded by periods of prolonged personal and corporate prayer and fasting. For this reason we have a strong commitment to personal and corporate fasting and prayer.

A Commitment to Discipleship as the life-long pursuit of a Jesus-shaped spirituality. We are committed to organic house church as the regular gathering of believers in the common pursuit of a Jesus-shaped spirituality; a spirituality that looks like Jesus and sounds like the Kingdom of God. Biblical spirituality has never been about where people meet (i.e., in “sacred buildings”) or when people meet (i.e., on a “sacred day”) or even what they “do” when they meet (i.e., engage in “religious activity”). Biblical faith, from Jesus’ day until our day, has always been about what it means to be “a disciple of the Kingdom” (Matthew 13:52). We believe that to be a “disciple of the Kingdom” means to make it our life’s goal to actively pursue the Kingdom of God through the development of a Jesus-shaped spirituality within a community of like-minded believers who gather for the purpose of equipping, building and encouraging one another in their common pursuit of Christ-likeness.

A Commitment to “Good Deeds” and Serving “The Least of These”. We are committed to a spiritual paradigm characterized by “incarnational” ministry and “good deeds,” particularly toward “the least of these”. When was the last time that you personally fed the hungry, clothed the naked, befriended the stranger, visited the prisoner or engaged in any of the good deeds described in Matthew 25: 33-36 as a personal expression of your faith and your commitment to the Kingdom of God? We are committed to a spiritual paradigm which takes seriously the New Testament teaching on the importance of “good deeds” in the life of the believer.

And that is the topic of the remainder of this book.

Author’s Preface from “The Least of These”

2010-12-09T19:27:00.000-08:00

Her name was Margie. My wife and I were on a writing sabbatical, staying with friends in Maui, when I ran into Margie at the local McDonalds on South Kihei Road (across from Long’s Drug Store). I had gone there for my morning caffè latte, to mooch their newly-offered free WiFi and to work on some writing (including this book!). As I waited for my order I saw Margie standing close by to one side, counting her change. Having worked with homeless and disadvantaged people for several years, I quickly surmised Margie’s situation and understood that she was trying to see if she had enough change to order something.

“How much is it for a cup of coffee?” she asked no one in particular. Taking that as my cue, I responded.

“What would you like?”, I asked as I stepped closer to her.

“Well, I wanted to get something to eat . . .”, she said, her words trailing off in an unfinished sentence toward an unspoken conclusion.

“Would you mind if I bought you breakfast?”, I asked. And without pausing to explore the surprise on her face, I continued. “Come on,” I said, gently leading her to an available cashier. “My friend would like a big breakfast and something to drink,” I told the cashier. A knowing look and a smile from the cashier told me she, too, understood what was happening. It’s the “ripple effect” of a good deed in a public setting.

Margie and I got her order and headed toward the seating area. A flurry of taunts and cat-calls from three scruffy men at a close-by table told me that Margie was not alone.

“What ya doin’, Margie? Did you tell ‘im you’re HIV positive, Margie?” . I had already surmise all of that.

“What difference does that make?”, I snapped back. “She’s hungry!”. Patience with a senseless lack of kindness is not one of my gifts.

I got Margie settled at a table where she could enjoy breakfast in peace and assured her that God loved her. And as I walked away reflecting on what had just unfolded I was reminded that sometimes the Kingdom of God and the love of the King look like a kind stranger and taste like a hot breakfast.

“. . . to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.”

Welcome to “good deeds” and their role in a Jesus-shaped spirituality. This is the third book in our Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer series, so I suppose that a brief review is in order before we plunge ahead. At the heart of the Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer series of books is our belief that we stand today at the cusp a fresh outpouring of God’s Spirit in revival and spiritual awakening that will sweep millions of new believers into the Kingdom of God. Furthermore, we believe that, as part of His preparation for this spiritual outpouring, God is raising up new channels through which the River of His Spirit will flow. New wineskins to receive the new wine of this coming move.

In our first book of this series, River Houses Rising: The Rise of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer, we describe the rise of one of those new channels which God is rasing up, specifically, the organic house church movement. We refer our little corner of the organic house church movement as Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer. Many of the themes begun in that first book resonate through this third book as well. For example, in that first book we begin drawing the distinction between a religion-shaped spirituality and a Jesus-shaped spirituality. This theme of a Jesus-shaped spirituality continues into our second book, Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer: Your Practical Guide To Organic Church In Your House, where we address some of the practical issues which arise in the pursuit of organic house church.

As both of our two previous books make clear, the heart of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer is the personal and corporate pursuit of a Jesus-shaped spirituality, a spirituality which looks like Jesus and sounds like the Kingdom of God. And one of the unmistakable characteristics of such a Jesus-shaped spirituality is its commitment to “good deeds”, especially toward those whom Jesus referred to as “the least of these”. And this is the theme of this third book.

The focus of this book is on one specific characteristic of a Jesus-shaped spirituality, namely, the role of “good deeds”. But in order to put things into some contemporary perspective I will begin our journey together by challenging what I refer to as the religion-shaped spirituality of the contemporary evangelical church, a spirituality that is “attractional” (“If you build it and offer enough attractive programs, they will come”) rather than “incarnational” (see Chapters 1 and 2). In its place I want to examine the idea of a Jesus-shaped spirituality by looking at the spirituality of Jesus Himself and its relationship to “good deeds” (see Chapter 3). Next, I will take us on extended journey through the New Testament and what it has to say about the importance of “good deeds” in the life of the believer (see Chapter 4). This will be followed by an examination of two additional and important passages of Scripture which impact our understanding of God’s call upon each of us to minister to “the least of these” (see Chapters 5 and 6). In Chapter 7 we will respond to a couple of frequently asked questions concerning “good deeds”, namely, who should be the object of our “good deeds” (believers or unbelievers), and are “good deeds” optional for the believer. The next two Chapters (8 and 9) will contain several stories of good deeds that I have either been personally involved with, or which have come to me from people I am in personal contact with. Finally, we will conclude our journey together with a challenge for all of us to “become legendary” in our pursuit of “good deeds” and a Jesus-shaped spirituality.

How We Understand Scripture

As evangelical Christians, our understanding of life and godliness is shaped by our understanding of Scripture. Indeed, we can say that our faith rests upon three things: the nature of God, the person and work of Christ and the inspired teaching of Scripture.

But what we glean from a text of Scripture - and therefore what we apply in our lives - often depends upon something as mundane as which translation we use. It’s one of the drawbacks of having a sacred text which was originally written in a language (1st Century Greek) other than our native tongue. We must rely upon the translations of others which often vary. Consider the four translations of Revelation 22:12 given below. The first one is my original translation of the Greek text, while the other three are contemporary versions of the same passage.

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My wage is with Me to give to each according to his deeds.” (Revelation 22:12, author’s translation)

"Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon! I'm bringing my payroll with me. I'll pay all people in full for their life's work.” (Revelation 22:12 from The Message).

"Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done.” (Revelation 22:12 New American Standard Bible, 1977)

“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay everyone for what he has done.” (Revelation 22:12 English Standard Version)

Do you see any differences? How could those differences change the way you understand the passage and your application of its teaching in your own life? Let me suggest a couple of differences I noticed. First, the word translated “reward” (NASB) or “recompense” (ESV) is the common New Testament word for a day’s wage earned by a common laborer. Those are acceptable translations, but “wage” is more descriptive. Second, the phrase translated “what he has done” literally reads “as his deed is”. That’s good Greek, but it’s poor English, so we smooth it out to read “according to his deeds”. The word “deed” is the common word used throughout the New Testament for both “good deeds” and “evil deeds”.

O.K., there really is a point to all of this linguistic wrangling. I would dare say that most contemporary professing Christians have no real clue that, in some real sense we don’t fully grasp, Jesus views His followers - you and me - as day laborers in His vineyard. According to this passage, and many others we will examine in the course of this book, Jesus will one day return to His vineyard and “pay a wage” to each individual laborer, based on the work - the “deeds” - that each person performed while in His employ.

Snoopy’s Two Simple Goals

In the early 1960's a fellow by the name of Robert Short was a struggling Seminary student at the University of Chicago Divinity School. Looking for a way to support himself and pay his school bills, he hit on the idea of taking one of the most popular comic strips of the day and writing about the theological lessons it contained. In 1965 his book, The Gospel According To Peanuts, appeared in bookstores, and Robert Short was able to pay his school bills (now having sold over 15 million copies). Among his many observations, Short suggested that the character of “Snoopy” in the beloved comic strip “Peanuts” represented the Christ character, whose role was to comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable.

My two goals for this book resemble Short’s understanding of Snoopy. My first goal is to comfort and encourage those of you who have already embraced the truth of Scripture concerning the role of “good deeds” in a Jesus-shaped spirituality. You are the “shining lights” of the Church and the Kingdom of God. It is because of you that men “glorify your Father who is in heaven”. This book is my encouragement to you to “keep up the good works”.

My second goal is equally simple. I want to afflict the rest of you. Sorry, it’s a gift and I can’t seem to help myself. My goal is to prick your conscience, to challenge your comfort and to “incite” you to “greater love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10: 23-25). This is your call, and the call of the organic house church movement to walk in a Jesus-shaped spirituality and to become “legendary” for your “good deeds”.

What happens next is up to you.

© 2010 THE PAROUSIA NETWORK

Preface to "Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer" (vol 2)

2010-12-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

From The Author

Welcome to the second installment of our Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer series of books on what God is doing today in and through organic house churches. This book is a continuation of the conversation we began in our earlier book, “River Houses Rising”. You will be at somewhat of a disadvantage if you have not already read that book, so I would encourage you to do so. The present book will make a lot more sense if you have read that book, especially when we refer back to key principles we discussed in detail there, but do not have the time to repeat here (principles like the difference between a religion-shaped spirituality and a Jesus-shaped spirituality). For our part we will proceed on the assumption that you are familiar with that book.

In our previous book we laid down what we believe to be some of the basic foundations for a spiritual revolution, NOT a religious reorganization. Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer is NOT a re-organization of your current religious church activities - a movement from big religious boxes to smaller religious boxes (what we fondly refer to as “Honey, I Shrunk The Church”). Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer is NOT another religious program of Christian activities designed to give bored believers something to do and get excited about, and then to abandon when they get bored and the marketing campaign wears off (“40 Days Of Purpose Driven Whatever . . . followed by eleven months of boredom”).

The Greatest Challenge to the Church

The greatest challenge to the Church in any age is NOT to create programs which will attract the masses. Rather, the greatest challenge to the Church in our day is to discover what God is doing and to follow. The old theologians used to say that “God is prevenient”. Simply put, this means that God always acts first. It also means that we are to be a responsive people. God initiates and we respond. How we respond to what God is doing determines our usefulness and effectiveness for our generation. Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer is our attempt to keep pace with what God is already doing in our generation. Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer is our practical answer to a simple but profound question: “How do we as believers prepare for and respond to what God wants to do in our generation?”

Our hope is that by learning from the teachings of Scripture as well as from the past mistakes of the Church during previous times of historic revival, we can begin to respond to God’s promptings today and to prepare for the coming move of His Spirit by asking and answering new questions. For example, if you knew that God was going to soon sweep tens of thousands of new believers into the Kingdom of God, where would you put them, who would disciple them, and what would you teach them? (One historical answer to this question is found in the example of John Wesley and the Evangelical Awaking in England, which we will examine in Chapter 3).

Or if you knew that Jesus was going to visit your organic house church, what would you do to prepare? Would you spend more time in prayer seeking the Lord? Would you spend more time fasting as an act of personal repentance and sacrificial worship? Would you spend time examining your own life and the life of your Church? And are there things that Jesus might be looking for that you should pay special attention to as you prepare for His visitation?

A Church In Search of A Mission?

Some people seem to think that God has an idle church in need of a mission. To such people the news that their lives should be “purpose driven” comes as a surprise and a revelation. But the biblical truth is that God already has a mission - the same mission that sent Jesus to earth the first time - but He is in search of a church that is willing to follow and obey Him. God’s Church doesn’t need a mission. God’s mission needs an obedient Church. The goal of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer is to become an organic church responding in obedience to God’s mission in our generation.

Our generation is witnessing profound, if not historic, spiritual changes which are confronting the Church of Jesus with new spiritual realities and new personal challenges of how to respond. Many people will look at these changes like religious square pegs staring at spiritual round holes, hoping against hope that the hole will somehow adjust itself to accommodate them unchanged. People who walk in religion-shaped spiritualities do not adjust well to new spiritual realities. That’s where many professing believers find themselves today as this new move of God unfolds.

A Distant Mirror

History is often a mirror in which we see our own reflections in the faces and lives of those who have walked a similar path. That’s why I’ve included a couple of stories from church history. The first is the story of Samuel and Susanna Wesley. When the Spirit of God began to move in Samuel’s ministry it pushed his religion-shaped spirituality close to its breaking point. Samuel Wesley was a religious square peg staring at a spiritual round hole, unable to understand or adjust by letting go of his religion-shaped spirituality. That incident left us with a lesson that we all need to learn. You’ll find it in Chapter 2.

History offers up another mirror for our potential benefit in the story of Samuel Wesley’s son, John Wesley. Here we learn a similar lesson with a very different outcome. In the story of John Wesley we have an example of what happens when the Holy Spirit chooses to go around existing religious structures in search of new channels through which to flow. John Wesley began his “religious career” as a “high churchman” ordained in the Church of England. His religion-shaped spirituality was so strong that, looking back on his days as a “religious square peg”, Wesley later confessed to doubting whether a person could even be saved unless it was inside the four walls of a Church.

There were many “religious square pegs” in Wesley’s day who stared at the “spiritual round holes” of Revival in stunned disbelief, unable to comprehend that the Spirit of God would choose to flow through such unlikely channels. Religious square pegs often face a genuine spiritual crisis when God confronts them with the reality of a spiritual round hole such as an “outside the box” spiritual awakening. But history records that the Holy Spirit did, indeed, flow and therein lies a lesson for us today as we prepare for the coming spiritual outpouring. We’ll unfold this story and this lesson in Chapter 3.

Not a “How To” Book

By now it should be obvious that if you are looking for another “How To” book on organic house church, this really isn’t it. I don’t mean to offend you, but people walking in a religion-shaped spirituality typically want “A Ten Step ‘How To’ Guide To A Successful Whatever”. And unfortunately, there are always people out there willing to sell to that perceived need. But the quest for such a “How To” guide reveals some fundamental mis-understandings regarding the nature of organic house church and Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer (which may be the result of having NOT read our earlier book, “River Houses Rising”).

For example, the request for a “How To” guide could be based on the false assumption that all pegs are both spiritual and round and that there are no religious square pegs in need of a fundamental spiritual transformation. There are only “religious round pegs” in need of proper instruction on the correct structure and technique of this “house church thing”.

In addition, questions regarding a “How To” guide may assume that the change to organic house church is simply a matter of changing structures, rather than a fundamental change in values from a religion-shaped spirituality to a Jesus-shaped spirituality. But that would be wrong, too. If you try to change a behavior or a structure (“going to church”) before you change a value (“being the Church”) the result will nearly always be a frustrated square peg and a failed house church experience (“It just didn’t work out for me/us”).

This need for a fundamental change in values from a religion-shaped spirituality to a Jesus-shaped spirituality (see Chapter 8 of “River Houses Rising”) is why I have included the Chapter entitled “Honey, I Shrunk The Church!” This Chapter is all about spiritual “detoxing” and shedding spiritual baggage. This is important because we do not want to duplicate failure by attempting to drive religious square pegs into spiritual round holes. Your journey into organic house church and Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer will be short and frustrating if you do not come to terms with your spiritual baggage left over from the days of your religion-shaped spirituality. Detoxing and shedding baggage functions as a two-edge sword. It weeds out the “square pegs” who either cannot or will not change, or it transforms them so they can successfully adjust to the new reality of spiritual round holes.

The “Messiness” of Life and Revival

O.K., one last “chapter review” before we let you go to explore the rest of the book on your own. Perhaps you remember my all-time favorite movie - “Casablanca” (if not, rent a copy, pop some popcorn and enjoy one of the best movies ever made). In one scene, when the Nazis demand that Rick’s “Café Americain” be closed, the Prefect of Police (Captain Renault, played by Claude Rains) must trump up a reason for the closure. The result is a classic scene that has become part of movie lore:

Rick: “How can you close me up? On what grounds?”
Captain Renault: “I am shocked, shocked, to find gambling going on in this establishment!”
Emile: “Your winnings, sir”.
Captain Renault: (in a soft voice, to Emile) “Thank you. Thank you very much. Everybody out!”

Harumph! Gambling in a casino? How shocking!

Some of you reading this book won’t survive Chapter 4 on detoxing, but if you do, we’ll catch you in Chapter 5. It’s our “casino-in-Casablanca” moment. One of the quickest ways to spot a religion-shaped spirituality is to watch how people respond to “the messiness of life”, especially when it manifests in their living room. Their response is often akin to Captain Renault’s, “I am shocked, shocked, to find that there is sin in your life (as opposed to mine, which is pure as the wind-riven snow)!” Shock and self-righteousness are frequent traveling companions in a religion-shaped spirituality.

We live in a fallen, sinful world, which is why Jesus came and died - that we might be reconciled to God and redeemed from the moral and spiritual catastrophe of our own fallenness. As a result of that cosmic catastrophe and our own daily complicity in it, our lives are “messy”. The good news is that God wants to redeem the messiness of our lives and transform us into the very image of His son. Christ-likeness is God’s high calling upon each of us.

Yet, Christians continue to respond to sin and the “messiness” of life much like Captain Renault responded to that gambling in which he, himself, was an active participant, “I’m shocked!”. Right. And “denial” is still a river in Egypt.

As I shared earlier, one of the quickest ways to spot a religion-shaped spirituality is to watch how people respond to “the messiness of life”. A religion-shaped spirituality will typically respond with self-righteous “shock”, followed (in close and fast order) by moral outrage, judgmentalism and condemnation, a heavy dose of “I told you so”, and finally a discourse on “If you would only live your life by the same ten biblical principles that I live by, this wouldn’t happen, you’d be really spiritual and God would love you more.” The coup de grâce of this response is, of course, an invitation to a weekend seminar on “God’s Paths For Spiritual Blessing”.

Welcome to the world of religious square pegs and religion-shaped spirituality. If you find yourself in essential agreement with this approach (in other words, you’re so upset with me right now that your head feels like it’s going to explode), then you should probably stop reading right now. It will only get worse. Consider yourself warned!

At this point in the discussion you might conclude (wrongfully) that a Jesus-shaped spirituality is somehow “soft on sin”. Not so. We’re just lite on legalism. Like Jesus weeping at the tomb of Lazarus, a Jesus-shaped spirituality weeps at the personal destruction and death that the catastrophe of sin has brought upon the world, and how it continues to ravage the lives of those around us - both inside and outside the Church. But a Jesus-shaped spirituality understands that the catastrophe of sin and its consequences cannot be undone - even in the life of the believer - by any set of rules, principles or guidelines, masquerading as holiness, regardless of how well intended.

Genuine holiness is to legalism what a genuine $100 bill is to a counterfeit. Outwardly they resemble one another in appearance, enough so that an untrained eye might mistake one for the other. But that’s where the similarities end. When the truth is exposed, one will let you shop at WalMart; the other will send you to prison for 20 years. That genuine holiness of a Jesus-shaped spirituality, produced by a personal encounter with a burning coal fresh from God’s altar, will transform the individual and enable them to obey God with a joyful heart and a clear conscience. The false holiness of legalism and its rules will imprison you in a life of guilt, anger, frustration and self-righteousness. Legalism is the fool’s gold of the domain of darkness. You can’t spend it in the Kingdom of God.

A Jesus-shaped spirituality places its faith and its hope, not in the outward conformity of the individual to a set of religious rules, but in the inward spiritual transformation of the individual by the Holy Spirit. And that, ultimately, is the “scandal” of Chapter 5. I hope you “survive” it. If not, Captain Renault and I will send flowers.

Your Invitation To “The Scandal”

And this leads me to the “scandal” of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer. The “scandal” of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer is our firm belief that Jesus wants to visit His Church and to pour out the River of His Spirit which will flow in spiritual power and blessing unknown in the experience of our generation. And in the process of that divine visitation He wants to indelibly imprint a new-but-old DNA upon her character, a DNA of genuine holiness and the fear of God, genuine personal repentance and renewed intimacy with Himself. Why? So that in the generations of house churches yet to be born we will multiply and reproduce believers and churches where repentance, intimacy and holiness are "the norm," just as the prophet Zechariah foresaw:

"In that day there will be inscribed on the bells of the horses, ‘HOLY TO THE LORD.’ And the cooking pots in the Lord’s house will be like the bowls before the altar. And every cooking pot in Jerusalem and in Judah will be holy to the Lord of hosts; and all who sacrifice will come and take of them. And there will no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts in that day." (Zechariah 14:20-21)

God is preparing His end-time harvest. And to accommodate that harvest He is raising up tens of thousands of organic, multiplying house churches, Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer, led by believers just like you. These organic house churches, meeting in homes like yours and led by Kingdom-minded disciples like you, will be the new vessels for what God is doing in our day. And He is calling you to be a part of it. The only question remaining is this: Are you ready to become a part of what God is doing in our day?

Postmodern Reflections On The Great Commission

2010-11-22T14:55:00.000-08:00

The Great ~~Commission~~, uh, ~~Suggestion~~, uh, ~~Opinion~~, uh, O Forget It!

If you haven’t read or seen a copy of Rick Warren’s mega-best seller, “The Purpose Driven Life” then you’ve either been living on Mars or some place genuinely out of touch with reality - like inside the Washington, D.C. beltway. Now, 30 million copies later the Christian community (who bought most of those books and listened to most of the sermons) finally knows that God has a purpose for their lives. Wahoo! This mega-selling phenomenon bears sad testimony to a disturbing reality: millions of professing Christians, including Christians in many house churches, lack biblical purpose for their lives. The Church is in the midst of an “existential crisis" of biblical proportions. We don’t know who we are or why we are here.

Our Postmodern culture is in the midst of a full-blown “existential crisis” which has now worked its way into the Church. If the philosophical mantra of the Modern Age (from the fall of the Bastille to the fall of the Berlin Wall) was “I think, therefore, I am,” then the mantra of Postmodernism and its existential children is “I doubt, therefore, I am”. As I indicated, even the Church has joined in this “doubt-fest” with declarations of “question everything” and “everything must change”.

I try to ignore most of these “musings”. Some things simply need to “play out”, and there’ll be time later to ask really penetrating questions, like “So, how’s that working out for you?”. Besides, like a Salmon swimming up stream, I do get weary of fighting the current, not to mention irritating people who insist that I should leave things alone and not disturb the “peace” of the body. But when certain things raise their head in the organic house church movement where God has called me to labor, I’m just a bad dog who can’t resist the temptation to bark and chase that ‘57 Chevy that keeps cruising the neighborhood. Us dogs never seem to catch the Chevy, and we’re not really sure what we would do with it if we did. But there still seems to be a certain degree of merit in the chase (O.K., let me know when that one makes sense to you).

The Chevy In My Neighborhood

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’”

The latest “musing worth chasing” (at least from this dog’s perspective) showed up recently on a couple of organic church blogs which I follow from time to time. In order to keep this civil and avoid a “dog fight” I’ll leave names out of this and just focus on the “bones” of the matter. The statement that started all of the dogs barking was a declaration by a prominent house church writer that because the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18ff was given only to the Apostles, it is not binding on the Church at large. It is only binding on “apostles”. If you aren’t an “apostle”, you’re off the hook. Now that’s a ‘57 Chevy worth chasing through the neighborhood.

Now this is the kind of controversy that makes a good dog want to shed his fur. Besides flying in the face of an interpretation which has empowered Western Missions for the past 250 years, it ignores facts that are readily available through basic exegetical techniques. But my first response, which is more philosophical than exegetical, is the “reductio ad adsurdum” of this position. Rather than drawing this out with numerous illustrations, I’ll cut straight to the chase: Every command and exhortation in the Bible was given to someone else besides us; other people who all now share one common characteristic. They’re all dead. Remember that Old Testament command to love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18)? Yep, given to Old Testament Jews who are all now deceased. You can write that one off. And that New Testament command to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). Yep, same problem, only worse. It was given to a Jew who was both a Pharisee and a lawyer (no lawyer jokes, please). If you aren’t a Jewish Lawyer and a Pharisee, you’re off the hook for loving your neighbor (which means you don’t need to return his snow blower!). The command isn’t for you.

Now, before your head explodes and you accuse me of being facetious, let me remind you that I am subjecting a faulty exegetical principle to it’s logical conclusion through a standard philosophical principle called “reductio ad adsurdum” - refuting a principle by reducing it to its absurd conclusion. The absurd conclusion here is that because everything in the Bible was spoken or given to someone else (besides us), none of it applies to us. This includes the Great Commission and the Apostles.

But there is another time-tested way of testing the validity of an interpretation or an exegetical principle, and it’s really pretty simple: See if it works elsewhere in similar circumstances. What we will need for this test is another circumstance where Jesus is directly addressing the Apostles with either a command or a promise (Matthew 28 contains both - a command to make disciples and a promise that He will be with them). Fortunately for us, we have one in the first chapter of Acts involving the circumstances surrounding the Ascension. Let’s run through the particulars quickly. First, according to verse 2 the audience for what follows is “the Apostles whom He had chosen”. Second, there is a command (verse 4) for them to say in Jerusalem and wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Third, there is a two-fold promise (verse 8) that they shall receive power AND be His witnesses (the whole Judea, Samaria, ends-of-the-earth thing). Remember: both the command to wait AND the promise of the Holy Spirit were made to whom? The apostles. Got it? Same principle as in Matthew 28 and the Great Commission.

Jerusalem, we have a problem. There weren’t just 12 (oopps, 11) guys obeying the command to wait in the Upper Room. According to verse 15 there were 120! Why were they there if the command didn’t apply to them? If we respond by saying, “Well, they were present with the Apostles when the command was given,” we violate the text which doesn’t say that. It says the command was given to the Apostles (see verse 2ff). In addition, that argument opens the door for more people besides the Apostles being present when the Commission was given in Matthew 28, even though they aren’t specifically mentioned. Exegetical swords must cut both ways.

Then we have the “problem of the promise”. A narrow interpretation of Acts 1, such as has been suggested in Matthew 28, means that the promise of the Holy Spirit’s empowerment was also only given to the Apostles, not to the rest of the Church. But the record of the fulfillment of that promise in Acts Chapter 2 makes it clear that everyone present in the Upper Room experienced what took place, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” (Acts 2:24) The command, the promise and the fulfillment were given by Jesus to the entire church, not to just a select few.

The Dog That Caught The Car

I believe that we have sufficiently made the case, both philosophically and exegetically, that Jesus’ commands and promises in both Matthew 28 and Acts 1 applied to more than just the Apostles and that the narrow interpretation of either passage is unworkable. In other words, I caught the Chevy and even have a hub cap to prove it! But the problem with arguments and proofs in our Postmodern world (including the Church) is that people in the throes of a full-blown existential doubt-fest are seldom swayed by either logic or sound exegesis. I’ve seen this numerous times before, such as refuting Universalism. The typical response is along the line of, “Yes, but what about . . .?”. Add to this mix the Postmodern tendency to accept self-validating opinions as substitutes for “facts” and our ability to conduct a “reasoned discussion” (biblical word, dialegomai) becomes much more problematic. It’s enough to make a good dog give up his hub cap collection and start shedding fur.

We began this article with the observation that “the Church is in the midst of an ‘existential crisis’ of biblical proportions. We don’t know who we are or why we are here.” So, let me ask you. Do you know who you are, and do you know why you are here? In the event that you are in the midst of your own personal existential doubt-fest, allow me to help clarify. You are a professing believer in and disciple of Jesus of Nazareth, Who has ascended on high and has left you with a standing order and a standing promise. Go make disciples. And He promises to be with you to the end. What more do you need to turn the world of your generation upside down?

Leadership Gifts And Mending Nets

2010-11-18T10:37:00.000-08:00

Leadership Gifts And Mending Nets

The following article is Chapter 8 of our second “Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer” book. I hope you enjoy.

© Copyright The Parousia Network 2010

Consider the following story a “leadership parable”.

Shipwreck! Leadership Lessons I Learned While Swimming To Shore

It was a beautiful day when I went down to the seashore to enjoy the sunshine and read my book. I had scarcely gotten situated in a comfortable beach chair and had begun reading when I noticed it. Out on the horizon where the ocean met the sky I saw the outline of a ship. As the minutes ticked away it grew larger as it moved slowly towards shore. As it drew closer to shore it quickly became apparent that the ship was in trouble. It was sinking and people were jumping ship and swimming for shore.

It was obvious that I wasn’t going to get to read my book, so I put it away and began watching as people from the sinking ship began coming ashore. That’s when I saw them. The first person to emerge from the water had a dignified look about him. He wrung water from his drenched clothes, took a deep breath and began walking toward me. “Well, that was interesting,” he said as he came up to me. “At least we were close to shore. The last time that happened to me I floated around for three days before someone finally picked me up,” he said matter-of-factly with a slight hint of a grin on his face. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I could rent another boat, would you. This has put us behind schedule and I really would like to get moving again as quickly as possible,” he said, sounding somewhat irritated at the whole affair.

I was still trying to take it all in when the second person out of the water came up to join us. He was more animated and excited than the first fellow, with a glint of “wildness” in his eyes that made me wonder what was coming next. “Wow!”, he exclaimed as he grabbed the first fellow by the shoulders and spun him around to look him in the eyes. “Wasn’t that amazing! And it happened exactly the way He told me it would - the storm, the shipwreck, you at the helm, us swimming to shore . . . the whole thing! Isn’t God amazing!” he declared. And without giving anyone a chance to respond, he continued on, “And as I was swimming to shore I heard Him say that it’s going to be O.K., and that we are going to find another boat and make it safely to where we’re headed. God is so amazing!”

As all of this was going on a crowd of on-lookers began gathering, some talking to us and others watching the ship slip beneath the waves offshore. That was when the third survivor approached us and greeted the other two. It was obvious by now that they were all friends and traveling together. “Hey, guys,” he said with a hint of mischievousness in his voice. “There’s a crowd starting to gather around here. You never know when we’ll have another chance like this. Maybe I should say something to everyone about how God just spared our lives and how they should trust Him, too!”

The third man had scarcely gotten the words out when a fourth man from the ship joined their company. He had a concerned look on his face as he asked the other three, “Fellas, has anyone done a head count yet? Are we sure everyone made it off the boat O.K.? Maybe we should form a search party and make certain everyone is accounted for. I wouldn’t want to lose anyone just because we weren’t paying attention. Besides, some of them may be injured and need help.”

A fifth and final man now joined his four companions, carrying a bundle under his arm. “Don’t tell me you actually swam to shore carrying those things,” one of the four chided him. “Hey, these are rare, out of print books,” he responded indignantly. “I’ll toss you overboard before I leave these babies behind,” he declared triumphantly, but with a smile. “And before I go anywhere with you four characters again I want to see the operating manual for the new boat. I may even do a safety training class for everyone before we sail. Better safe than sorry.”

As the five traveling companions walked away, talking and teasing each other, I learned a quick lesson: Be careful who you travel with; you may have to swim to shore with them later.

Leaders, Gifts And Mending Nets

And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-13)

O.K., It’s time to interpret this “leadership parable of the Shipwreck” and to do it in terms of the leadership gifts we discover in the New Testament. The parable is a graphic illustration of this passage from Paul’s letter to the believers in the City of Ephesus. Here Paul lists the five leadership gifts/callings which Jesus gave to His Church following His resurrection and ascension: Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. And just as important, Paul tells us the reason and purpose for these five leadership gifts: to equip fellow believers for the work of the ministry.

Now, before we interpret the parable (as my daughter would say, “Wait for it, dad, wait for it”) I want to comment on this word “equip”. The Greek word (katartidzo) has a long history behind it. It’s root meaning is the idea of “restoration”. In Classical Greek it was used to describe restoring the mentally ill to health, and of fishermen mending their nets. Jesus Himself grew up on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, as did several of His disciples. Many times throughout His life He had undoubtedly watched fishermen dry, mend and fold their nets. Two of His disciples, John and James, were in the process of drying and mending their nets when Jesus called them to follow Him (Matthew 4:21-22, Mark 1:19-20).

You can learn a lot about leadership from a net. There is an important spiritual lesson here which Jesus, His disciples and the Apostle Paul understood very well. You cannot fish with broken nets. And that includes fishing for men. The highest and primary calling of a gifted biblical leader is to model, teach and assist others in the art of mending their nets. A gifted leader, manifesting a Jesus-shaped spirituality, is a mender of nets.

So, let’s go back to our parable. Have you figured it out? Understand the parable of the shipwreck.

The first person off the sinking ship was the Apostle. The Apostolic gift tends to be a pioneering, ground-breaking gift. This person is very focused on the health and mission of the Church. Apostolic people don’t let a little thing like a sinking ship deter them from their goal of taking the Kingdom of God to places where it hasn’t been before. They are people who can “see far” into where God is going, who understand the implications of what they see, and can formulate the strategies necessary to get there. They are disturbers of the status quo who are always pushing the church forward in it’s mission. The Apostolic gift “mends” the church’s nets by keeping it forward-focused and on mission.

The second person off the sinking ship was the Prophet. The Prophetic gift “hears clearly” concerning God’s heart and purposes for His Church. Prophets are the Church’s “eyes and ears” and bring fresh spiritual insights into the purposes of God for His people. For reasons the Scriptures never fully explain, God’s plan is for Apostles and Prophets to work closely together in the task of establishing spiritual foundations for the building of the Church,

“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of Godʼs household, having been built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:19-22).

Without the focus and strategies of the Apostolic gift, Prophets become “prophetic junkies” addicted to fresh words and visions. Churches left in the hands of the Prophetic gift become centers of “spiritual adrenaline,” always listening . . . and listening . . . but never moving forward in the mission of the Church. Such groups end up “chasing their prophetic tails” with no plan or strategy to implement what they are hearing.

But without the Prophetic voice, Apostles become builders of “Apostolic empires,” seeking to implement grand strategies with no prophetic clarity for what God is seeking to accomplish. Together, Prophets hear God’s heart for people and places while Apostles keep the church focused on its greater mission and the strategies needed for planting house church networks to reach those people and places. Apostles see far and understand implications. Prophets hear clearly and have insight into God’s heart. Apostles are about strategy and architecture. Prophets are about vision and “adrenaline.” The Prophetic gift mends the church’s nets by bringing fresh spiritual insights into the purposes of God for His people.

The third person off the sinking ship was the Evangelist. The Evangelist is the one who “sees opportunity”, specifically the opportunity to bring more sheep into the fold. Evangelists are the gatherers of stray sheep. In the book of Acts Philip of Caesarea was known as “Philip the Evangelist” (Acts 21:8).Their passion is to bring in large numbers of sheep, to see as many people brought into and involved with the church as possible. They are all about encouraging the church to turn outward in its thinking and message.

But evangelists tend to live on adrenaline and activity. A church built on or by an evangelist will be a hub of non-stop activity and programs. It will be very wide, but very shallow, with virtually every message being a salvation message, characterized by little depth or discipleship. The Evangelistic gift mends the Church’s nets by focusing the Church’s attention and message outward towards unbelievers who need to hear about Jesus.

The fourth person off the sinking ship was the Pastor or Shepherd. The English word “pastor” is actually the Greek word poimen or “shepherd.” The Pastoral gift is all about the sheep, and pastors are shepherds who simply love sheep. Pastors are relational people who want to spend time with the sheep. For them, ministry is all about meeting the needs of the sheep. Pastors are the networkers of the body, the counselors of the wounded and needy, the team and community builders who bring the body together. They live to see the body function together as an extended family. But if a church is left in the hands of the pastoral gift it will become a need driven (as opposed to God-vision driven) counseling and rehab ministry, a spiritual hospital for the wounded that will soon be overwhelmed by endless needs. It will eventually come to resent and oppose the apostolic, prophetic and evangelistic gifts as “disturbers of the status quo” (In the immortal words of Ahab, "Is this you, you troubler of Israel?"). The Pastoral gift mends the church’s nets by caring for the on-going personal needs of the sheep and promoting the healthy body-life of the Church.

The fifth person off the sinking ship was the Teacher. Teachers “dig deep” and have understanding. Teachers have the ability to take complex biblical truth and to simplify it for the Church to understand. Teachers do not lay foundations (the task given to Apostles and Prophets) but they can explain foundations brilliantly! They are the explainers and apologists of the body. While Apostles have strategies for accomplishing God’s purpose and Prophets have insight into God’s purposes, Teachers look for understanding by digging deep into God’s word in order to explain God’s purposes. The role of the teacher is not to “balance” the apostolic or prophetic, but to explain and expound on the biblical basis for what God is doing and saying through the Apostles and Prophets.

If a church is founded upon or built around a gifted Teacher (as many churches today are) people will end up with notebooks full of great notes and insights, but with no practical ability to apply all that they have learned. And because Teachers are not Pastors, the practical needs of the sheep will suffer (Many a teacher has been hired for his teaching ability and fired for his lack of pastoral skills - go figure!). And devoid of any Apostolic or prophetic insights the Church will lack any sense of God’s Kingdom purposes and the strategies needed to accomplish them with no fresh prophetic sense of God’s heart for His people. The Teaching gift mend’s the Church’s nets by taking complex biblical truth and simplifying it for the church to understand.

Some Final Thoughts on Mending Nets

It is important to point out that the gifted 5-fold leaders of the Church are NOT competitors with each other. They are collaborators. There is no “spiritual hierarchy” at work here. Each is a “first among equals”. No one is preeminent, and no one is expendable. And all have been called to be fools and spectacles before both the world and the Church (See 1 Corinthians 4). But the Church needs the ministry of all five gifts working together if the body of Christ is to grow into “a mature man” (Ephesians 4:13). An absence of all five leadership gifts functioning and working together will result in a lack of maturity in the Church.

It is also important to remember that the greatest weakness of any gift always lurks in the shadow of its greatest strength. The amazing apostolic gifting of a Paul which enabled him to endure hardship, stoning, shipwreck and persecution to take the Gospel to the Gentiles, also produced the weakness of a “spiritual myopia”. We see this “spiritual myopia” in Paul’s treatment of John Mark whom Paul “kicked to the curb” at the outset of the second missionary journey because John Mark had abandoned them on the first missionary journey. Paul’s apostolic focus wouldn’t allow him to “see” how John Mark would be an asset on any future journey. It took the pastoral gifting of Barnabas (whom the Church had nick-named “Son of Encouragement”) to take John Mark under his care and to disciple him. John Mark would eventually find his gift and write the Gospel According to Mark. Not bad for a missionary “washout” who was really a 5-Fold teacher-in-the-making.

Before we end our discussion of house church leadership and mending nets, I wanted to look at three more Scriptures and make some observations.

“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree, and there be no divisions among you, but you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10)

This passage is about divisions and unity in the Church. That would include your house church. Because there are people in your house church, you will have conflicts, even divisions (As Charlie Brown once observed: “Mankind I love, it’s people I can’t stand”). Paul’s solution to “divisions” in the church is “to be mended” together (yep, same Greek word here for “mending nets”). Nothing heals divisions and builds unity better than the body and its leaders coming together in the common task of mending one another’s nets. When house churches and their leaders mend nets together as a team the result is unity.

“Brethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)

What stands out to me here is that the emphasis is not upon the trespass, but upon the importance of manifesting a spirit of gentleness (i.e., humility) in the process of restoration (yep, katartidzo). Life is messy (if in doubt, read Chapter 5). Stuff happens. People are going to stumble (literally, “be overtaken before one has the opportunity to flee” - the meaning of the word “caught”). The call of biblical leadership is to manifest a spirit of genuine personal humility (“that could have been me”) as we “restore” that person by helping them to mend the broken nets of their lives. Remember, next time it may be YOUR nets that are broken!

“For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” (1 Thessalonians 3:9-10)

Paul understood that “net mending” is a team activity. He longed to be with the believers in Thessalonica so that he could have a part in making them “complete” (i.e., helping them mend their nets). Paul understood that we all need the ministry of other people with other gifts and callings in our lives to mend our nets and to make up what is lacking in our faith. We will never be “complete” without one another.

“Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.” (Hebrews 13:20-21)

The author of Hebrews saw that, ultimately, it is God-in-Christ Who mends our broken nets in order to equip and perfect us. Ultimately, it is God Himself Who mends the broken and torn nets of our lives, but He usually does it through the gifts and the people He has appointed in the body of Christ.

Shredding, Mending and House Church

Life in this fallen, sin ravaged world shreds the nets of people’s lives. And that includes you, me and the people in our house churches. The good news is that in the Kingdom of God, and that small manifestation of it that meets in your house, God has placed gifted leaders whose calling, purpose and function is to help God’s people mend the broken nets of their lives, and to enable all of us to get back to our original calling: to fish for men. We can’t fish with broken nets.

Reflection Question #1 - What did you learn from our “Leadership Parable” regarding Scriptural leadership gifts that you did not know before?

Reflection Question #2 - Leadership gifts are generally known by how they function. Do you see yourself walking in one of the five leadership gifts, and if so, “how’s it working for you” in the eyes of those around you?

“Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer” Update

2010-10-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

This is a short letter to simply give you an update on recent activity. I continue to receive emails and responses to our article, “Ten Years of House Church: Where Do We Go From Here” which you can still view and discuss on our blog. It has been discussed and linked on several house church blogs with active discussions. Apparently we have touched a nerve in the larger house church community. Thank you all for your support and encouragement.

“Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer” Update

Several of you have requested to read and review our book manuscript, and responses have begun to trickle in, so I’ve decided to include a couple of them here. Our friend Jim Rutz wrote:

Maurice,

Great book! I just finished reading the whole thing tonight, and I hope it gets the wide circulation it deserves. Sorry to annoy you, but the biggest flaw is the title. Everybody knows what a safe house is, but it has no connection with a house church. And when you pile that and hope and prayer on top of each other, it gets too crowded. And hard to remember. You'd do much better by coming up with a sexy title and shoving safe, hope, and prayer into the subtitle. River Houses would be a good start, but you may find something better. Like, Change Houses, perhaps. Best, Jim

As a result of Jim’s observation, and after discussing it with other people, we have decided to change the name to “River Houses Rising” with a subtitle of “The Rise of Safe Houses of Hope and Prayer”. Again, it will be volume 1 of at least two books (with a possible third on building biblical community).

I received another response from Alan in Great Britain who wrote:

Morning (here!) Maurice. Thank you again for sending this to me. I read it last week and felt to leave commenting for a few days to let it 'settle' rather than 'knee-jerk' in reaction. I do really think it is very good indeed. The message of the book takes the whole 'movement' a stage further and moves us all along a bit. Your writing is 'easy on the eye' and gets the message across so that even 'turnips' like me can understand. That's a gift! The content is spot on, and the practical outworking (often missing from such books) a welcome addition. When can I buy it?! And when's Vol 2 due? Have a very good day! Alan

So, if you are reading the manuscript, try to get your observations to me as soon as possible as we hope to finalize the book in the next couple of weeks and get it set up for printing. In the mean time we have been working on the design for a new Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer website, including an “Association” page giving the specifics of our proposed organic house church network (or “Association”), “Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer”. I am encouraged by the discussions I am hearing and witnessing regarding the need for infrastructure to accommodate the coming harvest. I am convinced that the rapid planting and multiplication of organic house churches in the West (America and Europe) is going to be the product of a genuine move of God’s spirit in spiritual awakening and revival. Our role at this point in time is to prepare our “infrastructure” to accommodate the fruit of that sovereign move of God, and to fast and pray that He will indeed soon visit His Church. During the Welsh Revival of 1904 Evan Roberts’ motto was, “Bend the Church, Save the world.” Apparently, saving the world is the easy part. Bending the Church is the hard part.

The more prepared we are to quickly multiply house churches as “discipleship incubators” the greater will be the long-term fruit of this coming spiritual outpouring and harvest. I immediately think of Wesley’s “Classes of 12” and their role in preserving and discipling the fruit of the Evangelical Awakening in England in the 1700s. A similar thought occurs regarding the early Methodist “Circuit Riders” on the American frontier during the 2nd Great Awakening. When viewed biblically they were essentially “5-Fold” Pastors who had an itinerant ministry among widely scattered “house churches” on the frontier, traveling among them to equip and encourage. Funny how old things seem new, and new things are really old. My sense now is that we need to move quickly to get our infrastructure in place because time is short. I have set a goal of having the book(s) and website ready by Thanksgiving. We’ll see if that’s God’s schedule!

I am thankful for people who have stepped up financially to say that they want to encourage this project along. Personally, I would love to be able to either give the book away free, or to make it available at cost plus shipping. But in order to do that we need some donors willing to underwrite the project. We welcome your participation. If you feel led to help out, send me a “REPLY” email and we’ll hook up, or you can use PayPal .

The Sound And Smell of Rain

2010-10-04T17:20:00.000-07:00

“Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer”
Chapter 1 – The Sound And Smell of Rain

“Now Elijah said to Ahab, ‘Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of the roar of a heavy shower.’” (1 Kings 18:41)

It happened on a Wednesday evening. Our house church had gathered in the home of Garold and Kitty Shipley in the Spokane Valley. Ten of us were gathered in the family room just off of their covered (but open) deck with the door leading to the deck open for fresh air. A promise of rain hung in the air as clouds had moved into the area that afternoon. About mid-way into our gathering, as we prayed and worshiped together, we all became aware of the sound of falling rain, and the breeze through the open door filled the room with the sweet smell of rain. It was a strong rain, too. You just knew if you went outside you would quickly be soaked. We even joked that we hoped everyone had rolled the windows up in their cars. One person commented that he wished he had brought his coat. Others commented that they just loved the smell of fresh falling rain.

After celebrating communion and concluding our time together, people began to leave. A few minutes later two people returned with a stunning announcement. There had been NO rain. The cars, the grass, the streets, everything, was bone dry. Not a drop of rain. People went out into the back yard to see if it was one of those freak rains that falls in the back yard but not across the street. But everything was bone dry (and, no, they didn’t even have a sprinkler system that could be mistaken for rain!).

We were stunned - dumbfounded! We had ALL heard, smelled and commented on the rain (a digital recorder which ran during the meeting even recorded the sound of the rain along with our comments about it)! But there was no rain! Finally, I suggested to the group what was quickly becoming obvious to us all. God was at work in our midst. God had allowed us to hear what Elijah heard - the sound of a yet-future rain storm. He had given us a “prophetic sign” regarding what He is about to do in midst of His Church. Rain is coming. A Spiritual Outpouring of unprecedented, incredible power is on its way. And He wants you to know about it . . . and to be a part of it. God wants it to rain in your house.

Life By The Bucket

I have lived, worked and spent time in parts of the world where people depend on rainfall as one of their chief sources of water. In those places life and architecture are structured to take advantage of every passing storm. Elaborate systems of gutters on buildings lead to collection vessels, and every house has an in-ground cistern where water is collected and stored. Simply put, life depends upon buckets to catch the life-sustaining rain.

There is a practical lesson here for you and me. You and I can’t control the weather or the timing of rain storms. But there is something we can do while we await the coming rain. We can prepare our buckets. As people whose very lives depend upon the rain already know, during the dry season you prepare your vessels, so that when the rainy season arrives you are ready to collect every life-giving drop.

Rain is coming. Are you ready for what God is about to do in our day?

What God Is Doing In Our Day

“If you would make the greatest success of your life, try to discover what God is doing in your time, and fling yourself into the accomplishment of His purpose and will”. - Arthur Wallis

This quote from Arthur Wallis is really quite profound. Take just a moment and reflect on it. Now, I want to ask you four simple questions:

1. Do you want your life to be as successful as possible?
2. Do you know what God is doing in our day?
3. Do you want to know?
4. Do you want to be a part of it?

O.K., if you have an IQ above that of a turnip the answer to the first question should be obvious. Of course we want our lives to be as successful as possible! The real challenge here becomes how we define “success” in our materialistic age that measures success by budgets, bank accounts, buildings and “bling”!

From this point on the questions get more challenging. Consider the second one: Do you know what God is doing in our day? Could you sum it up in a paragraph that you could explain to your spouse or to a neighbor? Most people don’t know, and that includes most professing Christians. Most Christians live quiet lives of “blissful ignorance” going through religious activities (including the Church-sponsored mission trip to build a house for a family in a third world country), never understanding what God is doing in the world around them, and never knowing what their part of God’s plan could have been. Ouch!

And that leads to the third question: Do you want to know what God is doing? Be careful how you answer this question. Why? Well, for two reasons. First, if you truly want to know, then chances are very good that God will show you. And, second, if God shows you what He is doing in our world today you will be confronted with a choice: do you obey, or do you stay (where you are). Like the character Neo in the blockbuster movie “The Matrix”, do you take “the blue pill” and wake up in your comfortable bed, or do you take “the red pill” and discover an adventure beyond your imagination.

And this leads us to the final and fateful question: Do you want to be a part of what God is doing in our day? In the Parousia Network (the parent network for Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer) we believe that we are standing today on the eve of the greatest spiritual awakening and outpouring the Western Church has experienced in well over 100 years. Rain is coming and it is time to get our buckets in order. This coming rain will become a River of God’s Spirit which will flow in spiritual power and blessing unknown in the experience of our generation. God is preparing His end-time harvest. And to accommodate that harvest He is raising up tens of thousands of organic, multiplying house churches led by believers just like you. These organic house churches, meeting in homes like yours and led by Kingdom-minded disciples like you, will be the new “buckets” - the vessels - for what God is doing in our day. And He is calling you to be a part of it. The only question remaining is this: Are you ready to become a part of what God is doing in our day?

Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer is the name we have given to this new network of organic house church “buckets”; God’s new vessels to catch and keep the rain of this coming Spiritual Outpouring. And He wants YOUR house to be one of them!

Chapter 2 - The Bucket That Rube Built
Chapter 3 - A Church For The Rest of Us
Chapter 4 - Red Skies And House Churches
Chapter 5 - A Holy Discontent
Chapter 6 - The Kingdom In Your House
Chapter 7 -“River Houses”
Chapter 8 - Pursuing A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality
Chapter 9 - It’s Time To “Just Do It”
Chapter 10 - A Time To Dance
Chapter 11 - Discovering People Of Peace
Chapter 12 - God Has A Math Problem
Chapter 13 - Rabbits, Elephants And Mules
Chapter 14 - Join Us And Network
Appendix - More Resources

Ten Years of House Church

2010-10-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

Ten Years of House Church – Where Do We Go From Here?

After ten years of personal involvement in the house church movement, I am about to commit house church heresy. And I just thought you might like to know in advance. This way, I know that you know that I know (Confused?). That should save you the perfunctory response telling me I’m a heretic. I know. I’m a heretic. Get over it. I have.

What kicked me over the edge from orthodoxy to heresy was an e-mail letter I received in mid- September from a friend who is also an internationally known leader in the house church movement. The gist of his letter was simple. After years of writing, speaking and successful house church ministry, offering his services basically for free, he was broke, deeply in debt and on the verge of bankruptcy. My heart broke as I read his letter, and I wrote him back to assure him that I would spend that week (the Ember week of September) fasting and praying for him and for God’s resolution to his dilemma. This person’s predicament kicked me over the edge from orthodoxy to heresy for a number of reasons, (not the least of which is the fact that my wife and I can relate). But what it really did was to begin resonating a question in my own heart, “Why is the house church movement as it exists so dysfunctional and incapable of doing such basic things as regularly supporting and meeting the needs of its own leadership?” This led me to more questions, more unsettling answers, and finally the plunge from orthodoxy into “house church heresy”.

O.K., by now you should be asking (if you aren’t already), “What was the orthodoxy you left? And what is the new heresy you’re embracing?”. Good question “grasshopper”. And when you can snatch the pebble from my hand, it will be time for you to start your own house church (Ooopps. Old “Kung Fu” rerun again. Sorry, it happens). The old orthodoxy consisted of a handful of commonly accepted (but unwritten, except on blogs) “Maxims” which I have watched play out now for ten years. Here are some of them (as interpreted by me). Maxim # 1: No Organization. We don’t believe in organization or infrastructure. We will occasionally talk about organization or “building infrastructure”, but we don’t really mean it because that’s what evil denominations and institutional churches do, so we don’t do that. Maxim # 2: No Leaders. We don’t have acknowledged leaders because we don’t want those evil Nicolaitan/Clergy types oppressing us. We believe in “flat leadership” (you know, sort of like a “flat earth”), which is to be understood as “no leaders”. Besides, the word “leadership” isn’t in the New Testament (Note: NO English words appear in the New Testament, which was written in GREEK!). Maxim # 3: No Paid Leaders. If we don’t have leaders, then we particularly don’t have any paid leaders because that would mean we have “paid clergy” and we don’t want any clergy (see previous point). Maxim # 4: No Accountability. No one has the right to tell us what to do. We’re free range chickens. Independent believers. Just us and Jesus. My involvement in the issue of Universalism (two years spent writing a house church oriented book refuting it) came about as the result of a house church that promoted and taught Universalism and which regarded itself as unaccountable to anyone else (although mature outside leadership attempted to speak into their lives). The result was a collapsed house church, a broken family, scattered believers and untold ripple effects. Maxim # 5: No doctrine (or “dogma”). Right. That always works. See previous Maxim for proof. ‘Nuff said. Maxim # 6: No Money. Because we don’t have to support a building or a staff or any programs we are free to NOT give, except “as the Spirit leads” (and He doesn’t lead very often, so we’re safe to spend as we please). Maxim # 7: Reproduction is optional. Neil Cole recently tweeted, "One of the reasons I believe our conventional churches aren't multiplying is because God doesn't want to multiply them." Very true. Unfortunately, I have slowly come to the conclusion that the same must be said of many (if not most) house churches today. Why would God want to reproduce them, much less multiply them? They simply aren’t doing anything worth reproducing. And you’ll never disciple the nations by raising up mules.

So, what’s my heresy? Right now many of you are saying that my real heresy is overstating my case (“everything is bad, nothing is good”). I’m well aware of this fact. I’m overstating things to make a point. So let’s move on. We in the house church movement are fond of saying, “Church as we have known it is preventing Church as God wants it”. Here’s my heresy in a nutshell, “House Church as we have known it is preventing house church as God wants it.” Here is what my friend said in response to my note encouraging him and sharing some of my own frustrations, “From my perspective, the house church movement itself needs to be evangelized by the Gospel of The Kingdom, and be ready to come into what I used to call ‘a minimum of organization for a maximum of organism’. Must house churchers ignore the first part and become anomistic, antinomistic and anarchic; they are under the government of nobody, not even God.” I agree. The house church movement as we have known it needs to radically change . . . or die. For my part, I have chosen to abandon the “old orthodoxy” and to both embrace and promote the “new heresy”.

Let me sum up my “new heresy” with some “New Maxims” to counter the old. New Maxim # 1: It’s time to organize. It is time for a new house church movement with recognizable organization for the purpose of long-term sustainability and maximum impact. To the “You’ll become another denomination” crowd I simply reply that I choose not to live in a place of fear over what could or might happen. Such fear causes practical paralysis, “He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap”. (Ecclesiastes 11:4). Get over it. I have. New Maxim # 2: Acknowledged Leadership. It is time to acknowledge and recognize a new generation of “leaders by gifting”. The old paradigm which we all reject is “leadership by position”, which often meant ungifted people placed in positions of authority because an organization needed someone to “fill the position”. In organic house church there are no “positions” or “offices” to fill. Leadership is by gifting, just as we read in Ephesians 4 (plus elders and deacons). We need to be able to recognize and acknowledge this new generation of gifted individuals and to encourage them to function in the equipping roles God has given them. We need to acknowledge their ministry and their leadership. New Maxim # 3: Supported Leaders. We need an organizational structure that enables the house church movement both to recognize gifted leaders AND to provide them with the financial support they need to devote themselves to ministering to the needs of the larger body. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for. Pay for nothing and, eventually, that’s what you will get. New Maxim # 4: Mutual Accountability. We need a house church organization that provides a place for accountability. Most new house churches need “training wheels” to get started. They’ll quickly shed those training wheels. But what happens if and when a house church later “falls off the bike” and needs help. Who do they call for help? And where are the mature 5-fold people who can travel and meet with that house church and walk them through their crisis, or look someone in the eye and say, “Your behavior is unacceptable”? New Maxim # 5: Doctrinal Standards. I really have no interest in or appetite for doctrinal arguments (Calvinism vs Arminianism; Pre-trib vs Post-trib vs preterism, etc.). Such arguments are a great way to polarize and kill your fellowship by turning it into “the first house church of we’re right and you’re wrong”). But that doesn’t mean doctrine doesn’t matter. It does. And we need a framework for upholding historic evangelical doctrine and countering such heresies as Universalism (and others) as they arise while equipping house churches for the theological task of the Church. New Maxim # 6: Radical Sacrificial Giving. God’s call upon believers to give radically and sacrificially for the work of the Kingdom needs to be reasserted and encouraged. So far as we are concerned such giving will go to four basic priorities: First, to fund the functioning of the organization (minimal). Second, to fund the full time ministry of those 5-fold leaders whom the house churches acknowledge and need to minister among them for the equipping of the body. Third, to fund the work of planting, establishing and multiplying of house churches. Fourth, to fund the work of “good deeds” and benevolence in meeting needs both within the network of house churches and reaching out to the needs of others in the larger community. New Maxim # 7: Reproduction As A Priority. The current house church movement has raised a generation of “spiritual mules” who will never reproduce. They will eventually die a quiet death and be buried next to the pet Gerbil in the back yard. It is time for us to trade in our mules for a rabbit hutch. It is time to make multiplication a priority, in our prayers, in our planning and in our practice. If we aren’t growing, then we’re dying. New Maxim # 8: Networking. I am convinced that there are three “steps to success” as house churches. They are 1) Establishing, 2) Multiplying and 3) Networking. We must accomplish all three if house church is to prosper long term and play a significant role in discipling the nations. Networking means, well, organization. There are more New Maxims I could give you, but I hope by now you’ve gotten the point. I’m a heretic.

Our New Heresy: “Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer”

I’m weary of skirting around these issues. I’ve decided to become a heretic both by taking a stand and by taking action. We have chosen to create an identifiable network/organization of organic house churches. We are calling this network “Safe Houses of Hope And Prayer”. We are contacting a local law school clinic I have worked with before to inlist their help in resolving any legal issues. We are in the process of producing a simple 150 page easily readable book by that name which describes our vision and which encourages people both to become the organic church in their house and to join the network for mutual support and encouragement. We will soon have a new website up devoted to this network and walking people through how they can participate. I am reproducing below the first Chapter of our new book. If you would like to preview the new book and give me your feed back before it goes to press, send me an email (msmith@parousianetwork.org) and I will send you a PDF file that you can read and respond to. I would appreciate your feed back.

And if we are successful, one of the first people I plan to make a “supported leader” is my friend whose e-mail started this newsletter. After all, he is responsible for pushing me over the edge and making me a heretic. It’s only fair that I should take him over the edge with me. Hey, that’s what friends are for.

Conference Reflections

2010-09-10T14:45:00.000-07:00

Conference Reflections - House2House National Labor Day Conference

My thanks to ALL of you whose gifts and prayers made it possible for me to attend the recent House2House Labor Day Conference in Dallas, Texas. It was a good gathering of old friends and newcomers. It was good to re-connect with people in the movement I haven’t seen in a while, people like Jim Rutz, John White (a mentor’s mentor), John Zens (a “sharp knife” and “walking encyclopedia”) and others. It was great to meet Tim from Bend, Oregon who is involved with Icon City, reaching out to the larger community there. It was encouraging to match names and faces with e-mail addresses as people come up to me and shared how much they enjoy receiving this newsletter. Thanks to you all. DVDs of the main sessions will be available through the H2H website in a few weeks, along with their newest “Leadership” DVD which they previewed at the Conference.

Workshop on Universalism

My workshops on Universalism were small but impactful (is that a word?). Both in the workshops and in private conversations during breaks I discovered how much more widespread Universalism (specifically, Ultimate Reconciliation) has become. In addition, based on some of those conversations, I have discovered no less than eight (8) recently published books (all available on Amazon.com) advocating Universalism. Depending on my time commitments I may try to do an article surveying and reviewing some of those books. I also discovered that one of the arguments against Universalism which carried substantial weight with several people had to do with the “domino” effect Universalism has on all of Christian theology and practice (I touched on this in my article on Universalism published on the House2House website. There I talk specifically about Universalism and the Suicide of Christian Theology.

While the “theme” of the Conference was to be about developing leadership and infrastructure, you would not have known this from the speakers or workshops. Mind you, the speakers were quite good. I had never heard Thomas Wynn (an east-coast pastor and member of the H2H Board) speak before, and I honesty thought his talk on discipleship (distinguishing between being a disciple versus being one of the “crowd”) was a highlight of the weekend - both passionate and pointed. I wish I could have heard more from him.

The main speaker for the weekend was Wayne Jacobsen, co-author and publisher of “The Shack” (no groaning, please). Jacobsen is an excellent and polished speaker whose talks affected me in several ways. First, listening to Jacobsen helped me understand the origin of “The Shack”. Jacobson is a “story teller”. His approach to nearly everything is “I’m not here to tell you what to believe, I simply want to tell you where I am on my personal journey.” In this regard he is an example of the Postmodern approach to truth which is to communicate personal truth by telling personal stories which embody those truths. While this approach can be both disarming and endearing, it also has it’s downside. Hence, “The Shack”. The “challenge” of this Postmodern approach to truth is its tendency towards “He who has the most heart-wrenching story must also have ‘the truth’”. In short, personal subjectivity has become our new “epistemology” (theory of how we know truth): “It spoke to me, therefore, it’s true”. So, label this first impact upon me as reiterating “the triumph of the story” in communicating truth. If it’s a good story, then it must be “true”.

The second impact upon my own thinking was to highlight the growing move away from objectivity toward subjectivity in theology. In the space of one “all-too-short” generation (namely, mine), theology has gone from being “objective” to being “subjective”. Let me explain. Theology as it is being conducted at the grassroots level today is no longer about those objective truths which I believe about God. Rather, theology is now about how that objective “truth” makes me feel about God. Theology is now all about me (the “subject”), rather than about God (the “object”). If those truths I profess to believe about God make me feel good about God and about other people, then those “truths” must really be true. Hence, Universalism becomes “true” because I no longer need to feel bad about God sending all those nice people to hell. And I am no longer forced to give difficult answers (like, “yes”) when someone asks me if I think they are going to hell without Christ. And how better to communicate those “make me feel good” truths than through heart wrenching stories in which everyone gets what they need (or at least what they want), and no one receives anything bad (like “punishment”). So, label this second impact upon me as highlighting “the triumph of subjectivity” in communicating truth. After all, the universe really does revolve around me. My happiness is God’s highest goal, don’t ya know!

The third impact of Jacobsen’s talks upon me were to remind me of “the triumph of therapy over theology”. Many of Jacobsen’s writings are best described as “therapeutic stories” in which deeply wounded, conflicted and/or confused people find themselves in conversations with others about their relationship with God. And the conversations take on the flavor of therapy sessions in which good theology takes a back seat to a good story. Mind you, now, I have NO aversion to either counseling or therapy. Within our house church network I keep a short list of three or four professional, qualified Christian counselors, and have referred people out to in depth counseling and therapy on more than one occasion. But that isn’t what I’m talking about here. What I’m talking about here is the current trend toward treating an entire generation of believers as victims in need of therapy, rather than as sinners in need of redemption, repentance and the in-filling of the Holy Spirit. For me personally, the highpoint (or low point) of this “triumph of therapy over theology” came in Jacobsen’s first talk when in one fell swoop he declared that the whole idea of “the fear of the Lord” was an Old Testament concept which does not appear or apply in the New Testament. I could only respond by reminding myself that this news must have come as quite a shock to Ananias and Sapphira who were struck dead out of the holiness of God for the sin of lying to the Holy Spirit, with the result that “great fear came upon the whole church, and upon all who heard of these things” (Acts 5:11). Hmmm. Not a very “therapeutic” moment. More like a theological moment in which the Church rediscovered both the holiness and the fear of a God Who doesn’t take sin in the lives of His people nearly as lightly as we do.

Theology, Therapy & Reality

At the close of one of my workshops on Universalism I noticed that a young girl was lingering for just a moment, so I asked her if the workshop had answered her questions. “Not really,” she replied in so many words. So I probed deeper. I discovered that Rachel (not her real name) had been visiting and reading Universalist websites on the internet looking for answers. “What prompted your interest?”, I asked further. Then the story began to unfold. Rachel, it seemed, had a girl friend who had recently experienced a full-term pregnancy, but the child was still-born. Her question was fairly simple . . . and profound. “Where’s that baby, now?” she openly wondered. I don’t know about you, but I hate it when reality catches up with my theology and over takes my therapy, leaving me flatfooted and momentarily speechless. Yep, it was one of those kind of moments.

Resisting the unnatural urge to say, “Go read ‘The Shack’” I started in. “Rachel”, I said, “I could give you all of the various schools of theological thought on the question, but I don’t really think that’s what you need or want.” In my mind I flashed through the various theologies: the reformed view of elect babies, the Catholic version of the “Limbus patrium” and “Limbus infantium”, from which we get our notion of “limbo”, or the Arminian view of “the age of accountability” before which all children go to heaven. I continued with Rachel, “The problem for me is that, personally, I don’t find any of those schools of thought particularly satisfying. They all generate as many questions as they do answers.” Rachel seemed to be following me so I continued. “Let’s think about the question from a different direction. If the God we worship really is as Loving, as All- knowing, as Just, as Merciful and as Kind as we believe Him to be, do you think we can trust Him to do the right thing in this situation for this baby?” Through the tears and the very-runny nose (where’s the Kleenex when you need it?!) the light seemed to dawn for Rachel. I found some paper towels, we talked some more about God’s trustworthiness, prayed and parted ways (I checked on her later that day to see how she was doing).

In moments like this we need a theological perspective that enables us to reach beyond our doctrinal formulations, beyond our therapeutic stories and that enables us to lay hold of the Greatness and the Faithfulness of our God Whom we claim to trust. All too often, we believers, like Abraham, misunderstand the moral universe which we profess to so clearly understand (See Genesis 18:25ff). Like Job’s friends, we’re instantly ready to give all the “correct” religious answers. Abraham adamantly claimed to know that there were not less than 10 righteous people in Sodom and that God had both misunderstood the situation and was about to perpetrate a great moral evil by judging the innocent along with the wicked. Abraham’s mistake was threefold: 1) He claimed to understand reality better than God did, 2) he assumed that God was “unfair” and had no plan for saving the righteous, and 3) He was unwilling to trust the God he claimed to know. In the end Abraham was wrong. He misunderstood the moral universe he claimed to understand. There were not 10 righteous in Sodom. God did have a plan (something about Angels and getting out of Dodge). And Abraham learned a valuable lesson in the difference between “believing” in God and “trusting” Him.

I believe in the theological task of the Church - to help people think right thoughts about God, and so to avoid both idolatry-of-the-mind on the one hand and deception-of-the-heart on the other. I believe in the importance of therapy to help people come to terms with the heart-breaking issues of their lives. But more than any of these, I believe in the trustworthiness of God. In the dark night of the soul - in the miry pit of destruction which the Psalmist knew so very well (Psalm 40:2) - when cute stories, doctrinal formulations and therapeutic preaching all fail, I can reach past “easy belief” into the realm of fervent trust in the God Who is objectively there and subjectively trustworthy. I trust Him.

What is your issue today? And are you willing to trust Him for what you cannot understand?

Lessons Eusebius Taught Me

2010-08-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well and the church in your house prospering. I’m spending the next few days (as I’ve spent the past couple of weeks) preparing for a workshop in Dallas at the 2010 National House Church Conference. So, I’m using this opportunity to share some thoughts I worked on while we were in Maui this summer. I hope to see some of you in Dallas next weekend!

I’ll See You In Dallas!

Good news! Last week a friend and supporter of our ministry purchased an airline ticket for me to travel to Dallas next weekend for the 2010 National House Church Conference over the Labor Day weekend (click here for conference registration info). I’m both excited and disappointed. Excited that I can attend and do a workshop, while disappointed that Gale will not be able to go with me. I still need to cover the Conference expenses, but I have no doubt that God will provide. If you would still like to contribute toward expenses for the trip I’ll still include a “thank you” book package for anyone who contributes $100 or more. It’s just our way of saying “thanks” for helping out. You can give via PayPal (go to paypal.com and use this e-mail: donations@paypal.com, or use the “Donate” button on our website) or just send me a note via “REPLY” and I’ll give you any details you need (or give me a call at 509-475-8856). Thanks again.

Lessons Eusebius Taught Me

When Gale and I were preparing to leave for our sabbatical on Maui I visited Barnes & Noble in Spokane in search of promising reading material. That’s when I stumbled across a paperback copy of Eusebius’ “History of the Church”. Eusebius of Caesarea, c. 263–339 AD, also known as Eusebius Pamphili, became the Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine about the year 314. He was a respected scholar in his day, although he fell into regular conflict over his tendency toward Arianism and his adoption of many of the teachings of Origen. Although a prolific author, His best known work is his History of the Church, the first surviving history of the Christian Church as a chronologically-ordered account, based on earlier sources, and offering a complete account from the ministry of Jesus up to the ascension of Constantine to the Imperial Throne of Rome. Every Seminary student is familiar with Eusebius, but usually only through references and quotations by other historians (“According to Eusebius . . . .”). The truth was that none of us ever actually read Eusebius (or Josephus). This was my chance. So, I picked up a paperback copy of Eusebius and dove in. Mid-way through I realized that I was actually learning some things I either hadn’t known before, or simply hadn’t taken the time to reflect on before now. So, I began to take notes on a beach in Maui, and here are a few of the lessons Eusebius taught me (or at least reminded me of).

1. Eusebius reminded me that history is important. Whether for good or for ill (and history always contains a mixture of both), our history is our heritage. History teaches us how and why we got to where we are. History gives us perspective. We aren’t the first pilgrims to tread this ground, or to wrestle with this particular issue. History reminds us that we stand in a long line of saints who wrestled with the same issues of faith, discipleship, obedience, compromise and more that you and I are facing today. It was Russian dissident and author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn who once observed, “In order to destroy a people you must first sever their roots.” As an organic house church movement we would do ourselves great harm by attempting to sever ourselves from our roots in church history - even those aspects of church history which we might not like.

2. Eusebius reminded me that the early church regarded martyrdom as a glorious fulfillment to the walk of faith, not the tragic ending of a life cut short. The Church in America and “the West” is made up, for the large part, of “Christian religious consumers”. We go to church in order to consume religious products and services. History reminds us that there is a difference between a faith of martyrs and a faith of consumers. One is self-sacrificing while the other is self-satisfying. If, as Tertullian observed, “the blood of the martyrs is seed”, then the blood of the consumer is just a mess. “Clean up on isle 10". While it may be off our consumer satisfaction-driven radar screen, there are thousands of Christian martyrs around the world every year (few of which occur in WalMart stores). And in those places where martyrs are living and dying, the Church is growing. We in the West bemoan the tragedy of a life cut short. They mourn while celebrating the glorious fulfillment of a walk of faith.

3. Eusebius reminded me that doctrine matters, both then and now. Eusebius documents how the early Church actively discussed and debated doctrine while arriving at conclusions as to what it believed long before Constantine (contrary to the “Constantine created all of these repressive doctrines and practices” crowd who want to blame all of the Church’s ills on Constantine). The early church knew the difference between orthodoxy (correct doctrine) and heterodoxy (“other” doctrine), and Church leaders came to be identified by and with their doctrine and how it compared with what had gone before. We could learn something here. Any movement that cannot define itself theologically is destined either to be defined by it’s opponents, or to be relegated to the dustbin of Church history. “The Late Great Emerging Church Movement” is a good contemporary example.

4. Eusebius documents that the supernatural gifts of the Spirit were known as being still active in the church well into the late 2nd century. The notion that the supernatural (or “miraculous”) gifts of the Spirit ceased after the death of the last Apostle (John, end of the 1st Century) was not known or taught in the early Church. Eusebius quotes Irenaeus (circa AD 190) “who makes it clear that right down to his own time manifestations of divine and miraculous power had continued in some Churches” (Eusebius, Book 5, Section 7). The doctrine of “cessationism” is a contrived one with no clear biblical basis or historical support. Even St. Augustine (Circa AD 425), who began his career denying the reality of contemporary miracles or miraculous gifts was later forced to admit that in His diocese alone they had documented some 70 miracles.

5. Eusebius reminded me that the role of the early Christian apologists wasn’t to convince pagan Romans to live like Christians. The role of the early Christian apologists was to refute pseudo-Christian heretics and false doctrine, to defend Christianity against pagan attacks, to demonstrate that Christianity was morally and spiritually superior to pagan Roman values and religion, to argue that Christianity was deserving of tolerance by the Roman State, and generally to “normalize” the faith in terms that the average Roman could understand. To put things in contemporary terms, it wasn’t their goal to teach Creationism in public schools. Rather, it was their goal to argue and demonstrate the superiority of the doctrine of creation over the many competing pagan notions of cosmogeny held at the time (specifically the pantheistic tendencies of Neo-Platonism).

6. Eusebius reminded me that politics is politics. Apart from the notable exceptions, beginning with Nero, the early Roman Emperors were, for the most part, ambivalent toward Christianity. Their attitudes toward and dealings with the Christians varied based upon their own political aspirations. More benevolent Emperors such as Trajan saw no need to persecute Christians who weren’t guilty of anything other than practicing their faith. Local officials and governors (particularly in Asia Minor) frequently used persecution of Christians as a “patriotic” exercise to galvanize local populations and to enhance their own political positions. Imperial rulers could be ambivalent toward the Church under one administration, friendly under another, and openly hostile by another. The Emperor Decius was known for embodying all three attitudes depending upon his political needs. Nothing has really changed. Politicians then, now and throughout history have regarded Christianity as a political pawn to be used to further their own political agendas. So when you hear politicians appealing to Christians for their votes, or vilifying them as the source of all the world’s ills, try to act shocked. It humors them to think we didn’t see it coming.

7. Eusebius reminds me, “Don’t blame Constantine”. Reading Book 10 (“Peace And Recovery of the Church”) of this history, it is quickly apparent that Eusebius was a “fan” of Constantine. This really shouldn’t surprise us. The rise of Constantine to the Imperial Throne of Rome (the Western Empire) in AD 313 (following his defeat of Maxentius at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge) initiated a fundamental change in the relationship of the Church with the Roman Government. Imperial Edicts of toleration and restoration quickly followed (Eusebius reproduces them in detail). What the Church saw in Constantine was the opportunity for peace and stability after 250 years of official opposition and persecution toward Christianity. The persecuted Church in China has endured roughly 60 years of official persecution. Imagine it continuing unabated for another 190 years. Wouldn’t they be thankful to see it come to an end? The early Church welcomed the opportunity to be favored rather than persecuted, to have property restored rather than confiscated, to have their leaders exempted from public service rather than condemned to exile, labor in the mines or martyrdom, to be able to assemble openly in basilicas rather than secretly in houses, caves and catacombs. In other words, both the roots and the rise of “the Constantinian Church” that we organic types rail against today, are not to be found in “the evil Constantine” (although he certainly helped) but in “the evil mirror”. Simply put, it wasn’t really about Constantine either then or now. You’ll find the roots of “the Constantinian Church” in your mirror. It’s about us. It’s about the desire of people to be accepted rather than ostracized, to enjoy the favor of the powerful rather than their ire, and eventually to build kingdoms over which we rule and control our own destinies, rather than leaving our fate in the hands of others.

8. Eusebius taught me that the “good deeds” of Jesus were known all the way to Rome. In a curious historical note, Eusebius states that story of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension - His life story including His good deeds - were communicated by Pontius Pilate to the Roman Emperor Tiberius who further presented the report to the Roman Senate (See Eusebius’ “History”, Book 2, Section 2. Eusebius quotes Tertullian who relates this story in full). Perhaps this is why Paul could say to King Festus in Acts 26:25-26, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.” In other words (Maurice’s interpretation) Jesus’ life and good deeds had become legendary. The light of His life, including His good deeds, had shown in the darkness, not only throughout Palestine but all the way to Rome.

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of August 23, 2010

2010-08-23T15:16:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

I hope this letter finds you well and the church in your house prospering. Many things are in the works right now, and I’ll touch on several of them as this letter proceeds. Many of our people are sensing a profound spiritual change in the air for this Fall, particularly regarding the Lord opening new doors of ministry. I’ve sensed the same thing based upon my study and meditations on the Church of Philadelphia in Revelation 3:7-13.

When Jesus Visits His Church

(Editor’s Note: The following is a brief installment – the “Author’s Preface” - from my latest book, “When Jesus Visits His Church: A Study of the Seven Churches of Asia”. I hope it will help give you the flavor for the rest of the book . . . and pique your interest to know more by ordering the book!)

Let’s begin this study together by asking a simple question: If Jesus were to visit your house church the same way He promised to visit the house churches in Asia Minor in Revelation Chapters 2 and 3, what would He find and what would He say?

Would He find faithfulness and perseverance in the face of persecution and the overwhelming pressures of maintaining a biblical witness in a hostile world? Would He find believers busy working much but loving little? Would He find believers so enamored with their “lampstand” (their church, their denomination, their ministry) that He must threaten to remove it? Would He find false teachers advocating scandalous indifference toward sin and idolatry? Would he find leaders and teachers exercising false authority and offering false teaching that leads God’s people into compromise and sin? Would He find complacent believers living on their heritage and reputation? Would He find believers who have compromised their faith with affluence and material prosperity? What would the Risen Christ find in your house church that would earn His blessing, or that would rightfully deserve His rebuke and admonition? And what would He find that could lead Him to say, “Change . . . or else!”? These are just a few of the issues and questions which the Risen Christ found among the Seven Churches of Asia as he prepared them for His upcoming visitation.

Very little has changed in the Church today. The problems faced by the Seven Churches of Asia are our problems today, and our issues were their issues. Times may change, but people, problems and issues don’t. Not really. As we will see, all seven of the Churches of Asia were bound by a common, underlying threat - the threat of compromising their witness for Christ when faced with the challenges of an unbelieving hostile world. And one of the greatest challenges facing you, your house church and the Church of the 21st century is the pressure to compromise your witness before the eyes of a watching, skeptical and sometimes hostile world. Times may change, but the challenge of compromise remains the same. Only the circumstances are different.

This study arose out of my own personal study of revival and spiritual awakening - those seasons of divine visitation when God rends the heavens and comes down, seasons when Jesus visits His Church to rebuke, to restore and to renew. I believe that the letters to the Seven Churches of Asia present us with numerous insights into what Jesus is looking for when He visits His Church. I believe we can use those insights as guides for how to seek God in preparation for a coming season of divine visitation and spiritual outpouring in revival. And it is for this purpose that I offer them for your consideration.

Financing Apostolic Ministry: A Commentary on 1 Corinthians 9:1-14 (by John White)

Our friend John White has recently written an excellent article on financing ministry. He has done an excellent job of summarizing many of the issues involved and how Scripture addresses them. John’s article reflects many of my own thoughts, and I am thankful both that he has written it and that House2House ministries has posted it on their website. I believe the conclusions he arrives at are applicable not only to the Apostolic but to all of the 5-fold ministry. You can read the entire article here. I believe that how the house church community finances people who are active in full time work – specifically but not exclusively the itinerant 5-fold ministry – will determine whether and how the house church movement moves forward in a form and manner that is recognizable and sustainable long term. I would strongly recommend that you read and reflect on the article.

Book And Conference Update

I must confess that this has been one of the most productive summers I have experienced in recent memory. In the past 3 months we have completed three books and made significant progress on a fourth. While I have no illusions that they will ever become “best sellers”, they do represent my articulation of issues which are important in my own understanding of how our little corner of the house church movement will move forward. These include: 1) our ability to define ourselves theologically and to distinguish between “orthodoxy” and “heterodoxy” – hence the book on Universalism, 2) my belief in a coming spiritual awakening that will manifest itself in and through house churches – hence the book on “Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring”, and 3) my sense of the need for the house church movement to prepare for this spiritual outpouring through self-examination and repentance – hence the book on “When Jesus Visits His Church”. A fourth area of concern moving forward is the importance of house churches raising up a generation of disciples who manifest a “Jesus-shaped spirituality” – hence our upcoming book “The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality”.

Living by faith is an interesting experience (as readers of this newsletter already know). We act as God provides. For example, on our recent sabbatical to Maui, our airline tickets were provided in advance as were our living accommodations. We left Spokane with $400 in our pockets for a 2+ month stay in Maui (not a cheap place to live, and we have no credit cards). We had a wonderful, relaxing and productive time, paid all of our living and publishing expenses and God met our needs. We returned to Spokane with $500 in our pockets and two finished books. Do the math – and that’s God.

Now, as many of you know, we have been hoping to travel to Dallas, Texas for the 2010 National House Church Conference over the Labor Day weekend (Click here for conference registration info) where I have been invited to do a workshop on Universalism based on “All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They?”. As of today, Monday, the needed funds for the trip have not materialized and the price of airline tickets is quickly approaching the “I don’t think so” range. Does God want us to go? We have no strong sense one way or the other, nor do the intercessors around us. We are at peace either way. Our desire is to go, but our greater desire is to be obedient in whatever God calls us to do. For that reason alone I choose not to “presume” on God’s plans. Presumptuous people can’t be trusted to listen well, or to hear beyond their own presumptions.

Still, we are desirous to go should God provide. So, should you feel led to help make the trip possible, please let me know (quickly). I’ve estimate the trip costs for just Dallas at around $2,000. And, yes, I’ll still include a “thank you” book package for anyone who contributes $100 or more. It’s just our way of saying “thanks” for helping out. You can give via PayPal (go to paypal.com and use this e-mail: donations@paypal.com, or use the “Donate” button on our website) or just send me a note via “REPLY” and I’ll give you any details you need (or give me a call at 509-475-8856). Thanks again.

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of August 10, 2010

2010-08-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

My thanks to all of you who responded to our previous article, “A Time To Lament”. Apparently it touched a deep chord with many of you. Thanks for the feedback. As I noted in my previous letter, we have been busy since returning from Maui. I am pleased to announce the completion of another book, “Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring: Reflections On The Coming Move of God’s Spirit”. It is now available for ordering and will be showing up on Amazon.com in the next couple of weeks. Another book is nearing completion, “When Jesus Visits His Church: Studies in the Seven Churches of Asia”. We hope to have this one completed and uploaded to Lightning Source next week. More about it later.

Imagine For Just A Moment: “My Brother’s Keeper”
Or “Making House Church Legendary For Good Deeds”

As readers of this irregular-almost-weekly missive will already know, I have spent the past 6 years ministering to “the least of these” in one of the toughest neighborhoods in our state and leading a prepared food rescue non-profit to help feed people in need. I am in the process of writing up what I have learned through these experiences in a book entitled “The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds in a Jesus-Shaped Spirituality”. I have spent the past several weeks (actually about 3 or 4 months) reflecting on the meaning of all these things for the organic house church movement and my small part in it. I see our movement (which I see as a small sub-division of a larger evangelicalism) as being at a cross-roads where we must acknowledge and confront several challenges. The challenge is the challenge of networking as opposed to splintering (Rad Zdero has written an excellent article on this topic, currently posted on the House2House website). Another challenge is to define ourselves theologically, there by distinguishing ourselves from cults and “heretics” (what theologians used to call distinguishing “orthodoxy” from “heterodoxy”). Any movement that cannot define and distinguish itself theologically is destined for oblivion and the dustbin of Church history. Trust me on this one. A third challenge is to impart and instill a vision for something greater than ourselves. The novelty of “house church” has, for the most part, worn off. There was a time not too long ago when there were no mainstream books on the subject. Not so now. House Church has become “chic”. But there must be a vision of something greater than meeting in your living room, and planting more groups to do the same. And, unfortunately, additional warmed over messages û freshly re- packaged for a “house church” audience û on the importance of fulfilling the Great Commission simply aren’t sufficient anymore. The answer to the question, “What’s your vision moving forward?” needs to be greater than “To be a free-range believer and meet in our basement.”
At the risk of having it run through the “evangelical-missiological-signs-and-wonders-and-other- agendas” shredder I want to toss my hat into the ring and suggest a biblical vision for the organic house church movement: that our discipleship become the pursuit of a Jesus-shaped spirituality, and that we become legendary for our good deeds. I talk about this in my upcoming book, “The Least of These”. But there needs to be more than just talk. In the spirit of Hebrews 10:24, we need to think seriously about how to provoke one another to greater love and good deeds. Imagine for just a moment if organic believers and organic house churches were to come together with other ministries, churches and social service organizations to identify people in need û hunger, homelessness, joblessness, drug addiction, families in crisis, and more û and then work creatively to demonstrate how the gospel of the Kingdom can transform lives and solve problems through Good Deeds done in the name of Jesus? Imagine for just a moment the organic Church putting its best foot forward to model the reality of a Jesus-Shaped spirituality. And then imagine documenting the whole process in the form of a well produced :30 minute video documentary (which sounds better than “reality show”) so that others could see it, learn from it, duplicate it and start the whole process over again where they live. We’ll even give it a name: “My Brother’s Keeper”. The principle is simple: Good Deeds, done in the name and the love of Christ, are the seed sown for the Kingdom of God in the hope of reaping a future harvest. Why aren’t we harvesting more today? Perhaps it is because we didn’t sow when we should have years ago. The biblical principle is clear: We reap what we sow (Galatians 6:7). What makes us think that this principle somehow doesn’t apply to evangelism, discipleship and the great commission?

I am taking this idea seriously. Based upon our experiences serving “the Lease of these” over the past five years in a variety of contexts I am working on the idea of producing a pilot documentary. We are hoping to travel to the Dallas, Texas for the 2010 National House Church Conference over the Labor Day weekend (Click here for conference registration info) where I have been invited to do a workshop on Universalism based on “All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They?”, and where I hope to discuss the idea with other house church leaders. In addition, we hope to travel back to North Carolina to complete my book, “The Least of These”, and to meet with some Christian businessmen who potentially have a vision and the financial ability to help underwrite the project.

On A Personal Note: If you would like to help make this trip possible for us, I would appreciate your financial help. I estimate that such a trip will cost us around $3,000 (up slightly due to more traveling). To encourage your help and participation I’ll include a “thank you” book package. For anyone who contributes $100 or more toward our trip expenses, I’ll send a package containing, You Wanna Do What In Your House?!, All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They and Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring. It’s just our way of saying “thanks” for helping out. You can give via PayPal (go to paypal.com and use this e-mail: donations@paypal.com, or use the “Donate” button on our website) or just send me a note via “REPLY” and I’ll give you any details you need. Thanks again.

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of July 31, 2010

2010-07-31T12:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends,

We are busy being back. We are very encouraged by the positive responses we have received so far for “All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They?”. I have written an article entitled “Universalism, Piano Wire and Bamboo Stakes” which is currently posted on the House2House home page. They are carrying the book and I want to encourage you to pay them a visit. I am also preparing a workshop presentation on Universalism for the upcoming 2010 National House Church Conference (Dallas, TX Sept 3-5) in the hopeful expectation that God will provide for us to attend (see below). If you lead a house church network and would be willing to review the book and post a review on Amazon (as well as recommend it to your e-mail list), send me a “REPLY” e-mail and I will send you a complimentary review copy (limited supplies).

A Time To Lament

“There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven . . . . A time to weep, and a time to laugh; A time to mourn, and a time to dance.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1 & 4).

“Then David took hold of his clothes and tore them, and so also did all the men who were with him. And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and his son Jonathan and for the people of the LORD and the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.” (2 Samuel 1:11-12)

It was not the best of times for ancient Israel. King Saul and his son, Jonathan, lay dead upon Mt. Gilboa at the hands of the Philistines, while Israel and its armies lay defeated before their enemies. Perhaps it was this scene of a king and his sons dying in battle which prompted William Shakespeare to write, “For God’s sake, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings: How some have been depos’d, some slain in war, some haunted by the ghosts they have depos’d. . .” ( King Richard II, Act III, scene 2). King Saul led Israel into battle against the Philistines. Israel was defeated. Saul and his sons were killed in battle upon Mt. Gilboa. The Philistines took the bodies of Saul and his three slain sons to Beth-shan where they impaled them on the city wall as a sign of their victory over Israel (a common practice in the ancient world). Saul’s decline from Kingly greatness to consulting the witch at Endor to the death of himself and his sons in battle is here complete.

Now, let’s be clear. Saul had been a lousy King, and by this time nearly everyone knew it. He had disobeyed God repeatedly, lived and reigned poorly, and had ended his life badly. His son, Jonathan, on the other hand, was a man of insight and integrity who knew his father’s faults, knew that David would one day reign as King, and was caught between two colliding worlds. Men of integrity often find themselves in such difficult positions. And it was his personal integrity which kept him at his father’s side, even in death. As for the people of Israel, under poor leadership they were like sheep to be slaughtered before their Philistine oppressors.

This is the scene as we open the first Chapter of 2 Samuel and find David and his men “picking up the pieces” of what is left. David’s response to this personal and national disaster is both biblical and instructive. Upon hearing the news of these events, David responds by declaring a season of lamentation (mourning), weeping and fasting on behalf of Saul, his sons and all Israel.

Yep, sometimes life just hurts. Sometimes life is just “ugly” and it does no good to describe it in any other terms and attempt to “put lipstick on this pig”. Sometimes the only proper response is to “lament”, to mourn and weep over what is happening either to us or around us. There is a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance. Spiritual wisdom and maturity is marked by knowing the difference between the seasons.

One of Those Times

You would think that after spending two months on Sabbatical in “Paradise” (otherwise known as Hawai’i), finishing two books and experiencing God’s amazing provision I would have absolutely NOTHING to lament for (except having to leave!). But these kinds of seasons don’t arrive on a predictable schedule. They tend to be quite outside of our control. This is what I discovered after being back in Spokane for about a week. I found myself meditating on 2 Samuel 1:11-12 and asking the Lord what it meant. I sensed Him telling me it was time to fast as an expression of lamenting and mourning for long-standing situations which seemed immune to prayer or resolution. He began to show me the faces of people to pray for, to remind me of issues to lament and to remind me that lamentation and mourning through fasting are sometimes the most power form of prayer that God’s people can engage in. Without getting overly personal, I found myself doing the following in prayer:

Fasting & Lamenting over personal years, relationships, resources and opportunities which - to all outward appearances - the locust and the canker worm seem to have consumed and destroyed;
Fasting & Lamenting over house church friends with broken bodies, broken families, broken marriages, broken finances, broken lives and no visible hope of deliverance, improvement or healing (apart from God’s miraculous intervention, which He as thus far withheld);
Fasting & Lamenting over a church distracted by “signs and wonders” while devoid of any genuine holiness or fear of God;
Fasting & Lamenting over spirits of control which have risen up to destroy good works of feeding the least of these;
Fasting & Lamenting over doctrinal error which has destroyed house churches, lives, marriages, friendships and more;
Fasting & Lamenting over house church leaders who claim to lead others into hearing God’s voice, but who are listening neither to the Holy Spirit nor to those attempting to speak into their lives, resulting in strife, divisions and broken relationships;
Fasting & Lamenting over promises of revival and spiritual outpouring which are as yet unfulfilled.

Coming Full Circle

“And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death; for Samuel grieved over Saul. And the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.” (1 Samuel 15:35)

“Now the LORD said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.’” (1 Samuel 16:1)

About a year and a half ago my wife and I sensed the Lord telling us that we had “come full circle” in our personal walk and ministry with Him. At the time we weren’t altogether clear on what that meant - even though the word itself was quite clear. As we have sought Him in prayer over the intervening months we have come to understand this as referring to a closing or ending of old things and an opening or beginning of new things. As I have reflected on this word over the past week I have come to a realization that God-appointed seasons of fasting and lamentation are important in the lives of God’s people. They are His way of bringing closure to old things before He opens and reveals new things.

I see this principle at work in the life Samuel and his response to Saul in 1 Samuel 15:35. Samuel had an extensive history with Saul. Samuel had been used of God to choose Saul and to anoint him as king (See 1 Samuel 9 & 10). Later, God used Samuel to test Saul, first in the incident at Gilgal (1 Samuel 13) and later in the incident with the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15). But now, in 1 Samuel 15:35 Samuel’s relationship with Saul comes to an end. And Samuel marks the end of that relationship and that season of his ministry by lamenting and mourning for Saul. And it is not until that closure is achieved that God opens a new season of ministry for Samuel by sending him out to find and anoint the man who will one day be Israel’s greatest king - David (1 Samuel 16:1ff). That is what it means to come full circle - to lament the old and to embrace the new.

So, yes, this has been an interesting time after returning from “paradise”. For me it has been a time of fasting and lamenting the old, while asking God to reveal and open up the new. In other words, crying out to God to genuinely bring us - and all who travel this path with us - “full circle”.

“All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They?” Now On Amazon.com!

I am absolutely pleased to announce that our book on Universalism, “All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They” is now available for ordering on Amazon.com. May I encourage some of you to read it and post a review!

2010 National House Church Conference (Dallas, TX Sept 3-5)

The annual “National House Church Conference” sponsored by House2House Ministries is coming up in about 6 weeks (for all you procrastinators like me). I I’ve been invited to do a breakout workshop at the Conference on Universalism, based on the new book (“All Dogs”). I estimate that such a trip will cost us around $2,500, so I am asking those of you who would like to see us make this trip to pray about helping out financially. Here is the link for Conference Information and Registration.

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of July 22, 2010

2010-07-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are now back home in Spokane and getting settled back in to “reality”. Again, our thanks to all of you who helped make our trip to Maui possible, especially to our hosts (Doug & Donna). It was a blessing beyond words. And we were able to get MUCH accomplished on various writing projects. Again. Our thanks.

“All Dogs Go To Heaven Don’t They?” Now On Amazon.com!

I am absolutely pleased to announce that our book on Universalism, “All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They” is now available for ordering on Amazon.com. May I encourage some of you to read it and post a review!

2010 National House Church Conference (Dallas, TX Sept 3-5)

The annual “National House Church Conference” sponsored by House2House Ministries is coming up in about 6 weeks (for all you procrastinators like me). I I’ve been invited to do a breakout workshop at the Conference on Universalism, based on the new book (“All Dogs”). I estimate that such a trip will cost us around $2,500, so I am asking those of you who would like to see us make this trip to pray about helping out financially. Click here for Conference registration info.

“The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In a Jesus-Shaped Spirituality”

Our current writing project is a book that pulls together what God has taught us over the past five years of feeding the hungry and ministering to “The Least of These”. It will contain both extensive biblical teaching on the subject (did you know that the concept of “good deeds” occurs over 30 times in the New Testament?) as well as stories of what we have seen God do through good deeds, both in our own lives and in the lives of people around us. In addition, I am also looking for stories and descriptions of things you and/or your house church have done to serve others as an expression of biblical “good deeds”. How have you been involved in serving and ministering to others? Would you be willing to write up your story around 300-500 words (that’s roughly half a page to one page 12 point type) and e-mail it to me for possible inclusion in the book? I’m looking for stories of what Hirsh & Frost would call “incarnational ministry”. I look forward to hearing from you. Feel free to call me at (509) 475-8856 or e-mail me at msmith@parousianetwork.org. The following is an excerpt from the book.

Excerpt: Your Works Are Your Witness

“But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.” (John 5:36)

Jesus was constantly confronted with the same question by the unbelieving religious leadership of His day: “How do we know that you are who and what you say you are?” (See John 2:18; 6:30) On this particular occasion in the Gospel of John, Jesus offers two reasons why they should believe Him. First, He argues that they have the witness of John the Baptist, whom the people and many of the religious leaders regarded as a prophet. But Jesus offers his skeptics a second, simple answer to their question: “Look at my works (Greek: ergon)”, he says. “My works speak for themselves”. It would be easy to conclude that Jesus is establishing some new principle here. But the reality is that He is simply restating an existing principle: we are known by our fruit. We can state this principle in the same terms that Jesus did here by saying, “Your works are your witness.” Just as the works of Jesus bore witness to the reality that He came from God, so, too, our works bear witness that God is our Father and that Jesus is our Lord. As we will soon see, God has appointed good works for every believe to walk in. And our willingness to walk in those good deeds will bear witness to the reality of our relationship with Him.

Good Deeds Principle # 1: Be A Light

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works (kalos ergon), and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

Ask yourself a simple question: “What does it mean for me to be ‘the light of the world’?”. An insightful author once asked a challenging question, “If a can opener won’t open any cans, is it really a can opener?” Just because a certain tool is called a can opener and just because it happens to look like other can openers we have known or used, is it still a can opener if it won’t open any cans? Let’s apply this to Jesus’ parable. . . and to our lives. When is a lamp no longer a lamp? When it no longer does what lamps are suppose to do, namely, give light. Jesus says that you and I (i.e., believers) “are the light of the world”. In other words, we are the spiritual equivalents of a can opener. He doesn’t say that you and I could be the light of the world or should be the light of the world or will be the light of the world. No. He says that you and I ARE the light of the world. And what does light do? It shines and “gives light to all who are in the house”. At this point the natural question for you and me should be, “How do we do this? How do we let our light shine before men?”

Fortunately, Jesus gives us the answer (to prevent us from guessing!): Through our good deeds (kalos ergon). Simply stated, our “good deeds” are the vehicle through which the light of our Jesus-shaped spirituality shines before men in such a way that they see our good deeds and glorify God as a result. And the Greek word for men here is anthropos, the Greek word for men in general (i.e., unbelievers). Let’s be clear on this point, as there seems to be much confusion in the Church on this point. Our good deeds make us a light to an unbelieving world (as expressed through the words kosmos and anthropos).

Some Christians want to argue that the good deeds talked about in the New Testament are to be done primarily (if not exclusively) by Christians for other Christians. Proponents of this view argue that unbelievers will see how much we love one another through our good deeds toward one another and will be so impressed that they will glorify God and believe. I have three basic responses to this argument. My first response is a question: “How’s it working for you?”. If this interpretation is true, then our lives as believers should be filled with good deeds toward one another, and unbelievers should be coming to our Churches in droves because of how much we love one another! Unfortunately, proponents of this view are failing to live up to their own restricted interpretation of this passage. But second, on a practical level, I do not believe it is possible to “let your light so shine before men” by sitting in a Church building for two or three hours a week while the rest of the unbelieving world is out doing other things. Our Postmodern western culture is going to great lengths to avoid us. The vast majority of them aren’t attracted to our elaborate buildings and programs, not even to the EPIC ones. But my third response is more to the biblical point. I do not believe Scripture obviously or necessarily teaches this restrictive idea, either here or in any other passage. Should believers express their love through good deeds done for fellow believers. Of course we should (and I’ll argue with anyone who claims otherwise)! But is that the limit for the biblical commands concerning good deeds? I don’t think so, because Jesus doesn’t seem to think so! Jesus declares that we believers are the light of the world (kosmos), and I don’t know about you, but “the world” sounds a lot bigger than the four walls of any church. Jesus seems to be laying down a basic principle: believers seeking to live out a Jesus-shaped spirituality have an obligation to shine the light of their good deeds in such a way that the people of this world will see those good deeds and respond by glorifying God. After all, isn’t that what Jesus did?

In a curious historical note, the early Church historian Eusebius states that story of Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension - His life story including His good deeds - were communicated by Pontius Pilate to the Roman Emperor Tiberius who further presented the report to the Roman Senate (See Eusebius’ “History”, Book 2, Section 2. Eusebius quotes Tertullian who relates this story in full). Perhaps this is why Paul could say to King Festus in Acts 26:25-26, "I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner.” In other words (Maurice’s interpretation) Jesus’ life and good deeds had become legendary. The light of His life, including His good deeds, had shown in the darkness, not only throughout Palestine but all the way to Rome.

Finally, have you ever wondered how Jesus’ teaching on this issue affected His disciples who were listening? I think Jesus’ words here in Matthew 5 had a profound impact upon at least one of His disciples: Simon Peter. Why? Because Peter refers to them in 1 Peter: “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds (kalos ergon), as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.” (1 Peter 2:11-12). Did you catch it there at the end of verse 12? Peter tells his readers that through their excellent behavior among the Gentiles unbelievers will see their good works and will glorify God. Peter got the point. Do we?

Application For A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality

What have you learned from this passage about a Jesus-shaped spirituality that you did not know before? What are you doing to let the light of your good deeds shine before men? What do you need to do differently?

© 2010 THE PAROUSIA NETWORK (www.parousianetwork.org)

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of Junly 6, 2010

2010-07-06T23:48:00.000-07:00

My apologies for the long pause between newsletters and blog posts. Between enjoying ourselves, reading, entertaining family (my older brother came to visit) and working on book projects there hasn’t been much time to write newsletters. Writing a good newsletter (or even a good blog) requires as much time and careful thought as writing a book - only shorter! Some people have the uncanny ability to be that productive, but unfortunately I’m not one of those people. Sorry! I’ll try to chain myself to the galley-oar and row harder. Or as one of my favorite tee shirts here in Maui says, “The beatings will continue until morale improves”! Row, ye scurvy dogs, row!

Note: We will be returning to Spokane from Maui on Saturday, July 17.

Aloha From Maui

O.K., I know I lost the sympathy vote on this one a while back, but I’ll persevere regardless. Gale and I have had a wonderful time on sabbatical here in Maui. This two months has been productive in several ways. First, it has helped us to personally decompress and regain our perspective on what God is dooing in our lives and in the lives of those around us. Ministry and life in the Church can be confusing at times, and sometimes we simply need time away to get things back in proper focus. Second, this time has enabled me to finish the book on Universalism (“All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They?”) which is now done and available for ordering (see below). Third, this time has allowed me focused time to make significant progress on two additional writing projects. The first is “Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring: House Church Reflections On The Coming Move of God’s Spirit”. I have finished the writing/editing work, Gale is designing the cover and it should be ready for upload to Lightning Source before the end of the month. The second project is entitled “The Least of These: The Role of Good Deeds In A Jesus-Shaped Spirituality”. This is an original writing project which brings together much of what I have learned over the past five years of working with and among the marginalized and dispossessed. My goal is to encourage the House Church community to give more serious thought to the practical expressions of our biblical faith by matching our faith with good deeds done in the name of Jesus and for the Kingdom of God. In simple terms that even an ol’ dog like me can understand, who cares how apostolic, prophetic or otherwise gifted you are if you don’t share the heart of Jesus for “the least of these”?

“All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They” Now Available!

I am pleased to announce that our book on Universalism, “All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They” is now available for ordering. It is 8.5X11 and 260 pages and priced at $29.95. While it will soon be available through Amazon.com we want to make it available to you now for a gift of $25, and we pay the shipping. If you would like to read the first 14 pages (the Table of Contents and the Author’s Preface) to get a flavor of the book, you can download those pages at this link where you will also find complete ordering information there.

Two Books I Just Read - And You Should, Too!

Mere Churchianity: Finding Your Way Back to Jesus-Shaped Spirituality, by Michael Spencer. C.H. Spurgeon used to say, “Wear the old coat, buy the new book”. You need to buy this book, even if it means selling the old coat. It’s that good. I first encountered Michael Spencer when he was blogging as “The Internet Monk” (2001-2009). He passed away in April, 2010, five months after being diagnosed with brain cancer. Mere Churchianity is Michael’s only book. I knew it was in process prior to his passing, but I was unaware it was out until my wife found it at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Lahaina here on Maui. Michael was a Southern Baptist, a graduate of Southern Theological Seminary and, for the last 17 years, was campus minister at a Christian School in Kentucky. His basic thesis in this book is that people are leaving the institutional church in search of Jesus. Having grown weary and disillusioned with the church-shaped spirituality they found there, they have left in search of a Jesus-shaped spirituality. Here’s a sample of Michael’s thinking: “For a long time people believed the church sign that said God was there. Or maybe it was that they desperately wanted to believe the sign, so they showed up on Sunday mornings looking for God. They would leave the building an hour later having found a robed choir, a slick speaker at the podium, a plea for money, and some beautiful stained glass. But no God. Feeling cheated and lied to, and maybe a little embarrassed about being so gullible, they felt they had to leave. But they still wanted God. Eventually, leaving the god who sponsored the religious agenda was, for many people, the only way to hold on to an authentic idea of God. Leaving the Jesus who was said to be in the building was the only way to believe in a Jesus who wasn’t confined to a building.” (Mere Churchianity, pp. 16-17). It gets better, but I don’t want to spoil it for you. This is a book about organic church, written by someone who lived . . . and died . . . inside the organized institutional church. It is an eloquent testimony to the internal conflicts currently raging within the Evangelical Church, the conflict between a “church-shaped spirituality” and a “Jesus-shaped spirituality”. It should be required reading for all practitioners of organic house church. My recommendation? Sell the old coat. Buy the new book.

Burning Down The Shack: How The ‘Christian’ Bestseller is Deceiving Millions, by James B. De Young. Just when you and I hoped that The Shack might have gone away, it is back with a vengeance. Quite frankly, I probably would have ignored, even avoided, a book about The Shack except for the one thing which sets this book apart (and got my attention). It is written by a life-long graduate-level bible scholar who has also known Paul Young (author of The Shack) for over a dozen years. The unique feature which De Young brings to this book is his personal relationship with and knowledge of Paul Young in the years leading up to the publication of The Shack. All of this is revealed in the first 26 introductory pages of Burning Down The Shack (entitled “The Story Behind The Story”). It is in these 26 pages where we discover that the author of The Shack was someone deeply conflicted in his faith who had begun questioning many of the foundational doctrines of Christianity and had embraced a form of Universalism known as Ultimate Reconciliation. We also learn that friends of Paul Young had reviewed the manuscript of The Shack, were appalled by the Universalism it promoted and had urged Young to “tone it down”. This was, perhaps, the part of the story that grieved me the most - the idea that there were those who knew what was happening early on and did not do more to stop it. Now, 10,000,000 copies later, a steady flood of people are expressing how The Shack either led them into Universalism or confirmed them in the journey into the Universalistic abyss. My own book refuting Universalism originated as a treatise circulated among people who, either in part or in whole, attributed their belief in Universalism to The Shack. Now, I understand why, and am grieved beyond words. I am particularly grieved that this outbreak of Universalism originated among people practicing house church (which leads James De Young to make a strong appeal for and defense of traditional, institutional church. O.K., who didn’t see that coming!). Universalism is a terminal cancer which will destroy the Church (see “Universalism And The Suicide of Christian Theology” in my book All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They?”). It will also destroy the organic house church movement if it comes to be identified with Universalism.

Feed Spokane Resignation

On Tuesday, June 22, I resigned from Feed Spokane. After five years of serving and feeding those in need, of leading nothing short of a “food revolution” in the city, it was time for the revolutionary to retire and for the “organizational types” to take over. In my absence a power struggle over who is in charge broke out among board members. There are times in our lives when we should stand our ground and fight, and then there are times when it is best to walk away, understanding that our skill set is either no longer needed or no longer appreciated. My older brother, a strong Christian who has done corporate leadership training for 35 years, took one look at the situation and said, “It’s time for you to leave”. After issuing a strong admonition to the Board, I chose to walk away, secure in the knowledge that our labor in the Lord on behalf of “the least of these” over the past 5 years has not been in vain, and that God’s path for our journey is leading us on into new directions and adventures.

iPods, ipads and Star Trek

2010-06-14T12:15:00.000-07:00

iPods, iPads and Star Trek

I must admit, I’m somewhat overwhelmed. Just before we left on our summer Sabbatical in Hawaii my son (a 30-year old computer programmer and web designer) showed me his new iPad. All I can say is . . . wow! I still struggle to master my cell phone. Soon you won’t need a cell phone. You’ll just talk to your iPad. Hmm. The first computer language I ever learned was the old IBM Fortran IV. You wrote your code out long hand, and they typed it into an IBM key punch machine that punched it onto cards (Remember the infamous “hanging chads” of the Florida 2000 election. Same punch cards.). You then carried your stack of punch cards in a tray to a “debatch” unit where you fed the cards onto a rack which fed into the reader. After feeding your cards into the unit you left for an hour or so while the computer ran your program. And to think that we put a man on the moon with that technology. Today, there’s more computing power in an iPad than there was in the entire Apollo moon program. O.K., I’m impressed, and slightly overwhelmed! But I wouldn’t turn down a free iPad just because I’m momentarily overwhelmed! I’m just sayin’ . . . .

For The World Is Hollow, And I Have Touched The Sky

Perhaps you remember the Star Trek episode. I watched it again last night. Hey, Hawaiian cable TV leaves you with few choices other than breaking out the DVD collection. And our host, knowing my fetish for Star Trek, provided me with three seasons worth of the original show. Now THAT’S a real friend! In this episode, the Enterprise encounters a wayward asteroid which turns out to be a spaceship carrying a race of people on a 10,000 year journey to a new homeland. But they all believe that their world is real. They don’t know that it is a spaceship, or that it is on a collision course with another world. But early in their visit to this alien world, Kirk, Spock and McCoy encounter an old man who reveals that he knows the truth. "But things are not as they teach us,” he tells them with his dying breath. "For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky.” The “illusion” is enforced by an “oracle” which punishes anyone who questions the truth of their situation (the spiritual implications here are really quite profound).

The mythology of fiction often provides us with keen insight into the world of truth. And the truth here is that things are not always what they appear to be. Take this world and this present age in which we live. Jesus himself told Pilate (and those of us who will listen) that His Kingdom is not of this world. The Apostle Paul warned the Galatian believers about “this present evil age” from which we have been redeemed. Paul goes on to remind the Churchh at Rome that all of creation groans and longs to be set free from the futility of sin to which it has been subjected. The Apostle John warned his readers not to love this world, nor the things in this world (1 John 2:15). Finally, Peter warned his readers that “the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men”(2 Peter 3:7). To put it in simple terms, we live in an evil and deceptive age and world, which are not to be trusted or loved. This world is deceptively hollow, and is on a collision course with coming fire and judgment.

There are several lesson’s here, and we can only touch on them here because our time is limited. First, while I appreciate the writings of N.T. Wright (Surprised by Hope) and the insight he has shed on the nature of eternity and heaven (i.e., heaven and the Kingdom of God are endless time on a redeemed “new heavens and new earth”), he fails to do justice to the ethical nature of “this present evil age” or the fact that it ends in fire, destruction and judgment (sorry, but I have to accuse Wright of a “fuzzy” eschatology). Second, this means that our stewardship in this present Age is, at best, limited. We are stewards of a doomed world. This asteroid is on a collision course with fire and judgment. Third, unlike Kirk, Spock and McCoy, our mission is NOT to save the asteroid. It is to refute the false message of the oracle, to offer redemption to the inhabitants and to warn them to flee the wrath to come” (Matthew 3:7; Acts 2:40).

Finally, there is a lesson here for Christian agents of spiritual and cultural transformation who believe that they can “fix the asteroid”. Transformation and kingdom building in this present evil age are at best deceptive and fleeting pursuits. Few nations in the world can boast of greater spiritual, moral and societal transformation than England in the 100 years from 1750 to 1850 (beginning with the Evangelical Awakening under Whitefield and Wesley). And yet that transformation is little more than a distant, fading memory in the England of today, where churches are closing and mosque’s are opening at a breathtaking pace. The same could be said of the American southeast following the 2nd Great Awakening of the early 1800s which transformed the American Southeast into what we still refer to as “the Bible belt”. But, again, that is more a memory now than a reality.

Should Christians be involved in fighting abortion, ending child sex slavery, feeding the hungry and a host of other acts of practical righteousness and biblical compassion? Of course we should! But we must never lose our balance or our biblical perspective. Remember: the world is hollow, and some of us have touched the sky.

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of June 12, 2010

2010-06-12T11:16:00.000-07:00

Aloha!

We’ve been in Maui now for just over 3 weeks. Sorry we haven’t been more in touch but we really have been trying to “chill”. Yes, the tan is coming along nicely and we are enjoying ourselves. But just as importantly the “All Dogs Go To Heaven, Don’t They?” book is nearly completed. The cover is done, and the internal manuscript edits have been completed. On Friday we uploaded the cover and text files to Lightning Source. Once they have been approved (hopefully by early next week) we will be ready to look at a proof copy. Our goal is to have copies in print and available by the first of July (possibly sooner). My thanks to those of you who have contributed to finishing the book. Your continued support would be appreciated as we have plans for an “All Dogs” website & blog and are working to promote the book via some radio programs and podcasting. Much to do, but we have made significant progress on this trip (despite setbacks such as having a power cord burn out on my computer and having to wait 4 days for a 2-day Fedex delivery of a replacement. Hey, it’s the islands).

The next book in line to be produced is entitled “Preparing For The Coming Spiritual Outpouring: House Church Reflections On The Coming Move of God’s Spirit”. This 180+ page book is a lightly edited compilation of all my newsletters on the topic of the coming spiritual awakening. My hopeful prayer is that it will help many people to better see and understand what God has been unfolding over the course of several years concerning the spiritual outpouring which I believe is very near. We’re already working on the cover and I hope to have the text editing and formatting completed by early next week. Again, I hope to have this book in print by early July.

The third book project on my list during this Sabbatical is tentatively entitled, “Organic Church, Good Deeds And The Least of These”. This will be a shorter book (or booklet) looking at the New Testament concept of “good deeds” as an expression our faith to those around us. The purpose of this book is simple: to stimulate the organic house church movement to greater love and good deeds, both as a ministry to one another and as a testimony to the unbelieving community.

Your Stories Needed. As part of this book on “good deeds” I am looking for stories and descriptions of things you and/or your house church have done to serve others as an expression of biblical “good deeds”. How have you been involved in serving and ministering to others? Would you be willing to write up your story around 300-500 words (that’s roughly half a page to one page 12 point type) and e-mail it to me for possible inclusion in the book? I’m looking for stories of what Hirsh & Frost would call “incarnational ministry”. I look forward to hearing from you.

Blog & Facebook

As you can tell, this is an abbreviated newsletter. It is difficult to focus on book projects while creatively writing a newsletter that’s worth reading (no snide comments here!). Add to that trying to update my Facebook page, etc. and you either must devote a lot of time or something simply isn’t going to get done. So, my plan at this point is to begin posting more short thoughts and articles here on our blog, which also automatically posts to my Facebook page. I know how hard it is to teach new tricks to old dogs, but I want to encourage you to visit the blog and to sign up as a friend on Facebook.

Abraham & Sarah On Sabbatical

2010-05-14T13:15:00.000-07:00

Abraham & Sarah On Sabbatical

God has graciously opened the door for us to spend the summer on sabbatical in Maui, thanks to our friends Doug and Donna. We fly out Monday, May 17 and will return to Spokane sometime in early August (we literally don’t have a return date or ticket yet). We plan to spend this time “recuperating”, reading and writing. I have several book projects underway which have been neglected while we obeyed the Lord in pursuing other things. These include: “All Dogs Go To Heaven . . . Don’t They?” on universalism (see below); “Preparing For the Coming Spiritual Outpouring” on the coming spiritual awakening, “House Church, Good Deeds and The Least of These” on the importance of house churches witnessing through good deeds, and “Out of Ur: Personal Reflections on Living By Faith”. I’m also working on a devotional book on 2nd Corinthians (“Until We All Have Faces”). So, needless to say, we won’t be bored. Gale is looking forward to photography and illustrating. As this sabbatical is itself a “step of faith” we would appreciate your prayers for God’s on-going provision (more stories of God’s faithfulness for the book, no doubt!).

“All Dogs Go To Heaven . . . Don’t They?” Update

As many of you are aware, my wife and I have been working for nearly 2 years on a book on Universalism & Ultimate Reconciliation. It was almost picked up by a major Christian publisher last year, but then the economic downturn caused them to back off (according to the president of the company). We decided that apparently it was not God’s timing yet, so we placed the project on the back burner and moved on with other pressing things (such as my work with Feed Spokane). But recently I have received strong encouragement from leaders within the house church community to finish the book and to make it available. Not only has interest in universalism not subsided, it appears to be on the increase. So it may be time. For this reason we have taken the faith-step of completing the cover design with a local graphics company. We plan to finish the internal editing during our time in Maui and to get it to Lightning Source by the end of June. We currently estimate the cost of getting it into print at approximately $2,500. If you would like to be a part of making this a reality, let me know ASAP. I genuinely believe that universalism could quickly become the defining theological issue of house church (as well as the broader church) over the next decade. How we deal with it now will sow the seed of either blessing or disaster for a generation. Yes, it’s that important.

Update on The Paiz Family In Thailand

I just received this from our friends, Ken and Wendy Paiz, who are missionaries in Thailand where they are seeking to utilize organic house church principles in planting churches there. Here is an opportunity for you and your house church to bless and encourage their house church work.

Dear friends and family,

We hope this update finds you well. We have been in meetings with TEAM, our mission organization, in the Chicago area this past week to do what they call a comprehensive debrief. So far it has been very good and they are very encouraged with the church planting ministry we have in Thailand. We feel very fortunate to have such a great mission to work with. One of the things that we did was look over our finances and support level. To our surprise we are 500 dollars short a month in support and we need to raise 2500 dollars for outgoing cost. This would get us up to 70% support level and enable us to return to Thailand for our next term. Would you please pray with us as we look to God to raise this support before we plan to leave July 21st. That gives us just 2 months. We have many things in place to start when we return. Poppy is starting at Grace International School and if we cannot leave by July, we will be forced to have her go to school in the States. That would set us back months before we could get back to Thailand. We would lose our visa to work in Thailand since we need to renew it by August 21st. Another concern we have is the cost of staying in the States for a longer time and the loss of momentum in the work that is going well. We are also concerned about our partner John Arcenas and the 13 new believers we are responsible for in discipleship. In the end our hearts are in Thailand and we are eager to get back into the ministry of church planting there. We are trusting God for His will to be done.If any of you know of any opportunities to let us come and share our ministry in Thailand with your church, it would be a blessing.We covet your prayers and look forward to seeing how God is going to work in all of our lives. Please feel free to contact us for any more questions or information.

Yours in Christ, Kennedy, Wendy, Poppy and Jasper Paizs
Kennedy, Wendy, Poppy & Jasper
Kennedy & Wendy Paizs TEAM Mission
Check out our pictures!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanicthai
Check out our blogs!
http://southernthailandprayernetwork.blogspot.com/
http://oceanicthai.blogspot.com/
http://artscapesofthailand.blogspot.com/

Holiness & Fear, Repentance and Intimacy Revisited

Readers of this newsletter are already aware of my view that the coming spiritual awakening will be characterized by a powerful emphasis upon holiness & the fear of God, personal repentance and renewed spiritual intimacy with God. I have always appreciated David Wilkerson’s spiritual integrity and insight. My wife and I enjoy his monthly newsletter. But he also had a regular devotional site on the web. Two of those devotionals recently caught our attention as they seem to confirm what we have been sensing.

The Last Outpouring
by David Wilkerson | May 10, 2010

I know some will not receive what I am about to say, yet many will. I do not believe we have yet seen the glory and fullness of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit as prophesied by Joel. What we have seen are just a few sprinkles! Yes, we have had a worldwide charismatic renewal and love has brought many together. It has been an experience shared worldwide, yet it is just a foretaste. God will permit nothing to hinder what he plans to do. The enemy is in for a surprise. Just as it appears the church will be inundated by a satanic flood, the Spirit will raise up a standard. Understand what that standard is, and you will understand what God is about to do. The standard is a holy people, pure, undefiled, delivered from the corruption that is in the world. That standard is a new breed of sanctified Christians, who will shine forth as lights in the midst of a wicked and perverse generation. It will not be just a renewal of love and praise, but a restoration of holiness unto the Lord! There will still be shouting and praise, but it will be the shout of victory over sin and compromise, fulfilling the purpose of the last outpouring: "That all who call on his name shall be delivered..." (Joel 2:32). Delivered from what? From sin! From the spirit of the world! We will not have the fullness of the Spirit's outpouring until baptized people separate themselves completely from the world. We must emphasize separation and purity of heart. The purpose of the Spirit's coming is to sanctify and prepare a people for the Lord's return, a people without spot or wrinkle. When the fullness of the Spirit's outpouring comes upon all flesh, conviction for sin will be everywhere. "He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). That is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit! Tragically, too many speak with tongues, but then live like the devil. Sin was never uprooted and all they received was an experience of ecstasy. God blessed them just enough to call them into a deeper life of holiness and submission, but they stopped and went about saying, "I’ve got the Holy Ghost." Oh, there is so much more! I thank God for the privilege of praying in an unknown tongue; it is my way of releasing all the pent-up praises to God in a communication beyond my understanding. But you can speak with the tongues of men and even angels, and without charity, you have received nothing. But I say it goes even deeper. You are not truly baptized with the Holy Spirit until every hidden part of your soul has been exposed—and every sin confessed and forsaken.

The Spirit and Power of Elijah
by David Wilkerson | May 7, 2010

The Old Testament closes out with this glorious prophecy: "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (Malachi 4:5-6). Jesus said of John, "If you will receive it, this is Elijah, which was for to come" (Matthew 11:14). What Christ was saying is, "John the Baptist has the spirit and power of Elijah upon him—if you could just see it." We are told the angel of the Lord prophesied to Zachariah that his son John would "go forth before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17). I believe Malachi's prophecy is for today also. I believe that once again God is going to put upon many of his chosen servants the spirit and power of Elijah. And these men and women of God are going to be mightily used to bring about a restoration of families. Divorces will be canceled! Children will be convicted of their rebellion and be restored in love to their parents. This prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes—right now. In a Texas town, an unassuming young pastor began to pray for the salvation of the youth in the local schools. God anointed him with the dynamic spirit and power of Elijah and not only have hundreds in his local school been saved, but the restoration is spreading to schools wherever he goes. Not hundreds but thousands of high school students are being convicted of their drugs, alcohol, sex and rebellion. Young people are hurrying home from outreaches to make up with their parents. They have been confessing deep hatred, but now they weep and repent! This will spread all through the land because God has promised to restore parents and children. Because of what I see coming, I am so excited I can hardly write these words. Unknown, unassuming, humble young men and women of God are being miraculously touched and anointed. They have been given a supernatural mission to "Go forth—and restore! For the day of the Lord has come. The cankerworms of drugs and alcohol are no longer permitted to eat away at the life of the youth. God will destroy the cankerworms."

Reflections on Leadership and Leaving

2010-04-16T17:37:00.000-07:00

Abraham & Sarah Take A Sabbatical - Update

Preparations for our upcoming Sabbatical are unfolding in such a way that it is obvious to us that God is at work. God has provided an outstanding person to serve as my Feed Spokane summer intern in my absence, and volunteers are stepping up in a timely way to fill in any other “gaps”. At the same time our Feed Spokane work is growing with more restaurants coming on board along with a growing coalition of meal sites wanting to participate. Wow! I love it when, in the timeless words of Hannibal Smith (“The A- Team”), “I love it when a plan comes together!”. Our plan is to spend this time away “recuperating” and working on writing and art projects. Gale and I feel impressed to put our “journey of faith” down into a book for the encouragement of others in the organic house church movement. I also have several other book projects that I would like to pursue – and such writing requires devoted time to read, think and reflect. So we are treating this as “God’s Sabbatical” in our lives at this time and for this purpose. We would covet your prayers. Needless to say, this will be a journey of faith. Loosely translated from the Greek, this means we will need to raise funds from friends and supporters to make this possible. If you would like to be a part of our journey, let me know and we’ll work out details, or simply go to our website (www.parousianetwork.com) and use the PayPal donation option (donations@parousianetwork.org).

Reflections on Leadership and Leaving

By now the “worst kept secret” in our network is that I will be taking a three month sabbatical from my work with Feed Spokane and that Gale and I will be spending the summer (mid-May thru mid-August) with friends on Maui (O.K., I realize I’ve now lost any “living by faith” sympathy vote I might have had up til now - but it’s worth the risk!). As we prepare to leave, turning various responsibilities over to others (such as Tracy McLaughlin who will be my Feed Spokane intern for the Summer), this time of transition has caused me to think and reflect upon the role of leadership, both in equipping , , , and in leaving.

As I began reflecting on these things I was reminded of something shared by George Barna at a National House Church Conference a few years ago. As he spoke on the role of revolutionary leaders he made the observation that revolutionary leaders set people up for success in their absence. To state it differently, whenever we as leaders make and keep people dependent upon us, we are setting them up for failure in our absence. Organizations built around strong leaders frequently unravel when that strong leader leaves. Why? Because he (or she) was content to exercise their unique gift and to simply allow those around them to live in their shadow. And generally speaking, only small plants grow well in the shade.

Without seeking to be rude I cannot help but observe that this is what the institutional church system is notorious for doing. Institutional churches tend to go looking (it’s called a “pastor search committee”) for strong leaders to lead the congregation. And strong leaders tend to facilitate and perpetuate the problem by agreeing to the arrangement, “Sure I’ll come be your super-powered pastor and you can all come to watch me perform.”

But house churches are not guilt-free with regards to this problem either. I see the tendency in myself. I tend to be a very “hands-on” type of person - it’s always easier for me to “do” than to “show” (or as my overly insightful and honest daughter recently observed, “So, everything’s really all about you?”. Ouch! That left a mark.). It is something I must actively and intentionally work to overcome. But I have also received numerous reports from other house churches where the meeting revolves around or is dominated by a single gifted individual (or at least by someone who “thinks” they’re gifted). The results are frequently stagnation, frustration and the setting up of people for failure in the absence of that dominant person. They leave and the group falls apart. Why? Because the less-mature gifts were never given the opportunity to exercise and grow. They were never equipped. They were never built up. They spent what should have been their growing season living in someone else’s shade. And generally speaking, only small plants grow well in the shade.

I believe that the consistent pattern of mature leadership in the New Testament is to equip the saints for the work of service, to build them up in their faith to a mature person, and then to leave - in other words, to move on and repeat the process (and if not to actually “leave”, to at least turn more responsibilities over to others so they can exercise their gift). Simply put, the role of leadership - and I am speaking specifically of mature 5-fold ministry as described in Ephesians Chapter 4 - is to set other people up for their on-going success in our absence. Unfortunately, all too often the Church tends to imprison people rather than empowering them. Or, as Reggie McNeal has so insightfully described it, our churches become airports whose goal is to accumulate as many planes on the ground as possible, not to move people on to their destination. Churches are not destinations. They should be wayfaring stations on a greater journey into maturity and ministry in the Kingdom of God.

I see this principle (or process) of equipping, building and leaving throughout the New Testament. I see it in the life and ministry of Jesus and His dealings with the disciples (I’ll let you chew on that and come up with your own examples). I also see it throughout the ministry of the Apostle Paul. Did you ever notice that throughout his missionary career, the longest Paul ever stayed in one place was about three years (Tarsus being the exception, but that was prior to his call to missions). Eighteen months in Corinth. Three years in Ephesus. He didn’t even hang out very long at his “home” church in Antioch (ever wonder whose house they met in there?). And every letter Paul wrote to a Church was written while he was “on the road” - Romans from Corinth, Corinthians from Ephesus, Galatians from Antioch, Ephesians from Rome. And the list goes on. Why? I would hazard to say that it was because Paul understood the nature of itinerant 5-fold ministry. Five-fold leaders are called to equip, to build up and then to leave (and then to “follow up” as time goes on).

Many of you will already be familiar with the training acrostic knows as “MAWL”. M - stands for “Model”. Model basically means “I do it and you watch me”. Next, A stands for “Assist”. This means “We do it together”. W - stands for “Watch”. This means “You do it and I watch you”. Finally, L - stands for (drum roll please) “Leave”. Leave means . . . I leave . . . and start the process all over again with someone else. Most of Western Christianity never makes it past “Model”. Every Sunday the professional staff “model” the best service that resources, time and gifted people can create. And if you come back next week they’ll model it for you again . . . and again . . . and again. What’s the chance that they’ll “leave” and let you do it on your own? Well, I wouldn’t hold my breath.

I must confess that I’m guilty of the very things I’m railing against here. It’s the occupational hazard of 5- fold ministry. If genuine discipleship in the Kingdom of God is the process of more mature “teachers” (i.e., leaders) working to equip and build up less mature “learners” (and I believe it is), then the goal of genuine kingdom discipleship must be for us to set these rising leaders up for success in our absence . . . which assumes that, at some unspecified point, we will be leaving, not creating a permanent job for ourselves. That’s how Jesus did it. That’s how Paul did it. And I’m guessing that it’s how we should be doing it, too.

I would enjoy your thoughts on the subject.

Thoughts From A “Secular Evangelist”

Guy Kawasaki fashions himself as a “secular evangelist” for the world of high tech (formerly of Apple fame). His thoughts on “evangelism” are insightful and worth a read by all of us seeking to communicate a message. You can read his thoughts at this link.

In Memoriam – Michael Spencer (imonk)

Michael Spencer, aka “imonk” passed away on April 5, four months after being diagnosed with cancer. He will be missed.

Out of Ur: Organic Church & The Walk of Faith Revisited

2010-04-08T14:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has been a couple of weeks since our last post. We have finished moving, and God is in the process of unfolding new plans for our summer. In the midst of everything Gale & I noted that it has been a year since our last move. So I went back and looked at last year’s newsletter and discovered one that I thought would be appropriate and timely to reproduce (updated) here. So, if part of this letter seems vaguely familiar – you’re right. It is! In the famous words of Yogi Berra, “It’s like déjà vu all over again”. Please don’t miss our “Abraham & Sarah Update” which updates our journey and our plans for this summer.

Abraham & Sarah Update

We’ve slowly discovered that “unpredictability” is one of the hidden characteristics of the Kingdom of God. Men want predictability. God wants faith. The two are (more often than not) incompatible. When we began house sitting a year ago (this month), neither we nor the home owners could predict what would happen or how long we would be there. At a minimum they thought a year, probably longer (there’s a whole story here, but I’m not going to expand on it). When the news came that we were to move, we also received an offer of a duplex complete with three months’ free rent. Hmmm. Stability and predictability seemed at hand. But as we and others in our House Church community prayed over it we ALL sensed that this was not what God wanted. We turned down the offer and stepped out onto the firm ground of unpredictability. Whew! What a relief. There for a moment we were facing the unsettling prospect of stability and predictability . . . but it quickly passed! Then, on Sunday afternoon, the week prior to when we were to move, I received an e-mail from a house church friend in Maui. His invitation was both wonderful and (you guessed it) unpredictable. He was inviting us to spend the summer (mid-May through mid-August) living in their guest home on Maui (yes, that would be in Hawai’i). We were both surprised and thrilled, and we gladly accepted the offer. From now until May we have been offered an opportunity to stay at Living Springs Ranch outside of Spokane where we were managers for 5 years.

We are looking forward to this time as a much needed “sabbatical”. I will be turning my Feed Spokane responsibilities over to a summer intern (whom God raised up at just the right time) and others. Our plan is to spend this time “recuperating” (my 40 day fast this Lent took more out of me than I anticipated this time) and working on writing and art projects. Gale and I feel impressed to put our “journey of faith” down into a book for the encouragement of others in the organic house church movement. I also have several other book projects that I would like to pursue – and such writing requires devoted time to read, think and reflect. So we are treating this as “God’s Sabbatical” in our lives at this time and for this purpose. We would covet your prayers.

Needless to say, this will be a journey of faith. Loosely translated from the Greek, this means we will need to raise funds from friends and supporters to make this possible. If you would like to be a part of our journey, let me know and we’ll work out details, or simply go to our website and use the PayPal donation button (donations@parousianetwork.org).

Out of Ur: Organic Church & The Walk of Faith Revisited

“By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God.” (Hebrews 11:8-10)

It All Started With Dad (And Almost Ended In Haran)

“And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there. And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.” (Genesis 11:31-32)

Why do you practice organic church? If you haven’t asked this most basic of questions, then it’s time you did. Do you practice organic church because God has called you to do it and you believe you are engaging in a more authentic form of New Testament Church? Or are you doing it because you read someone’s book and got excited about the “idea” and decided to “try it”. Like Abram in Genesis 11, did you begin your journey “Out of Ur” because dad thought it was a good idea? Most of us spend a considerable portion of our Christian walk trying to live out the convictions of other people, never having a clear sense of God’s call upon our own lives, and wondering why our half-hearted efforts don’t succeed the way they were represented in the latest book we read. I can’t remember the number of times I’ve heard people say, “Yeah, we tried that, but it just didn’t work out.” Trust me, there’s a difference between getting excited by a good book with a new idea, and experiencing a clear call of God on your life to “leave Ur” and begin a walk of faith in the Kingdom of God.

Abraham discovered that difference when his father, Terah, died leaving Abram, Lot and their families stranded in Haran and wondering what to do next. My guess is that this represented a crisis moment for Abram. What should he do? Moving from Ur to Haran (with the intention of moving on to Canaan) had been dad’s vision and goal, but dad was gone now, and Abram had to decide what to do next. Should he complete the journey that dad began, or should he simply stop in Haran and call it good. It’s hard, even on a good day, to live out someone else’s vision and faith. And that’s where things stood at the end of Genesis, Chapter 11.

Then it happened; a “God-encounter” that changed everything. “Now the LORD said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ So Abram went forth as the LORD had spoken to him . . .” (Genesis 12:1-4a). In this one moment Abram’s life changed forever. Yes, there would be other divine moments in his life (such as Genesis 15), but those would never have occurred if not for this one. In this moment the vision of the father receded into oblivion and the vision of the son was born. For Abram (& Sarai) their journey was no longer about finishing what Terah had started. It was now their personal walk of faith based upon the clear call of God upon their lives. They would face the challenges and uncertainties of the future with a genuine personal faith that rested upon what they had personally heard from God. And by doing so, Abram would become the father of all those who would trust God and believe.

Now, let me ask you again. Why do you practice organic house church? Was there a “Terah” in your life, a spiritual parent or mentor who started you on this journey? Was it a book that convinced you that house churches could change the world and that everything you had done up til now was pagan Christianity and it was time for you to leave Ur and head for the Canaan of organic house church? And have you now reached your spiritual “Haran”, that stopping place where you must decide whether or not to continue, and just whose faith journey you are really on, yours or someone else’s?

Call me foolish (right, like that boat hasn’t sailed yet), but it is time for you to have a genuine “God- encounter”. Your walk of faith demands it. There comes a point in time when you can no longer live out the convictions of others. Your walk of faith must be based upon what you have personally heard from God, or you will never leave Haran, much less reach Canaan. You will join the ever-growing community of “spiritual ex-patriots” who left Ur, got as far as Haran and decided to go no further. Why? Because that’s as far as second-hand convictions can carry you. It’s time to get alone, away from the books and voices of other people, and to wait upon God until you hear clearly from Him, saying, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you”.

Why This Journey, Lord?

Reflecting on the journey of faith God has us on can catch up with you at the strangest times. I was out doing my Feed Spokane food pickups & deliveries today when I stopped at a local sandwich shop for lunch. I had just started in on my favorite sub sandwich when I looked up and noticed someone familiar at a table across from me. It was a friend who serves on the pastoral staff of a local mega church. I almost didn’t recognize Randy because he was wearing a bandana on his head. It reminded me of his journey. You see, Randy has been fighting brain tumors which threaten his health and even his life. Quickly and almost involuntarily I found myself reflecting on why God places each of us on the journeys which characterize our walks of faith. Why that particular journey for that person? Why the bankruptcy and financial issues? Why the chronic health problems? Why the family conflicts? Why the business failure? Why the . . . . (feel free to fill in the blank)? I thought about Graham Cooke’s observation that God and Satan both want the same thing. They both want to kill you, only for different reasons. Satan wants to kill your effectiveness for the Kingdom of God. God wants to kill everything in you that He cannot use for His Kingdom purposes. These competing plans intersect in the circumstances of our lives. I remembered how Joseph told his brothers that it was not them but God who sent him to Egypt ahead of them to preserve life. Really?! I could have sworn that it was his jealous brothers who wrongly kidnapped him and sold him into slavery. But Joseph saw it as God, taking what they intended for evil and using it for good, killing in Joseph everything God could not use to rule Egypt and to preserve His people. What about you? What journey of faith has God had you on? And what is it about you that God knew required this particular journey (and not another) in order to accomplish (O.K., “kill”) in you what He wanted accomplished. As I drove away from that lunch encounter I found myself weeping and praying, “Father, thank you for the journey you have me on, as well as for the other journeys you have spared me from. Forgive me for resisting your hand as I try to preserve the very thing in me you are seeking to kill. Forgive me for whining and complaining about the circumstances of my journey, rather than accepting them for what they are, the tools in the Potter’s hand which He uses to shape His rebellious clay.”

The Parousia Update Letter For the Week of March 25, 2010

2010-03-26T09:45:00.000-07:00

Fasting To End Hunger

Sunday March 28 (Palm Sunday) will be my last fasting day. I’ve been “sick as a dog” the past week, which has made fasting more difficult. My thanks to those of you who have followed my “Fasting To End Hunger” journey. Had a good crowd at “Service To The City” at The Service Station last Sunday. Thanks! I will continue to post on Facebook as able. I have been blessed by the response. Great conversations. I hope more of you will join me in prayer for our city and for God’s Kingdom purposes.. The journey continues . . .

We Don’t Choose The Journey, The Journey Chooses Us

Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord - for we walk by faith, not by sight - we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore also we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him. (2 Corinthians 5:6-9)

We all like to think that we, by our choices, are in control of our lives and our journeys. In God’s economy it sometimes requires a harsh reality to teach us that the control we think we have is but an illusion. Two “realities” recently reminded me of the lack of control we truly have. The first began several months ago when a popular Christian internet blogger I have been following (Michael Spencer, aka Internet Monk) announced that he had been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. His latest update is that they have discontinued chemotherapy, which wasn’t working, and have now made hospice arrangements. Michael is dying. His journey, beyond his control or the control of any other person, is coming to an end.

I have no doubt that, like the rest of us mere mortal believers, Michael has sought to live a life of choosing obedience over disobedience; faith over doubt and unbelief. But even so, he didn’t choose this particular journey, how it would unfold, or how it would end. In God’s Providence, while we may chooses obedience and faith over disobedience and doubt, we don’t choose the journey; the journey chooses us.

I am reminded of Questions 27 and 28 of The Heidelberg Catechism, which summarize as follows: “What Is The Providence of God?”:

“Providence is the almighty and ever present power of God by which He upholds, as with His hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty ~ all things, in fact, ~ come to us not by chance but by His fatherly hand. We can be patient when things go against us, thankful when things go well, and for the future we can have good confidence in our faithful God and Father that nothing will separate us from His love. All creatures are so completely in His hand that without His will they can neither move nor be moved.”

The second “reality” which prompted my reflection this week is our current challenge to move from the home where we have been house sitting for the past year. It has been a blessing, both for us and for the owners. But it is now time to “pack the camels” and move on. But where? We were actually offered a small duplex and three months’ free rent. But after prayer with our house church community we all felt that it was not the right move. So we are in the process of packing and placing everything in storage, awaiting God’s next instruction and the resources to obey. We have a deep and abiding sense of peace about it all. We are indeed walking by faith, not by sight. Why? Because, as Paul would say, “we have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.”

We don’t choose our journey. We choose obedience over disobedience and faith over unbelief. The journey chooses us; God’s Providential response to our obedience and faith.

THE HOLINESS of GOD -excerpts by A.W. Tozer

(Maurice’s Note: My thanks to Andrew Strom for sending these out.)

“God is not now any holier than He ever was. And He never was holier than now. He did not get His holiness from anyone nor from anywhere. He is Himself the Holiness. He is the All-Holy, the Holy One; He is holiness itself, beyond the power of thought to grasp or of word to express, beyond the power of all praise.”

“Language cannot express the holy, so God resorts to association and suggestion. He cannot say it outright because He would have to use words for which we know no meaning. He would have to translate it down to our unholiness. If He were to tell us how white He is, we would understand it in terms of only dingy grey.”

“It was a common thing in olden days, when God was the center of Human worship, to kneel at an altar and shake, tremble, weep, and perspire in an agony of conviction. We don’t see it now because the God we preach is not the everlasting, awful God, ‘mine Holy One’ (Habakkuk 1:12), who is ‘of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity’ (Habakkuk 1:13).”

“We’ve used the technical interpretation of justification by faith and the imputed righteousness of Christ until we’ve watered down the wine of our spirituality. God help us in this evil hour!” “We come into the presence of God with tainted souls. We come with our own concept of morality, having learned it from books, from newspapers and from school. We come to God dirty – our whitest white is dirty, our churches are dirty and our thoughts are dirty – and we do nothing about it!”

“If we came to God dirty, but trembling and shocked and awestruck in His presence, if we knelt at His feet and cried with Isaiah, ‘I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips’ (Isaiah 6:5), then I could understand. But we skip into His awful presence. We’re forgetting ‘holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord’ (Hebrews 12:14).”

“O God, soon every person must appear before you to give an account for the deeds done in the body. Father, keep upon us a sense of holiness so that we can’t sin and excuse it, but that repentance will be as deep as our lives. This we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.”