I have been reading through Acts (now I'm into Romans) with the perspecive of learning how the early church started and how they set out to fulfill the Great Commission (on the direct curtails of Jesus proclaiming it to them).
I've read this book several times in the past, but have recently been reading in The Message translation for a paraphrased view. It has been awesome and completely inspiring.
Did you know that right after Jesus gave that commandment, that the "church" (or Believers in Jesus) sold ALL THEY HAD...their land, their homes, their goods...and pooled all of the money together for Peter (and other first disciples of Jesus) to distribute out amongst the church according to NEED?? And then they used the rest of the money to aid in their efforts of spreading the Gospel to all nations??
Seriously?
I wonder how many people were reluctant to do such a radical thing because they viewed their "Stuff" as belonging to them...or they not dare give their things up because, after all, they had worked hard for those things and deserved them...
Acts actually talks of only 2 such people: a husband and wife. They sold their land and goods like the rest, but only gave the church a portion of what they made - not all of it. Peter called them out to repent and come clean, but they still were dishonest. And you know what happened, the Lord struck them both dead.
That's pretty radical.
I can't help but think of if our current church...my current church...did the same. What f every member who was serious about being a disciple of Jesus and spreading His name among the nations did the same?
What if I were to completely entrust the Elders of our church with EVERYTHING God has blessed me and my family with, to then distribute to people what they needed, and use the rest to further the Kingdom...
Do I trust God that much? Do I believe that advancing the Kingdom of God (taking the last words of Jesus seriously) is in fact a serious matter?
Would I be willing to throw away the mantra of "But we've worked so hard for this! My husband puts in so many hours, so we deserve a better ______!"
I wonder if I would have trusted Peter's guidance of the Holy Spirit to truly decipher what our family "needed"...
In conjunction with reading through Acts, I've also started reading "Multiply" by Chan/Platt.
At MultiplyMovement.com, you can read the entire book for FREE, watch the corresponding videos for FREE, get leader info to do in small groups for FREE...it's pretty awesome to see 2 men not concerned about the commercial aspects and revenue of sharing their giftings, but truly concerned with making disciples.
There's some pretty good stuff on that page. Sometimes I feel like I'm almost drowning in questions and prayers and I try and wade through some of Jesus' teachings on what it means to follow Him...but it's so incredibly addicting.
I have had a crazy number of GOOD conversations with my neighbor recently over a lot of these things. We haven't really hung out in a while and just spending some time with her recently has blown me away how much both of us have changed in the past few years...how God has gotten an absolute grip of both our hearts on these matters. Such a joy to talk about all these things and what God's been revealing and learning from each other...in my experience, those that agree with these radical teachings of Jesus are few.
Y'all, yesterday I sat with a very small group of women and got educated on the Muslim religion from an international who was raised Muslim. While she was sharing about the Muslim faith, I was overcome with "wow - Satan has such a GRIP in that belief system" and it almost felt impossible to ever break through such barriers. I mean, we're talking the wife is allowed (legally) to be murdered for leaving the Muslim faith...in this day and age!
But then...then came Sunday...then this girl shared her testimony, how God revealed Himself to her...how some German missionaries brought Jesus to her village one day...how she became a FOLLOWER of Jesus even though her parents disowned her for converting.
And now she is married, living among the people in Turkey (she is going back within the year), sharing JEsus and starting churches.
Isn't that amazing what our God can do??!!!!!
So check out MultiplyMovement. The intro video is awesome and short.
Check out Acts.
Would love to hear your thoughts.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Repeat...But Worth It
Yall, I posted this video a while back, but it is worthy of being posted again. My husband watched it the other day and was sharing his thoughts about the various ways the Holy Spirit spoke to him through it and possible plans of actions, and I really just feel like I should share it again.
I watched it in a small Bible study class I've been helping lead...
My husband watched it on his lunch break...
I've listened to it in parts again while working out...
You could do it while the kids are asleep...
While you're driving to work...
In the evening after dinner instead of watching TV one night...
But seriously - I urge you to watch it.
My husband agreed (as well as a handful of my close friends) that it is one of the absolute BEST sermons we've ever heard.
It's by David Platt - the Radical author - and I know some of you are like "Oh - yeah that book was a little much; not sure I really agreed with all of that; in fact, he's a little crazy."
But let me assure you, the first time I read it, it sat totally wrong with me. Since then - over the past few years, however, the Lord has been slowly transforming us, revealing more about himself, and now when I go back to the things Platt/Chan/the like, preach, it is totally radical and insane and against the "american way".
But I see now, through the conviction of the HS, that this is how Jesus and the disciples lived. And aren't they our model???!!!! No matter how hard I try to find holes in these men's theology, I can't. But now the question becomes what will we do about it? Continue living as if we are not at war? As if Jesus didn't call us to live radically for Him?
Here's the cool thing: The main 2 mean that preach these things? They live it out too. Platt sold his house to live in a 2-bedroom place in inner city Birmingham so he can minister among the poor and needy (and yes, it's a dangerous area). He urges his 4K population church body to do the same. And Chan gives away 90% of his income, just sold his stuff, and is now moving his family to a 3rd world country to be like Jesus. Crazy radical.
For us personally, we have been striving o make some changes over past few years that line up more with living like Jesus, but oh my there's so much more to be done! I'm thankful for a God who lives and convicts, and guides. I sit in awe sometimes about how He has transformed us just since we've been married.
Anyway,
WATCH THIS. WATCH THIS. WATCH THIS.
I watched it in a small Bible study class I've been helping lead...
My husband watched it on his lunch break...
I've listened to it in parts again while working out...
You could do it while the kids are asleep...
While you're driving to work...
In the evening after dinner instead of watching TV one night...
But seriously - I urge you to watch it.
My husband agreed (as well as a handful of my close friends) that it is one of the absolute BEST sermons we've ever heard.
It's by David Platt - the Radical author - and I know some of you are like "Oh - yeah that book was a little much; not sure I really agreed with all of that; in fact, he's a little crazy."
But let me assure you, the first time I read it, it sat totally wrong with me. Since then - over the past few years, however, the Lord has been slowly transforming us, revealing more about himself, and now when I go back to the things Platt/Chan/the like, preach, it is totally radical and insane and against the "american way".
But I see now, through the conviction of the HS, that this is how Jesus and the disciples lived. And aren't they our model???!!!! No matter how hard I try to find holes in these men's theology, I can't. But now the question becomes what will we do about it? Continue living as if we are not at war? As if Jesus didn't call us to live radically for Him?
Here's the cool thing: The main 2 mean that preach these things? They live it out too. Platt sold his house to live in a 2-bedroom place in inner city Birmingham so he can minister among the poor and needy (and yes, it's a dangerous area). He urges his 4K population church body to do the same. And Chan gives away 90% of his income, just sold his stuff, and is now moving his family to a 3rd world country to be like Jesus. Crazy radical.
For us personally, we have been striving o make some changes over past few years that line up more with living like Jesus, but oh my there's so much more to be done! I'm thankful for a God who lives and convicts, and guides. I sit in awe sometimes about how He has transformed us just since we've been married.
Anyway,
WATCH THIS. WATCH THIS. WATCH THIS.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Memphis
I know it's been a few weeks, but after Easter and busyness, I'm still re-acquainting myself.
So the trip...it was awesome.
I think perhaps the only thing that gets more exciting and energizing than watching young people give their hearts to the Lord and allow Him to transform them in new ways is watching your own kids experience God in that manner?? But even then, it's a close race. The girls I went with and the many more boys and girls I got to know on the trip were a true refreshing blessing to my soul.
Our week consisted of hardly any sleep and not a lot of food (seriously - but that's another post in itself), but it was refreshing to me personally (one who requires lots of sleep) to - no joke- see God be the sole provider of energy for that week!
I have grown a special place in my heart for these girls I have gotten to know over the past few years, and it truly was an absolute BLESSING being able to be there through the ins/outs of this experience with them, literally watching their relationship with the Lord grow before my eyes.
What a privilege.
Our mornings started with devotions, then on to service projects (which were different every day), and then on to our "gym" until dinner time to do activities with the inner city kids. In the evenings we had some PHENOMENAL speakers come and challenge our kids (and us old folk!) while worshiping our Savior. It was at these services that you got to see the Lord increase in these kids' lives - it was amazing. I will forever cherish some of the conversations and prayers that took place during this time.
There were a lot of cool ways God used us that week, but perhaps the most favorite service projects we were a part of were doing a downtown prayer walk and working at a battered women's shelter.
DOWNTOWN
One day a bus dropped me and about 7 of our girls off downtown and told us to meet back in about 4 hours. We had a shotty map (at best) and just started walking. I gave our girls a mission: to find people they could go up to and ask them if we could pray for them about something (while explaining we're walking around praying for the city). I gave them a goal of many people were going to seek out in our 4 hours. Honestly, they were a little nervous and apprehensive. The first man we came upon was homeless and a little rough looking. They all wanted me to take the lead and shuffled behind me. That man was very welcoming and friendly, and before we left him, our girls had given him (I estimate) close to $50 of their own money, and held hands to pray over him. It was beautiful. After Larry, there was a new energy to the girls and they began hopping all over Memphis downtown, stopping people to pray for them. Not once were they rejected; not once were they laughed at; not once was the person not instantly softened. One lady just cried and cried saying no one has ever asked to pray over her. It was beautiful.
WOMEN'S SHELTER
This day was awesome! Again, only a small group of us girls went over to do an aerobics class, paint nails, and eat lunch with a group of women seeking shelter. The Lord worked all over that place that day. It was amazing. We built instant relationships with these women who opened up to us on so many levels. We praised Jesus together, we cried together, laughed hysterically, and just loved each other. We hope to go back to this place for sure next year!
Perhaps the most encouraging thing about this trip was being to walk alongside our girls as they learned about the difference between needs and wants, and about how Jesus' love is for EVERYONE and it's our responsibility to tell them and talk to them without any discrimination. We live in a very wealthy area where it is easy to get distracted from how God wants to use our lives and the resources He entrusts to us (for me at least!). It was awesome for these girls begin to learn and understand how their money/time belong to the LORD and how to be obedient to His leading on how to use such resources.
One day, we were driving in my car on the way back from our gym, and we approached a homeless man begging for money on the side of the road. The girls had heard me say in one of our cell meetings last year how I always stop, give, and pray. So this time was no different. I stopped. And before I could roll down the window, our girls had already pulled out their wallets (with zero prompting from me) to pass up whatever they had (which wasn't much because most didn't even have their money with them). It equaled out to exactly $6. I handed it over to the man (who took it without yet counting) and we asked how we could pray for him. He said the shelter he stays in requires him to pay every night and that he wanted prayer that he could get the money. I asked him how much, out of curiosity, and it was six dollars. Our girls were blown away by this, and how the Lord worked through their obedience, then continued to pray for this man the entire way to our destination. Again - beautiful.
So anyway, those are a few of the stories. There were tons more, including some hilarious ones - like getting caught on the 14th floor of the most famous Memphis hotel landmark when the fire alarm was triggered - or showing up for a service project one day and the "man in charge" having our group do the Harlem Shake as our number one project of the day - but overall, nothing still tops seeing kids' lives change. One such kid Jason and I know well became a Christian on the first day of this trip. Incredible.
Anyway, so in love with my Savior, so amazed at how He lives and works through us, so humbled at how much I have to learn to be more like Jesus. I'm thankful He is always teaching me and always weeding out the areas in my life that are unnecessary, unfocused, selfish, and frivolous.
So the trip...it was awesome.
I think perhaps the only thing that gets more exciting and energizing than watching young people give their hearts to the Lord and allow Him to transform them in new ways is watching your own kids experience God in that manner?? But even then, it's a close race. The girls I went with and the many more boys and girls I got to know on the trip were a true refreshing blessing to my soul.
Our week consisted of hardly any sleep and not a lot of food (seriously - but that's another post in itself), but it was refreshing to me personally (one who requires lots of sleep) to - no joke- see God be the sole provider of energy for that week!
I have grown a special place in my heart for these girls I have gotten to know over the past few years, and it truly was an absolute BLESSING being able to be there through the ins/outs of this experience with them, literally watching their relationship with the Lord grow before my eyes.
What a privilege.
Our mornings started with devotions, then on to service projects (which were different every day), and then on to our "gym" until dinner time to do activities with the inner city kids. In the evenings we had some PHENOMENAL speakers come and challenge our kids (and us old folk!) while worshiping our Savior. It was at these services that you got to see the Lord increase in these kids' lives - it was amazing. I will forever cherish some of the conversations and prayers that took place during this time.
There were a lot of cool ways God used us that week, but perhaps the most favorite service projects we were a part of were doing a downtown prayer walk and working at a battered women's shelter.
DOWNTOWN
One day a bus dropped me and about 7 of our girls off downtown and told us to meet back in about 4 hours. We had a shotty map (at best) and just started walking. I gave our girls a mission: to find people they could go up to and ask them if we could pray for them about something (while explaining we're walking around praying for the city). I gave them a goal of many people were going to seek out in our 4 hours. Honestly, they were a little nervous and apprehensive. The first man we came upon was homeless and a little rough looking. They all wanted me to take the lead and shuffled behind me. That man was very welcoming and friendly, and before we left him, our girls had given him (I estimate) close to $50 of their own money, and held hands to pray over him. It was beautiful. After Larry, there was a new energy to the girls and they began hopping all over Memphis downtown, stopping people to pray for them. Not once were they rejected; not once were they laughed at; not once was the person not instantly softened. One lady just cried and cried saying no one has ever asked to pray over her. It was beautiful.
WOMEN'S SHELTER
This day was awesome! Again, only a small group of us girls went over to do an aerobics class, paint nails, and eat lunch with a group of women seeking shelter. The Lord worked all over that place that day. It was amazing. We built instant relationships with these women who opened up to us on so many levels. We praised Jesus together, we cried together, laughed hysterically, and just loved each other. We hope to go back to this place for sure next year!
Perhaps the most encouraging thing about this trip was being to walk alongside our girls as they learned about the difference between needs and wants, and about how Jesus' love is for EVERYONE and it's our responsibility to tell them and talk to them without any discrimination. We live in a very wealthy area where it is easy to get distracted from how God wants to use our lives and the resources He entrusts to us (for me at least!). It was awesome for these girls begin to learn and understand how their money/time belong to the LORD and how to be obedient to His leading on how to use such resources.
One day, we were driving in my car on the way back from our gym, and we approached a homeless man begging for money on the side of the road. The girls had heard me say in one of our cell meetings last year how I always stop, give, and pray. So this time was no different. I stopped. And before I could roll down the window, our girls had already pulled out their wallets (with zero prompting from me) to pass up whatever they had (which wasn't much because most didn't even have their money with them). It equaled out to exactly $6. I handed it over to the man (who took it without yet counting) and we asked how we could pray for him. He said the shelter he stays in requires him to pay every night and that he wanted prayer that he could get the money. I asked him how much, out of curiosity, and it was six dollars. Our girls were blown away by this, and how the Lord worked through their obedience, then continued to pray for this man the entire way to our destination. Again - beautiful.
Anyway, so in love with my Savior, so amazed at how He lives and works through us, so humbled at how much I have to learn to be more like Jesus. I'm thankful He is always teaching me and always weeding out the areas in my life that are unnecessary, unfocused, selfish, and frivolous.
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