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Kamis, 29 September 2016
"Wilderness Series" (free download)
Do You Know How Much God Enjoys You?
Does God Enjoy You?
The
Westminster Shorter Catechism of 1646 said that the chief end of man
"is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." What a great statement and
those words have resonated with many believers in the ensuing centuries.
The
God most Christians know, however, is not one to be enjoyed. Most
people associate fear or reverential awe with God's presence and usually
try and to please, appease, serve, or surrender to him without even
thinking of enjoying him.
The fact is that none of us can truly enjoy him until we know how much he enjoys us.
Now, that's a mind bender for many. Even if we are to enjoy God, they
think it is something we have to make ourselves do in spite of how holy
and demanding he presents himself to be. And yet, Jesus wasn't like that
when he came in human flesh. He seemed to enjoy being around his
creation, even those still lost in sin.
Now,
I used to believe he could enjoy me when I could finally get my life
together and do all the things he desired that would bring glory to him.
I'm 63 and that hasn't happened yet, even if I did pretend back in the
day that I was at least doing more than most others I knew, so he must
have thought himself fortunate to have a son like me. His love and
freedom has allowed me to see my life in more honest terms, knowing the
cracks and frailties I still have. And yet he seems to enjoy me, much
like I enjoy my grandkids. I don't think they're perfect, and even when
they are being completely obnoxious, I still love the little dears with
all my heart. I may not enjoy what they are doing at any given moment,
but I am no less delighted in them as people learning to find their way
in a difficult world.
These
days I hear many authors and sociologists using a new definition for
friendship that includes enjoyment. Your friends are those you enjoy
being with. When you know you're going to meet them, your heart
anticipates that time with joy. And friendship is best defined where
your friends enjoy being with you as much as you enjoy being with them.
Doesn't that make sense? Aren't those the people you treasure most and
bring the most joy into your life?
What
if it were true that you delight God's heart even more today than I
delight in my grandkids? What would it change in you if you truly
believed it. Somehow God finds us humans quite endearing, even when we
are lost in the pain and brokenness of a fallen world. He delights in
you even in the midst of your doubts, fears, temptations, and failures.
He does not see us as the summation of our brokenness, but as the person
he made you to be that is being swallowed by those other things.
He delights in you,
not in what you do! And he knows that the more you enjoy him, the more
you'll find freedom from the things that twist you. Transformation grows
out of our knowing that God enjoys us and that we can enjoy him as a
gracious Father.
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John Fenn, We are Light #2
Hi all,
Continuing about light...
As part of New Testament truth we are told* 'you were before darkness but now you are light',
and not to err in what we believe, for when we fall into tests, trials
and temptations it isn't God doing it to us*, for from Him flows
only every good and perfect gift for He is the Father of lights
(us), and there is no variableness nor hint of
shadow (duplicity/ulterior motive) in His character. *Ephesians 5:8,
James 1:1-18
These
and many more verses throughout the Bible blur the lines between the
spiritual truth that God is light and the physical light we see with our
eyes (and those wavelengths we can't see):
Moses'
face shone after spending 40 days and nights on the Mount with the
Lord*, when the angels announced the birth of Jesus to the Shepherds*
'the glory of the Lord shone round about them'. When Jesus was
transfigured* before Peter, James, and John a bright cloud overshadowed
them and Jesus became bright light, and the Lord said He was going to
return to the glory He had with the Father before the world was.*
(*Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 2:9, Mark 9:3, John 17:5)
The unseen point where spiritual light and physical light meet is found in the person of Jesus Christ:
"...Who
(Jesus) being the brightness of (the Father's) glory, and the impressed
image of (the Father's) person, (Jesus) upholds (carries) all things by
the Word of (the Father's) power, when He had by Himself purged out
sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..." *Hebrews
1:1-3
(Note:
That is not 'the power of the Word', but rather the 'Word of the
Father's power'. Perhaps a future 'Weekly Thoughts' about the difference
is in order?)
And this: "...for by Him (Christ Jesus) all things were created, invisible and visible, and in Him all things consist." (Greek, 'in Him all things stand/are held together). Colossians 1:16-17
And:
"For by faith we understand the worlds were framed (fit/put together)
by the Word of God, so that things that are seen were not made of things
that are visible." Hebrews 11:3
Look at this as more than figurative speech and metaphors
There
are 94 uses of the root word 'light' in the New Testament (KJV), the
vast majority are about either God's light, us being light, letting our
light shine, or something related to those 3 subjects.
What
if for instance, in Matthew 5:14-16 when Jesus tells us we are the
light of the world, and that no one lights a lamp and hides it under a
basket but rather lets it shine to give light to their whole house, and
that we should let our light shine so that others can see the goodness
of the Father God - what if that is both figurative speech and at the same time a spiritual reality in the unseen realm?
Our light shining and how demons work
I
was in worship one night when suddenly I was in the Spirit, and the
Lord stood before me: "I want to teach you some things about how demons
work." Immediately we were standing in the dark maybe 20 feet
(6m) behind a Christian man who was unaware we were watching him. He was
looking straight ahead, and was encased in a sphere of light that was
emanating from him, extending out about 10 feet (3m) in all directions.
It resembled a fuzzy white light rather than intense bright white, more
like a glowing fog.
The
light was an unbroken sphere extending into the darkness that I knew
represented the spiritual darkness in the world, and though we were
standing and walking, the light did not stop at the floor. I say floor
though I had no idea if there was one as Jesus and I could walk around
and beneath and at his 2 o'clock level above his head or at waist height
or below him looking up at the soles of his feet at will. In fact the
Lord and I walked all around the man while the Lord explained to me many
things about how we are born of the Father by the Spirit and are
therefore beings of light, and what that means in real life experiences.
One of the most lasting things the Lord said to me as we circled the man was this:
"Notice
how he is of light and is bathed in light, but he barely recognizes who
he is in Me. Watch and see how easily he is distracted from the light
and life in him:"
Just
then I noticed a demon coming out of the darkness and he began circling
the sphere of light, looking so intensely for a way through he didn't
even notice the Lord and I standing some 10' (3m) behind him. The demon
was about 2 1/2 feet tall (0.76m) and looked like a small person or
perhaps a monkey - his face was smaller than a toddler's as was his
whole build - thin and no fat at all on his wirey naked frame. He
circled the sphere as we did, top to bottom, side to side always looking
at the man, like a lion might stalk an antelope, probing for a
weakness.
The
Lord continued: "The man walks with Me, but about every 2 weeks or so
he starts thinking about a favorite sin, for he has not disciplined
himself to control his desires of the flesh. He knows his tendencies and
weaknesses, and so does the demon who has watched him for years, who
therefore entices him. And because his flesh likes the sin, he
entertains thoughts and imaginations about that sin."
Just
then the man started looking around instead of straight ahead, which
reminded me of Peter walking on the water who broke his eye contact with
Jesus to look at the wind and waves and began to sink. I knew somehow
the man was turning his eyes from the Lord in this one small area
and thinking about that sin, and again somehow I knew the process was
going on over the course of several days in the man's life - like he
started thinking about it on a Monday for the plan to do it on Friday,
sort of thing. The Lord continued: "Now watch what happens when his
desire for sin combines with the enticing:"
Sin enters
Just
then a piece of the sphere of light pulled back, opening up in shape
like a slice of pie from top to bottom, about 2 feet wide (0.6m) at the
equator on the outside and narrowing to maybe 6 inches (15cm) at the
man's shoulders. It was the man's doing as he entertained thoughts on
the sin, allowing his light to withdraw in this one little area of his
life.
I
could see this man's imagination racing with thoughts of his sin as the
demon turned sideways as he edged closer to the man, careful to
not allow the light of the sphere to touch him - and just before
reaching the man he made a leap onto his shoulders and started talking
to him.
As
the demon sat on the man's shoulder enticing him, one of the things the
Lord brought up is that is when you are aware of your light and you
come across a person with a demon, you become aware the demon in
them knows you know who you are in Christ and they don't want to be
exposed. The demon becomes afraid of you, but as long as the person
wants them there, you can't cast it out, yet they fear.
It
often manifests in that person not wanting contact with you because the
demon inside them doesn't want to be around you (meaning it would be
cast out/the person would have to deal with their issue). That
person may only know why on a subconscious level, though they will often
make up a childish excuse or accusation against you in the natural, but
they know and have to make their own way.
The
Lord taught me how most people are delivered simply by walking with Him
and hearing His voice only, and even long time in the family demons
will then find no opening and so go off looking for another prey. But
how at first it can be a battle of wills; how much does this person want
the light of righteousness vs how much do they want the known and
comfortable sin with associated demon, and so much more.
He
talked of how darkness and demons retreat from the light and how a
believing spouse influences their unbelieving family, how families can
affect neighborhoods, and much more, all related to spiritual light
affecting the darkness and demonic realms. Let your light shine...a
reality in you!
"For
God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness', made His light shine
in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the Father's
glory which is displayed in the face of Christ." II Corinthians 4:6
Next week part 3; the light of heaven.
Until then, blessings,
John Fenn
New CD/MP3 Series
Overcoming when Overwhelmed
Everyone
faces a crisis from time to time, but not everyone emerges whole and
victorious on the other side. In this series John shares 5 key things
successful people do in the midst of a crisis, detailing a process to be
walked through when hit with an unwanted surprise. Sharing
from personal and Biblical examples along with a few favorite verses
that continue to minister to him, this series instills confidence, faith
and peace when your world is falling apart. When all the voices are
speaking destruction, you'll learn what to do to counter those voices
and come out the other side victorious!
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— Events—
Let There be Light Fellowship
Osawatomie, KS
Saturday October 1, 2016
(9:30am, 1:00)
Sunday, October 2, 2016
(9:00 am)
Contact CWOWI@aol.com for more information
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Just a word about our On-line Video Bible School
- these classes, so far; Old Testament I & II, Righteousness and
Our Authority in Christ - are a go-at-your-own-pace, no test, investment
in your own faith and understanding of the Word and Lord. Once
registered, your password is good for a whole year so you can take your
time, but as I'm hearing from students, once they start they have a hard
time stopping! Each class is about 45-55 minutes long, so they are in
easy to receive segments...consider investing in a deeper study of the
things of God!
Case Study: Van Dyke Church 5 Years Later
Case Study: Van Dyke Church 5 Years Later
“This is a marathon, not a sprint. We want to build things that will last.”
If you’ve been following this blog for any amount of time, you are probably wondering:
Does this really work, or is this all talk?
Great question!
I’ve talked about the churches I’ve served and all of the churches I’ve coached. Today, I want to introduce you to one of those churches.
(If you want to read the original case study I wrote about them back in 2012, CLICK HERE.)
Why am I using an example that’s five years old? Because I want you to see what happened then, and where things are five years later.
Believe me, it’s easy to create a lot of excitement for one six-week church-wide campaign or 40 Days series, but what happens after that series ends, the number of groups you retain and the way you support them is more important than starting dozens or hundreds of new groups for a campaign.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. We want to build things that will last.
Back to Van Dyke Church: In 2011, they had 1,800 adults in their weekend services and about 400 people in groups. After working with them for nine months, Van Dyke grew to over 2,000 people in groups. That’s 110 percent of their adult attendance. This is what Pastor Matthew Hartsfield says about the experience.
“Like most churches, Van Dyke Church had a small group ministry for years. However, group ministry was not deeply embedded in the culture of our church, and we never exceeded 22 percent of our adult weekend worship attendance in groups.
“That all changed when we started working with Allen White as a coach for our small group ministry. With his help, we created and launched our own sermon-based curriculum and developed a systematic approach to creating a small group culture of adult discipleship. Within one year, we saw dramatic impact:
• Our first launch we moved us from 22 to 56 percent in groups (1,000 adults)
• Our second launch took us from 56 to 89 percent in groups (1,600 adults)
• Our third launch went from 89 percent of adult weekend worship attendance to over 100 percent (over 2,000 adults).
“Today, four years later, we are still sustaining close to 90 percent of our adult weekend worship attendance in small groups!
“Allen’s coaching helped us create a small group ministry that generated results across the board:
• People get connected in community.
• People grow in their study of the Bible.
• People serve in mission together through their small group.
• People develop leadership skills as small group hosts.
• People become more evangelistically motivated to invite outsiders to small groups.
“Allen White was used by God in an essential way to help us move to an entirely new level of spiritual growth and impact as a church.”
While Pastor Matthew is very generous about his words regarding my coaching, I would say God had a much bigger role in this than I did. But, then again, the reason I was even coaching this church and so many others is because of what God taught me through the Exponential Group Launches in my own churches.
What made the difference for Van Dyke Church? They were committed to groups, but in 2011, they made some significant changes that produced exponential growth. Here’s what they did:
Notice how Van Dyke’s groups grew. They went from 400 in groups to 1,000 the first time around. But, they didn’t wait a year to do it again. In fact, the Fall 2011 series ended before Thanksgiving, and the next series began in January. Not only did they add another 600 people in groups, they kept the 1,000 who were in the Fall groups.
Before the Fall series ended, they announced the Winter series. Before the Winter series ended, they announced the Spring series, and ended up with over 2,000 people in groups, which means they had more people in groups than in their worship services.
If you’ve launched one church-wide campaign, then you lost those groups, you would be led to believe that doesn’t work.
And, you are right! It doesn’t work.
But, if you put in the effort the first year, whether you launch in the Fall or in January, your groups will continue, and you will add more groups each time. If you’re only doing one campaign every Fall or every New Year, even though you are committed to groups and campaigns, you have placed your church in an endless cycle of Ground Hog Day.
You know the definition of insanity, right?
The key is a sequence, not just one series.
I remember the day after our team coached their first video shoot. Pastor Matthew called us into his office and asked, “Now that we’ve shot this video and are making curriculum, how do we recruit leaders? And, how do we get people connected into groups?”
His discipleship pastor had tried to generate this kind of interest in groups for two years. What did it? The senior pastor made the investments.
So, how do you recruit leaders and connect people into groups?
If you’re the small group pastor or director, you don’t recruit leaders. In fact, if you do recruit, you’ll get 30 percent of what your senior pastor will get.
Pastor Matthew stood up in his weekend series and invited people to open their homes and do a group. Think about this: At that time, he had been the pastor for 18 years. If someone wasn’t connected to other people in the church, why were they there (other than Jesus)? They were there because they connected to the senior pastor! They liked his personality and his teaching. They laughed at his jokes. The senior pastor is the reason they’re there. (Now, don’t tell this to your worship pastor. It will break his heart.)
When Van Dyke Church launched their first study, Pastor Matthew recruited 60 new leaders. When they launched the second time, he recruited 60 more. Then, on the third time around, he recruited over 40 leaders, which put them way over the top in the ratio of groups to service attendance.Their small group director trained and supported the leaders, but their senior pastor did all of the recruiting.
Pastor Matthew saw the benefit of groups for Van Dyke Church as he stated above: connection, growth, serving, leadership development and evangelism. What other ministry in the church does all of that? There was no looking back for them.
So, what about you? How do you double, triple or quadruple your groups? How do you get your senior pastor on-board?
This is why I created the Leading an Exponential Group Launch course. The principles and strategies that brought success to Van Dyke Church can also bring success to your church.
Before we started together, Pastor Matthew was friendly toward groups, but he wasn’t the champion. Let’s get your senior pastor to champion groups in your church.
What are your thoughts?
Does this really work, or is this all talk?
Great question!
I’ve talked about the churches I’ve served and all of the churches I’ve coached. Today, I want to introduce you to one of those churches.
The Case Study
Back in 2011-2012, I had the privilege of coaching Van Dyke Church in Lutz, Fla.(If you want to read the original case study I wrote about them back in 2012, CLICK HERE.)
Why am I using an example that’s five years old? Because I want you to see what happened then, and where things are five years later.
Believe me, it’s easy to create a lot of excitement for one six-week church-wide campaign or 40 Days series, but what happens after that series ends, the number of groups you retain and the way you support them is more important than starting dozens or hundreds of new groups for a campaign.
This is a marathon, not a sprint. We want to build things that will last.
Back to Van Dyke Church: In 2011, they had 1,800 adults in their weekend services and about 400 people in groups. After working with them for nine months, Van Dyke grew to over 2,000 people in groups. That’s 110 percent of their adult attendance. This is what Pastor Matthew Hartsfield says about the experience.
“Like most churches, Van Dyke Church had a small group ministry for years. However, group ministry was not deeply embedded in the culture of our church, and we never exceeded 22 percent of our adult weekend worship attendance in groups.
“That all changed when we started working with Allen White as a coach for our small group ministry. With his help, we created and launched our own sermon-based curriculum and developed a systematic approach to creating a small group culture of adult discipleship. Within one year, we saw dramatic impact:
• Our first launch we moved us from 22 to 56 percent in groups (1,000 adults)
• Our second launch took us from 56 to 89 percent in groups (1,600 adults)
• Our third launch went from 89 percent of adult weekend worship attendance to over 100 percent (over 2,000 adults).
“Today, four years later, we are still sustaining close to 90 percent of our adult weekend worship attendance in small groups!
“Allen’s coaching helped us create a small group ministry that generated results across the board:
• People get connected in community.
• People grow in their study of the Bible.
• People serve in mission together through their small group.
• People develop leadership skills as small group hosts.
• People become more evangelistically motivated to invite outsiders to small groups.
“Allen White was used by God in an essential way to help us move to an entirely new level of spiritual growth and impact as a church.”
While Pastor Matthew is very generous about his words regarding my coaching, I would say God had a much bigger role in this than I did. But, then again, the reason I was even coaching this church and so many others is because of what God taught me through the Exponential Group Launches in my own churches.
What made the difference for Van Dyke Church? They were committed to groups, but in 2011, they made some significant changes that produced exponential growth. Here’s what they did:
Tip #1: Focus on a Long Term Win.
Let’s be honest here. Launching one church-wide campaign or series for six weeks creates a lot of excitement, but often it doesn’t produce lasting results. For some strange reason, people get the idea that after the six weeks is over, they’re done. Where would they get an idea like that?Notice how Van Dyke’s groups grew. They went from 400 in groups to 1,000 the first time around. But, they didn’t wait a year to do it again. In fact, the Fall 2011 series ended before Thanksgiving, and the next series began in January. Not only did they add another 600 people in groups, they kept the 1,000 who were in the Fall groups.
Before the Fall series ended, they announced the Winter series. Before the Winter series ended, they announced the Spring series, and ended up with over 2,000 people in groups, which means they had more people in groups than in their worship services.
If you’ve launched one church-wide campaign, then you lost those groups, you would be led to believe that doesn’t work.
And, you are right! It doesn’t work.
But, if you put in the effort the first year, whether you launch in the Fall or in January, your groups will continue, and you will add more groups each time. If you’re only doing one campaign every Fall or every New Year, even though you are committed to groups and campaigns, you have placed your church in an endless cycle of Ground Hog Day.
You know the definition of insanity, right?
The key is a sequence, not just one series.
Tip #2: The Senior Pastor Is the Groups Champion.
Pastor Matthew and Van Dyke Church actually created their own curriculum, which is possible for any church, even if you shoot it with an iPhone!I remember the day after our team coached their first video shoot. Pastor Matthew called us into his office and asked, “Now that we’ve shot this video and are making curriculum, how do we recruit leaders? And, how do we get people connected into groups?”
His discipleship pastor had tried to generate this kind of interest in groups for two years. What did it? The senior pastor made the investments.
So, how do you recruit leaders and connect people into groups?
If you’re the small group pastor or director, you don’t recruit leaders. In fact, if you do recruit, you’ll get 30 percent of what your senior pastor will get.
Pastor Matthew stood up in his weekend series and invited people to open their homes and do a group. Think about this: At that time, he had been the pastor for 18 years. If someone wasn’t connected to other people in the church, why were they there (other than Jesus)? They were there because they connected to the senior pastor! They liked his personality and his teaching. They laughed at his jokes. The senior pastor is the reason they’re there. (Now, don’t tell this to your worship pastor. It will break his heart.)
When Van Dyke Church launched their first study, Pastor Matthew recruited 60 new leaders. When they launched the second time, he recruited 60 more. Then, on the third time around, he recruited over 40 leaders, which put them way over the top in the ratio of groups to service attendance.Their small group director trained and supported the leaders, but their senior pastor did all of the recruiting.
Tip #3: Groups Have Remained on the Front Burner of Ministry.
After the first year, Van Dyke Church didn’t offer three self-produced curricula in a single year, but they still kept their energy focused on groups. They offered a weekly discussion guide. They produced one series a year. Their groups went up and down, like everybody’s, but after five years, they still retain a much higher number of ongoing groups than where they started.Pastor Matthew saw the benefit of groups for Van Dyke Church as he stated above: connection, growth, serving, leadership development and evangelism. What other ministry in the church does all of that? There was no looking back for them.
So, what about you? How do you double, triple or quadruple your groups? How do you get your senior pastor on-board?
This is why I created the Leading an Exponential Group Launch course. The principles and strategies that brought success to Van Dyke Church can also bring success to your church.
Before we started together, Pastor Matthew was friendly toward groups, but he wasn’t the champion. Let’s get your senior pastor to champion groups in your church.
What are your thoughts?
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What Small Group Ministry Should Learn From the Methodist Revival
What Small Group Ministry Should Learn From the Methodist Revival
“The church of today should take a lesson from the early church and the successful revival movements in church history.”
I have had the
privilege of proclaiming the gospel on six continents during the past
few years. Amazingly, I’ve seen a Methodist Church building in nearly
every nation I’ve visited! Some of my Methodist pastor friends tell me
that many of these buildings serve as memorials to a past revival. What
happened?
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, saw that new wine must be put into new wineskins. He was not only used to spark a mighty revival, but he also created structures that could serve as receptacles of the harvest. Within a century, about one in every 30 Englishmen was Methodist.
A key to the Methodist revival was the accountability that each of these new believers found in small groups. Called “class meetings” by Wesley, these groups were, in effect, cell groups. Men and women were appointed as “class leaders” to conduct the meetings and disciple the converts.
Howard A. Snyder, in The Radical Wesley, tells us,
The classes normally met one evening each week for an hour or so. Each person reported on his or her spiritual progress, or on particular needs or problems, and received the support and prayers of the others… According to one author it was, in fact, in the class meeting “where the great majority of conversions occurred.”
The class meeting system tied together the widely scattered Methodist people and became the sustainer of the Methodist renewal over many decades. The movement was in fact a whole series of sporadic and often geographically localized revivals which were interconnected and spread by the society and class network, rather than one continuous wave of revival which swept the country. [Classes joined together to form a society.]
Without the class meeting, the scattered fires of revival would have burned out long before the movement was able to make a deep impact on the nation.
Now here is the remarkable thing. One hears today that it is hard to find enough leaders for small groups or for those to carry on the other responsibilities in the church. Wesley put one in 10, perhaps one in five, to work in significant ministry and leadership. And who were these people? Not the educated or the wealthy with time on their hands, but laboring men and women, husbands and wives and young folks with little or no training, but with spiritual gifts and eagerness to serve.
The system which emerged gave lie to the argument that you can’t build a church on poor and uneducated folk. Not only did Wesley reach the masses; he made leaders of thousands of them.
In time the Methodist believers began to put more of an emphasis on the Sunday morning church meetings in their buildings. As they de-emphasized the accountable relationships they had in their class meetings, the revival movement began to decline. May we not make the same mistake in this generation! Let us see that small groups have often served to fan the fires of revival throughout church history. As we seek to ignite a discipling movement in our own time, we must place the local prayer and support group concept at the very center of our strategy. The great reformer Martin Luther proposed that widespread spiritual renewal should take the form of ecclesiolae in ecclesia—little churches within the church.
The church of today should take a lesson from the early church and the successful revival movements in church history. Often with only minimal success, we have clung to traditional church structures while trying to reach people for Christ with extravagant church programs and high-tech methodology. Though such methods may have their place, they can never substitute for personal relationships formed in the context of genuine Christian community.
This post was adapted from an original article by Larry Kreider titled “The Underground Church,” found on Dove International’s website.
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Church, saw that new wine must be put into new wineskins. He was not only used to spark a mighty revival, but he also created structures that could serve as receptacles of the harvest. Within a century, about one in every 30 Englishmen was Methodist.
A key to the Methodist revival was the accountability that each of these new believers found in small groups. Called “class meetings” by Wesley, these groups were, in effect, cell groups. Men and women were appointed as “class leaders” to conduct the meetings and disciple the converts.
Howard A. Snyder, in The Radical Wesley, tells us,
The classes normally met one evening each week for an hour or so. Each person reported on his or her spiritual progress, or on particular needs or problems, and received the support and prayers of the others… According to one author it was, in fact, in the class meeting “where the great majority of conversions occurred.”
The class meeting system tied together the widely scattered Methodist people and became the sustainer of the Methodist renewal over many decades. The movement was in fact a whole series of sporadic and often geographically localized revivals which were interconnected and spread by the society and class network, rather than one continuous wave of revival which swept the country. [Classes joined together to form a society.]
Without the class meeting, the scattered fires of revival would have burned out long before the movement was able to make a deep impact on the nation.
Now here is the remarkable thing. One hears today that it is hard to find enough leaders for small groups or for those to carry on the other responsibilities in the church. Wesley put one in 10, perhaps one in five, to work in significant ministry and leadership. And who were these people? Not the educated or the wealthy with time on their hands, but laboring men and women, husbands and wives and young folks with little or no training, but with spiritual gifts and eagerness to serve.
The system which emerged gave lie to the argument that you can’t build a church on poor and uneducated folk. Not only did Wesley reach the masses; he made leaders of thousands of them.
In time the Methodist believers began to put more of an emphasis on the Sunday morning church meetings in their buildings. As they de-emphasized the accountable relationships they had in their class meetings, the revival movement began to decline. May we not make the same mistake in this generation! Let us see that small groups have often served to fan the fires of revival throughout church history. As we seek to ignite a discipling movement in our own time, we must place the local prayer and support group concept at the very center of our strategy. The great reformer Martin Luther proposed that widespread spiritual renewal should take the form of ecclesiolae in ecclesia—little churches within the church.
The church of today should take a lesson from the early church and the successful revival movements in church history. Often with only minimal success, we have clung to traditional church structures while trying to reach people for Christ with extravagant church programs and high-tech methodology. Though such methods may have their place, they can never substitute for personal relationships formed in the context of genuine Christian community.
This post was adapted from an original article by Larry Kreider titled “The Underground Church,” found on Dove International’s website.
Personal, Prophecy, 30th Anniversary (John Fenn)
Hi all,
Thanks for those asking about my Atrial
fibrillation - AFib - the doctor said to lose another 10-20 pounds to be
sure my blood pressure is down to normal, and he will see me in
February to discuss the nerve ablation, which is when they insert an
electrical probe to the nerve in the heart that is firing continually,
and with a shot of electricity, deaden that nerve so it doesn't fire at
all.
I'm praying, as I'm not sure I want to do
that because I don't seem to have symptoms of anything wrong. But at
the same time I wonder if the AFib is like the 'check engine' light on
the car - nothing major is wrong but it needs to be corrected at some
point as it could lead to something more wrong down the road...thanks
for praying for me. I will go with peace and whatever the Father says or
leads, but that peace and direction often comes only after gathering
all the information possible and THEN He speaks or directs. So I will
lose weight and talk to them in February.
“Watch out when Hillary takes office”
I don't like to keep going over this but I
continue to receive many emails about what the Father told me so let me
set the context. In the spring of that year He had told me of a plot to
smuggle shoulder fired missiles/RPG into the US to shoot down aircraft
and launch attacks, and He said “You need to pray.” So I did, asking the
Father to have the plot discovered and stopped, and in August or
September the discovery of the plot made the news (I’m just a small cell
in the body of Christ so I’m sure many were praying).
As a result of that plot being uncovered I
asked the Father in context of terrorist attacks on US soil, “How’s the
country now?” and He replied, “Okay for now, but watch out when Hillary
takes office.”
At the time she was a US Senator and a
few years later, in 2009, she was named Secretary of State. So I
consider that word fulfilled when she became Secretary of State in 2009,
for we have seen an escalation in terror attacks in the US since then,
almost on a monthly if not weekly basis it seems at times.
But the larger ‘watch out’ is broader
than just terror attacks within the US, for the culture and economy of
the US have declined faster than anyone thought possible in that same
time frame He outlined. So I wonder if that was what He was talking
about, or if the larger fulfillment will be her being elected and the
negative in a much more intense and larger scale. We watch and pray.
Additionally
After I first shared that some 12 years
ago, a friend told me that William Branham saw in 1933, before he got
off-balance in his beliefs, a vision of a time in the US with driverless
cars that were shaped similar to eggs, women cutting their hair,
dressing like men and shedding their clothes, and well as a beautiful
woman become President who rules with cruelty, followed by explosions
all over the US. (Not to insult the nominee, but in 1933 a man seeing a
vision of 83 years in the future of a glossy made up for TV woman
President might be described by him as beautiful)
I don’t fear, but I watch and pray. My
main focus is actually on the amazing things the Lord is doing all over
the world, family to family, friend to friend, home to home – focus on
Him and news related to what He is doing and you won’t have fear of
world events.
You may also recall (I've shared this a
few times) the Father told me; "The President and his policies will be
more dangerous after he leaves office than when he was in
(office)." Last week a friend sent me a link to the President's
interview with Historian Doris Kearns, in which he said he planned to
start speaking out more like an activist than a president after he
leaves office. Traditionally former presidents step aside and don't
comment, but the US and world should be ready for the first post-office
activist president.
Translators needed
Our German and Finnish translators are
overwhelmed and we need help! They have faithfully translated my Weekly
Thoughts and e-newsletters for years, but things have fallen on their
shoulders alone and it is time to take some of that load - if you are
interested in translating my Weekly Thoughts and e-newsletters into
German or Finnish (or other language if interested and needed) please
contact Wil Kleinmeulman at cwowi@solcon.nl for information. Thanks!
30th anniversary of the Lord appearing to me October, 1, 1986
That 10/1/86 teaching visitation was the
2nd time I had seen Him, the first being in April of that year, but the
first of many teaching visitations – and this one impacted my life more
than any other. He opened by saying “I want to teach you how to hear the
Father’s voice”, and then taught for a total of about 50 minutes. I’ve
shared the core points in a DVD recorded at TV7 in Finland, and also
several CD/MP3 series, and we’re offering those series at a discount
this month in addition to the new series, "The Friendship Crisis; When
Christian Friends Act Like Unbelievers". I’d also suggest reading my
first book, Pursuing the Seasons of God (available as an e-book too),
which details many of the early visitations from 1986-1992.
Facebook Live
I'm going to start doing live Facebook
mini-teachings, just a few minutes in length each - if you happen to be
on FB while I am you can listen and watch live, and if not they will be
posted to be watched when you sign on. I don't have a regular schedule,
but they will be things on my heart, food for thought, short teachings
and things to think about - so watch for those in the coming weeks.
House church; Not something you 'do', something you live
As I scan the world for what works and
what doesn't work in house church, the key of course is the
relationships not the house - meeting in homes is the natural outgrowth
of those relationships. As we get to know someone it is natural to
invite them into our home, share a meal, and from there having a time
of prayer, worship, thoughts on something the Lord has shown or taught
us, is natural.
We continue to see rotating who leads
each week, and rotating homes as it is practical works best - across
borders, across cultures - this seems to be what they did in Acts -
going "house to house" as it says. Even if you meet in the same home
most of the time, rotate who leads each week.
In the New Testament we see 'main homes'
with key leaders mentioned by Paul in his letters - Gaius Justus in
Corinth, Lydia in Philippi, Philemon in Colossae, and Aquila and
Priscilla seemed to have opened their home no matter where they lived,
for they are mentioned as hosting in Rome as well as Ephesus, Nymphas in
Laodecia, Jason in Thessalonica, and so on.
For many, the fact the letters of the New
Testament were written to specific individuals and the members of
the body of Christ that met in homes, is a revelation. Many never
connect the names in Acts with our titles of the letters, missing the
fact that Paul was writing letters to real people in real homes. This
means if you've tried to understand the New Testament (even the gospels)
through the auditorium setting you have understood it all wrong -
the instructions written to them were in the context of relationship
based faith as they met in homes. The 5-fold, the gifts of the Spirit,
giving and receiving - all in context as written, were to be practiced
in homes within close relationships in Christ. And this is what God is
doing all over the world!
The investment of ourselves in relationships
One of the most frustrating aspects of
house church I hear is the contrast between those willing to invest
themselves in others by getting to know them, versus those who come to
house church to be fed like a baby bird. Often they are people in search
of a home, of safety as they define it - meaning they can sit and do
absolutely nothing other than 'receive'.
There is space for that in house church,
but what happens is that person will at some point just a few weeks
later, open up and begin sharing like everyone else (if they will stick
with it and return).
That said, taking the step to get to know
new people is huge. That is why most growth in house church in
scripture and today, is through friends, family, neighbors, and
co-workers. Relatively rare is the stranger who comes to house church
knowing no one there, and stays.
Invest in each other by sharing meals
together, lunch hours, outdoor events, social events, prayer, worship,
study of the Word - share life! This world will pass away, but people
are forever. Look at the big picture that you and I and those we lay
down our lives for in Christ, will still know each other 1,000 years
from now. You can get over the bumps that naturally occur in
relationships if you look at the big picture.
Thank you!
Paul said of those who contributed to his
ministry in II Corinthians 8:4, they gave for the “privilege of sharing
in this ministry to the Lord’s people.” It is a privilege to give so as to share in ministry to the Lord's people.
As in Paul's day, not everyone has this
in their hearts, even many who have been with us and CWOWI for years
never or rarely give - so we are very thankful for those who do remember
us in their giving. Not that we want it solely for us, but that giving
and receiving is part of a mature and balanced Christian life which is
our call in life, to mature people in Christ. And when we see people
walking in this grace of giving, it means we have had an impact in their
growth in Christ which causes us to give thanks to the Father.
Thank you so much! Love and blessings upon you and yours,
John & Barb
New cd/MP3 series:
When Christian Friends Behave like Unbelievers
The
Friendship Crisis, when Christian friends behave like unbelievers,
details instructions in scripture on how to handle an offended friend,
how to examine any part we played in their offense, our responsibility
to them and the Lord, and their responsibility for mending the
relationship. It also covers broken friendships and how to pray and act
towards the once close friend, and how to determine if they were truly a
friend in the first place. Topics include setting and violating
boundaries between friends, one-sided friendships, the decision making
process, and how to let a friend go with a clear conscience. Filled with
insights, you'll be blessed!
September 23- October 14th we will be offering select CDs and MP3 files at 25% off
Glimpses Behind the Scenes- CD/ MP3
Things the Lord has Taught me about Prayer and Worship- CD/ MP3
The Revelation of the Son- CD/ MP3
The Revelation of the Father- CD/ MP3
The Revelation of the Holy Spirit- CD/ MP3
Pursuing the Seasons of God- CD/ MP3
Things the Lord has Taught me about Prayer and Worship- CD/ MP3
The Revelation of the Son- CD/ MP3
The Revelation of the Father- CD/ MP3
The Revelation of the Holy Spirit- CD/ MP3
Pursuing the Seasons of God- CD/ MP3
Knowing the Ways of God- CD/ MP3
Getting to Know our Heavenly Father - CD/ MP3
How Jesus Taught Me to Hear the Fathers Voice- DVD
Just talk about Jesus?
A few years ago (when I still went to places to speak) someone came up to me during the morning break and said...
"Stop telling us what's wrong with church! Just talk about Jesus."
That sounds really spiritual, doesn't it?
But...
It was really just an excuse to avoid reality and present a figment of this person's religious imagination - in other words...
"Just tickle my ears and tell me about a Jesus Who loves me and would never criticize my church so long as my heart is in the right place."
Well, the Jesus I know spent a great deal of time warning His disciples not to get sucked into a false religious system that claimed to represent God but actually led people astray.
For example, Jesus told them, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is HYPOCRISY."
Beware! Watch out!
Why?
Not just because the religious spirit will come against you. It will.
But BEWARE because (if you aren't careful) you'll easily find yourself getting religious even while you think you're following Jesus.
Not very long after Jesus warned His disciples we see them arguing over who would be the greatest.
There you go!
That's how it happens - even to Jesus' own disciples!
People haven't changed, the problem hasn't changed, and Jesus hasn't changed.
Religion is the antithesis of Relationship.
So "telling you what's wrong" is a painful but necessary step towards telling you what's right.
I can't "just talk about Jesus" without also talking about the things that Jesus told us to watch out for.
Want to go deeper?
Join us for this week's live online teaching:
BEWARE THE LEAVEN (Part 3)
Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 @ 7:00 P.M. Eastern (New York Time Zone)
Go here to register for this (free) webinar:
https://app.webinarjam.net/register/30090/ccb1ffe5b1
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
"Stop telling us what's wrong with church! Just talk about Jesus."
That sounds really spiritual, doesn't it?
But...
It was really just an excuse to avoid reality and present a figment of this person's religious imagination - in other words...
"Just tickle my ears and tell me about a Jesus Who loves me and would never criticize my church so long as my heart is in the right place."
Well, the Jesus I know spent a great deal of time warning His disciples not to get sucked into a false religious system that claimed to represent God but actually led people astray.
For example, Jesus told them, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is HYPOCRISY."
Beware! Watch out!
Why?
Not just because the religious spirit will come against you. It will.
But BEWARE because (if you aren't careful) you'll easily find yourself getting religious even while you think you're following Jesus.
Not very long after Jesus warned His disciples we see them arguing over who would be the greatest.
There you go!
That's how it happens - even to Jesus' own disciples!
People haven't changed, the problem hasn't changed, and Jesus hasn't changed.
Religion is the antithesis of Relationship.
So "telling you what's wrong" is a painful but necessary step towards telling you what's right.
I can't "just talk about Jesus" without also talking about the things that Jesus told us to watch out for.
Want to go deeper?
Join us for this week's live online teaching:
BEWARE THE LEAVEN (Part 3)
Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 @ 7:00 P.M. Eastern (New York Time Zone)
Go here to register for this (free) webinar:
https://app.webinarjam.net/register/30090/ccb1ffe5b1
I am your brother,
Chip Brogden
http://ChipBrogden.com
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