When Things Go Wrong

When Things Go Wrong

“We wanted to come to you – even I, Paul, time and again—but Satan hindered us.”
1 THESSALONIANS 2:18

We should not expect things to always go as planned, even when we are indeed following the will of God, and especially when we are trying to do what we feel led to do. Sometimes it seems as if everything is rising up against us. Cars break down, people get sick, misunderstandings arise, businesses fail, things happen.

We do not want to give the devil any glory and attribute everything to him. But we do want to discern the true operation of the enemy so we may dispose of him. We must exercise discernment and wisdom to know the difference between the hand of the Lord, the work of the enemy, and the natural environment. Otherwise we will suffer unnecessarily.

Source: Dealing With Difficulty by Chip Brogden

Why SASHET is not enough (1)

Why SASHET is not enough (1)
February 11, 2015

In this video, I share about a humiliating experience I had over 50 years ago when I was in 9th grade.  I remember it like it was yesterday!  That experience illustrates why “checking in” with SASHET was initially difficult for me.  See if you identify with my story and share your comments with the rest of us.  Click on the picture below to go to our blog and watch the video.

The Fig Tree Has No Figs

by Chip Brogden

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A growing number of people have come to the conclusion that the social benefits of going to church can no longer compensate for the lack of spiritual life.

“And seeing a fig tree by the road, [Jesus] came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away” (Mt. 21:19).
People are tired of going to fig trees that promise fruit, but offer a hungry person nothing but leaves to eat. They’ve been eating leaves or chewing on bark, but there is no fruit, no sustenance, no nourishment. One day they wake up and say, “No more.  Whatever this place used to mean to me, whatever purpose it used to serve in my life, this place no longer represents the Lord Jesus.  I can’t fully explain it, and I don’t completely understand why or how, but the religion of church is hindering my relationship with the Lord and it is time for me to leave.”
You do find two groups of believers in the Book of Revelation who were doing well, who received no rebuke, only praise from the Lord; only two out of seven that He expressed satisfaction with.  Before you begin to think that your church is one that Jesus is satisfied with, let me tell you one thing both these had in common: both of them were suffering persecution.  Isn’t it interesting how persecution has a way of re-arranging your priorities?  Isn’t it amazing how the only two that Jesus was completely satisfied with were the two that were going through deep affliction and persecution? Persecution brings adjustment. It brings a sense of eternal purpose.
I had a ministry to burned out pastors when I was still working for a denomination. What a great ministry; there’s never any lack of burned out pastors. I would take over their pulpit for one or two Sundays and give them a break so they could take some time off, spend time with their families, go get counseling, or do whatever they needed to do but couldn’t take time to do because they were so consumed with running their church. That opened my eyes to a lot of things.
I remember getting a call from a pastor of a medium-sized church, and he wanted to take me to dinner. I agreed to meet him because I was flattered, and I was really looking forward to it because he was someone I considered “successful.” His church was growing, they had a nice building, he drove a nice car and had nice clothes. I was struggling with all those things so this man was someone I kind of looked up to. I was hoping I could get some words of wisdom or some ideas that would help me become as successful as he was.
So we met for dinner and things are going well. He seems friendly and I am just on the verge of asking him, “What is the secret to your success?” The words were on the tip of my tongue, and then this pastor broke down right in front me. His personal life was a mess, his church was a mess, and he wanted me to take over his services for a couple of weeks so he and his wife could take some time off and put their marriage back together. I nodded and listened but inside I was thinking, “My God! Here I am looking to this man as an example of success, and he is a nervous wreck.” And that meeting taught me something.  I learned not to judge success by the outward appearance of things. I saw that pastors are just as clueless as anyone else, but they have to convince themselves and everyone around them that they really have it all together.  Most of the time they do not, and you can only be a hypocrite for so long before the whole things takes its toll on you.
I like to teach, and I have a heart for pastors.  If it were up to me I would probably be working with burned out pastors. But God had something else in mind. “Leave them alone, Chip – they are blind leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, they will both fall in the ditch.” And God showed me that until a blind leader falls into a ditch, they cannot be healed.  He can’t have his eyes opened until he realizes he is blind and has no business trying to lead others. My efforts to help them by taking over their pulpit for a week or two was like treating cancer with a band-aid.
Pastors aren’t bad people. Pastors, for the most part, are good people who become trapped in a bad system. It’s the religious system that is at fault. Yet this religious system was created by people – well-intentioned, good-hearted people who thought they were doing something for God. And now this thing called “Churchianity” has become a monster, a grotesque creation of our own hands, and now we can’t control it; IT controls us. It masters us, all the while tricking us into thinking that when we serve IT then we are serving God. The work of the Lord becomes more important than the Lord of the Work.
How far we have fallen from the days when people could look at disciples of Jesus and would notice that they had been with Him. They had been with Jesus. Now we look at religious folk dressed up and going out to eat lunch on Sunday and all we can say of them is that they have been to church.

Confused on Purpose

A Letter from Chip Brogden

Hey Dave,


I'm still answering emails from my last "why are you
here" message.

Responses ranged from the clear and simple to the confused and
foggy!

But I'm having a good time reading and replying to them.

I used to think that fulfilling my Purpose was something I had to
achieve.

Then I realized that Purpose isn't tied to accomplishment or
success.

Let me explain.

A young person will train many years to reach the Olympics.

If you ask them their Purpose, they'll say, "To win a gold
medal."

Let's suppose they train hard, compete in the Olympics, and win
that coveted gold medal.

With the achievement of their Purpose complete, you would think
they would be the happiest people in the world.

In fact, just the opposite happens.

They tied their purpose to achieving a goal, and they worked hard
every day to achieve that goal.

But now that they accomplished the goal, they no longer have a
Purpose.

And that leaves them asking, "Is this all there is?"

Goals are great, but Goals are not the same thing as Purpose.

Goals are about "what I want to do, and how."

Purpose is about "who I want to be, and why."

You and I can fall into a trap of False Purpose - thinking of our
Purpose in terms of what we can do, accomplish, achieve, or build.

So when we can't "do" what we think we're
supposed to "do" then we think missed our Purpose.

Sound familiar?

But what if your Purpose has nothing to do with accomplishment or
achievement?

What if your Purpose isn't reaching some Big Goal, but is
simply a state of mind and heart?

What if your Purpose is to "be"?

To be a lover and worshipper of God.

To be a lover of mankind.

To be a helper to others.

To be a voice of encouragement.

To be a disciple and student of Jesus.

What we are called to DO may change, but what we are called to BE
is pretty consistent.

At different times in its life, a tree may grow quickly, or slowly;
it will stand still, or bend with the wind; it will clothe itself
with leaves, or shed its leaves; it will change the color of its
leaves, or produce fruit.

But no matter what the tree DOES, its Purpose is "to be a
tree."

Be like the tree.

Different seasons require different actions.

So be flexible in your doing, but persistent in your being.

Don't tie your Purpose (and fulfillment) down to winning your
version of the "Gold Medal."

Have a "Heart of Gold" instead.

Instead of achieving to be happy, learn to happily achieve.

Because even when you have done all you can do, you will still be
who you are.



I am your brother,


Chip Brogden
http://TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

TOP 10 IDEAS FOR A GREAT FIRST SMALL GROUP

Top 10 Ideas for a Great First Group Meeting

Mark Howell gives great tips for making your first small group meeting simple and effective.

Any time you’re starting a new small group, a great first meeting is very important.  I include these ideas on a simple handout inside every new leader packet.

1. Be sure and refer to the ABCs of a Great Start for Your Connection Group for important tips on making sure your group members come to the meeting.
2. Plenty of food goes a long way in making your first meeting a relaxed time together.  But…make it easy for everyone to bring something.  You might be tempted to supply it all, but don’t.  Asking each person to bring something to the first meeting helps ensure turnout.
3. Encourage everyone to come a little early and plan on “grabbing a bite together.”  There isn’t a one-size-fits-all prescription, but allow at least 30 minutes hangout and eat together time (i.e., if you’re meeting begins at 7:00 p.m., plan on hanging out until 7:30 p.m.).
4. It’s a good idea to have an icebreaker or two in your pocket for the hangout time.  While it definitely helps to have a plate with food on it and a cup with something to drink in it, it’s still a little unnerving for many to have first conversations.  Here are a few “while we’re eating questions”:  (a) Where did you grow up?  (b) Are you from this area?  (c) If you could live anywhere, where would you live?  Why?
5. Give everyone a 5 minute warning that “we’re about to move into the living room and get started.”  When you get settled, let everyone know that “we’re just going to use tonight as a way of getting to know each other a little better.”
6. This is a great time to ask a few “get-to-know-me” questions: (a) Would you describe yourself as more of an extrovert or an introvert?  Give an example.  (b) Would you describe yourself as a structured, “just settle it” kind of person?  Or more of a play it by ear type?  (c) Are you a hugger?  Or a non-hugger?
7. How about a little more info:  (a) What motivated you to sign up for this group?  (b) What are you most hopeful you’ll gain as a result of being in the group?  (b) What are you most afraid of (in terms of the group)?
8. This is a great time to talk over the Life Group Agreement.  No commitments required.  Nobody’s signing anything.  Just a good way to get values and expectations on the table.  Simply read over the values and reconfirm expectations.
9. Distribute copies of the study you will begin at your next meeting.  Collect any payment that your group members have ready.  Ask any who were unprepared to bring payment next time. (Important: If there is anyone in your group that cannot afford to pay, we have a way to help.)
10. Pray to close the meeting.  Make it really simple.  Ask, “Is there anything we can be praying about for you personally?  There may be times when we pray for those who aren’t part of the group, but today, let’s keep prayer requests focused on just group members.”  Write down any prayer requests.  Close with a very simple prayer.

CLOSE YOUR CHURCH FOR GOD

Close Your Church for Good

By Jeremy Myers

I’m writing a book called Close Your Church for Good. The goal of the book is to help churches and pastors move themselves and their congregations in a missional direction that will help them live and operate according to the principles of the Kingdom of God.
In Close your Church for Good, I don’t want your church to shut down and cease to exist; I want to it to rise up and be all that Jesus intends.
When will the book be out? Well, my current word count is 50,000 words, and I am about 2/3 done. But I am running into problems on some of the later chapters, so… who knows how long it will take to finish…

But you don’t have to wait!

I am actually writing this book online. I make 3-4 posts per week which are based on the content of the book. While the final edition will not be exactly like these posts, the posts still provide the general idea and thought flow of the book.
In other words, whether I get the book published or not, you can still read a rough version of it right here on the Till He Comes blog.

Why am I posting the book online?

For several reasons.
First, free is the new business model. Besides, I am not an established author, and I already have a job, so why not give the content away for free?
Second, am I crazy? I have some fairly extreme ideas for how a church can become more missional, and I really desire reader feedback. So as you read the section, please comment and interact, even if you disagree. If you think I’m crazy or have completely lost my senses, tell me! If, however, you think that other people need to hear what I’m writing about, you don’t necessarily need to tell me, but please tell them!
Third, books and blogs are getting connected. If/when the book gets published, I will have a ready-made place to send the readers if they want to ask me a question, or interact with other readers.
Fourth, blogs are sometimes better than books. I can do things on a blog post that I cannot do in a paper book. Like lots of pictures, for example. To see what I mean, check out this post about church buildings. There is no way I could put those pictures in the typical book.
Finally, I am a book lover. As such, I have always wished that all books were free. I used to have a sign that hung in my study which said, “If grace is free, why are Christian books so expensive?” While I don’t believe that all authors should offer all their books for free, I still think that all authors would benefit from making more of their stuff available for free.

So where can you start reading?

I thought about listing ALL of the posts in the entire book right here. But then I realized that this would be about 200 posts. Nobody wants to look through that.
So I decided to arrange the posts like a book. Think of this post as the Table of Contents.
Below are the chapters in Close Your Church for Good. Each link goes to another page, which contains a ordered list of all the posts that were made from that chapter. If you read straight through them, you will get the basic content of the chapter.
Enjoy!

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Close Your Church for Good

Table of Contents

Introduction

1. The Satanic Church
2. Faith of the Fallen
3. The Church Must Die
4. Cancel your Church Service
5. Cut All Church Programs
6. Sell Your Church Building
7. Resign as Pastor
8. Down with Preaching
9. Discard the Doctrinal Statement
10. Let Prayer Meetings Cease
11. Enough with Evangelism
12. Pass on the Offering Plate
13. Give Up Your Rites
14. Give Up Your Rights
15. To Hell with the Church

Epilogue: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

Look Inside The Secret House Churches in China

Mari Kita melihat rahasia gereja rumah yang ada di Cina. Bagaimana umat Tuhan menyembah DIA dengan segenap hati...segenap kekuatan....dalam keberadaan mereka yang sederhana....Gereja bukan masalah tempat atau gedung dan fasilitas yang nyaman tetapi kesungguhan mencari Tuhan. Mengucap syukur selalu atas setiap berkat yang Tuhan berikan bagi kita.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxX2_D11qBw&feature=player_embedded#!

The Man and His Marriage

By Jerome Gay When we look at the Scriptures, we see five components of a man of God. They are not to be applied legalistically, but they reveal God’s heart. There are four components that precede the first man being blessed with a wife. These are vital because they are the elements of a man of God:
1. A man of God has life. (Gen. 2:7)
2. A man of God has a place/purpose. (Gen. 2:8)
3. A man of God has a job and a godly work ethic. (Gen. 2:15)
4. A man of God has a role. (Gen. 2:16-17)
5. A man of God sacrificially loves his wife. (Gen. 2:18-25)
I think it’s vital to understand that every other title we have springs from being a son of the living God. Understanding our sonship enables us to sacrificially love and lead our wives.

Then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature. - genesis 2:7

A man of God has life, and that life comes from being in a loving and thriving relationship with God. When the text says that God breathed into Adam the breath of life, it means that God gave Adam a soul and air in his lungs. This is why the Lord would say in verse 17 that if you eat from the tree of knowledge you will die. Life isn’t simply breathing, but rather it’s being in a relationship with God. In essence, not being saved is death. Sadly I see a ton of walking dead men, but the gospel promises us hope and life.
If you know Jesus, there should be a joy and a humble swag of dependence because you know that you’re saved by grace through faith and no longer defined by your failures. Life in Christ frees us from being defined by what life throws at us. Adam’s idea of life at this point was defined by God and not his environment. This is what life is like in His presence (Psalm 16:11 says there’s the fullness of joy, not the absence of trial).
Check out what Donald Whitney says about the presence of God:

In effect, living apart from a conscious sense that the Lord is present is to live as though God really is not there. More pleasure is sought in things, dreams, or people than in God. A relationship with God is reduced to mere religion. The spiritual disciplines devolve into mere duty or even legalism. Public worship becomes an obligation, not a privilege. Obviously, this is not the profile of a growing Christian.

Men, because of God we have a life worth living (to live is Christ), a life worth giving (to die is gain), and a life worth leaving as a godly legacy (Gen. 5 and Enoch, he walked with God).
Life in Christ permeates every aspect of our lives, including our marriages.
Jerome Gay serves as the Lead Pastor of Vision Church; he is originally from Washington, DC and he a student of the scriptures. He is married to his wife Crystal who he met attending Saint Augustine’s College and the father of Jamari ChristinaGay and Jerome Jordan Gay III, his family is only second to Christ. Jerome loves reading, writing, all sports and serving people however he can. He is currently working on his Master of Divinity in Pastor Ministry at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Learn more »

Iranian Imam Warns against Spread of House Churches

By Jeremy Reynalds Senior Correspondent for ASSIST News Service IRAN (ANS) -- The increasing spread of Christianity in Iran and the resulting growth of house churches among Iranians has is greatly concerning Iranian religious experts and clerics. They make frequent statements about the situation. Hojatol-Eslam Seyed Mohammad Saeedi According to the Iranian Christian news agency, "Mohabat News," in his latest remarks in a meeting with the leader and managers of the Organization of Islamic Propaganda in the religious city of Qom, Hojatol-Eslam Seyed Mohammad Saeedi, who is also the Friday prayer Imam, warned against "the enemy's efforts" to establish "house-churches." Mohabat News said he called on cultural authorities, especially those at the Organization of Islamic Propaganda, to be pioneers in promoting religious teachings. Qom is considered the religious capital of Iran and because the most prominent Shi'ite seminary is based in the city, it is also known as the center of the Shi'ite world. Mohabat News reported that the Islamic cleric, saying "some families are vulnerable," called for the implementation of propagating programs for Iranian families. He said, "The presence of clerics among families is the best and most effective way to promote religious matters and sharia laws." Mohabat News said that taking such positions against Christianity in Iran is not something new. Some Ayatollahs including top religious experts Mesbah-Yazdi, Vahid Khorasani, Makarem-Shiraz, have "already insulted Christianity and Christians." Mohabat News said the same statements by Ayatollahs have prompted security and intelligence forces to impose more pressure on Iranian Christians. Ayatollah Khorasani Mohabat News said along the same line, Ayatollah Khorasani, a well known religious authority, claimed, in a gathering with Islamic seminary students in Qom held to address Christian evangelism in Iran, that they even know the number of young people in Qom who have converted to Christianity! Mohabat News reported that the Shi'ite Ayatollah criticized the growth of Christianity in Iran and said, "Christianity rooted in Iran is deceiving young Shi'ites and they (the authorities) are fighting for who will be the boss." After saying that he requested that Christian evangelism be eradicated from the country. Mohabat News said he added, "Isn't there someone to say what it means to have this much corrupt Christian propaganda even in the religious city of Qom?" After that, Mohabat News said, he severely criticized the senior administrators and authorities for giving their attention to unimportant matters and being negligent in such issues. He also warned them not to be negligent any longer. Mohabat News said Heydar Moslehi, the Iranian Intelligence Minister, also spoke in a meeting held in Feizieh Seminary in Qom. He outlined ways to deal with the growth of Christianity and house churches in Iran, and announced a series of new plans against Christianity. Mohabat News commented, "The increased threats, arrests and torture of a number of Christians and Christian converts by security and judicial authorities, especially in religious cities, is convincing evidence that the Ayatollahs (Islamic clerics) direct the intelligence and security services of the regime in dealing with the growth of Christianity in Iran."

WHY SO LITTLE FRUIT?

"We who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake." 2 CORINTHIANS 4:11 The answer to why there is so little power and genuine spiritual fruit in the lives of those who follow Jesus is a simple one: they desire the Life of the Lord, but not His Death. They want a daily pouring out of the Lord's Life, but they shun the prospect of daily sharing in His Death. The saints of the Lord are well instructed in living victoriously, being blessed, walking in power, overcoming the enemy, and living up to their potential. By comparison, the majority of them know next to nothing about self-denial, bearing their Cross, boasting in their weaknesses, being joyful in trials, winning by losing, gaining by giving up, working by resting, accepting both the bitter and the sweet as gifts from God, enduring hardness and accepting suffering. God desires to increase us and enlarge us; He therefore calls us to go back to the Cross and start over again. Source: "Embrace the Cross" by Chip Brogden http://theschoolofchrist.org/books/embrace-the-cross.html

HAVING A FATHER'S HEART

"And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;
though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved."
2 CORINTHIANS 12:15

Paul gave us an example to follow. Don't just look at his calling
and his gifting and his revelation. Look at his heart of love. He
gave all - not just for the Lord, but for the Lord's people. And
they were a most carnal, unappreciative bunch of people. Even so,
the heart of a father is demonstrated. That is the reason he had
authority. I tell you his authority was not in his title, his
position, or his status as having taught the believers there. His
authority was not in his calling, gift, or revelation. His
authority was in the abundant love he showed.

Make no mistake: I am not there yet. I still struggle with how to
be a good brother, much less a spiritual father with abundant love
for everyone. I obviously have a long way to go, but now I see the
missing ingredient and I am following after Love. How about you?

CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST

"I have been crucified with Christ;
it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me."
GALATIANS 2:20

Paul says that even though he was crucified, he lives. Does Paul
mean to say that he was raised from the dead with Jesus also? If
so, why have we not heard about this before now? Finally he says he
is not really living at all, but Christ lives in him. To the
natural mind, of course, this all sounds very strange. This is why
we must discern spiritual things spiritually.

It should be obvious that Paul is talking about something other
than a physical crucifixion and a physical death, burial, and
resurrection. Although he says, "I was crucified with Christ" he
does not mean that he was present with Christ in the flesh at the
moment of crucifixion; instead, he intends to show us something
much more profound.

We will soon discover that this experience of being crucified with
Christ is not unique to the apostle Paul, but is true of every
born-again child of God. Not only Paul, but all disciples of Jesus
have been crucified with Christ.

TEMPLES MADE BY MEN

"God does not live in temples made by man." ACTS 17:24 ESV

We are not zealous for the establishment of any earthly nation, but for a heavenly nation of kings and priests (Revelation 5:10). We are not praying for the building of a physical temple, but a spiritual temple, a house of living stones, of which Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone, Builder and Architect. We are not looking for the appearance of an earthly Messiah, but a Heavenly Messiah, Who is building His Ekklesia upon the earth; we are not of the earth. This is not our home, for we are from above. Though in the world, we are not of it. We will not eat its meat or drink its wine, and we will not bow down to its idols. Though we live in the shadow of Babylon, we are not afraid of its fiery furnace or its den of lions, for our God is able to deliver us.

The heavens do rule. We affirm it boldly and confidently, regardless of appearances to the contrary. The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory belongs to God (Matthew 6:13) - not man, not the devil, not the nations of this world.

MEEKLY ACCEPT THE CROSS

"We were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father,
even so we also should walk in newness of life." ROMANS 6:4

The Cross is the means by which God reduces us to Christ, that we may be raised to new Life. What cannot be accomplished in a lifetime of self-effort is easily accomplished in God through the Cross.

We may take many shortcuts along the way and attempt to escape the inevitable, but the day we cease striving and meekly accept the Cross we find everything is done for us.

THE EKKLESIA UNDERGROUND

"In due season we shall reap..."
GALATIANS 6:9

The good news is that even if the Ekklesia has been underground, it is still growing and developing. When the season is right it will burst forth and once again those who have eyes to see will indeed discern the blade, the head, and the full grain in the head. In fact the blades have already broken ground in several places and we are even beginning to see some grain taking shape. If you have traced the recovery of the Heavenly Order so far then you know there have been many obstacles and hindrances to God's Will over the last six thousand years or so of the history of mankind.

So far God has defeated everything that rose up to challenge His Purpose in Christ. Not only has He defeated it, but He has actually used evil to bring about good and further increase His Son. The Scriptures provide us with every expectation and assurance that God will continue to do the same with our generation. He is very much an active part of world affairs, whether they be secular or sacred.

No Argument Necessary

"While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. But their eyes were kept from recognizing him." LUKE 24:15,16 ESV

You see that Christ is revealed or hidden from men as He so desires. So many professed disciples of the Lord Jesus fail to recognize Him.

Even His closest disciples are prone to doubt and unbelief. After the resurrection, Thomas declared, "I will not believe unless I see the scars and put my hand into the wound in His side." When Jesus therefore appeared to them He did not argue or try to convince Thomas. He simply said, "Look! See My hands and My feet!" When Thomas saw the Lord, he spontaneously cried out, "My Lord, and my God!" This is revelation. Revelation does not require any arguing or convincing, as if it all depends on how well we can make a defense of the Gospel. I see no argument in the Lord Jesus, I only see Him. Seeing Him, I am convinced, and no argument is necessary.

THE STAINED GLASS BARRIER

PRESENT TRENDS BACK TO SIMPLE CHURCH



From the sanctuaries to the streets . . . doing the works of Jesus wherever we find a need.



As we read through the life of Jesus in the New Testament it is difficult to find him organizing a religious gathering or an evangelistic meeting, or any kind of meeting. It seems that all of his large meetings, such as the feeding of the five thousand or the multitudes that gathered on the shores of the Sea of Galilee all took place more or less spontaneously as crowds would gather to hear what he was saying and to be healed of their diseases.



Jesus sometimes spoke in the synagogues on the Sabbath. Once he sent out the seventy, two by two, into the towns and cities where he himself would come later. He arranged for the final meal with his disciples, but aside from that, most of his earthly ministry took place as he walked among the people, taught them, and met their needs as he moved about in the ordinary events of daily life.



Jesus’ strategy was to go where the people were; to see the needs and minister to those needs. We find him healing a man at the Pool of Siloam as he walked by and saw his need. We see him feeding the hungry, ministering, teaching in the Temple, teaching on the streets, at the beach, in a synagogue or on a mountainside.



Once as he sat near a well waiting for the disciples to return with food for lunch he spoke the word of life to a woman of Samaria who had come to draw water. This resulted in making a trip to her town where so many people were listening and receiving his word that he stayed in that town two whole days preaching the Kingdom of God.



Nicodemus came to him at night seeking to know who he was and Jesus shared with him the message of salvation. It was to Nicodemus that Jesus spoke the most life changing sentence ever uttered, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)



As he walked along a crowded road one day he saw Zaccheus, a man small of stature, who had climbed a tree to get a better look at Jesus as he passed by. Jesus invited him to come down from the tree and as they ate a meal together Jesus led him out of his darkness into the light of life. Zaccheus became a different man right on the spot!



He healed Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever when he arrived at their house for a meal. She immediately arose from her bed of affliction and began to serve them.



Jesus' primary ministry was spontaneous responses to the needs of people as he walked through each day. In every place where he found people in need, he met that need in the power of the Holy Spirit.



At the age of seventeen, when I first started going to church, it was a tremendous challenge to learn "church talk." The King James Bible was the only Bible people used in those days in West Texas. Everybody prayed using King James language. It was unthinkable to address God in our prayers as "you." To be respectful we had to use "thee" and "thou." Then there was "wouldst" and "couldst" and "whence" and "hither" and "whither" and "thither." I finally got used to it but it took me a while.



Then I had another problem, I was finding it difficult to talk to people about spiritual things when I was not in a church setting; to talk about Jesus to people at work or to my friends who did not know Jesus was a huge leap of faith for me!



Then, the day came when I knew God was calling me to preach! The thought that I was to stand up on a stage behind a pulpit and speak formally to a lot of people through a microphone was the scariest thing I could imagine! At age seventeen, the first time I had to do that, I became physically ill as I sat on the platform awaiting my time to talk. I almost vomited on stage right there in front of the congregation, but somehow I got through the ordeal. It was only a three - minute talk on "Youth Night" at our church, but it was a major challenge for me!



From the time I was a very small boy, I was always very shy and quiet around people. The fear of man was on me something awful for as long as I can remember! But I went off to Bible College and finally learned how to bring formal teachings from the pulpit and how to lead in prayer in a public meeting. But in spite of the curious language we always used as we preached and prayed in church, somehow I learned how to witness to unsaved people one on one.



But something was still missing. It was not the spontaneous, unplanned kinds of things that Jesus did in his ministry. All our evangelistic and teaching ministries had to be planned well in advance so that we could be well prepared and most of our evangelistic efforts were inside the four walls of a church building. I was still not trained to always be ready to minister healing to the sick or do the other things Jesus did such as, speak a word of wisdom, a word of knowledge, a word of prophecy or rebuke the devil as I went about my daily routine. That was all in another realm of ministry that I learned to move in later on, but at the time, I trembled to even think about it.


Recently God has given me a way to move toward the Jesus kind of spontaneous ministry. It is by praying daily with another believer the Divine Appointment Prayer: "Father, give us a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give us the grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit." God is answering that prayer for us and I am encouraging people everywhere to find a partner and pray that prayer together daily in person or by phone. It is exciting what God will do in answer to that simple prayer of agreement! "If any two of you on earth shall agree as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father in heaven." - Jesus





Robert Fitts
76-6309 Haku Pl
Kona, HI 96740
robertjoni@gmail.com
www.robertfitts.com


A Declaration of Unity
I belong to everything that belongs to Jesus and everything that belongs to Jesus belongs to me! It's not us and them. It's just us! There's only one Body of Christ, and the problems of the church, the whole church, are our problems, for we are the church and we can do more united than we can do divided! So let's unify, simplify, and multiply!

Divine Appointment Prayer
Father, give me a divine appointment today with someone who is hungry for God, or sick, or in need, and give me grace to minister the love of Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Winning the War on Terror by Prayer
Father, give every terrorist an encounter with Jesus such as Paul had on the road to Damascus.

Living to Give
Father, make me a generous giver today! Show me where to give and what to give, and let all my giving bring glory to the name of Jesus.

Grace, YES! Law, NO!
Law demands, demands, demands
But gives me neither feet nor hands
Grace and Truth are better things
They bid me fly and give me wings

Do you miss church?

Some thoughts from Karla


Dear Friends,


For those of you who are "outside the camp"...

How many times do you catch yourself missing the things that "church" offers?

Especially this time of year, with the holidays approaching, it can be a lonely time for some who used to go to church.

Do you miss the singing, praise and worship, Women's ministry, Men's ministry, potluck dinners, preaching, tithing/giving, children's ministries, even listening to people giving "prophetic words" (just to name a few).

Ask yourself a question...

Are the "things" that I miss really ministering to the LORD or to ME?

Really look deep into yourself and ask this question.

"Church" for the most part gives you the mindset of Martha. Busy little Martha, trying to minister to others, much serving, and even fulfilling her own need to be needed; maybe even fulfilling a desire to be in charge (because she thought Mary should be doing more to help her).

How many of you can remember working your butt off in churches thinking, "Why isn't everyone else working as hard as me?"

But we see Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, ministering to Him.

A lot of people write in and ask us what it means or looks like to minister to the Lord. I always picture Mary sitting quietly at Jesus' feet. She has no other person on her mind or any concerns other than sitting at His feet and listening, talking, sharing, and loving the Lord Jesus while He is right there in front of her.

Did she do this 24/7? No, of course not. Jesus went on with what His Father had Him to do, and Mary went on to do her daily things that needed to be done. But remember that she did take time out to sit at His feet and Jesus said this is what is needed.

So when you start to miss the things you once enjoyed so much in "church", remember where the Lord has brought you. Do not be like the children of Israel who always complained and wanted to go back to Egypt, thinking you had it better in "church".

There is a reason and a purpose for bringing you out. Let the Lord guide you in this new walk. Let Him teach you His ways - which are far better then your ways or the church's ways. And remember that the main lesson is: He will increase and I will decrease. This process is not an easy one but you have to go through it!


In Him,

Karla Brogden
http://www.TheSchoolOfChrist.Org

Chinese House Churches Raided, Two Foreign Pastors Missing

Chinese House Churches Raided, Two Foreign Pastors Missing

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

SICHUAN/HENAN, CHINA (ANS) -- ChinaAid (www.ChinaAid.org) has told the ASSIST News Service that on Sunday, September 26, 2010, Youqing Church in Qu County, Da Prefecture, Sichuan province, China, was raided by the local police.

"Objects were smashed, books were confiscated and people were taken to the local police station," said a ChinaAid spokesperson. "Their family members were requested to pay money to bail out the detainees.

"On September 29th at 5 p.m. local time, four of the church members attempted to negotiate with Sichuan police in hopes of having their confiscated belongings returned to them in accordance with law. Instead, they were arrested on the spot."

ChinaAid is also reporting that a raid was conducted on Wednesday,September 22, 2010, at around 4 p.m on the Mid-Autumn Festival Day where a house church meeting in Wancheng District, Nanyang City, Henan province ,was invaded and all who were present, except for one elderly woman, were arrested.

"Two foreign pastors present at the meeting, one from the United States and one from Russia, were detained and so was their translator," said the spokesperson. "During the arrests, one member of the church, Ma Hanzhong, was beaten. The whereabouts of the two foreign instructors are unknown. The officials of Henan province have threatened to sentence the detained believers to re-education through labor."

In both of these critical cases, ChinaAid calls for worldwide attention and advocacy on behalf of those in need.

"We encourage Christians to stand with the persecuted and continue to pray for them," added the ChinaAid spokesperson.

UNDANGAN Simple Church Network

UNDANGAN
Simple Church Network


Shallom,

Kepada saudara saudariku dalam Kristus Yesus, Simple Church Network, merupakan sebuah komunitas orang percaya yang terbeban pada penanaman gereja dan mereka yang perduli terhadap apa yang tengah Tuhan kerjakan dalam kehidupan umatNYA. Di seluruh dunia dewasa ini Tuhan tengah membangkitkan pria maupun wanita untuk terlibat bersamaNYA memasuki pengalaman dan petualangan baru yang menantang. IA memanggil kita semua untuk terlibat dalam pelebaran KerajaanNya dengan melahirkan banyak keluarga Kristus yang bergairah dalam Dia (simple churches = gereja sederhana, gereja organik, gereja rumah,dll) di seluruh wilayah dan kelompok suku bangsa.
Simple Church Network bukanlah sebuah organisasi tetapi kumpulan penanam gereja yang berkumpul sebagai saudara seiman dan keluarga dalam Tuhan. Saling berbagi pengalaman, pelajaran, mendoakan, mendukung pelayanan seorang dengan yang lainnya, menasehati dan lain-lain. Tanpa memandang ia berasal dari denominasi atau organisasi mana. Sebab kita semua satu dalam tubuh Kristus.

APAKAH SIMPLE CHURCH NETWORK?

Kami adalah keluarga penanam gereja. Tuhan Yesus memanggil kita semua untuk terlibat dalam Amanat AgungNYA. Kita dipanggil untuk melahirkan keluarga-keluarga baru secara rohani (yang sering disebut simple church, gereja rumah atau gereja organik). Kita dipanggil untuk memultiplikasikan gereja dan memobilisasi setiap anak Tuhan untuk terlibat dalam pelebaran Kerajaan Tuhan.
Kami adalah komunitas praktisi. Kami adalah sebuah komunitas praktisi penanam gereja. Kita di sini bukanlah kumpulan “pakar”, tetapi kumpulan orang yang mau belajar bersama.
Kami adalah komunitas keluarga. Komunitas ini tidak memiliki kepemimpinan dengan sistem sentralisasi tetapi desentralisasi. Kita ingin bergerak bersama secara fleksibel dengan keunikannya masing-masing dan dengan kecepatan optimal tidak dibatasi oleh sistem hierarki yang kaku dan menghambat. Kita menitik beratkan pada sisi kekeluargaan dan kebersamaan.
Kami berjejaring dengan LK10 dan Outreach Fellowship International. Dua badan ini telah menjadi rekan dan juga mentor kami dalam hal penanaman gereja sederhana atau simple church.
Kami mengikuti teladan pelayanan Tuhan Yesus. Langkah awal pelayanan Tuhan Yesus memilih 12 orang murid, di mana Ia menginvestasikan hidupnya pada mereka (Lukas 6:40). Lalu Ia mengutus mereka untuk masuk ke kota maupun desa, menemui keluarga-keluarga memberitakan Kabar Baik dan memuridkan mereka, memulai gereja di rumah-rumah. Setelah itu mereka melaporkan apa yang telah dikerjakan pada Yesus (Lukas 9:10). Pada tahap ke dua, kita melihat kini Tuhan Yesus mengutus 72 orang murid, untuk melakukan tugas yang sama dan lalu mereka pun memberikan laporan atas apa yang telah terjadi (Lukas 10:17). Kerinduan kami sebagai murid-murid Kristus adalah untuk mengikuti pola yang telah IA berikan dengan memuridkan orang percaya, mengutus mereka dan saling menguatkan dalam memperlebar Kerajaan Tuhan.








DESKRIPSI BAGI YANG MAU MENJADI BAGIAN SIMPLE CHURCH NETWORK

Rekan jejaring Simple Church Network

1. Seorang yang memiliki hati dan gaya hidup seorang ayah atau ibu rohani (1 Tes 2:1-12). Mereka berfungsi sebagai seorang pemimpin berhati hamba yang merindukan setiap “anak rohani” yang dimentor beroleh keberhasilan (Mat 20:25-28). Ia memiliki karakter yang terefleksikan dalam kehidupan sehari-hari dari seorang episkopos (penilik) dalam 1 Tim 3.
2. Seorang yang memiliki hati dalam penanaman gereja Tuhan, pemuridan, kesatuan tubuh Kristus dan pelebaran Kerajaan Tuhan; seorang yang isi hatinya tampak dalam pekerjaannya. Seorang yang mungkin pernah atau tengah mementor paling tidak dua buah penanaman/perintisan gereja (simple/house/organic/emerging church). Simple Church Network tidak pernah membatasi rekanannya dalam berorganisasi. Mereka dapat saja terlibat dan melayani di dalam organisasi/institusi gereja tradisional atau sebuah denominasi atau yayasan Kristen (parachurch).
3. Seorang yang setiap hari berdoa sesuai Luk 10:2b, meminta penuai-penuai baru di ladang Tuhan. Seorang yang tak berhenti berdoa dan mencari “man or woman of peace”(orang yang layak menerima damai sejahtera) di dalam sebuah wilayah atau kelompok tertentu. Luk 11:5-10, 18:1-8, Pkh 4:9-12.
4. Seorang yang dalam tiap kesempatan mengajarkan semua orang percaya untuk taat pada semua pengajaran Tuhan Yesus (Mat 28:20).
5. Seorang yang merasakan panggilan Tuhan atas suatu wilayah (lingkungan tetangga, kota, propinsi, negara dst) atau suatu kelompok suku dan budaya tertentu (suku terabaikan, suku yang mayoritas belum percaya, subkultur {punk, gothic, bikers, anggota gang/mafia, skaters, dst}, postmodern dst). Seorang yang bersedia berjejaring dan saling memperlengkapi di dalam jaringan ini. Dimana setiap saat kita saling berkomunikasi melalui milist, email, chatting, blog, SMS, telpon atau bertatap muka dalam pertemuan tahunan. Dimana setiap rekan jejaring bersama-sama mencari wajah Tuhan untuk mendapatkan strategi dalam memperlebar Kerajaan Tuhan dengan cara yang beragam, kita disini tidak mau terjebak dalam “penyeragaman strategi”.
6. Seorang yang secara pribadi siap untuk membina hubungan dengan semua rekan jejaring dalam skala nasional. Siap untuk bersama rekan yang lain untuk hidup saling memperlengkapi dalam jejaring regional.
7. Seorang yang pembelajar (memiliki hati yang mau diajar) dan pengajar/pelatih bagi penanam gereja lainnya (atau bagi mereka yang baru mau melangkah menjadi penanam gereja). Seorang yang mau belajar dalam Konferensi Simple Church Network dan mengajar dalam konferensi tersebut.









TIM SIMPLE CHURCH NETWORK AKAN:

1. Kami akan membawa diri Anda dalam hati kami (Kel 28:29) dan berdoa bagi Anda (Fil 1:3-11).
2. Kami akan ada untuk Anda melalui telpon, e-mail atau mengunjungimu kalau hal itu memungkinkan (1 Tes 2:8).
3. Kami akan menyediakan bahan-bahan pelajaran bila diperlukan untuk memperlengkapi Anda maupun jemaat (http://gerejaperjanjianbaru.blogpsot.com , http://enonlinebibleschool.blogspot.com , http://zoeministries.blogspot.com, www.LK10.com, www.robertfitts.com , dll)
4. Kami akan menghubungkan diri Anda dengan rekan-rekan jejaring lainnya dalam jejaring ini.


CONTACT PERSON:

DAVE BROOS
E-mail : davebroos@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile phone : +6281330135643