an apostolic adventure

7. The Church is God's creation

The Church is God’s creation.  It is a living organism which receives vision from God and adapts to each cultural context.

THE CHURCH IS GOD'S IDEA!!!  I thought it was my parents' idea.  I don't quite remember, but I was taken to church when I was two weeks old.  When I grew a bit older, I was told to get dressed in my "Sunday Best", shine my shoes, and wait on my sisters to join the rest of us in the car for the half hour trip to church.  I really didn't have a choice.  And I really didn't like putting on a tie and tight shoes.  But I quickly learned that this was what church was all about.

It took me years and years to realize the creation of the Church being God's idea!  My pastor didn't think it up.  My denomination didn't think it up.    Not even my parents!  But God, HE, thought it up and today wants to see his church be the church.  He desires to be known to your neighbors through extending himself through the church.  It is HIS plan to see and provide all the necessary tools to see those who are captives to sin, to bondage, to hopelessness, to worry . . . be set free in and through the living Church!

God created the framework of His first human out of the dust of the earth.  He began an idea of relating to others, his creation.  Then, He breathed "Ruwach," the Spirit, the breath of God into the framework and it came to life!  Adam lives with the Spirit, the breath of God.  God and Adam in perfect relationship.

It follows that THE CHURCH IS A SPIRITUAL ENTITY.  It took decades for me to come to the grips with the fact that the church is not the building on Westerville Road.  But when Jesus says, "I will build my church" in Matthew 16:18, he is not talking about a building or an organization.  He's talking about HIS PEOPLE!  The Bride of Christ!  The Body!  That's the Church.  And it is a result of God, himself, thinking it up and initiating it through Jesus Christ.

The Pharisees and Sadducees were looking for a political kingdom to be established through Jesus.  But no!  It's a SPIRITUAL kingdom.  It takes spiritual eyes to see it and spiritual faith to be citizens/members of it!  "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household," writes Paul in Ephesians 2:19!  The church is here and now!  It is a reality today!  We can live in this spiritual entity as Jesus established the church and even teaches us to pray, "Your kingdom come . . . on earth as it is in heaven."

For thirty some years, Jesus prepared the framework for the church.  After his death on the cross and bodily resurrection, Jesus' last command was to "Wait for the Spirit."  He knew that only through the Spirit of God could the church come to life.  While the 120 waited, God breathed the "Ruwach", THE SPIRIT upon them!  The Church lives!

And so, Jesus NOW offers you, me, all of us, SPIRITUAL LIFE IN HIS CHURCH!  "But now in Christ Jesus you who were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ!" Ephesians 2:13.  NOW!  WE!  BROUGHT NEAR!  And not just near but fellow citizens!

While growing up and out of my Sunday Best and going to the group of people on Westerville Road, I wanted to be close to God.  Finally at age 13 in a large meeting for youth at some school auditorium, I could sense God calling my name.  I, too, could be forgiven my sins and be in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ!  What a joy!  What a moment!  I not only knew about God, about Church, about the people, about Jesus.  But I personally began to know God the Father through Jesus and the Holy Spirit!  I began citizenship in the family of God!  I became part of the SPIRITUAL BODY.  "And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit" Ephesians 2:22.

God wills that no one perish but have everlasting life in His eternal, already established kingdom.  Offer it!  Tell it!  The opportunity is for today!  The people around you are dying to hear it!  Don't believe their disinterested facade.  Go for the heart, the spiritual center.  (See Romans 10:13-17.)

Let's be the CHURCH!  "His (God's) intent was that now, though the CHURCH, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord" Ephesians 3:10‑11.  MAKE IT KNOWN!  MAKE JESUS KNOWN!  May God breathe His "Ruwach" on us!

The Church is God’s creation.  It is a living organism which receives vision from God and adapts to each cultural context.

·        The church is the Bride of Christ!  Is the bride ready to meet her groom?

·        What would God really want for His Church in Europe?

·        In what ways do you seek vision from God?

·        Do you see and live in a dynamic, living, multiplying church?

CONCLUSION

My son and I love ice hockey.  We set up places in the house, in the garage, anywhere to shoot a puck or a ball.  One day we showed my little four year old nephew our garage with hockey sticks, balls and net.  He was fascinated!  He enjoyed shooting on net and trying to get the ball away from my son.  But soon, he got frustrated and bored.  He decided to make up new rules and control the game.  At one point, when my son missed the net, the rule was to shut him in the car in the garage.  So there he sat, and after awhile forgotten about as the rest of us played on.  But my four year old nephew had control of the game!  Until my son honked the horn and made all of us jump out of our skin.

It seems like we’ve locked the Master in the car.  We have written new rules.  Church leaders have been in control but where is the dynamic, Spirit led church?  I hope that these seven Biblical principles will help guide us to be part of God’s church rather than making up new rules and having control.

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6. The Gospel must be presented to the poor

The poor?  The poor!?  Who are the poor?  I just had two children in college.  I feel pretty poor!  The poor are those who have just about not enough.  Like me.  My bank account just about runs out of money.  My funds just about don’t last long enough.  My credit cards just about can’t keep up with my spending desires.

So, I am the poor.  Right?  Well, pretty much.  I guess we all have basic levels of poverty.  And the good news is that “The Good News is preached to the poor!” Matthew 11.5.

While I may be thinking about my bank account, I know that every day on our street, there will be around a dozen people who will systematically pick through around 30 bins of trash.  These “neighbors” are looking for something to eat – like some stale bread or meat; something to use – like a warmer coat or shoes; or something to sell – like some glass wine bottles.

What do I do about those who have been evicted from their homes, separated from their loved ones and have lost their jobs?  What do I do about the woman who has been repeatedly abused, the nine year old child who never attended school and the retired pensioner who doesn’t have enough money to heat her flat in the winter?  What do I do about the teenage girl who has been lured away from her east European home to “a better life” in the west – only to find herself a slave to forced prostitution?

Yes, what do I do?!  What can I do?

Jesus came “To seek and to save what was lost” Luke 19.10.  I don’t know about you, but I kinda want to avoid the lost, the poor, the sick.  I want to avoid seeking lost!  Don’t you?  How can one person change poverty anyway?!

I remember one day I was running.  It was a great day.  A great run.  And just about to finish my run when I saw a traffic light still green!  At the same moment, I saw a homeless man near the corner and the thought IMMEDIATELY came into my mind, “Invite him over to take a shower!”  Was this the voice of God or just my inner voice thinking this up?

Oh, I hope it was just a crazy thought.  I don’t think my wife would appreciate, “Hey, Hun, I’m home!  And I brought a homeless man with me to take a shower!”  Plus we had a young two year old at home.  Nope, just a thought.

But it kept coming back to my mind over those few seconds.  As I ran those last few strides toward the traffic light, I kept staring at this man and then at the light.  What do I do?!

Then a brilliant bargain with God came to my mind.  “OK, Lord, if this light stays green, I’ll run on home.  This was just a thought in my head.  If it turns red, I will stop and invite this man to have a shower in our home.  Yes, then I’ll know it was Your voice.”  It sounded like a fair bargain to me.

So I started sprinting toward the light.

But it turned red.

So, while out of breath, I turned to the man with dirty clothes and down cast eyes, “I’m just running home.  Would you like to come and take a shower?”

He looked at me in disbelief.  “What?”

“Would you like to come to my home and shower?”

“Why, sure!  Are you sure?  I don’t want to be a bother.”

“Yes, I’m sure.  Come on.”  I didn’t tell him about my bargain with God and the traffic light.

The light turned green and we walked across on to our home.  On the way he told me that he just came from Alaska where he lost his job.  He’s out of work and has no permanent place to stay.

All this was interesting and sad.  But I wasn’t fully engaged.  The thoughts kept coming to my mind about what my wife will say as I introduce my guest.

I walked in the door with my new friend and to my relief; my wife smiled and welcomed this homeless man into our home.  She not only gave him a fresh towel, but she stole some of my clothes to give to him and invited him to our table for a home cooked meal.

Our offer quite simple:  a shower and a meal.  He ate with our two year old on his lap.  He ate with new found energy, bright face and cheerful heart.  The change in him dramatic.  The change in that traffic light affected all of us!

The most noticeable form of poverty is the physically poor:  without home, food, family.  But we also need to dig a bit deeper to find the emotionally and spiritually poor.

Sometimes those people who have little physically have full, rich spirits.

Sometimes those people, who have so many physical riches, have poor, impoverished spirits.

Regardless, there is a home for each one.  Jesus invites them home.  You and I are His extended family making space for the poor in a new home. 

Matthew 5:3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”

Matthew 9:12-13 “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”

The gospel must be presented to the poor.

·        Who are the poor in your neighborhood?

·        Where do we find them?

·        What do we do for them?

·        What could the Church do for them?

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The greatest hindrance to wisdom is pride

I’ve been thinking about this and testing this quite a bit lately.

One of my most frequent prayers is that for wisdom.  I daily need wisdom from God.

When I see a wise person, I see a humble person.

Now, you know that wisdom is way different from knowledge.  It’s true that “knowledge puffs up.”  Knowledge and pride can go together hand and hand.  And often does.

But wisdom is the long process of working knowledge and experience into practical forms of perspective and truth.

Pride insists on a perspective that centers on self.  This perspective will intentionally disregard opposing views, gentle suggestions and a world view that spreads wider than one’s own territory.

But as a person is open to the thoughts, feelings and experiences of others and constantly looks beyond self embracing ego centricities, this person can eventually look into a perspective that goes beyond one’s self.

OK, the creator of the world, of you and me, can see the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.  As we grow closer to Him, our life centeredness migrates from ours to His; our perspective shifts from one’s self to His; our wisdom grows from ours to His.  Pride has no room in this scenario.

Recently, I was sharing these thoughts with my parents.  We talked about a previous neighbor who certainly knew how to make a pond!  He was a grader operator and told me more than once how to properly make a pond and that our other neighbor didn’t know how to do it but he did!  “Yeah, he knew how to do everything!” my parents remembered.  He was forceful, full of self and confident in the pond HE made.  Until the next year.  It didn’t hold water.

I Corinthians 1:25

“For the foolishness of God

is wiser than man’s wisdom,

and the weakness of God

is stronger than man’s strength.”

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The greatest hindrance to change is success

I think one of the main driving forces I see in people is the desire to succeed.  I see it all around me.  Advertisements beckon people to see their dreams come true.  “Do you want to be a success?  Then, come my way.”

We define success in terms of

·        successful people

·        successful projects

·        successful careers

·        successful campaigns

But perhaps success can hinder us from the best.  Success has an end to it.  Success designates an achievement.  Success arrives somewhere.  And once there, I ask, “Why change?”

The call to follow Jesus is more a call of constant change than of success.  Actually in the end, only God the Father will determine what success means anyway.  All the rest is a guess.  Or wishful thinking.

Jesus has so much more for us that we cannot help but change continuously toward his character.  Grow.  Develop.  Mature.  Purify.  He calls each one of us into a deep, rich relationship.  And any relationship requires constant change.  Just ask any married couple.

Because I love my wife, I change.  Growing up I never touched the dirty dishes.  Now I wash the dishes every day.  Will I get a medal for that in heaven?  Probably not, but it pays off here and now with my wife.

The only way around this whole thing is to determine that success really means a growing relationship.  Success is never achieved or static but developed and dynamic.  Then, we can go on being successful in our relationships – especially that with Jesus.

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Coming Alive!

I was reading last night in John Eldredge's book, Wild at Heart.  On page 200 he quoted Gil Bailie:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs.  Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

Good stuff!  What makes YOU come alive?

The Source of Abundant Life

The Spirit is the SOURCE of all life.  Just as the fruit on the vine cannot live without water, the fruit of the Spirit cannot exist without the Spirit.

Our spiritual fruit will never develop without the Spirit.  Yes, Jesus is the vine, we are the branches.  Yes, the fruit begins to develop in us:  love, peace, patience, joy, etc.  But without the flow of the Spirit, there is no ripening, no fruition.

The power of the Spirit is in the Vine.  The flow of the Spirit is in attachment to the Vine.  We are connected to the Father through the Son, Jesus Christ.  For this reason only, can the Spirit bring us life and abundant life.

The abundant life comes through the Vine and the Spirit.  We cry for, we look for this fulfilled life in so many things.  But it will never be found outside Jesus and His Spirit.  They bring, give and bestow on us what they have.  Whatever they have, they pass on to us as we ask and as we are attached.  It’s not automatic, but deliberate.  We can be deliberately and fully attached back to the Source of life similar to being attached back to a mother’s cord of life.

Life of frustration flows out of expecting the fruit but not tapping the Source!  Life of frustration is exasperated because of fully expecting everything known and read out of the Bible but in not actually and practically tapping into the Vine through the Spirit.

The 120 began tapping into Jesus as they prayed in the Upper Room.  They gave their lives to Jesus.  Jesus promised the Holy Spirit through baptism.  Acts 1:5 “John baptized you in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit.  And soon.”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is what God does when He turns on the water of the Spirit through the Vine!  This powerful flow of Spirit bursts through the vessels of life!  This power of God comes flowing through to the one waiting on Him.  It can become messy and wet, but it is out of the heart of God the Father that it comes.  He cannot tone it down too much.  Consider the source.

When the Spirit came, as recorded in Acts 2, He came in a loud “sound like a strong wind, gale force.”  Onlookers thought these people had become “drunk on cheap wine.”  But it was much more that this.  The Spirit of God had come upon them in power.  The Spirit of God came in a strong force upon each one waiting and praying.

There are many manifestations of the Holy Spirit.  In this case, they began “speaking in a number of different languages.”  Those from many countries could immediately understand them.  The power of God began flowing through them.

And it continued as Peter stood up and addressed the crowd.  The difference in him was that he boldly stood and explained the full message of God’s plan of abundant life as recorded in the Old Testament, witnessed in Jesus and now completed through the Holy Spirit.

When we get on the log ride at a water park, we expect to get wet.  It’s usually refreshing as hot, summer weather can be quite exhausting.

Similarly, life can be quite exhausting.  The challenges and problems of living in a city, living with selfish people and trying to make a living can get quite overwhelming.  But in turning to God and seeking connection with the Vine of Christ, we can expect the flow of the Spirit to splash through and all around.  It doesn’t need to be contained just as water at a water park is not.  It doesn’t need to be analyzed - but to be enjoyed.

We do not drive to a water park, pay the fee and slide through the rides in order to analyze the engineering.  But we come to have fun and get wet.  It’s a guaranteed soaker with lots of surprises.  We do not try to take control of the water but go along with the water.  It’s literally relaxing and refreshing and quite unnecessary to know the physics, design and production of each water flow.  These are left to others behind the scenes.  Our responsibility is to go through the gate, expect something to happen and get wet.

Will you join me in waiting for something new and refreshing?  Will you join me in attaching to the Vine for the source of new life?  Will you join me in allowing the Spirit of God to do as He wishes?  Will you join me in accepting God’s way, God’s life, His new abundant life He would love to give each and every one of us?

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Spiritual Awakening: The Conclusion

This conclusion must really be a beginning.  Will we believe God for a new beginning, a fresh start in seeing God move in and through his people, in our lives and the lives of our neighbors in Europe?

“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;

the whole earth is full of his glory” (Isaiah 6:3).                  

May we see the glory of God in all the earth, beginning in our own lives and continuing to every person in Europe and around the world. The authority given to Jesus passes to his people for the salvation of all peoples through the power of the Holy Spirit. The contemporary church has a great opportunity to see this happen. The resources are there. The opportunities are there. The Kingdom of God is coming. The Spirit is moving.

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The Tenth High Point of my Spiritual Life

The tenth high point of my spiritual life, which leads to my great passion to see Spiritual Reformation today, is relearning how to pray.

I first learned how to pray in Sunday School.

          “Fold your hands!

          Close your eyes!

          And bow your head!,”

the teacher admonished us as she looked all around the room. “Hey, why did she get to look all around the room?!,” I demanded from my own uncomprehending little mind! But I was a pretty good boy, so I obeyed the teacher. Besides, she was three times bigger than I was! Went through the Sunday School ritual and was assured God heard me. Good! I’m getting through to God!

I did begin to question the premise that God in heaven only heard my prayers in Sunday School and at dinner time when I folded my hands, closed my eyes, bowed my head and were close to adults! Could He hear my prayers while riding my bicycle? Or was that out of bounds for God? Good question. I COULDN’T fold my hands while riding my bike! Nor close my eyes! But I’ve finally answered this question. Through desperation.

I know my Sunday School teacher didn’t want us kids bothering each other and thinking about all kinds of other things. But I began to find out that passive, quiet, eyes closed praying wouldn’t get the job done for me in a busy, noisy, bike riding day.

Living half way around the world from my old Sunday School teacher provides some great opportunities to learn how to pray. You know, the desperate, basic, unrefined, gut level prayer. As a 40 year old, I became like a little child. Maybe this is what Jesus meant when He said, “Unless you change and become like a little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).

Following years of education, experience and maturity, I arrived with the eloquent tongue of being able to count to three. Then, after a couple of months, I advanced to,

“Hello.”

“I am good.”

“I live on Arpad ut, nyolcvan egy, Gyorben.”

“The weather is good.”

“How are you?”

“Hello.”

These are the basics we teach our kindergarten children – the essentials. These are the basics I learned for the first months of life, or new life, changing and beginning once again, as a child.

And during this time, I found that my most common prayer was really very simple, “HEEELLLP!!!” I used this form of prayer when looking for a light bulb in the city. It took me half the day. What did you call a light bulb anyway? Where do I begin? How do I ask, “Where is a light bulb?”

My vocabulary lacked,

“Where,” and

“Is,” and

“A,” and

“Lightbulb.”

So, my day started with a need. I can’t find a light bulb or even know where to begin to find one! And it took me to God in prayer.

My new form of prayer is quite different. My world is filled with need! My hands are outstretched reaching for Someone way, way beyond me! My eyes are opened wide to the sin, the sickness, the disparity, the self centeredness gone wild! My head turns upwards, getting my thoughts off this world and on to another above me!

“God! Hear me! Help me! Hold me!” “Where, oh where is a light bulb!?”

Who do you see in prayer? Who do you touch in prayer? The idea of Apostolic Ministry is to touch God in prayer. He is the Father, the Son, the Spirit of life and hope! He is the director, the planner, the fulfiller. He is the answer, the truth, the hope. The LIGHT!

Not only are my eyes peaking as I pray but I strain my eyes for light. I search for hope. I plead for a start, a beginning, a new life. I’m looking for Him with my eyes open! And I’m finding the light of life!

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The Ninth High Point of my Spiritual Life

The ninth high point of my spiritual life, which leads to my great passion to see Spiritual Reformation today, is picturing what could be in Europe.

OK, What Are We Really Talking About?

I’m talking about a huge change. Not just in our minds and hearts and wills. But in society, too. It’s not going to happen overnight. And it’s not going to start with a huge fanfare. It’s certainly not going to look at all like success in the beginning. But it will start slow, start with unassuming people and look a lot like failure. So you’re in? Great!

I like to start with the “Z,” what the end product looks like. The “Z” is a sweeping spiritual movement toward God. I mean we’re talking about whole groups of people, cities, towns, counties and countries turning toward God instead of turning inward toward something selfish or self centered. This would entail a great big, huge reversal of almost everything going on around us.

The church is sick. The leaders are sick. The systems are sick. The government is sick. The schools are sick. The businesses are sick. Anyway you get the picture of a lot of things needing change. And we’re not just talking about California. We’re talking about a few other places in the world.

And God wants you to do something about it. He wants me to do something about it. We’re not much but we can do something. Right!?

So that’s the “Z.” We start with a problem. We look way out to the end – the solution. And now we begin to plot step by step ways to get there.

And the great thing is that I’m not in charge. You’re not in charge!  But Someone Else is in charge! And THAT gives me a lot of comfort! Someone Else is drawing the map. Someone Else is plotting the course. Someone Else is issuing the flight tickets – even though we don’t know where we’re going. Someone Else is assuring the ultimate victory.

Jesus. Jesus. Say it with me now, “Jesus!”

He is who I follow. He is who I listen to. Jesus is who knows it all better than I. Jesus never fails.

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The Eighth High Point of my Spiritual Life

The eighth high point of my spiritual life, which leads to my great passion to see Spiritual Reformation today, was getting on airplane with a one way ticket.

So, there I was on the airplane from Indianapolis to Budapest with a one way ticket in my hand thinking, “Apostolic what!?” (Or was I just thinking, “What?!”) Everything was on the line. Everything my professors taught me in college. Everything my professors taught me in seminary. Everything I learned from my parents, my friends, my mentors, my pastors. Here I was. Not just alone. But with my wife, my two daughters and one son. And it doesn’t get much riskier than this.

What would you do? Would you move half way around the world to attempt something that could really, really fail? I guess I had to. I heard the Voice. I couldn’t get away from that call deep in my heart and mind. The doors opened up. The way was clear. Stepping through the threshold meant either the lights would come on the other side or the darkness just ahead would swallow us up!

I invite you to go along with me on a journey. Are you interested in being one of “the sent ones?” Are you willing to be sent? I’m not talking about being sent to the store for another gallon of milk, diapers and sneaking in a few doughnuts. I’m not talking about being sent out in your SUV in the middle of winter to Blockbuster’s for an emergency movie at 10:30 pm. I’m talking about a one way ticket. A ticket to a destination far, far away. A ticket to a destination far, far away and ever so lonely. A ticket to a destination far, far away and ever so lonely yet exploding with the dynamic power of God!

‘Cause I’ve finally figured out that it’s a lot more fun to be on an airplane to a destination far, far away and ever so lonely yet exploding with the dynamic power of God than to be on a couch with a remote controlling the picture and sound from a destination far, far away and ever so comfortable with friends and family a phone call away yet imploding with the fizzling power of me.

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