Fasting isn't just an optional discipline for the Christian on rare occasions, nor is it reserved for the "super-spiritual," though that is what we may often feel.
Why would we only want that on rare occasions?
Read MoreThe mission is identity, not just action; we are ambassadors of Jesus' mission. An ambassador, in geopolitics, is sent with the authority of their sender to declare the words of the one who sent them. Suppose we are ambassadors of reconciliation between the Creator and the creation, exactly as Christ was first God's ambassador to us. In that case, we must be joyfully diligent in sharing His will and word in His world.
Read MoreMost people see Church as one of the balls they keep in the air amid a busy life. God, though, desires something different for His church. Life in covenant with God's family (the Church) is central to reality. Thus, all of life, and its many components, flows through the reality of being in God's family.
The Church was not an afterthought in God's plan. At the centre of God's eternal purpose is His desire to create a people for Himself. It is His unfolding plan of redemption and where history is headed. We are not reconciled to God as individuals and then choose to join the Church at some point as if it were a social club, country club, gang, support group or activist organization.
Read MoreGod's mission has a church! If you have been around church circles for any time, you may have heard the term "mission" or "missionary." Generally, what we have learned is the Church has a mission or sends missionaries for its mission. It is not wrong but backward and incomplete. You see, the Church does not have a mission. God has a mission, and His mission has a church. The Church is the vehicle for God's mission.
God is a missionary God, and the whole of Scripture is the unfolding of His story as He engages His world through His people. He has one goal—to form a family for himself from all people.
Read MoreIf you’re like most people, you’ve lived through enough mediocre-at-best team experiences that you’ve come to accept and even expect more of the same. Perhaps without realizing it, you’ve lost vision for a high-performance team to lead or contribute to a thriving organization. Maybe you also lack both the imagination of how your team could be better as well as the inspiration to even try. But renewed hope and momentum await! As you begin your journey toward building a resilient team, this chapter will help you reflect on your situation; seek God for His perspective, vision, and call; look deeply into the challenges you’ve faced; and set the stage for your team’s transformation.
Read More“Free is always better.” People often use this phrase to describe something we gain unexpectedly and at no cost—a cup of coffee, a meal, and sometimes a vacation!
We know what free means in concept, indeed. But do we know what it means beyond unexpectedly obtaining something material? I am sure what comes to mind for most of us is also some version of being free from obligation, free to exercise our will, or free from tyranny or exploitation.
But what if true freedom ran much deeper? The church father and Apostle Paul wrote to the ancient church in Corinth: “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”
When Paul writes this, He equates the power of the Holy Spirit with the power of God. The Holy Spirit is equal to Yahweh in every way. Whenever anyone follows the Way of Jesus through repentance and faith, his or her condition changes completely. Followers of the Way of Jesus possess renewed hearts and minds, enabling them to see the revelation of God more fully, and the Spirit becomes the prime mover in the lives of God's people.
You probably saw the heart-wrenching photos in the news, and maybe even said a prayer. On November 8, 2018, a massive forest fire, whipped by 50 mile-an-hour winds, virtually razed the town of Paradise, California.
When the devastation ended, the town of 27,000 people was nearly erased. 13,000 homes and many businesses—some 85% of the town’s structures—had vanished in a few minutes. Abandoned cars melted down to their axles as people fled.
Worse, not only did this most destructive wildfire in California’s recent history destroy structures, but it also obliterated a once tight-knit community of families, friends, neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and churches. In the months that followed, people fought to put their lives—and community—back together. Many had to find new homes, new jobs, new schools, and new relationships. Ultimately, a new normal.
Read MoreI was dumbfounded. Truly dumbfounded and probably more bothered than I should have been, considering what was happening was not any of my business. Yet, as person after person ignored the two signs, five people, plastic-wrapped food, and active mopping happening while the Delta Skyclub crew turned over the food service area from breakfast to lunch, I found myself personally invested in the undoubted frustration of the Delta staff.
I was sitting there when they put out the signs. I was sitting there when the staff made the very public announcement over the loudspeaker, “the upper food area would be closed to turn it over for lunch. Lunch is available, however, in the lower area.” There were only about twenty steps between the two areas, mind you. But for what seemed like an eternity, though only about twenty actual minutes, I sometimes watched but mostly heard the staff people repeat the same refrain. “Excuse me, ma'am (or sir), but this food area is closed for the next several minutes while we turn it over for lunch.”
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