Encouraging blogs has been forwarded to me, in reaction of my last posts. Interesting conversation too, through phone and FaceTime. Touching something significant although knowing that it is not a total “new” message.
There is this church, “suddenly” going through an intense process of change with some challenging happenings. The ” ” in the suddenly has more to do with us not seeing it coming, than the process that happens. The surprising part is because of the misinterpreting of what has been going on. It is mostly because of not being able to have an open mind while being in/going through the process.

But, than again, you never saw those red Renaults on the road, until you drive one. “Suddenly” they are all over…

What’s going on and where can God lead us, when we let Him?

I was watching this interview the other day about Gay marriage and the bible. The interesting issue is that we always try to find a part in the bible that confirms our thinking. We hope that somewhere (as in this case on many places) there is a statement that underlines the issue we are defending/fighting/teaching. I was so pleased with the answer of the guy (Dr. Michael Brown) that wrote the book, as the subject in it self is not so relevant here, but more the way he answered. In this case He simple addressed the “creating part” of marriage, as the reflecting of “the image of God” where he pointed us to the character of the Creator and with it, elevated himself above or maybe better said, distant himself from the “right and wrong answers” discussion. Pointing at Gods character, suddenly something else was at stake here, which is the identity of Father God.

For me, this reflects where the church is today, defending itself within a dying structure, keeping the ball rolling, rebuilding itself and even reshaping itself within the “same way we have done it but only different” attitude. And… we forget that the church -being the reflection of Father God to a society- last that part of pointing to Gods character. How can we show fatherhood, when all the church we represent today is about “leadership”? How can we live healthy marriage when all around us is about organization and ministry.

Again a link to the site I mentioned yesterday of Rivers of Eden by Debra Westbrook: Two posts What about this new thing? and Outsource – Prophetic Focus Outward Rather Than In Christ Alone.

What’s my point, as I always have to take you on the journey of my thought-life?!

Over the past few month I noticed this one big error/danger in discussing the “new”! It is our almost impossibility to let go of the old. Great conversations, challenging moments and than in just one spit second we are back in the “as usual”! I have pondered on it, tried to find the reason and with it always has this inner reaction of my spirit that cries out NOOOOOOOO! No, not in the automatic mode, not in the “fear for man” not in the conclusion of the centuries!

How hard is it to embrace the new when we still live from the old. We “pastor” the church and within the system we love to quote the “He make all things new” verses, but we know it is scary because the “old” still pays/hires us!

A last thought for now as I do not have the intension to deliver a full readymade  message.

Acts 8
And Saul approved of their killing him.
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

It is definitely not a script we would write. Absolutely not a thing we would have in mind, praying for the new! But, the result of this “strategy” was an explosion of christianity, all over the world!

I don’t say that this will happen, I just want to challenge you to let God make the design of the NEW!