Merlin's Mustache

Not my words, Today only Scripture, from Romans 2:1-16, in the NIV. Powerful Posturing Spoken here, for our Eventual Good, and His Ultimate Glory!

1. 1.) You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge another, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2.) Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3.) So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? 4.) Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? 5.) But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. 6.) God “will repay each person according to what they have done.” 7.) To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8.) But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9.) There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10.) but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11.) For God does not show favoritism. 12.) All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13) For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14.) Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15.) They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them. 16.) This will take place on the day when God judges people’s secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares. NEXT UP: A landmark sermon unveiled this past Sunday!

Studied, Edited, Revised With Suggested Additions by merlin.

Let us draw us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings , having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching. For if we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgement and the raging fire that will consume the enemies of God .  Hebrews 10:22-27

Are we all capable of becoming spiritually lazy saints? But first, can a “saint” even become lazy?

Although we inwardly want to stay off the rough roads of life, aren’t we of the American church today too often subconsciously (or not) pursuing a peaceful retreat from the world?  

The ideas put forth in these verses from Hebrews 10 are those of stirring up one another in love while synchronizing ourselves with each other spiritually in community (being in “one accord” as referenced in Acts 2) while being vigilant against deception & quite frankly, NOT morphing into sanctified couch potatoes (lazy saints). Listen, I’m speaking to myself first!  

Both of these, stirring up & assembling (by synching our spirit, soul, & body, heart, mind, & wills together with other brothers & sisters), requires initiative, or our willingness to take the first step toward Christ–realization, and definitely not the initiative towards merely worldly self-help or self–realization! Living the routine usual & customary churchy aloof, withdrawn & secluded life, is so diametrically opposed to the spirituality Jesus Christ taught while here.

So, are the true colors of our practical spirituality even visible when we encounter injustice, degradation, ingratitude, and turmoil, all of which have the tendency to first overwhelm us, before they then isolate & discourage us, causing us to look inward, rather than upward unto the hills, far, far beyond ourselves?

Actually, while being tested, should we not look up in expectancy of His deliverance and empowerment using prayer, scripture, individual & corporate worship to avoid mission drift, by inconspicuously thriving visibly while softly & quietly dispensing His love throughout our communities? It matters not whether these neighbor folk be in or out of the “fold,” for are we not mandated, in season or out, to be continually stirring up love and good works by our life styles & actions exhibiting we each being “invitationally winsomely & attractively visible” rather than confrontingly judgmental, at least until the public persecutions begin and lives are lost.

Am I guilty of using God subconsciously only for the sake of securing peace and joy? Forbid that I ever selfishly seek only the perks of church attendance, such as fire life insurance as alluded to in today’s frequently quoted prophesied terms as found in I Thessalonians 5:3, “peace and safety.”  

Is it possible such deceptions from the above comments may be our first steps in the wrong direction? Is it possible that the Great Deception now silently rampant among us, deceiving the redeemed by we seeking simply the effects of salvation, while we perhaps subconsciously in our drivenness, make them our profanely politically rallying causes. I highly recommend Christian Aid Ministries Gary Miller’s book “What Jesus Refused to Do” if today’s rhetoric is confusing you! I have referenced this book in prior posts and have either a word.doc or a pdf summary for you upon request.

Bottom Line:

I offer you the words of Peter in 2 Peter 1:13 “Yes, I think it is right,” Peter said, “…to stir you up by reminding you….

Indeed, it is a most disturbing thing to be hit squarely in the stomach by someone being used of God to stir us up— someone who is full of spiritual activity. Simple active work and spiritual activity are not the same thing. Active work caused by our personal drivenness can actually be the counterfeit of spiritual activity. The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up— all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement— He says, “Go and tell My brethren…” (Matthew 28:10).

Next Up:

Ah, and perhaps that’s another pressing kingdom dilemma, define “tell.”  

Until next time, I offer you more from 2 Peter 1:13-21 (MSG) for your rumination.

13. This is the post to which I’ve been assigned—keeping you alert with frequent reminders—and I’m sticking to it as long as I live.

14. I know that I’m to die soon; the Master has made that quite clear to me.

15. And so I am especially eager that you have all this down in black and white so that after I die, you’ll have it for ready reference.

16. We weren’t, you know, just wishing on a star when we laid the facts out before you regarding the powerful return of our Master, Jesus Christ. We were there for the preview! We saw it with our own eyes:

17. Jesus resplendent with light from God the Father as the voice of Majestic Glory spoke: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of all my delight.”

18. We were there on the holy mountain with him. We heard the voice out of heaven with our very own ears.

19. We couldn’t be more sure of what we saw and heard—God’s glory, God’s voice. The prophetic Word was confirmed to us. You’ll do well to keep focusing on it. It’s the one light you have in a dark time as you wait for daybreak and the rising of the Morning Star in your hearts.

20. The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of private opinion.

21. And why? Because it’s not something concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit prompted men and women to speak God’s Word.

Next Up: Not sure, too many options.

Final post taken from Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches, Chapter 15 Pg 175.

            When working with World Relief and living in Rwanda, I (Peter) visited a rural church. Made of bricks, its structure was quite simple. But it was extraordinary because Rwandan villagers had built it with their own hands.

          World Relief had been serving in the community for several years, assisting with micro-enterprise development and child survival services. As the community grew stronger, the local members identified the need for a central place of worship. Pooling their savings from their increased business profits, they dedicated the money to rebuilding the church. Together, they laid its foundation. Together, they built its structure, brick by brick.

          When I met with community members, they said to me, “See what the Lord has accomplished through us.” And it wasn’t just a building; they were even prouder of the way they provided for widows and orphans.

          World Relief, born out of the church, was assisting in the birthing of this and many other churches around the world. And in the process, they throw another anchor overboard to grasp an even firmer hold of their mission.

MISSION TRUE and the CHURCH

          If you believe the church is a vital component of your mission, there are a few simple, yet effective ways to minimize confusion and work more effectively together. Mission True organizations:

1.  Invest relationally: Relationships are essential, but they take time. Investing in the local church leadership and building true friendships creates a foundation for collaboration.
2.  Over-communicate: It’s insufficient to have preliminary conversations and a memorandum of understanding. Regularly communicate progress and true metrics, and listen to the church’s feedback. One pastor in a rural part of Rwanda told me about my lackluster communication and stated, “We want to support you, but we need to know what you’re doing!”
3.  Are generous: They use their platforms and ministries to invite participants to attend local church events. If we’re truly all on the same team, we must actively promote others.
4.  Communicate with clarity: There is always the possibility of the “he said/she said” with partnerships of any sort. Especially cross-culturally, spending additional time clarifying roles, responsibilities, and commitments in writing grounds or anchors the partnership.
5. Worship and pray communally: Fellowship through worshiping and praying together strengthens connection and reminds us of our common position as men and women united in Christ.
6.  Are life-long learners: They seek unfiltered perspectives from global church partners and realize how much each group has to learn from the other.

As simple as these suggestions are, they create a more meaningful and impactful partnership.

CHURCH AS ANCHOR

          My brother and I used a cinder block as an anchor. Its mass served to steady our boat. Modern anchors often not only provide a mass to balance a boat; they also stabilize it by gripping the seafloor.

          When the anchor is first released, it bounces along the ocean floor before snagging the seabed. For a moment, the ship can sway – until the anchor grips the floor, stopping its drift. The church can help anchor us to our mission and identity. And it can help us stay Mission True!  

Bottom Line Confessions:

This Chapter 15 has been a learning experience for me on many levels. Humorously, you need to know I thought the Crouch that wrote the exquisite Forward that drew me into reading the book years ago, was the Andrae Crouch (1942-2015) referred to as the father of modern gospel music, that I associated with songs such as Through It All, Soon and Very Soon, The Blood Will Never Lose Its Power, My Tribute (To God Be the Glory.) Songwriter, arranger, record producer, even pastor, Andrae was noted for his talent of incorporating contemporary secular music styles into the gospel music he grew up with, paving the way for American contemporary Christian music to emerge during the ’60’s & ’70’s. Truly sad when Wiki has to educate me on so many topics!

However, the Andy Crouch that did write the Mission Drift foreward as printed in the June 30 post, graduated with a M.Div from Boston University School of Theology and served ten years as campus pastor with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship at Harvard University; hence I’m deducting Peter Greer and Andy met at Harvard somehow, sometime… And when I read Andy was a classically trained musician who draws on pop, folk, rock, jazz and gospel leading musical worship for congregations of five to twenty thousand, I logically assumed…. and we all know the trouble assumptions cause… Also, it appears Andy is now at the helm of Christianity Today after a lengthy association therewith editorially.

Secondly, I’m thinking I may have exceeded some of your attention spans taking 10 days to get thru one chapter. My apologies. Know that it was really hard for me to refrain interjecting other hot item posts midstream when I encountered them! I personally thrive on being fluid and responsive in the moment when inspired, hence I’ll not likely author a book, but rather seek to provide you bursts of insights & encouragements as encountered.

However, I trust this 10 day stint, as with other prior blogs, will in the complexities of your daily living be a resource when needed for either reinforcement or encouragement, for you and/or others.

NEXT UP: Andy Crouch changes his morning routine!

Taken from Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches, Pg 174.

While operating in a closed country context, an organization had a fantastic problem – people were coming to Christ. In fact, one survey revealed that 59% of families served heard about Christ for the very first time from staff members serving their community. Many individuals made a profession of faith and desired to gather together to “do church.” Eager to help and thrilled at the impact, staff members began home churches.

          These independent churches began growing and taking on church-planting responsibilities. But it didn’t take long for the problems to start. Questions of belief and practice came flooding in. With little training and no support, the staff members were unsure how to handle these challenges. They didn’t have the foundation to disciple others into mature, growing Christ-followers. These challenges impacted their service as their expertise was in community development, and they struggled to understand hoe to navigate key issues related to growing home churches. Clearly, they needed help.

          After several years of frustration, the group changed the approach and partnered with a local group of churches eager to expand to these communities. It was a symbiotic relationship – the local church had a new outreach tool, and the ministry was able to focus on its programs. Truly a win/win partnership. The church as a church, and the parachurch at her side.

          No entity is more expansive than the local church. Pastor and author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren illustrates this principle by laying out three maps of the western province of Rwanda. In the first map, three small dots mark the location of hospitals. The second map identifies the eighteen health clinics that serve 700,000 people. The third map identifies the churches – 82 OR 6 dots cover the map. This visual powerfully conveys that the church has a far greater scope and scale than virtually any other social entity in the region.

BOTTOM LINE:

Beyond these practical benefits, the underlying reason for partnership is that it binds organizations to their mission. The church grounds all good works in the grander vision of humanity’s fall and God’s redemption. It’s not easy, but for most organizations desiring to stay Mission True, the question with local church partnerships should be “How do we partner?” not “Should we partner?”

NEXT UP: Mission True org’s minimize confusion and work more effectively building churches by these 6 steps…

Taken from the book Mission Drift: The Unspoken Crisis Facing Leaders, Charities, and Churches. Pg 173.

       The global church needs each member, a lesson enthusiastic North American mission trip participants sometimes need to hear. We all have something to give, and we all have something to receive. For example, I have learned so much about prayer through my brothers and sisters in Rwanda and the Philippines. In the Dominican Republic, the church members have taught me about experiencing joy in Christ as I ’ve never experienced it before. No one person or org. has all the answers. As Paul said, “Just as a body, so it is with Christ.” Though this applies to individuals, it also covers institutions. We’re part of a much larger family and independence just isn’t an option.

Very rarely do we get a glimpse of Jesus’ prayer life. Though we know He frequently sought solitude to spend time with His Father, few passages reveal the prayers. That is what makes Jesus’ prayer in John 17 a fascinating glimpse of Christ’s heart.

Jesus lays out His attention for the body of Christ:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one – I in them and you in me – so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

          BOTTOM LINE: Unity is the central characteristic of the body of Christ. And it’s this unity, Christ says, that will compel others to pay attention to the message of grace. In essence, we have the opportunity to fulfill Christ’s prayer when we partner with the local church in a spirit of friendship and mutual dependence.

          NEXT UP: No entity is more expansive than the local church which grounds all good works in the grander vision of humanity’s fall and God’s redemption.

Taken from the book Mission Drift Chapter 15 Pg. 171

         At a backyard party a few years ago, Laurel, my wife overheard a teenager’s rude comments making fun of our son. Trying to impress his friends, he used inappropriate words and gestures, unaware an adult was within hearing distance. Laurel grabbed our son and broke into tears as she walked away.

          Moments later, when I learned what happened, adrenaline shot through my body. The Popa Bear instinct kicked in. Walking over to the child who made the comments, I communicated that his words and actions were unacceptable. I very clearly suggested he not make them again. “It is time for you to go home. Right Now!” Nothing makes me react more strongly than someone threatening my wife or children.

          In Scripture, God talks repeatedly about the church as His bride. We know this bride has plenty of blemishes, yet she is still Christ’s bride. You cannot love the Bridegroom yet show disrespect for the bride.

          Imagine a friendship with someone who constantly berated the one you most treasure – it just wouldn’t be a friendship for very long. In a similar way, might the Bridegroom not take too kindly to us constantly pointing out the flaws and problems and miss the central point – the church is still His beloved and chosen bride?

          In God’s wisdom, the local church is God’s Plan A. There is no Plan B. His work continues through His chosen instrument. With a supernatural origination and divine mandate, the church is Christ’s hands and feet bringing the Good News as we love God and our neighbors. The Church is Christ in the world; Christ’s bride really makes Him present, at this time, in this place, among these people.

          While imperfect, the body of Christ is the anchor, “the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.” You cannot remain Mission True without a vigorous commitment to Christ’s body – the church.

          We would be wise to examine the practice of our Catholic friends and even some Protestant denominations. Their parachurch ministries fall under the authority and leadership of the church. This arrangement creates structures and accountability many evangelicals lack, For example, World Renew, the Christian Reformed denomination’s arm for relief reached more than 1.75 million people with life-changing services in 2011.

          Some parachurch ministries recognize the joys of partnering with the local church. Caring Partners International, a short-term medical missionary organization, understands that the local church is the sustain force behind their ministry. Their motto is “Partnering with the local church enables us to turn short-term trips into long term impact.” Without the local church, Caring Partners recognizes that their ministry is temporary. The church is what sustains the work of Christ for the long haul.

          In his book Walking with the Poor, Bryant Myers writes that Rene Padilla in a World Vision workshop highlighted the danger of missing the role of the local church in ministry: “The path to secularization is made straight if you lose sight of the local church.”

          Consider Habitiat for Humanity. Milliard Fuller founded the organization out of his faith convictions. In a difficult season of life, he “found God” and created Habitat to provide housing for the poor. His first Habitat project was an experiment while he served as a missionary in the Congo.

          During his final days, Fuller shared his greatest fear – that his organization would forget its Christian identity. And he noted that Habitat’s growth and success were perhaps its biggest downfall. Millard employed his fellow Baptists to fight for his org’s core: I have a deep concern that Habitat for Humanity remain firmly a Christian ministry.

“From the beginning, I have seen Habitat as a new frontier in Christian missions – a creative and new way to proclaim the gospel… My greatest concern for Habitat for Humanity is going secular.”

Without the church serving as an anchor at Habitat, Fuller recognized Habitat would drift. The church has lasted for over 2000 years and is a direct link to the teachings of Jesus. Despite humanity’s best efforts to crush it, it remains. In his book Bad Religion: How We Become a Nation of Heretics, Ross Douthat summarizes:

“You couldn’t spend your whole life in Campus Crusade for Christ, or raise your daughter as a Promise Keeper, or count on groups like the Moral Majority or the Christian Coalition to sustain your belief system beyond the next election cycle. For that kind of staying power you needed a confessional tradition, a church, an institution capable of outlasting its charismatic founders.”

BOTTOM LINE:   Wisdom lies in anchoring ourselves to the church as the church is anchored to Christ. Across time & culture & trends, the church remains.

NEXT UP: At some point, the realization hits “We can’t do it alone” in context with John 17’s Olivet Discourse, the question with local church partnerships for org’s desiring to stay Mission True should be “How do we partner?” not “Should we partner?”

Two Quick Short Stories & You’ll Understand!

Taken from the book Mission Drift Chapter 15 Pg. 169

Working in close collaboration with like-minded local churches is perhaps the easiest way to stay on mission. But from our experience, it’s also the most complicated.

Story One: Several years ago, while working in Rwanda with World Relief, I (Peter) gathered with staff and clients in a rural church to disburse small loans to assist entrepreneurs to start or expand their businesses. It was a time of celebration. Each client shared a business [lan and dreams for the future.

We later learned something alarming. Right after the staff members left, the local pastor called a special meeting with all the clients – a conveniently timed Bible lesson on tithing. He began his talk describing how the Bible required each member to tithe 10 percent. He then preached that tithing was required on any funds they received. Since they had all just accepted a small loan to invest in their businesses, he required each member to tithe 10 percent of the total loan amount. It would be like your pastor showing up after you just took out a $100,000 mortgage for your home and required you to “tithe” $10,000.

Members tried to share about the difference between productive investment and profit, but to no avail. If they wanted to to continue attending the church, they needed to pay up. The group of entrepreneurs disbanded after the first cycle, and it was not a positive experience for anyone involved.

Story Two: On another occasion working for a Christian microfinance organization in Rwanda, I received a recommendation from a senior denominational leader. Attesting to Sheila’s character, volunteer experience, and capacity, the letter was one of the most glowing reporsts I’d ever reviewed. We hired her.

Less than a year later, we discovered Sheila was stealing from the organization. It turns out Sheila was also the niece of the denominational leader who provided the reference. Conveniently, this detail was left out during the application process. Even more disheartening, when we discussed the issue with the denominational leader, he threatened us. He made it clear we’d face issues if we dismissed Sheila. Not denying the allegations, he misused his power to protect a family member.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated case. “I know the church is described as the Bride of Christ in Scripture, but too often it acts like Bridezilla,” Gil Odendaal of World Relief remarked.

BOTTOM LINE:  Therefore, the question is why would organizations desire to tie themselves to the church when it seems it would so much easier to operate alone?

FYI, Merlin now, I was not at all familiar with ‘zilla term so consulting my phone I learned the term is assigned to a bride or a bride-to-be who is extremely demanding and difficult to deal with ticking off their friends, insulting family, abusing florists, photographers, and caterers! Get the picture?

NEXT UP: In God’s wisdom, the local church is God’s Plan A. God has no Plan B. Is that statement COUNTERCULTURAL or what? What’s sad is that man’s Plan B Mission Untrue may already be in practice by key leadership individually within the Church, or across or throughout congregations! That’s just the way the devil strategically facilitates DRIFT! I Repeat. God has No Plan B, in case you missed it!   

Relational Drift

For centuries, the local church was the centerpiece of outreach and service. The rapid creation of separate parachurch org’s is a relative recent phenomenon. Para, parachurch’s prefix, is Greek for “alongside” or “beside.” The purpose of the parachurch org is to come alongside, to support, the local church.

Following World War II, a concentrated effort to respond on a massive scale to the devastation of Europe and Asia began. Newspapers carried images of suffering in Europe and Asia to the doorsteps of many Americans, prompting a compassionate response. A few years later television opened eyes to the world’s needs. The result was the rapid increase of Christian relief and development org’s motivated by faith, but largely disconnected from the local church. Over time, many of these org’s, like Christian Children’s Fund, received increased funding from a variety of supporters.

No longer were partnerships with churches necessary. In fact, sometimes stifled organizational growth. Parachurch ministries and outreach org’s pursued independence. More significantly, a separation developed between the “works” of justice and the “message” of salvation. Slowly, the church was given the responsibility to share the Good News verbally while the work of physical restoration went to nonprofits.

David Bronkema describes the implications of this period: “In effect, the theological rubber band that held the two elements [of the Good News and good deeds] … had snapped.” But not all org’s walked away from the local church. Mission True org’s know the importance of collaboration with local congregations.

BOTTOM LINE:

One of these org’s is World Relief. Today they actively work to connect churches around the world. Every outreach program has to have a clear plan of action grounded in local church partnership. They recruit through local churches and actively seek to strengthen church networks. World Relief understood from the beginning that the building up of the church is the anchor to mission!

NEXT UP:

This collaboration with the local church can be complicated: resembling either a “bride,” OR “Bridezilla?”