Yesterday's post and video is a good place to pause for a moment to engage with our MRT Community. Here are a couple of early comments about that video...From Noah Cremisino (who is just arriving in New Zealand)...
I am getting SO PUMPED watching this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is what we've been praying for!! ....I actually see and feel life transformation... not just talk and theory, but actual ACTION and PASSION. The Kingdom of God will not grow without the transformative and active power of the Spirit of God PULSING through the veins of His followers.Make us ALIVE, Father!! Let us radiate you passion so that others would see you and know you as their Creator and Restorer!Would love to see and hear more!
From Chris Jefferies (England)...
Thoughts and feelings (about the video)? Just - WOW!!! :-)My main thought was, 'Enthusiasm - for Jesus'. We should all be like those students. If we're not, why not? He's the same Lord of Lords and King of Kings. I'm going to show this video to as many people as I can.
From John White (Colorado)...
Some nameless person who understood the power of story simply captured on video what God was doing and shared it with the rest of us. So, have you bought your video camera yet?
Go here to watch the video if you haven't already and then read through the comments. What is the Lord saying to us as church planters through this video?
Here's the link http://regionalrevolutionaries.blogspot.com/2010/04/small-groups-vs-house-churches-2.html
John
I think the Lord is saying to me. Look for the Spirit and join Him.
ReplyDeleteI did by my camera, I look for it every day in the mail. I hope to show all of you a baptism video soon that will happen this weekend.
I will be honest with you. I showed the video on my blog. My heritage is a patternist movement and I have already received a couple of emails questioning if this is a real baptism. I don't say that to knock these people. I love and respect the people who ask these questions.
A question their heart is not ready for is, do you see the Spirit at work here or in your baptism? They are not ready for it, because they only know God through words in a book--an overstatement I hope. So, I want to pose a challenge to us, mainly myself as I still wrestle with baggage from my heritage--it sometimes takes a while to align heart and mind--are we open to walking with the Spirit and are we able to honor and step into the life that he brings?
As we are able to say yes to this question together I think we are going to step deeper and deeper into a spiritual revival.
I wanted to share a second story not related to this from my listening time yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI had an interesting experience yesterday in my check in with God. I focused on the word disorientation. John pointed me to Brueggemann's observation of the Psalms and seasons of life. I asked the Lord questions about disorientation. I think he told me that He is with us in Disorientation and is Himself Disorienting. He leads us to a new orientation. If that conversation wasn't enough, I got to taste real disorientation last night and this morning. My glasses broke while I was wrestling with my son. Resulted in a blurry headache.
I mention this story because I have felt a little discouraged lately. I have talked to some other planters who have felt similarly. I find it interesting that we often share these types of rhythms at similar times. I wanted to see if this is resonating with any current experiences. How are you doing?
Thanks for your honesty, Hobby. I think we all like to convey the times when we are on top of things and everything is clear sailing. What I and some of us have been facing lately is what we've contributed to a real, but subtle, spiritual warfare. Any way that the enemy can stop us or slow us down is victory for him. I agree with rhythms and seasons... we can't always live on the mountaintops. But we need to be alert to this roaring lion and watch what he is doing. Some of us here have had major health problems lately, I just had my hours cut at the faith-based ministry because of lack of funding, and some of us have been distracted and discouraged with life changes. But we walk forward, and trust that again God will continue to walk this journey with us. Today has enough troubles of its own. Tomorrow will bring day time again.
ReplyDeleteBut to get back to this video. We all can account for some great times of stimulating experiences in our spiritual walk.... Baptisms, salvations, revelations,etc. I'm learning to rejoice with others as they encounter their times, and wait for God to return once again to bring those times to me. My job is to remain faithful.
I thought about the method of baptism, like you did. My first thought was, hmmm, is this acceptable? Back to my fundamental evangelical background. But the exciting issue is that of rebirth, enthusiasm, and exalting God. I hope He will sort that out for me. I rejoice in the salvation and life giving Spirit that He poured out on that campus. That's good enough for me.
It's interesting that several of us are asking the same practical questions about baptism. Must there be total immersion? Will a jugful do? Is a bucketful better than a jugful?
ReplyDeleteMove the discussion away from baptism for a moment. Isn't this what we do to almost everything the Lord gives to us? We need to learn to do the best we can with what we have. If there's a pool and the person is healthy, then immerse away. If there's no pool and only a basin of water, use it! If there's only a cupful, use that! The real baptism is in the heart.
Yahshua tells us to meet together and Paul says to do it often. We start to discuss what type of building we should meet in!
Yahshua tells us to go out and make disciples, we talk about how to raise enough funds to pay a missionary.
Yahshua says to love one another as he loved us, we talk about programmes and minimum calorie requirements.
When the King of Kings says, 'Jump!', we should just leap as hard as we can. There's no time to calculate whether our shoes have thick enough soles to protect our feet or whether we should eat a high energy bar to give our muscles that extra oomph.
Let's be on our guard about this attitude in our own hearts (are you listening Chris J?). Let's stop talking about the mechanics and just step in where we see the need and the opportunity. This would transform our effectiveness from death to life!
Wouldn't it?