The Exodus Pattern
What is missing in today’s American church?
We’ve got the good music. We’ve got the comfortable chairs. We’ve got the programs, the lighting, the teachings even! We even have good coffee now! But what is missing? Not what, but who?
The Holy Spirit fire that was present in the Israelites wilderness journey is what inspired them and fueled them to keep going. Today, we have the beautiful buildings (tabernacle and its furnishings) We have the ministry teams and systems and curriculum. (priestly ordinances and sacraments) We have the awesome worship music (Levites were dedicated to incredible musicianship) Yet, we find one thing above the tabernacle. One curious, notable, obvious thing… the fire. The pillar of fire and cloud by day was unable to be ignored. It roared with holy thunder and separated God’s people from every other people. It demanded a respect for holiness - something we could use in today’s church culture! It spoke of God’s desire to be near, present, available.
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What If ...
We are called to work with God to bring about beauty in this world. Sometimes that’s through praying for someone who is sick. Sometimes it’s building something beautiful people can enjoy. Sometimes it’s writing a song. Sometimes it’s sending a text to encourage someone. Sometimes it’s just welcoming someone at our church. We are called to bear the image of Jesus and the Holy Spirit makes that possible!…
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An Artist? No. Not me.
God has truly made us. He made us. We are His art, the product of His craftsmanship. This simple truth should dispel all lies of shame and disparaging victim mentality. When Genesis 1:27 really starts to settle in, that God breathed the God-breath into us and made us in His likeness in order to replicate HIS LIKENESS on the earth, we find ourselves in a posture of incredible gratitude. The sense of wonder overtakes as we discover our divine purpose to extend Eden and cultivate the ways of God in the world around us!
If Eugene Peterson is right…{read more}
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Words of Life
I recall giving a prophetic word to a young man about his prayer to impact men in his house in a men’s group. He was afraid he wasn’t good enough (but his wife “was good enough”) and simply hadn’t said yes. The Lord gave me a word of knowledge about it and I shared it with him. I told him “You ARE good enough because Jesus is good enough. You will lead men and you will…
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