simple church success

The unsinkable ship, Titanic, sank because the numerous bulkhead compartments designed to block water along the bottom of the hull didn’t go high enough.  After the first five bulkheads were breached and filled nothing could stop the water from overflowing into bulkhead Six, then Seven,  then Eight, and so on.

I recently heard noted Bible teacher David Jeremiah say, “Keep today watertight”   and I thought of the way the Titanic sunk.

“Today has is enough evil,” Jesus taught.   Add yesterday’s regrets or tomorrow’s worries and you’ll end up flooding and sinking Today!

Jeremiah also noted that God’s Name is  ”I AM”  not “I Was” or “I will be” !   I AM Today!!

Years ago I heard the late E.V. Hill  say as only he could,  ”‘The Lord IS my Shepherd!’   Not  “was is” or  ”shall be is” but simply  IS!”       HE IS  Today!

“Today is the day…

“Now is the accepted time…

“Today, if you hear His voice…

The moment Mary said, “Yes…”

or……actually,

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord;  let it be to me according to your word.”

The stretching began.

The moment the new birth conceives in the manger of your heart
that same stretching begins.

Beware of longing, yes, even lusting, for a normal life.  (You know you have!  )

Those days are over.

Your journey in and with Jesus Christ the Son of God will be just as wild as Mary’s.

And, “Mary treasured up what she experienced in her heart.”

Is that what you are doing?

“Today, if you harden not your heart…”

…the treasury of your ab-normal life can be filling up your heart and drawing interest.

Just get over normal and celebrate the Savior within, above, and all in all!

Merry Christmas!
John Parker

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ObBhU7XT-U  It’s about  a Christian School that uses classical learning.   Pretty interesting.

“I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.” (Romans 1:13, ESV)

ἐκωλύθην  (1)   “I’ve been prevented…”   Romans 1:13

Consider three things:

a.  the duress of the delay.  the root kólos, means “dwarf.” Who likes delays once we set our minds on something?  Delays can foster a sense of powerlessness, of being dwarfed, made small, non-godlike, human.     

b.  the Book of Romans  If he hadn’t been hindered we might not have it.

c.  the fruit of the delay    (…been prevented), in order…  Take out the parethesis and the comma  after “prevented”  (punctuation marks are all add-ins to the text anyway) and it make the delay the key to the harvest.  The preventing was in order to make the time of arrival one of harvest.  Any earlier and the harvest may not have been ready.  And we sing,  ”He makes all things beautiful in his time!”

(1)  2967. κωλύω kōlúō; fut. kōlúsō, from kólos (n.f.), dwarf. To cut off, weaken, and hence generally to hinder, prevent, restrain.

We were affirming “Ellen” in our gathering last night with words of love and blessing.  At least that was the intent.  But we also began to notice how easy it was for us to slip a fix-Ellen comment into the end of our blessing.

“Ellen, you are very kind and you just have to take a stand against evil.”

“Ellen, you are a good friend and the Word says for you to believe.”

“Ellen, I’m glad you are in our group you encourage us a lot now  you just need to…”

Best revelation word of wisdom that came out last night as we recognized this tendency was,  ”If we love each other, and back away from fixing each other, God will have
room to work, because love casts out fear and makes room for him.   Once fear is gone grace, peace, love, faith, and hope can teach us to “deny ungodiliness and worldly lusts, etc.”

Teaching is great.  If we announce that that’s what we’re doing and sense we have room  to do so.

Setting someone up with words of love then sneaking some of our laws in isn’t so great.

 I Tweeted today: “Steve Jobs made computing beautiful.”

You can find out why in this speech.   This speech has lots of good stuff for us house and simple churchers who are pressing forward into the “unknown”   without having all the dots connected (another speech reference).

Father, bless the eternal soul of Steve Jobs, in Jesus’ Name.  Watch over his family and his Apple people.  Glorify your son, Jesus, in this time.

Help us still here to live by faith in Jesus Christ our Lord and press on for your glory !

Has Satan asked for you?

If he has, the reason may be to “sift you like wheat,” as he did with Simon.  (Luke 22:31)

Does this still happen?   Could Satan ask for you or me to sift us?

I’m inclined to answer yes although I think there are many opinions on this subject.  Here are the verses and thoughts that come to me on this:

We read that Satan accused God of over-protecting Job and God gave Satan room to “sift” Job. (Job 1)

We read  of the accuser of the brethren “who accuses them day and night before our God.” (Revelation 12:10)

We read of those who “may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.” (2 Timothy 2:25)

In a way it’s an honor to be asked for by Satan as Simon was.  It implies that one is at least known by name by the evil one.

We can feel pity for the Seven sons of Sceva who heard the evil spirit say,  “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”  (Acts 19:15)  When they preached on this the old timey preachers used to ask, “Are you known in hell?”—implying that  true servants of Christ are known by name.

If Satan has asked for you then you’ve  probably gone through some very humiliating experience—just like Simon Peter did when he denied Jesus three times.

The great news is the promise that encompassed Satan’s request fore and aft!

Jesus assured Simon,  “But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.”” (Luke 22:31–32, NKJV)

Remember, through it all you have an intercessor, your great high priest! “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Hebrews 7:25, NKJV)

Even in the midst of the mess your victory is assured in the prayer of Jesus for you!  He ever lives to make intecession for you and me!

“Lord, may this “strengthen” the brothers and sisters. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

HEADLINE: MAN PROCRASTINATES 38 YEARS!

Got some big things you have always said you want but still don’t have?

“Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath.” (John 5:2–9, ESV)

Jesus asks, “Do you want to be healed?”

You’d think he’d smile and exclaim, “You bet! Got any ideas? I’m ready! Let’s do this!”

But in his mind the man already knew what it took to be healed.
Step 1.   Get some help.
Step 2.  Get to the water first.

How frustrating to know the exact steps and never get them done…for 38 years.

Jesus ignored the old Steps and gave him three new action Steps:
Step 1.   Get up.
Step 2.  Take up your bed.
Step 3.  Walk

The man did them.   He took action.

“Forgetting the things behind he stretched out to the things before.”  (Phil 3:13)

The three Steps still work today, after we let go of the old never-done-anyway Steps.
Step 1.   Get up.
Step 2.  Take up your bed.*
Step 3.  Walk.

*Bed: (mat, blanket, cloak) Taking it up may imply:
~clearing out of your old spot  (Phil. 3:13)
~still needing to stop and rest  (John 4:6)
~some baggage goes with you.  No perfection.  Just carry it and go. (Gal. 6:5)

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See how through perseverance and faith, Jason Lester has become a competitive Iron Man Triathlete without the use of one arm!  Listen to his testimony and be inspired.  The Lord has given Jason so much courage strength.

First I liked Jason’s comment that the solitude of practice and the triathalon itself creates a “you versus you” battle.   It’s actually you versus the lying spirits (Ephesians 6:12) but it feels like it’s you that you’re fighting.   Good to know.  That battle gets heavy some days!

Second I liked his comment, “I didn’t make up my testimony, it was given to me!”   What a relief!  We each have a good one if we’ll listen long enough to find it.  Here are three pump priming phrases to adapt and jump start your own important testimony:

1.   Before the Lord came into my life…(this was my problem(s)…)
2.  Then he came into my life…(here’s what happened…solutions)
3.  Since he came into my life…(here are the results…benefits)

“And they have conquered him (the evil one) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” (Revelation 12:11, ESV)

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WANT TO RECEIVE SIMPLE CHURCH SUCCESS MORE FREQUENTLY?

Simple Church Success is sent out Weekly on Thursdays. It is a collection of all of John’s blogs from the week.

If you would rather not wait for the weekly collection and, instead, would like receive John’s blog’s as soon as he writes them simply CLICK HERE

then write “more frequent“ in the email subject line that pops up. (Or if your are receiving this by email you can simple “Reply” and write “more frequent” in the email subject line.)

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Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3, ESV)

I’m sitting in my side yard. I come here to get quiet.  It doesn’t always (dare I admit…usually) work.

I get so adult over the days that I  sneak back into agreement with that Adult-Martha-spirit of logic, fear, anger, judgment, control, and other negativities too bad to name here.  So yesterday I came here and got nothing but more frustration.

Today, however, my kingdom child (who is — little, vunernable, child-like Me, not some new-age false spirit ) connected with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Yes, Connections were made and tears of relief —of love,  joy, peace, (Gal 5:22-23) — came along and Hope was instantly refreshed and renewed.

And I was Moved back to the last two weeks’ blogs I’d posted.  I read them (I found this interesting because I usually don’t slow down long enough to do such things, plus I heard a preacher once talk abou the dangers of taking your own stuff seriously) and as I did so,  my Kingdom-Child-Me was further moved since those blogs were also Kingdom-Child based — about the kid-Me, the couch, and my Holy, Holy, Holy, (HHH) Family.

May I say that, when I get to my Kingdom-Child-Me-ness I’m little again (not in the flesh but in the Spirit)  and love can come in.  BIG goes away.

ADULT success, accomplishments, plans, checklists, money-matters, and inter-personal-relational-ratings (do they like/apporove of me? do I like/approve of them?) disappear into the “dense cloud” on the mountain  and the only Voice I hear is  the Father’s  saying, “This is my beloved Son, listen to him!”

David, a fellow pastor, who has been my friend for over 25 years (Yes,  total-house-churchers, I am one of those professional pastors in transition to whatever the Lord wants me to be and getting okay with not being there yet and okay with being right here right now (that’s my Kingdom Kid talking!), asked me the other day after I’d vented a while, “What is Jesus telling you to do?”

Adult-Me went straight into logic and couldn’t come up with an answer—I just came up with emotions of embarrassment, anger, defensiveness, and Martha-ness!  “I don’t know.” I spit out in bumbling frustration with a 1000 “earthly wisdom” arguments defending my answer! (James 3:14- 4:1)

But Kingdom-Child-Me hears the answer loud and clear today.  It’s the Voice of Jesus (inspired by Papa, and Spirit) saying,  ”Stop, my dear boy,  come here, sit right here next to me.  Now look at me, see my smile, look into my eyes and hear this, ‘You are not, that’s N-O-T, I repeat, not in trouble.’ And, John,” Jesus laughs, “I’m not in trouble either.  I am in the Joy of the Lord” (Neh. 8:10) right here, right now with and because Abba and Spirit of Abba (Romans 8:15) are on either side of Us right here on the Throne-Couch, right here in the heavenlies. (Ephesians 2:5) And…truly, truly, I say unto you,  ALL is well!”

Jesus continues, “John, Adult-You reads the Word but it just bounces in your information based, natural, flesh-based  head. (James 3:15)  That serves to actually increase your frustration and guilt and Martha-ness.”  (He laughs and looks at Martha sitting a few seats away and says, “Right Martha?!”   And she laughs and nods vigorously remembering her old days and old ways!)

He finishes,  “On the other hand, John, the Kingdom-Child-You can truly hear like you are doing right now.   Just remember the this is a battle-ground because the Adult-flesh-based-you so wants to be a  grown-up (read: groan-up!!!)) ”

Well, enough for today.

NOW if you’ve read this far, CONGRATULATIONS! and THANKS!

I’m looking for those who are being “called” to more on this topic and will help me develop it.

Is that you?

Is Jesus talking to your Kingdom-Child-Kid right now?

If so, let me know…  (Click reply then write and send)

P.S. OPTIONAL:  And now I again ask you the headline question:

“What have you heard or read or thought about “…unless you become as a little child?” (and the other verses Jesus and the Bible speaks about becoming child-like.)

I’m thinking mainly of books or articles or your own thoughts on this subject.

Thanks, John