Willohroots

I feel like swine.   I am going to pop myself in the oven until this is done!

I just got something sprung on me, the AA meeting I wish to go to to support and celebrate at is a costume gig.  I found a Hawaiian shirt,  a bible, and a cup from Starbucks,   any ideas?

I know, I am going as,,           Rick Warren!

Carry the two, add the ought , divide by short span of attention

If you are one of the Dayspring people who recently were baptized please stop reading now.  Seriously, if your initials are Mike K. [ yes, you] , or any of the new people,  don’t let this bring you down, it is just how it is.    Anyway, for the rest of the Willohroots readers  there is a mathematical problem in new church plants that is manifesting itself at Dayspring,  and is all too common in the Christian world.  I have heard church planters talk about it, and I have read some blogs about this phenomenon,  but it sure gets real when your face gets rubbed in it.

A new church start with a Christian core group of a few established, experienced  disciples, and a larger group of  newbies,  seekers and the walking wounded has a wonderful balance.  There are experienced, stable people who can provide the voice of godly wisdom, and who are financially secure enough to be a back bone of support for the outreach ministries of the church.

In our capitalistic  society, a hug is wonderful,  a shared meal is a delight,  but to impact a life often takes money.  We have had no success with our rich young ruler [Mark 10:17] ministry.   Most of us had to be shown we were lost before we saw we needed a savior. While many unsaved people are quite wealthy, some lost people often need a bit of help.   We don’t want to see someone who is cold and needs a coat, and say “We will pray for you!”.  Dayspring has paid a couple rent, tax, light, and phone  bills, bought some clothes, and generally showed some love to the people God has put in our path.  These small expenditures have proved very effective in getting the attention of un-churched people and illustrating to them the Love of Jesus.

Most of the people to whom  we have reached out have responded very positively to the Gospel message,  our small gifts were enough to get their attention and open their hearts to a life changing method.  Many of these people are stabilizing, and with God’s help overcoming addiction, arrogance  and biblical ignorance,  improving their own lot in life and moving toward a position from which to help others.  This movement may take some time.  Often there are fines to be paid off, amends to be made, new jobs to be found.  The adventure of a Christian life is just beginning for these folk, and it is a joy to observe and share God’s involvement in their lives.

So often, however,  that portion of the church that was the financial backbone , the tithers who have walked with God and who have been blessed with health and jobs and a stable financial base begin to move away.  These new people do not act, or speak,  or dress like the church people of former fellowships.  some have coarse language, no idea of how “church people” act,  and as they are reinvented by God  often have unstable employment, and contribute spottily to the church.   They did not grow up in a pot luck covered dish society.  They bring a bag of chips and joke about the lack of a six-pack.  Many step outside for a smoke, as we must sometimes  pick an addiction to fight.  There are times that the slogan T-shirt is way wrong!  If these people invite family to a church function, there will often  be trouble, as their families are often a wreck,  and  not supportive of one of their own who has gone ‘religious”.

The positive side however outweighs all of the above.  These new Christians have hearts, so recently installed by God as He replaced the Flint hard, cold, sin drenched , damaged , evil hearts that these folk came with,  new hearts that love the Gospel, love a bird song, love the sun up, love the scripture, and love the little church that God used to bring them to Him.   There is an energy, a sense of victory surrounding them that is truly a blessing to behold.  All Christiandom should rejoice, as did the angels in heaven for the salvation of these precious souls!  Now for the problem, it is the Law of Diminishing Financial Return.

Due to poor life style choices of the past, this new group owes Caesar money for fines, and have had a share of employment issues.  There is no way, at the moment, that they can contribute much cash to the cause.  They contribute time, sweat, labor and prayer, but the economics are going to need to wait a while.  This should not be a problem, as you have the established brothers and sisters to back them up , right?   Here in lies the problem.  People who have been “churched”  for years have expectations.  They grow to miss the fellowship of body of like believers.  It is not easy being an elder in every social setting.  Sometimes they want to just be one of the group.  There is a comfort in a body of like-minded believers. It is nice to go to a pot luck knowing there will actually be other cooked products there.  It is refreshing to talk about Charles Stanley, and Billy Graham without someone piping up, “Who is that?  I listened to Joel Olsteen once, He seems like a nice guy!”  Stories of abuse and addiction can be hard to hear.   I didn’t say it was easy.

I have heard the frustration.  A wonderful woman,  a former Christian teacher and a bible student once said to me, “All these changed lives are great, but we need to get back to basics!”  She was quite serious.   Another saint left fellowship saying, “I feel like the oldest person here,  like a dinosaur, I need to be around older people.”  Other stable families visit, say they love the music, like the preaching, but they don’t return.  We do have some scary looking dudes.  I think these people are forgetting a lot.  We are not to be a club.  we are to reach out into the community and make disciples.  Church is not about what you can get out of it, it is what can you put into it!  Bringing in the harvest!  That is why we exist, and all else is but window dressing.   I would rather show the Light to one lost man, than be in the light with one hundred who can see.  We are called to be a life boat, not a community swimming pool!   Here are a couple verses that have given me strength lately, enjoy!

Galatians 2:10

They only asked us to remember the poor– the very thing I also was eager to do.

2 Corinthians 9:8-10 (New American Standard Bible)

I repent!  In trying to make a point about division , I caused it!  Please forgive my lack of tact,  it is no secret that I have the subtle charm of a buffalo in a bakery.  No more allusion and tongue in cheek, it hurts when I bite down!

I must remember that we speak of serious matters and these are serious times.  I have learned that Justin has taken 20 lbs. of candi- corn and gone off to the desert.  I hope he will not harm himself or others.

Seriously, I might kid you, but I would never hurt you!  Sorry if some of you all got offended.  I might be stupid, but I am trainable!

Having Christ’s mind?

Human skulls containing the mind of Christ?

People can argue about so many things.  The condition of ingested prophets,[please see last post]  that old question of philosophers ” How many pins can you stick in the head of an angel”, the color to paint the lobby,  Scripture vs. Tradition,  all these have caused rifts from church splits to shooting wars.  How in the world can any group of people be centered on a common mission?  How can peace reign with free thinkers?

From Philippians 2   Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but  made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The Savior could humble Himself to the point of death, most of us won’t give an inch on a committee if we think were are right.  We would rather be right than relational.  Our grasp on our rightness far exceeds or grasp on righteousness.

Philipians 1 Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent,  I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction,  but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake,  engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.

Will we suffer to put up with others even if we disagree?  Well if Christ could let go of being equal with God, i guess i can let go of some of my precious ideas.

If the salvation message of the Good News,  ”Repent and Believe!” is foremost in our lives we need to put all other thoughts in second place.  So i repent in sack-cloth and ashes.  There will be no  ”1st Baptist Church of Jonah Died in the Fish, Church of the Resurrected Slimy  Prophet” .  I can’t break fellowship with Justin and Joe over this issue.  Justin I am sorry I called you a candi-corn eating heretic. [ I didn't type it, just said it, sorry],  Joe I will stop digging for dirt to besmirch you, If you are convinced Jonah lived in the whale, well my love for you in Christ Jesus means more to me than my opinion on a small issue.  I wish to be forgiven and continue our fellowship.  I would rather be humbled than alone.

But,  just asking,  would it be all right if we examined and spoke of my belief when this issue came up, and could we have discussion without division?

By the way, this was one of my opinions that was brought up to me as a reason I should leave a particular church where I was active in a few ministries.

One of the Dayspring flock is in need of urgent prayer. Our sister is being rushed to the hospital.  She is about 7 months pregnant, and is experiencing a  hemorrhage.

Please pray for the mercy of God on this situation.  The very fact that she is in the flock is a miracle.  She is carrying a little girl, and we wish the opportunity to love this child and raise her in the Lord.

Update,  Just got a call,  our sister is home, still pregnant with a healthy baby!  Thank you, Thank you Jesus!

We are starting a new men’s study based on the life of David.  it will take a while to get through it,  and the first stages will be to speak of the early life of David.  Part of the study will be each man sharing how his boyhood was spent.  I thought I might start by sharing mine with you, the Willohroots reader.

I fell to temptation at an early age.

One sin attracts another, and it got worse with age.

I was fortunate that my parents had a second home in the country. It was equipped with all the modern conveniences, so it did not seem like camping.

My dad spent a lot of time teaching me the manly arts.

I did, however spend a lot of time at my school desk.

My childhood companion and only friend was my faithful dog Brutus.

Other than that I was just a normal kid.

I got into firefighting for years, but that was very strenuous, I hurt my back and had to learn to take it easy.

Some time in the late 70’s i saw a sign from God and went into His service.

I am glad to be involved in kingdom growth,  but there is much i need to learn.  For instance, we believe in total immersion, i am just not sure for how long.  Don’t worry, Tyron was revived after only a few minutes of CPR.

Seriously, you may be surprised at how much of this is true.  Somebody really did steal our lawn mower!  In the meantime, I need to get to Neal Bortz and find out how so many photos from my family album ended up on his site with the word redneck written on them!