6th August, 2008
The Huggers
Today, as I was driving through the mountains of Santa Cruz, I felt the Holy Spirit impress a thought into my heart. Here in California, more precisely, Santa Cruz and Berkley, there is a university called “University of California” each campus ends with the name of the city it is attached to.
Anyway in both locations there are radical students that live in trees twenty four hours a day. The reason they are hugging the trees, per say, is to stop any developers who want to build on and bring needed change because of desired growth. This could be defined as the vision for the university’s have come to the level where new building will bring new growth and opportunity for higher education processes.
The Spirit of the Lord gently placed this thought: These are tree huggers but they are not hurting the heart of the Lord like “church huggers” are. Church huggers, those that move into positions in the church and refuse to move out of the way when growth is necessary and needed to bring higher spiritual application. The Lord is wanting to build on to His Church but the church huggers refuse to vacate their position. As we know the Holy Spirit is a gentleman. However, God is wise, He will find a place where “huggers” are not going to implant their demands on Him and there is where growth will be. Yes, they want to keep religious traditions and political aspirations. They claim ownership to what belongs to God Himself.
Sanballat and Tobiah were “huggers” (Nehemiah 2:9;4-6) and tried to stop the rebuilding of the Wall of Jerusalem.
Nehemiah did what needed to be done, built the Wall and would not debate nor come down to discuss traditions and policies. The Lord gave the direction and the mandate. Nehemiah obeyed and did not give into the “huggers” demands to hug! Because of the obedience and preparation the exiles returned and all the peoples of Israel were in their towns. (Nehemiah 7)
Church huggers need to go and stop “choking” growth and retaining religious “stuff”
Best
Dennis
Posted at 11:14 pm | Comment (0)
2nd July, 2008
Do You Have Church Growth Plans?
Just what is in your future? Has your heart or mind been looking ahead to what the future may hold for you and your dreams. The most qualified statement is always going to be: Do not stop dreaming your dream! When I was just a very young minister of the Gospel of Christ Jesus, I was the pastor of a small country church. I would pray for growth and go to every seminar and read all the books on Church Growth I could find. Yes, the little country church grew and it was quite exciting! It grew only to the capacity that it would hold though! Even though I had prayed and overcame many obstacles I wanted to grow further in the “plan” for renewal and soul discipleship application. I was not satisfied! The one thing that stopped the growth where I was came to me simply but incredibly incomprehensible for me. The “folks” of the church did not want to grow any further. I thought my dream had ended! This is all there is? This cannot be! So I contacted a pastor who had grown to about 2500 people and was highly respected in the field of Church Growth. To my ultimate surprise and highest encouragement he agreed to meet me for lunch. Well, to make a story get to the point he said these words to me: Never stop dreaming your dream, you will make it if your keep dreaming. People will always try to wake you up and bring you into there nightmare! It is a nightmare because you do not belong in their dream. Always be spiritually asleep, dreaming on what God’s future is for you. Be spiritually awake so you can take others along on the journey of your dream. Make your dream real to them and you will grow.
I have never forgot those words. One of my favorite scriptures in the Word of God is: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
So my heart has always dreamed and my dream continues as I am asleep spiritually in His great promise and I am alive (awake) in Him so I can tell others of His great love. Do not stop dreaming your dream! It will come as that which you have dreamed.
Best
Dennis
All scriptures used in this blog article are The Amplified Bible, containing the Amplified Old Testament and the Amplified New Testament. 1987. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
Posted at 10:13 pm | Comments (2)
25th June, 2008
The Twist That May Break
Here we go into the summer and all is to be told about the “new” way and “how” it should be in the Church of God. So much for all that, yawn! There is so much going on in the “spiritual” level of the Church that the General Assembly will be nothing but a “Who’s Who” in some “Who’s Who book but I do not know whose. Do you?
Great revival has broken out again in Florida and all eyes and ears are open to the critics but not the Lord and just maybe He is doing something there that is new and refreshing! Oh well, just let the critics work it out as God does His thing and everyone that should be there will be there. The “arm chair” revivalist’ will have fun running it from their living room televisions! Why not, it is a “media” revival is it not?
The shrinking of the Church of God is still going on but as usual everyone has their head in the sand looking out from their butt. Come on we are shrinking! Oh, yes, that is right your not but it not just about you! There is always growth, in spotty areas, in a denomination when it shrinks as a whole. That happens because some pastors don’t even realize that they belong to something! Keep going guys, ignorance is bliss when you can get away with it!
So what is going to happen in the Fall of 2008? Probably there will be meetings and plans made with the hope that the former things will not rise back up! The funny thing is that they never have ever been pushed down. It is a gimmick of some sort when we think that the “new” leadership team at “headquarters” is really different. Same stuff, new faces (maybe), all the promises of help and hope but the pockets keep getting bigger and who knows what really happens on that mighty fourth floor? It must be really incredible though! I would suspect that it changes good men into pleasing men and some where along the line integrity looses its intense road to holiness.
Till next time when the morning brings news of a whispering of spiritual truth that just may open the eyes of the concerned. Oh, don’t forget that the mouse will show up in August in San Antonio, TX and the elephant will turn and run!
Best
Dennis
Posted at 10:07 pm | Comment (0)
29th May, 2008
Stepping Into The Change
Well, change happened tonight at the Central Coast Church. Only time will tell if the people are willing to go forward and mature into a “life” giving church that goes beyond the traditions of men. A new beginning has been offered and opportunity has knocked at the door! Will anyone answer who is in there? It is time to come out and tell the community about Jesus and his great love.
Again, it is time to seize the opportunity to become a 21st Century church that reaches into the community and instills life.
Best
Dennis
Posted at 10:53 pm | Comment (0)
25th March, 2008
Blinded Eyes And Deaf Ears
I often wonder how blind can Church leaders be when they look at the decline of the Church populous! I mean the answers that I get when I address certain pastors about the “shrinkage” in America’s normally affluent growing churches. It as though they do not want o admit that there is a problem. It seems to me that as long as you look through a “tunnel” you will see only so far to the right or left. However, looking at the broad view of things you will notice a great deal of discouraged and faithless people wandering around aimlessly. They are seeking truth and comfort. Their eyes are open to “change” and their ears are clearly listening for a “call” to the “real” Gospel of Jesus Christ. That gospel that declares the obedience to God and the command to love your neighbor! Pastors are groping in the dark for answers when the answer is so clear to see. Not to overstate this, but the “World is Flat” and the internet has opened up vast communities of knowledge to help in repairing the breach. It is really dismal to read some of the statistics that are being broad casted over the internet. I have dialogued with some wonderful people about this and there is a real line of information that is being formed. Looking into the heart of God you see truth, hope, encouragement, love, and compassion. All these characteristics are placed in our lives that know Him! I pray thae we can all share these characteristics with this hurting world and those that are wandering about looking for what they do not see or hear!
I love people, and my heart cries out to God that we all can reach more for Him. Let’s stop playing church and all the political games that have are attached. Let us be simple and mend the broken hearted together!
My Heart To Yours
Dennis
Posted at 11:50 pm | Comment (1)