25th August, 2008
Some Folks: Get A Grip!
You know what? I have spent literally thousands of hours on computer. Yep, that is right learning and programing, designing, and surfing. In last few years with all the blogging and bandwidth sharing through email and such, I can only say that some people need to get a grip! With the latest OMG stuff about if women should be ordained and how the COG is going to get through this last assembly without back-pedaling is absolutely ludicrous!
Some of these bloggers and email’s have finally got there soapbox and should I add a mic “on the GA floor” and guess what you should have been more courageous then. Your words of old “traditional” hoopla isn’t being held up anymore. You type like you are an aristocrat with long fingernails. Just tapping away on keys because you think you have something that will float in this 21st Century! Give it up! Heaven and earth are rejoicing in the formal outbreak of a radical generation who will not put up with the “false food” of bureaucracy that has choked the COG for years. If there is a dry taste in your mouth with some “crunchy” sensations that is just the dust you getting as you are being left behind to find that your salt has lost its savor.
I have read some blogs lately and I thought out loud: Why are these good, honest, and truly radical people reacting to some of the “literary chunk” that is being type and sent out on important bandwidth? Keep positive and don’t be getting into foolish disputes. Let those who live by the law get saved by the law! That is not possible! So let those who live by love get saved by love! Now that is possible, because God is love!
The “shift” spiritually is begun and there is no words nor mumblings that one can write or orate that will change what God has set forth before the foundations of the earth.
It is so interesting to draw from the history of the Internet and see how far we have come. Again, the bandwidth slows down with the “carnal” but thought to be ’spiritual” weight of words that are but a ripple in a vast ocean of real truth.
I will keep watching and reading, shaking my head, wondering from what planet these people come from!
Best
Dennis
Posted at 8:27 pm | Comment (1)
24th August, 2008
Today: A Mark To Remember
Today, was a mark from God that we will never forget. We birthed a new prayer meeting which will take precedence over every traditional setting in the Central Coast Church. Church will not be in any way traditional there at all. We will pray and continue to pray each week on Sunday till the Lord states ‘not to’. No more struggles in continuing in traditional church application and method. From now on it is prayer in power, worshipful prayer and praise!
We are going to go on a Forty Day fast starting in September for the Bay Area to be freed from the evilness that is so present.
This is so exciting!!! Send me all your prayer requests and we will pray for them and more.
Remember, prayer moves the hand of God!
Best
Dennis
Posted at 9:37 pm | Comment (0)
20th August, 2008
How Big Is Your World?
Today I was pondering a thought: The crisis of so many never seeing what God has for them. Wow, I thought, people can really have the world if they would just trust God in all that He has promised.
Then it struck me: People see the world only through what they can comprehend as a sizable goal. In other words, a city may be what they can reach, but a world awaits a faithful vision. The world is a large as you make it. Your world my be just your backyard or your place of employment. However, the world is as much a part of your ministry as you are part of it!
Look over the fence, break out of the box, stomp tradition that imprisons your vision. Run the race to win! Win the race that you run! Look beyond the horizon, see past your tomorrow and embrace your hope.
Best
Dennis
Posted at 9:50 pm | Comment (1)
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)
7th July, 2008
Anointing Grows
Today, I just sat there and felt the powerful anointing of God just grow all over me! Wow, it is great to know Him as Lord and Master! The power of the Lord is touching lives everywhere on this earth. The refreshing of my weary spirit was beyond the understanding of my mind. My will just surrendered to His presence. When the direction came to me for what He wanted, I just new to “go forward” into the future of hope and blessings. The inner vision He gave me of the demonic power that is holding people, His Church, in the past. It is an ugly demonic being with claws on both the hands and feet which have gripped the Church and the past in traditions and religious expectancies. This ugly, gross, demonic spirit won’t let the Church move into the future blessings. He told me to spiritually jump on its back and break the power by His anointing. So I did just that! I jumped and I jumped till I felt it break! Just do it! Jump on the back of the demonic power that is holding back your church from moving into what God has shown you. The devil wants to hold you in the past, but God wants you to move into the future with Him. Philippians 3:13-14; Jeremiah 29:11: Exodus 14:15; Luke 9:62
Jump on the back of that demonic power and break its back and keep jumping till the anointing falls on you and your church!
Best
Dennis
Posted at 11:53 pm | Comment (1)
14th March, 2008
Introducing Emergence To The New Work On The Central Coast
Tonight, I held a small Bible study at the new work I accepted on the Central Coast of the Monterey Bay. (Yes, I am now pasturing two churches!) Let me say that I am also doing the missional work in the streets of Santa Cruz with great results, almost revolutionary (he, he)
It was just the leadership. I spoke from Ephesians 4:1-12. The real cool thing about this study was I taught on being in unity and taking what we have (the love of Christ Jesus) to the outside so the outside (culture) that does not attend the structure of traditional Church of God can come to the inside (culture of the church worship center) and learn more of Christ so they can be nurtured to take it back to the outside. Make sense? It does to me. Sounds like this could start a revolution in this new church! I dropped a few words like emergence and future! I left out cyber-revolution at this point. I am pondering on bringing it on Sunday’s message though. I left them with the thought of why are there not any equippers around to equip those who need equipping? Hmm, maybe it because we have been stuck inside to long dragging the weightiness of structural tradition of institutionalism! The response was awesome. My next step is to reinforce that of maturity! Now how novel is that?
My Heart To Yours
Dennis
Posted at 12:51 am | Comments (3)
12th March, 2008
The Church In An Emergent State
Prologue: I am really positive about the vocalized emergence of the Church from the institutionalized methodology and structure that is happening throughout the world.
Where does each of us belong in this structural change? I believe everyone has place in the emergence movement but will everyone take a place. Certainly not! Some just won’t receive that this is a God created and spoken emergence and others will just feel left out for various reasons. This I hope would not happen! However, the matter is at hand and the engine has started. The warmth of the keyboards is warming the internet air space in the blogosphere. How exciting is this? WOW, I am totally on board for the journey.
I do feel a bit strange though! Let me explain. I come from a Roman Catholic background and when I gave my heart to the Lord I went back to the Roman Catholic Church and felt as though I did not belong. Actually, the priests made me feel real uncomfortable. So I happen to meet some people who introduced me to the Pentecostal Experience. The rest is history.
Like so many others, I was saved from a very deep life of sin. Drugs, alcohol, gangs, etc., so my salvation was really radical and amazing. After 32 years of serving Him there have been times when I felt as though I should move on from this COG structure and method to something that I could relate to or that did not seem confusing or hypocritical. Let me also say that it did make me feel funny because I was not a southerner and I was a hippie. I have hung in there though and have had many days of confusion. Dazed and Confused as Led Zeppelin put it. Don’t get me wrong, I look at myself and wonder how I even have become a Christian! So, now I am 57 years old and have put four children through Lee University. Two of my four children have gone on to master’s degrees and one of them is a doctor at Stanford University Hospital. The other lives in Edinburgh, Scotland and pursuing his ministry there. The other two live hear in Santa Cruz with us and are helping with our ministry. I have been pastor of 3 very successful churches. Wrestling the whole time with traditions and success by numbers, almost like a Parker Brothers game.
Then a new thing started for us about 7 years ago. Bringing the love and compassion of Jesus Christ to the people that did not make it out of the 60’s and 70’s era. They are stuck in a cultural and characteristic time warp. I have “missional” church that has about 300 members. I now also pastor a church that has a membership roll that is not even close to who actually attends the church physically. This drives me absolutely to want to smoke pot. Everyone else does in Santa Cruz! There are great churches in Santa Cruz that are missional with the “norm” of society. So again, I get concerned about my place in all this. Here is an example: at one of the ministers meetings here in California we are presented with the “real” numbers of growth. My first reaction was “I have been lied to!” The statistics were like an obituary. The growth rate was so negative, we must entitle it “shrink rate.” There were only two ministers in their thirties and on in their twenties. We had only one active church in Los Angeles, CA.: OMG moment! I left there with real thoughts about quitting this denomination and just ministering independently. Now I am glad I did not leave. When I hear and see what is spoken and typed on the internet about an emergence I shout THERE IS HOPE FOR THE COG!
My intensity level is rising and I am already an intense pastor/evangelist/missionary. Maybe that is why God called me to Santa Cruz, the most liberal city in the U.S. I hope as many people get into this discussion at Missional COG Blog site. I am inviting all you radicals out there in cyberspace that have prayed for emergence to come out and discuss this with other blogsters who want change for the better.
Listen I grew up with the Hell’s Angels and my brother was the president in Cleveland, OH chapter. I still know a lot of these guys and I watched them almost become old and no young prospects. What they did was changed their method and approach. They had an emergence in outlaw motorcycle church. Yes, that is what they call their gatherings, “church”. Now they are the largest outlaw motorcycle club in the world and still growing. What I am saying is if something like that group can stop and see the problems and are willing to change how much more the Church of God? I hope that there is a great number of men and women who are at my age and older who will join in and help these young ministers move this church from the negative to the positive in spiritual and numerical growth outside of classical traditions and theological hoopla. Not for numbers sake but for the sake of shaking off these old skins and pouring wine into the new wine skins. What are your comments and thoughts?
Yes, I have more to say shortly….
My Heart To Your Heart
Dennis
Posted at 11:08 pm | Comment (0)
12th March, 2008
Let Us Hear WhatThe Spirit is Saying
So much is being blogged and emailed recently about bring dynamic change short of a real explosive move to bring people together to discuss the future (Jon Stone’s Blog) and potential renewing of the mission of the Church of God. I am so enthused about what I am reading and discerning about this spiritual awakening of sorts. The missional churches (Missional CoG) and some those that our standardized in tradition but fed up are moving by the Spirit into a great arena of discussion to bring change. Suggestions are being made to bring a conference together for the purpose of revitalizing and rejuvenating the reason and purpose that the Church of God was designed. Not only the Church of God but “Church” as a whole! I just wanted to say that I am praying and being quiet before Him so that I can here what the Spirit is saying to all of us. I really sense that there is importance and timing involved in all this. I say to all the are part and soon to join in to this time of spiritual revolution: Let it flow and let us all listen to what God is saying. Please pray that the leaders of our denomination will speak, write, email and blog their thoughts so we can communicate and bring health to our movement.
My Heart To Yours
Dennis
Posted at 12:04 am | Comment (1)
17th February, 2008
Back To The Blog World
Well here I sit at my “blogging” machine, wondering just what direction to take in 2008 for all you blogsters (word not yet in dictionaries) out there in blog space! I really desire to be radical, more that I have been! I probably will write stuff that will offend the ordinary and hopefully encourage the relationally courageous. Those that really desire to see change in the world of religion and traditional realms.
I mean I can write and tell you how many I had in my “outside, without walls (literally), church today. O.K. I will: 218! So did that do anything for you? Probably not! It never does for me when I read church statistics. I really think that “normal” church is boring and packed full of pastoral worship and religious design. Sort of like a “cool” glass of milk that looks so refreshing, but when tasted it is really curdled and sour!
A friend of mine, ( a really cool dude) is starting a church in Charlotte, NC. This person has no presumptions of religion just a hope to see change in a lost heart. If I was in Charlotte I would attend his church. He meets in a restaurant. How cool is that? That kind of radical action get my blood flowing in a good way. His church is entitled The Salt Mine Church and it is rockin’ with love and great Bible teaching.
I hope that you catch what I am writing! Go to churches that have radical purpose and get out of those mausoleums that make no noise for the mouse to hear! They are just tombs that entertain the dead above ground!
Peace
Dennis
Posted at 10:00 pm | Comment (1)
7th December, 2007
Far And Away
Today, as I was going shopping for the fellowship luncheon, (ha! ha!) that is a fancy way of saying I was shopping for the church meal on Sunday! Then this thought hit me pretty good; there are a bunch of us out there doing His work and yet we are really alone among the masses of people we try to reach. Yep, that is right alone! The blogging is really cool, it bring us together through the web. I see blogging as really cool way to share my heart. I also notice that blogging is becoming a popularity contest. (What a bummer). Who’s Who in the blogging world. I mean whose name is on the “Must Reads” on some sites. Can you feel me in this! I see this maybe becoming a ‘you are in my blog and he is not!’ Sounds like a “camp meeting” or gathering of the boys to me.
My heart is this! I want to communicate with you. I want to have a web fellowship (I like that, web fellowship). It is really powerful to me to know that there is a bunch of us out here desiring change from the traditions that have softened our approach to sharing Jesus to the world. I really don’t care who has the coolest blog! What I care about is knowing that we are doing this evangelism for His Glory and not some political washed up movement that keeps the doors closed to change.
“Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, ‘Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?’…”" (Judges 6:13, NKJV)
This is really heavy on my heart. God is not interested in dynasties, He is interested in faithfulness. He is not interested in the who is cool this week, He is interested in how we are preparing the hearts for His coming. Tradition really is a “fat belly” to me! I just want to tell everyone that there is a God of love! He is a promise giver and keeper. He is the God of miracles! My prayer lately has been this: “I want to see you, Oh God, of the miraculous! I want to see you now!”
Hear is question: Do you think He shows up to these meetings we attend? I don’t! Not in the miraculous or the power that I read about in the Word. Tradition reminds me of Thanksgiving, we just do it but we have forgotten what it is really all about. Be radical and start moving where God is, He is moving and calling us to follow Him into this world of darkness. Get bold and “kick” tradition out of the house and invite Jesus in!
I really don’t care what blog list I am on, what I care about is am I on God’s “cool reads”
Peace
Dennis
P.S. Just let me dream big, see much accomplished, and get to heaven.
All scriptures used are New King James Version: 1982. Nashville: Thomas Nelson
Posted at 9:53 pm | Comment (0)