Not by sight...

Just a thought...

When I was in Cape Town in June following the World Cup Gabe read me the following quote one night that has stuck in my mind and I've been thinking out since...

"Progress should mean we are continually changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision." GK Chesterton...

The thought then is this, what is the vision?

I can't get away from believing that our vision has to be the commission ( Matt 28:18-20 ). If it isn't then I think we missing the point! The words Jesus chose to leave us with were those, that in itself highlights their significance!

The vision needs to be the commission in its entirity, it is three fold!

DISCIPLE NATIONS - BAPTIZE - TEACH

It speaks of God's heart not only to see nations saved but to see them reach a maturity in God that is lasting! All three are vitally important when it comes to people maturing further in God. It speaks of God's heart for His church - His bride -and His desire to see us move on in our faith and raise up others into it continually until He comes back for us!

Anyway...that's just my thought!

big love..

bradlows

The Church

scottish soldier and pastor,Mr George McCloud(17 June 1895 – 27 June 1991) once said:

"I simply argue that the cross be raised again at the centre of the market place, as well as on the steeple of the church. I’m recovering the claim that Jesus was not crucified in a Cathedral between two candles, but on a cross between two thieves, on a town garbage heap at a crossroads of politics so cosmopolitan they had to write His title in Hebrew and Latin and Greek. And the kind of place where cynics talk smut and thieves curse and soldiers gamble. Because that is where He died and that is what He died about. And that is where Christ’s people ought to be and what church people ought to be about."

When we get stuck in "doing church" mode, planning for who will bring the food to cell this week, getting caught up with "what songs are working", saying we're doing well because we're at church 3 or 4 days a week...then we have missed the point...and we will soon get bored and infighting, critical attitudes and inevitably religion will set in! PJ Smythe of God First Church in johannesburg speaks of a "doing church" culture as, "...pastoral-driven (prioritizing caring for each other and creating a beautiful church culture) rather than mission-driven (prioritizing reaching the unchurched).

We invite people to church on Sundays, we take it to them during the week.

The experience within results in an expression without.

I live nearly 2000 kilometres away from Durban and yet I can almost feel the raw passion, excitement and fervour for Jesus Christ, his kingdom and his glory that has been aroused at COGS Youth camp 2010! 95 lives have been turned upside down for eternity...and the city of Durban waits in eager expectation for the effects to be lived out amongst her broken, dying populus!

And here's where my highly unoriginal thought lies.

The experience within results in an expression without.

Evangelism is not a program but an expression, of what is burning within the hearts of christians. As Charles Spurgeon said: "A burning heart will find for itself a flaming tongue".

Awakening is bringing back to life those who are "asleep" in the Light. The lost are "dead in tresspasses and sins", in the dark. and need to be saved, not revived. Revival comes after life is given. (Ephesians)

In Acts 2:1 we read "When the day of Pentecost came....." if we could exchange the word "Pentecost", with the word "Revival", we could see a whole new perspective in the book of Acts, and New Testament Church. Revival within, Evangelism without.

John the Baptiser, changed a nation in 6 months; and did what the Pharisees could not do in 400 years of silence. Silence?!

Yet John did not raise the dead or heal anyone. But he aroused a nation.

Jn 1:23 "...I am the voice..." (NIV)The voice. A sound. A declaration. A Revivalist. An Evangelist and Revivalist.....


2000 kilometres away and I can feel the tide changing!

Jalaps