The key skill to making disciples and planting churches is an ability to recognize God’s voice. Do we know when he is speaking to us? Can we distinguish his voice from our own thoughts? Many of us have learnt how to do this on an individual basis, but how many churches put into practice the fact that “we have the mind of Christ”? Together we can hear his plans and directions for us. Is Jesus the one who leads your church? The church that meets in our home is in a transitional phase. We have become a very close-knit group over the time we have met together. We are now fairly sure that the Lord is leading us to multiply out into various different groups with an emphasis on reaching out to those who do not yet know him. So last Friday, when we came together, we set aside part of our time together to listen to him about the future of our church. God spoke clearly. Each of us spent time on our own listening to Jesus and asking him the question, “Jesus, what is your vision and plan for us as your body?” When we came back, some had pictures,others had a series of words, there was a clear passage of Scripture. And there was a common theme. Although we need to spend more time weighing what the Lord said to us, the general sense was very clear. We will need to ask the Lord more questions about how to put into practice what he has told us to do, but “we have the mind of Christ.”
5 replies on “Who leads your church?”
My friend, Molong, from the Philippines would like to add this comment: True to experience. After a year of a pioneering church God lead me to do house church. I hear Him as I read His word and ask questions. Did hc then for another 8yrs. No good result. Only groups full of meetings. We did grew to about 200 but all or mostly came from different churches who were backsliders or won’t fit in the system. I stop and ask Jesus again what needs to be done. About Making disciples are my questions now. We’ve reach many generations for 7yrs of doing it now. I realize then what’s the different of my previous work of starting hc. I knew I listened to Him. The answer is, before I only listened once and did it what I was told for 8yrs. This time, I listened again and again. We as an ecclesia listened again and again what’s the next stuff to do.
yea we really do need to learn how to listen better–God is always telling me to shut up and just listen–the battle is mine.
Hell Broke When They Said, Your Money is No Good Here!
By Robert Winkler Burke
Book #11 of In That Day Teachings
Copyright 12/20/14 http://www.inthatdayteachings.com
Four preachers came to Reno,
To save Reno’s souls,
Four preachers came to Reno,
They knew their roles!
Mr. Rapture taught end times fright!
This subtext would make money, and money would make his wife happy!
Mr. Prosperity taught Give-to-Get financial might!
This subtext would make money, and money would make his wife happy!
Mr. Emergent taught gobbledygook-nonsense blight!
This subtext would make money, and money would make his wife happy!
Mr. Prophet taught that earthquakes and fires would come, alright!
This subtext would make money, and money would make his wife happy!
But with the extreme money that the wives of these four pastors got,
The wives bought mansions, five star trips, jewelry and many black dresses,
But in a startling short time, they got sick of fake lifestyle polyglot,
And the four wives vowed to learn Systema. Why? Even now, God guesses!
Systema is a 1,000-year-old Russian Martial Art self-defense thing,
Mrs. Rapture soon expunged fear, and got rid of her life of ridiculous bling,
Systema works hardest on your weakness, oft great strength it brings!
Mrs. Prosperity expunged soul-greed!… Then she asked, What’s happening?
Systema, without being personally too offensive, helps soul blending,
Mrs. Emergent, weighing a lazy 250, became a svelte 110, a beauty queen!
Systema did this magic, through a grey-bearded instructor, non-judging,
Mrs. Prophetic lost her nervous wreck, became calmest savant on the scene!
With all the soul resetting and spirit upgrades these four pirate, miracle wives got,
They decided to convince their pastor husbands to drop subtext venal plots!
But the pastors wouldn’t hear it! Saying, Wives, we’d rather our privates be shot!
The pastors doubled down on subtext shenanigans, caring for wives NOT!
Mrs. Rapture then told Mr. Rapture preacher she, with him, would not have sex!
Same for the other three pastors’ wives, who said, No more bad subtext!
But hubbies tripled down on subtext shenanigan preaching, giving wives the hex!
And when the men felt inclined, they paid for hookers in the county next!
Who suffered the most? Congregants! They paid three-times tithes to pastors Rex!
And, the hookers had no customers, but four pastors, these gals also: vexed!
The wives felt outsmarted, their lives: like rearranging chairs on Titanic’s decks!
The sheep of the four pastors: clueless, now giving church entire paychecks!
Word got round to the hookers what the pastors’ wives had resolutely done,
The hookers said, We mustn’t miss out on this high stakes fun!
The ladies of the night said, Your money’s no good here, listen Sugar Hon,
To each pastor, who replied, Oh Yah? The fight’s just begun!
The pastors quadrupled down on subtext shenanigans, and also found a thing new,
Next to their whorehouse, was opening a new business: LoveBots-4-You!
The pastors said, We get four times as much from our sheep we’ve made cuckoo,
They believe our Gospiel subtexts of fear, greed, laziness and prophetic stew,
Forget wives and hookers forcing us to come clean! Here’s an idea, Whoohoo!
Let us be satisfied by LoveBots-4-You! Robots are plenty enough cool, too!
The wives and hookers, stymied, said, Let us powwow to figure out what to do,
We can’t tell the congregation, kill our pastors, or bomb robots… Boohoo!
So the wives and hookers cried a good cry together,
Then one hooker said, Here’s how to make this Gordian Knot thing better!
Let’s tell all to those LoveBots, as birds of a feather!
The Bots saw subtext-shilling was evil, and banned those pastors forever!
Well, when wives, hookers and LoveBots made a rebel alliance with one voice,
‘Cause they said, Your money is no good here!
The four subtext shenanigan pastors said, We surrender! We have no choice!
‘Cause they said, Your money is no good here!
We’ll get rid of preaching subtext fear, greed, slouch and prophetic slop noise!
‘Cause they said, Your money is no good here!
And sheep were finally fed truth in Reno (later the world!) Making all rejoice!
‘Cause they said, Your money is no good here!
Most strange allies! Strange bedfellows indeed!
How subtext-shilling pastors and non-correcting prophet fixed their creed,
Turns out truth only, is only what sheep need!
Sans demagogue-shenanigans, Christ-in-You lives in souls fed good feed!
Christ-in-You appeared, behold, with eyes to see: suddenly!
In sheep fed the truth, not blinded by demagogue subtext: evil-bad emotion,
Christ-in-You appeared, behold, with eyes to see: suddenly!
In sheep fed well, no longer occupied with rot-fear-greed-slouch commotion,
Christ-in-You appeared, behold, with eyes to see: suddenly!
Turns out Living Maser-Life and miracle grace has no magic, wonder potion,
Christ-in-You appeared, behold, with eyes to see: suddenly!
Other than: Get rid of subtext shilling FIRST! That is the hard-to-take notion.
Now, honor and highest accolades,
Must evermore go to those brave, God-pleasing wives, hookers & LoveBots!
God will do anything which aides,
Christ-in-You coming quickly! … whilst ridding what, in you, church besots!
Wow! That’s quite a poem!!!
Thank you! Plenty more at http://www.inthatdayteachings.com . It’s a new pedagogy, line upon line, here a little, there a little… unto the redounding of Christ-in-You!