We as a church are going through the bible book of Matthew in a series called "iWitness". We started with the Sermon on the Mount based on Jesus' first teaching and our first teaching series at "WestMOUNT"and are continuing on.
One strength God's give both Roger and I, is "maximizer". It brings us great delight to build into people's lives especially those God is bringing us intentionally at WestMOUNT. We want to see the gifts they have and help them understand how to use them in their fullness. Many don't even know what theirs are?? This is an ever present tragic reality in the life of many Christians. How it must grieve our Father's heart. Roger and I have chosen, rather than being one of those stats, to step out of complacency and lead in this... and oh the sheer delight that floods my soul when we start to see these sons and daughters of Almighty God find their true identity. !!!!!! :)
Even this Sunday at church I was able to bring a fresh story forward in this regard while bridging generations. One of our Seniors was able to give and eye witness account of a 4 hour ministry session we had had with 12 young adults, him and I, in a restaurant just last week. SO SO SO powerful... not going to go into right now... but ask any of the 12 there if God was ever present... in the middle of the restaurant?!
Ask the hostess and waiter what they thought. :) The funniest thing was Katie(hostess) greeted me by name as Roger and I will go there at times for a glass of wine, but now she was seeing all these wonderful young people and right away said, "Oh you guys are from the church at the theatre?" :)
Katie and Johnny (our waiter) were eye witnesses to who??? To the HOLY Spirit ... Jesus through us at work. Even Johnny left really perplexed, saying we were such a nice table. But as the Senior who was with us (which was orchastrated by God and not planned in my human effort) gave this testimony, it cut to my soul.
He shared in front of this group, that was happy to get to know them and mutually be so warmly received, openly some of his life experiences being honest. Then he said this, "I have been a Christian for most of my life, but for the first time ever I truly feel like I am a DISCIPLE."
Oh guys.. what a line that was to me. Disciple. You know Christian is only mentioned 3 times in the bible and yet "disciple" is peppered throughout the word. Interesting. Disciple is the truest form I believe of laying down one's life in love to follow at all costs and without reservation, Jesus Christ. This takes time to develop and teach, to live through obedience and display especially in a culture where we have all we need and are pretty pridefully complacent in general.
BUT this is indeed the desire of the heart of Roger and I as we obey His call to build HIS church that indeed we would develop disciples. That the world would be able to look at us and be eye witnesses themselves to Christ in and through us. NOW that's powerful! It's God's way in which He brings Himself glory.
I say that because part of building disciples is to be in the word. HIS WORD. This is where it begins. And so part of our diligence as a church body will be to commit to reading Matthew over and over while we teach and grow together in this book of the bible; learning to not only read but then listen and apply as God uses it to speak to us.
Soooo..... (long intro.... I'm getting there..lol) I'm listening to Matthew in the car on CD, pondering his words, to the high call associated with Jesus' "Come follow me". I come to a stop light and right before me witness for the first time ever, the actual changing of the numbers of the price on the Petro gas sign as someone pushed a button and the numbers rolled like a slot machine. I sat in wonder just thinking how convenient that is now a days. No one with ladders, numbers, signs, etc... but rather a push of the button. hmmmm... then the Spirit within me had a deeper lesson to teach me.
Literally in that moment He gave me this thought. Kid you not. I pulled over and actually voice recorded the thought that was flowing through me for it wasn't my own.
Here it is:
"We don't even change the numbers on the gas station sign anymore. Our life is dedicated around convenience. Everything we do is to try to make life easier. Think about the convenience Facebook gives to relationships; ( my mind went to phones to contacts, email, Internet, music; convenience with computers from paying bills, research, web, photos, movies, convenience in travel, food, drive thrus, etc.)
Convenience doesn't equal authenticity. Therefore why would it be any different with what we've made of Christianity? People want a Christianity that's convenient. This is the deceitful work of the enemy. Christ hates our convenience. Christ reminds us that Love is a sacrifice; the giving of one's life. How is that convenient?? How I must come out of this culture, even in the definition of Christianity as it stands today. As a result, this redefines how I look at the word 'inconvenience'. Hmmm.... perhaps being 'inconvenient' is really the essence of the language of love that I need to reflect on. Perhaps inconvenient actually turns me towards 'sacrifice' thus defining love."
And in that moment He teaches me. I absorb it and simply must confess to Him I've fallen way off that mark, but want to recenter with His view. That my own hands would mirror his ever loving nail pierced hands. That His hands would become mine as He takes my hands in His and helps me to reach and love with them, through inconvenience and sacrifice.
I am His disciple in the making, always learning but proudly zealous of the one I follow: MY JESUS CHRIST... MY LORD... MY Saviour.... my sweet lover of my soul. Oh that even through the touch of my hands, others would feel HIS.
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