Daily Bread

The most important miracle that Jesus performed was the feeding of the 5000 and, similarly, the feeding of the 4000. The feeding of the 5000 is one of the few events that are recorded in all 4 Gospels. It is also the only miracle that Jesus draws attention to and reminds the disciples of its happening. This was not a circus act, a mere performance, a random display of power, or just a sign of who He is. It was a lesson to be learned and it will do a great deal for our peace, comfort, and security to learn it.

Shortly after the feeding of the 4000, Jesus had an encounter with the Pharisees and Sadducees who were demanding a sign from heaven. Jesus would not perform for them and went on His way. With the confrontation still on His mind, He warned His disciples of the “yeast” of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples, in the meantime, had moved on from the event and were preoccupied with bread or, more accurately, the lack of bread. When they heard Jesus speak of “yeast,” they immediately thought He was chastising them for forgetting the bread. Jesus sharply rebukes this notion:

"You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? How is it you don't understand that I was not talking to you about bread?”

Immediately following the feeding of the 5000, Jesus made the disciples get in a boat and set sail for Bethsaida so He could have some much needed alone time. Hours later, He made His own way to Bethsaida via a short cut across the lake walking on the water. Halfway, He met His disciples struggling with their boat against the wind. When they saw Jesus, they were terrified. They thought they were seeing a ghost. Mark describes what happened next in the sixth chapter of his gospel account:

Immediately he spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." Then he climbed into the boat with them, and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.

Daily bread is a Kingdom reality. It is a non-issue. But the lesson of the loaves goes far beyond the provision of mere food. Its not just about “bread” but encompasses His total awareness of our needs. When we don’t understand this miracle, we become preoccupied with meeting needs that God has already said He will meet. When we don’t understand the loaves, we will worry and fear over things that we should never worry about or fear. When we don’t understand the ease of which God can supply, we will tend to err on the side of safety and security rather than to risk it all for the sake of Christ, His Kingdom and its Gospel. Whether its our small faith or our hard hearts that keep us bound to this world systems and preoccupied with “bread,” it is time to put our full trust into the compassion of our King who says:

"Come, all you who are thirsty,
come to the waters;
and you who have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without cost.
Why spend money on what is not bread, 

and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.
Give ear and come to me; 

hear me, that your soul may live.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
my faithful love promised to David.”

I Want To Be red Box!

The other night, I went to a place I hadn’t been in a while - Blockbuster Video. Remember when Blockbuster was the main place you went for your video rentals? Remember when you wondered if the movie you wanted would be there or not? Oh, how far the mighty have fallen! The store was practically empty with hit after hit movie available on the shelf. I almost felt bad for them.

Blockbuster is an example of a company that did not change fast enough for the times. I can only guess how this happened. Maybe they had no imagination of delivering videos in any other manner or maybe they felt secure in their position at the top of the video world that they saw no reason to change. No matter the reason, they have been dethroned and nearly rendered obsolete by companies like Netflix and Red Box that offer cheaper and more convenient ways of delivering videos to customers.

The church has also been guilty of Blockbuster mentality. Although, most of my friends and probably even you seem to be involved in churches that you love, where God shows up every Sunday, lives are changes or at least touched, and you leave encouraged and blessed, the reality is that the church is and has been on decline for many years. Let’s look at the traditional church as Blockbuster. The traditional or denominational church is in steepest decline. Although they use to be the main way church was presented and embraced, they offered little or no change as the times and culture changed. It doesn’t mean they are all in decline or that God is not using them or showing up there. Yours may be an exception. I’m just saying that, statistically, they are losing ground the fastest. They, like Blockbuster, are being less frequented and left behind. They are still present but not the force they once were.

Netflix came along and quickly cut in on Blockbuster’s dominance. They lowered overhead by eliminating the storefront, utilized technology by being internet driven, eased customer frustration by always having the desired title available, offered cheaper rental rates with no late fees, all while allowing customers access to DVDs from the comfort of their own home. The contemporary church has grown in a similar manner. They downplayed the importance of a building by renting existing community spaces such as schools and theaters, utilized current technology to connect to a generation that has, not only, grown comfortable with such technology but relies on it and requires it, and made church easier by creating a more “come as you are” atmosphere. But even with the success of the contemporary church movement, we have not stemmed the decline of the church in America. We still need to find new ways to bring the Kingdom and it’s Gospel to the world.

That’s why I want to be Red Box. Red Box has also had great success in providing movie rentals to the customers. They have a smaller inventory and all rentals are just a dollar but the true brilliance of Red Box is that they are where you are. I rarely used Red Box until moving to Denver but they are everywhere here. They are in Wal-Marts, McDonald’s, the grocery stores, the drug stores, anywhere that people are already going. There is no extra stop at a specialized store and you don’t have to wait for it to come in the mail. You can get it where you are at the time that you want it. I believe that God has called me to a similar approach. If, in all our efforts to try to get people to come to church, people are still staying away and the church remains in decline, then why not take church to where the people are? What if, instead of starting “local” expressions of the church, we started true “community” expressions of the church? What would happen if you started being the church in your specific community, on your street, in your sub-division? What if people from your community started gathering in your home or at your clubhouse? There are movements like this happening all over the US and I want to be part of it. That’s why we have moved into a place where community should be more of a natural element - an apartment complex. If, as statistics say, 95% of apartment dwellers do not attend a local church then why not bring the church to them? I believe that God has called us to advance the Kingdom and it’s Gospel one community at a time starting at Hampden Heights in Denver, CO. It won’t be easy or without its obstacles but perhaps, as Jonathan told his armor-bearer before entering an impossible battle, “the Lord will be with us” and we will see “Red Box” churches spring up all over Denver.

Abraham or Moses?

When I first began to talk to people about the move God was making in our lives, many of my Christian friends who were familiar with the Bible quickly likened our calling to that of Abraham’s.

“The LORD had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.’ ”

On the surface, I could understand and appreciate the comparison. God was asking us to leave our country (or, in our case, our state) and our family (both immediate and extended) and go to a land (another state) that God had shown us. A land that we were not familiar with, that we had no ties to, and what seemed to be a completely random choice of destination. But deep down I did not feel the connection. I was drawn instead to the story of Moses and the Exodus.

When we said “yes” to this Abrahamic-like call, it was not long before I realized that I was no Abraham. I could not just pull up the old tent stakes, load the camels, and be on our way. The main obstacle: a house that would not sell. God blessed us with our house in 1996. It was an absolute answer to prayer. There was clear divine guidance that led us to this house. It was love at first sight. It had many of the features that Pattie had always dreamed of in a home. We were thankful to raise 3 of our children there. We were delighted when it became “Papa and Grand’s” house to the grandkids. There was no doubt that it was a complete blessing from God.

But because we live in an Empire, things can change in an instant. Jobs change, income levels drop, costs increase, and suddenly we’re struggling to keep up with what God has blessed us. This is not God’s fault. It is the nature of God to bless us and it is the nature of the Empire to burden us. If we are not careful to manage our blessings, we will fall victim to the Empire. Then the Empire has us right where it wants us - slaves to the system. We become like the children of Israel in Exodus 1. The system tells us that the solution is to make more bricks. We become occupied with “more” and we soon forget that we are Kingdom people. The day we remember that we have a King and that we don’t have to follow the tyrant of this world any longer is the day we cry out and say, “God save us!” It is also the day that the King hears us. He always hears the cries of His children.

And so it was in my case. The blessing had become a burden and eventually the burden had become a weight and that weight was like an anchor keeping me where I was and disabling me from following the God I loved and from living the life I desired. So I spent many nights in my front yard asking God to set me free and to release me from the burden of my home. And He heard me. And He answered. And He set me free. Not immediately or overnight but in His time. And it was perfect.

Then we became like Abraham. Free as eagles, happy sojourners, resident aliens, tourists. Free to follow, free to obey, free to go! And we did. Now we are here and committed to live as children of His Kingdom.

I don’t believe God requires everyone to move but if He called you, what would it take for you to follow? What keeps you rooted where you are? What tent stakes could you already be pulling up just in case He speaks? You are not ready to answer an Abrahamic call until you experience your own personal exodus out of the Empire and into His Kingdom. I pray for this in every child of the King!

Note: Blessed are the one’s who have managed their financial and personal lives in such a way that they have already risen above this world’s systems, who have eluded the chains of consumerism and materialism that have captured so many. They are not many but they do exist. Thank you for your example.

My Personal Exodus!

There have been three shifts that God has been making in my life over the past few years. It has been a very distinct and undeniable work in my life. It has been a journey from one place in my life to another, a transforming process of heart and mind, of which I was unaware that I needed to take or undergo. At least two of the shifts, I believe, are ones that every Christ Follower needs to make. The third may be more personal to me in my situation and more distinct to my calling but is worthy of consideration none the less. You will not make these shifts from the comfort of your home. They don’t happen when the checking account is full, the kids are all doing well, the mate is loving and attentive, or when life couldn’t seem to get better. They are born out of struggle, difficulty, hardship. They happen when the job is lost, the family is falling apart, the health report is not good. The journey opens up to you when you are crying out, hurt, lost, confused. The process is near when you are discontented and think there should be more to life or that at least life should be better. Unfortunately, you rarely learn about these shifts in church. These are not decisions you make from a pew. These shifts are forged in the wilderness, in desolate times, and often in lonely places. For it is there that God reveals Himself. It is there that you truly begin to follow the path of God. You don’t experience Manna from heaven or water from the Rock by staying in Egypt. And that brings me to the first shift.

He has been moving me from the Empire into His Kingdom. Empire living is living that is deeply embedded in this world’s systems and thinking. It is represented in Scripture as Egypt. We are unaware of how entrenched we are in this world. We are blinded by consumerism, materialism, individualism and many other isms that cause us to live like slaves rather than sons and daughters of the Kingdom. We are free and are meant to live free. We are “born again” into the Kingdom of Heaven. Our citizenship has changed. We literally have to experience our own personal “exodus.” It involves a wilderness experience but the Kingdom lies on the other side.

I have much more to say about this but I will save it for other times. In order to not be too wordy, I will also save the other two shifts for a later date. Let me leave you with this: Are you experiencing difficulty or hardship? Is your heart crying out to God for relief and help? Is there a general discontentment rising up in your soul? Maybe this is just the beginning of a powerful and wonderful journey on which GOD is leading you! Maybe this is the first step on your own personal “exodus.” Maybe the most surprising thing is that you never realized that you needed such a deliverance. Maybe the “wilderness” that you are experiencing now is the path to a freedom and life you have never experienced before! Go with God! Journey with Him! Let Him do the perfect work in you!

Six Pages To Go

There is a certain way that God lets me know that He loves me. There is a way that He connects with me that lets me know that He knows what’s going on in my heart, mind and life. It has to do with my reading habits. I am a reader. I read almost everyday. Often I will be partially through a particular book, even a book of the Bible and I will suddenly stop. Maybe because of busyness or maybe I’m not connecting with what I am reading or maybe I get distracted with something else that comes across my view but somehow I will go days and sometimes weeks before I pick up where I left off. But almost always when I return, I am reading exactly what I need to hear on that day. If I had read it earlier, the words would not have been as significant. It happens so often that it can’t be just coincidence. It is God speaking to my heart.

Yesterday, it happened again. I had been reading The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch. I was trying to finish this book before I left GA but it just didn’t happen. I only had 6 pages to go. Well, on Tuesday evening, we spoke to Rachele and Camille as they were returning to GA from TX. This would be the first time for them to return and we wouldn’t be there. The conversation was so sweet that I started feeling a sense of guilt. “Who am I to say God spoke to me? What right have I to move Pattie and Rayanne away from their family and friends? Who do I think I am? What am I doing here in Denver?” These thoughts plagued me through the night and I rose early and went to the nearby McDonald’s to read, commune, and have my hazelnut ice coffee. I picked up the book and this is what I read:

“One of the things that the story of Abraham, the fellowship of sports teams, the desperate comradeship of soldiers, and the Fellowship of the Lord of the Rings teach us is that the journey itself is important - that maturity and self-actualization require movement and risk, and that adventure is actually very good for the soul. . . We find these elements in the way Jesus formed His disciples as together they embarked on a journey that took them away from their homes, family, and securities and set out on an adventure that involved risk, active/reflective learning, and spiritual discovery. On the way their fears of inadequacy and lack of provision faded, only to be replaced by a courageous faith that went on to change the world forever.

And what makes phenomenal Jesus movements so dynamic is that they actually involve movement . . . there is real motion. This is not to say that every Christian literally left home and family to follow Jesus but that the foundational spiritual transaction of laying down all in the name of Jesus was at the very base of all of their subsequent following. In this way they had made an abiding decision to enter in to the liminality of leaving securities and comforts when they first became Christians and so didn’t have to try and factor it in later. [This type of Christianity] was to continue until Constantine gave us buildings and an institution and a bond between church and state that was to put Apostolic Genius (or Apostolic Faith) to sleep for a long, long time.

We need to hit the road again. We are people of the Way and our path lies before us, inviting us into a new future in which we are permitted to shape and participate. . . . By calling to mind how Jesus and the early church went about spreading the Message, we evoke that yearning and that willingness to undertake an adventurous journey of rediscovery of that ancient force called Apostolic Genius.”

Six timely pages lifted my spirits. I am thankful to have been chosen to move. I feel no guilt for moving my family. Pattie and Rayanne are also on a journey that will shape their faith, perspectives, lives forever. I am thankful that we have been given the courage and faith to move and act in the name of Jesus. The end we cannot see, the results will be up to God but we have already benefited from the journey and will continue to follow wherever He leads.

The First Good-bye

Last night we had a great time with our family at our Old West Murder Mystery Dinner. It was fun. It will be a priceless memory. We sorely missed our son-in-law, Kris, who is working in Texas and our youngest grandson, Cameron, but all the rest of us had a great time. But as the evening came to a close, the reality of our move to Denver was setting in. My daughter, Rachele, and granddaughter, Camille, left this morning for Texas to spend the next 2 weeks with Kris and if all goes as planned, Pattie, Rayanne and I will be moving over Labor Day weekend so it was our last time with them. As wife hugged Rachele and the tears began to stream, I stepped outside and through tears of my own I said, "Lord, why am I doing this? Why would I take her away from here?" The Lord answered,

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple."

and

"I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or
brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me
and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes,
brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them,
persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life."

We are doing this because we love the Lord. There is no better reason. It is the greatest reason. We love Him. He is our Savior, Brother, Lord and King. There is no sacrifice we would not make to follow Him. Those who don't know Him or love Him will never understand. My family knows and understands this. I count it a great privilege to be chosen and sent by Him. My family belongs to the Lord and our going also sets them free to follow, go, be on mission, dream, explore, journey. Our family is dispersing yet growing closer. We are the same people yet eternally different because of these decisions. We are better off not worse off when we choose to follow Him. Our God be praised!

Defining Moments!

In the course of our lives there are only a handful of defining moments that significantly impact our direction and purpose and make us the people we are. Let's take Abraham as an example. His story is found in Genesis 11-25. Out of his 175 years of living, less than 20 significant events are recorded in history. Its roughly around one significant moment every 8-10 years. Some of these events are common to most of us: marriage (his and his son's are recorded), births (children and grandchildren), deaths (his father, his wife, other family, his own are mentioned), moving (Abraham did a lot of this). Some are failures (Abraham made some poor decisions that nearly cost him his wife.) Some are victories and successes that richly blessed him and others. But the most significant moments were when God spoke and Abraham trusted, followed, obeyed. Those are the ones that marked him as the "friend of God."

In the last 10 years, the first of June has become a significant time in the life of our family and ministry. They have been times when we believe God has spoken, directed, led and to the best of our ability, we have trusted, followed and obeyed. Let me share three of these:

1. June 2, 2002 - My family and I with the support of family and friends held our first worship service as the Axios Community Church in Holly Springs, GA. The decision to start this church came after much prayer and confirmation through others, circumstances, and His Word. We can recount many stories of how God opened doors (and closed some), graciously provided, and significantly blessed us and others through this endeavor.
   
2. June 1, 2008 - On our 6th birthday, we held our last service as the Axios Community Church in Holly Springs, GA. This was harder than starting the Church. We had put so much of our lives, energy and resources into this work and God was continuing to use our ministry that the decision to close was difficult. But it was clear to me through prayer, circumstances and the Spirit that this was what God wanted and that He had other plans for us. He immediately made it clearthat our next opportunity would be in Denver.
3. June 2010 - After 2 years of what feels like a wilderness experience, God seems to be suddenly moving us forward to our new calling. There have been significant lessons that needed to be learned during this time and God's graciousness of allowing us to stay and care for Pattie's mother in her last days and experiencing greater relationships with our kids and grandkids will always be appreciated and looked back on with fondness. We now have a target date of the first of June to move to Denver, CO. Oh, the things we may do, the people we will see, and the places we will go!

These have been defining moments and this one will set the course of our lives for the next 10 + years but God only hands us a handful of these opportunities in the course of our lives and we are ready to trust, follow and obey!