The other night, I was challenged by a comment made to me about who is going to step up and sort things out. Almost like, why don't you speak up about what's going on around you, as if I hadn't already done that, multiple times.
I am not going to go into the bits and pieces about this, but its hard to step up and stand up for what you really believe in, when every time you do ... you are either cut down at the knees or ignored completely.
If I was honest, I am tired of not being heard, being ignored and passed off as being irrelevant. And I have observed some of my friends being treated this way as well.
The other day I threw a challenge and invitation out to a large group of people and only one person responded. It's depressing when you know the answer and folks keep rejecting you.
I guess that's why people vote with their feet.
The question/s that was asked of us:
Who will step up ? Who is going to rise up and make the changes ? Why wont you speak up ? Why wont you do something about it !!!
Well its easy to fire those questions out when you are not in the middle of the mess, its easy to ask the tough questions when you are not in a position to do anything about the so called "skin on a rice custard".(so to speak) (don't know if that even makes sense)
I think it was John the Baptist who spoke of being " a voice in the wilderness" about preparing the way for Jesus.
I reckon John may have felt a bit like that, a lonely voice.... a freaky voice, trying to get people ready for something that they had never seen before, someone they had never seen before.
And maybe that's where we are at... finding it hard to recognize the John's around us.... even criticizing them, but will we be one of them ? will we be that voice crying out in the wilderness ?
the other day in my quiet time, I read and shared 2 quotes on FB..
1. If Vision is where we are going, then culture is how we will get there.
& the second quote.....
2. Bad culture eats good vision for breakfast.
You can have the best dreams, the best glimpse ahead of you ...better than we have ever seen ever before, but if our culture is sick then we will fail every single day and never move forwards at all.
Until we start changing our culture back to being who we are supposed to be, and who we were birthed to be.
What is a Jesus Culture ? and I am not talking about the Christian worship group... I am talking about a healthy Jesus centred / focussed culture that will lead us to our vision of changing the world with His love ?
Here is my view...my opinion....
When we have a culture that is focused on praying together, worshipping God together and putting Him first in our daily lives. When we have determined that above all other things, we will prioritize The Kingdom of God, first...
when we put the other human things second to that....the admin, and laws of govt, the compliance and corporate stuff.... the strategies and policies.
Not rejecting them, but allowing them to speak at a secondary level and Jesus at our primary.... then and only then will we start to change our culture and we may start to see spiritual fruit, which is our fundamental DNA and goal.
Who will do that ? that's the big question for me. I know God has asked me to be a person who does that, and believe me I have tried and still try, and am ignored most of the time. After all who the heck am I anyway.... a lonely voice in the wilderness. ( it feels)
Yeah I get angry about it, and frustrated, discouraged, annoyed and fed up and many many times just wonder why I keep getting back up after being knocked back down so many times.
Let me tell you why I keep getting back up...It's because I love Jesus and I believe He has not finished with us yet, He has not finished with me yet. He has not finished with you yet.
Here's the thing.... some reading this now, will be annoyed at me for speaking my mind. Others will agree. Some will class me as a raging lunatic and others may see me as someone to be ignored.
However.... Here's my rationale if you like...
Are we doing better than we have ever done ?
Are we winning and kicking huge goals for the Kingdom of heaven ?
Are we seeing people radically saved in their droves ?
Are we losing more than we are gaining ?
Are our prayer meetings swamped by people hungry to speak with Jesus and to hear His voice ?
Is it more popular/easy to please the world than what it is to please God ?
Well cut me down at my knees if you like.... but the moment we swing the worlds way, and seemingly disregard the Lords way.... we have sick culture.
And that also makes me angry !
I never joined up for that.
SO......
here are my solutions....
Encourage each other to gather together for prayer groups, triplets or prayer pairs or anything... make this the priority each and every week. This can easily be done online, for 10, 15, 20, 30 or even 60 minutes. it isn't difficult. If you don't know how, then email me, ring me... I will show you and lead you and help you.
If you already pray with others...excellent, then multiply and invite others in. All of us, doing that.
Can we ever pray enough ? This one change alone, will turn things on its ear !!!!!
Still do the compliance stuff absolutely, but only ever secondary to the Jesus focus.
Speak more loudly about Jesus than we do the "other stuff ".
Instead of a concert, make it a worship event. Focus on Jesus.
(I love how the TSA Big Band is doing this).
If you think you are making it about Jesus already, well done...so take it up a notch and get a few around you to do the same. Lets lift Jesus Higher than we ever have before.
Make disciples for Jesus. Make Disciples who will in turn make disciples. This was what Jesus asked us to do on the earth. It doesn't mean we cant do the other things we all love doing...it just means we have a discipling flavor and intention on everything we do.
and lets pray for Spiritual renewal and revival in our nation,
starting inside us, ME, & you...first.
Just my rambling thoughts on this yucky Sunday afternoon in lockdown no 5.
Comments
Post a Comment