following jesus is easy

Accepting to follow Jesus means choosing to change how you live, unless you are one of the lucky perfect few.

How does God ask us to live? To worship him with everything you are, and to love other people as you would hope others would treat you (Matthew 7:12). And, fortunately an example of being loved by someone else has/is already given. God.

Choosing to live is to love as God loves us (John 15:1-17). Indeed, anything you say or do, if it lacks love is nothing (1 Corinthians 13).

What does it look like to love as God loves us?

How would church activity need to change in order to start and finish in love?

God has given the church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip his people to do what he asks them to do. Until, the church is unified in faith and knowledge of Christ in such a way that we are mature, that is measure up to the full and complete standard of Christ (Ephesians 4).

Is the church mature today?

Are people who say they are 'christian' pursuing teachings that sound like the gospel, but not? Which ones do you do this?

How are these teachings different, no matter how obvious or subtle?

Are people who say they are 'christian' speaking and living God’s truth with love?

What are some examples of how they should be speaking and behaving?

Are people who say they are 'christian' doing what God asks them to do or are they doing what people ask of them? What about you?

Read More

who is the head of the church?

Does authority exist even if we choose to ignore or not recognise it?

If so, does Christ's authority exist if we as believers or as the church collectively ignore or not recognise it, let alone disobey it

If yes, then would it be wise to discover and then stop doing everything that usurps his authority? Usurp? Yes, anything we do to take that does not belong to us.

What areas does the church currently do this?

How are you personally behaving to support this behaviour?

Read More

god healed the divide

If God desires there be no division between his people, where do denominational groupings within the church fit? What about those who are called believers and unbelievers

Paul appealed people to live in harmony with each other, without divisions in the church. To be of one mind, united in thought and purpose... Some claimed to be a follower of Paul, others Apollos, others Peter, or only Christ. But Christ is not divided into factions. Nor Paul crucified for you? (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

After all, who is Apollos? Who is Paul? We are only God’s servants through whom you believed the Good News. Each of us did the work the Lord gave us. It’s not important who did what, but rather that God makes the seed grow. (1 Corinthians 3:5-16)

How does this apply when people say “I am a Baptist,” “I am Catholic", or “I adhere to no set denomination”, etc?

Was your minister, pastor, priest, mentor crucified for you?

If Christ is not divided into different groups, what are we doing?

If Jesus ended division by terminating the system of law with its commandments and regulations, then are the requirements we expect of people to belong relevant? If not, what do they do? How?

What are we to make of the promise of Christ in that there is nothing a person needs to do for God to forgive and embrace them? For all people? For all time?

Does placing requirements on people to belong create barriers to what God wants to do?

What are the commandments and regulations the church imposes today to belong? 
Consider things such as attendance of services, how we speak, what we wear, who we interact with, permitted activities, etc. Consider things such as how to pray, worship styles, or what it means to become saved.

What are the alternatives?

Read More

For those of you who sometimes look around and ask if things will ever change, within the structure that is church please remember...

• There was a time when exile was all the Hebrew nation knew
• There was once a time when you could have spent money to ease your way and those of your loved ones into heaven
• There was a time when unless you could understand Latin, God's word was unavailable
• There was a time when no thought was given to slavery to grow the British crops in the americas
• There was a time when hospitals and public schools did not exist
• There was a time when sharing God's word with foreigners was considered worthless
• There was a time when only a priest could speak to God on your behalf and revelation was for them to share as deemed fit
• There was a time when prophesying and speaking in tongues was considered of the devil
• There was a time when only an ordained minister could baptise or marry people
• There was a time when people believed worship was about singing songs and raising hands
• A time when the sunday service was central
• A time when the preacher was central
• A time when denominations existed

A time...

Be encouraged that while we live during times of limits, the end seems impossible, unwarrented, or unseen, depending upon who you are.  But, when we look back, hindsight always shows us breakthrough.

Read More

isaiah 65:11

Saw the head pastor of Fusion City Church Canberra Australia sharing the message of Isaiah 65:11.

• This congregation is where my family has been visiting since late 2010.
• This is the first time I have read this part of Isaiah and fear its strength, my stomach feels knotted.
• Please read the whole chapter, and more as needed

“But because the rest of you have forsaken the Lord and have forgotten his Temple, and because you have prepared feasts to honor the god of Fate and have offered mixed wine to the god of Destiny, now I will ‘destine’ you for the sword.   All of you will bow down before the executioner.  For when I called, you did not answer.  When I spoke, you did not listen  You deliberately sinned—before my very eyes— and chose to do what you know I despise.”

Have not put interpretation, or application on this!

Read More