Agreeing to Disagree in matters that Don't Matter

The church is answering questions no one is asking!

As we started preparing for Freedom House TV which we launched 2 weeks ago, we put together a promo video and this was one of our points in our opening rant. (check it out at freedomhousetv.com)

In the middle ages, one of the Big questions the church played around with was "could God create a rock so big that he couldn't pick it up?". Theologians spent countless hours debating this "life changing" query.

Now in our post-modern age of enlightenment we have made great strides towards really important dialogue. Or have we? Now our internal dialogue revolves around denominational distinctives that have little (if any) salvific effects. Topics like baptism, tongues, escatology, celebration of certain days (like Hallowe'en), drinking, blah, blah, blah fill our calendars with endless talk points, but at what expense?

Romans 14 speaks to these issues with clarity and certainty. You should take the time to read it for yourself, but let me quickly sum up what you will read. Regarding disputable matters, each person should inform themselves on what they believe, act on that belief with conviction AND respond with grace to allow others around them to act on these issues how it fits their personal convictions. Ultimately we agree to disagree in matters that don't matter.

AND in these grey areas - where there is no direct Biblical directive to "definitely do this" or "definitely do that" - we DO NOT judge our brothers on how they interpret each issue.

WOW - that is good teaching!

Do you think it's possible we have missed the whole point of why the church exists? It can't be to continually arguing about barely significant issues, can it?

Well, there's good news and bad news. The bad news is that after almost 30 years of involvement with people and ministry, I have experienced more chats about these or similar topics than I care to mention. The good news is that I see a new breed of believer that really wants to hit the big issues and bring resolve - issues like poverty, human trafficking, world hunger, etc - and what God expects our response to these needs to be. Issues that bring division in the church, like pride and judgement are being displaced by what really matters so we can be "salt and light" and a blessing to our cities.

I'm not suggesting this will be easy - it's much easier sitting back in our respective religious corners and throw our critical jabs at each other. But we've seen from the past that this is not just unproductive, it is detrimental.

This new breed of believer is both an idealistic dreamer and a hard-working pragmatist. And they are the type of people BIG THINKING people love to hang with. Search them out and do life together and as you do you will start answering questions everyone is asking!

Lead Follow or get out of the way...

Lead, follow or get out of the way...

"Oh here we go again, another leader talking down to the followers, another bash on the little guy, another regal attempt to chastise the downtrodden serfdom."

Actually this is none of the above. It is a simply plea to people to get in the game, find their position and play it.

Let me explain what I mean. I strongly believe that every person has a "position on the team", a "destiny", "a mission from God" (come on - even the Blue's Brothers knew that). I also believe that it is each person's personal responsibility to passionately seek after and find this mission, so they can then live it out with passion.

This "mission" is much easier to find than most would admit (possibly since to admit how easy it is would presume that I have to do it after I find it) and is based largely out how you were wired when you were made.

Do you like being in front of people - speaking, encouraging and leading? - then you're a leader - do it!

Do you like being behind the scenes, working the details out, making sure the chairs are in correct rows? - then you're a follower - do it!

Do you have things in your life that are presently leaving you with the inability to fulfill your function and you recognize that you need some time to re-evaluate, reconsider and re-focus? - then get out of the way - do it!

Please understand, I have purposefully oversimplified life for the sake of time. I do understand the intricacies and complications of life that can entangle us, but at the risk of sounding callous - that's just life and when life happens, real leaders lead, real followers follow and at times both types of people need to get out of the way (in a good way).

And... in all of this we must realize that none of these positions are better or worse than any other - they just are! However, if we fail to realize who we are and where we are, it will inevitably lead to a break down in either relationship or function (or both).

AND ...if we're really honest and realistic - we will realize don't have time to waste time!

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

Have you ever...?

Have you ever come across something that had the power to change your life?

3 years ago a friend of mine gave me a copy of the book Red Moon Rising. Red Moon, chronicles the 24/7 Prayer movement that began in the UK in 1999 to its present international influence. I read the book, bought copies for our church Leadership Team and we jumped into the 24/7 model as a church.

Since that time, we have had numerous nights and weeks of prayer and I am more convinced than ever that this is one of the pieces of the puzzle that God is going to use globally to significantly increase His Kingdom.

Recently, I was asked to sit on the national 24/7 Prayer Team. Last weekend we had our annual meetings and I have to tell you that this "underground movement" is about to emerge as a driving force for passionate prayer across our country. 

Have you ever come across something that had the power to change your life?

You just did…

Check out www.24-7prayer.ca 

So ...I have to say that I am privileged to hang out with some BIG Thinkers for a living and this past weekend they proved it again. With few people and a VERY limitted budget we pulled off a an amazing float in our city's Christmas Parade and won the prize for BEST THEME float.

Freedom House you ROCK!

You are what you think

You've heard the saying "you are what you eat"? Well, I think you are what you think.

Why am I thinking about this? Because I just had to endure a lengthy AND LOUD discussion between two pseudo-intellectuals at a Williams Coffee Pub. They were pontificating about numerous topics (none, which remotely intrigued the rest of the coffee patrons) and amazingly they were experts in every one of the subjects they spoke of. Now, I'm not sure if they were trying to impress each other, or those around them, but all I could think of was "would you two loon-balls kindly hush up"! (that was the editted version).

Please don't misunderstand me, I like a good intellectual chat session as much as the next guy (possibly more), but these guys could never live out even half of the discussions they just had - they just don't have that long to live! And if you can't live out your thoughts (dreams) or release someone else to do so, you are either wasting time or blowing the proverbial "butt-smoke". (that was also the editted version).

Life necessitates that eventually, if you are going to make a significant contribution to the world and to those around you, you will need to take you thoughts and act on them.

Your thoughts will become your actions - your actions will become your habits and eventually your life. You will become known for how you live, despite what your hopes and intentions are. It starts with your thoughts, realizing that these concepts are mutually inclusive and co-dependent.

Over the last few days I have had the chance to chat with a number of people who have the capacity to both think (dream) and then transform their dream into reality. And that is the difference between living your destiny and looking back at the end of your life and regretting what could have been.

You are what you think - so - thinkers unite! Think, chat, strategize and then get out there and live it!

It's been 10 years?! I can't believe it... a decade, ten years, 120 months, 520 weeks, 3650 sleeps blah, blah, yada, yada.

It's been 10 years since we moved to Brantford. As I was thinking about that this week many memories rolled through my brain ...some pleasant, some otherwise!

We didn't move here on a whim, we talked about it alot, we prayed about it alot, we inquired of the Lord and we really felt like it was the direction of the Lord (and we still do). However, I think it's probably good that God didn't fill us in on everything that this decade would hold because I'm not so sure I would have moved here. You know, you would like to think God could show you the future (for good or bad) and you'd still walk unswervingly into it, but who knows?

Less than a year after we moved here, the Lord began to speak to me about Brantford becoming the "city of God". In the Bible and throughout history, there have been places on the Globe that God has so transformed that they became known as "the city of God", maybe not by name, but by experience.

Do we believe that this is possible? Can we think that BIG to imagine such a thing? And, can we believe for it to happen here and now?

Perhaps more importantly, if we do believe it, are we willing to do whatever it takes in partnership with God and His plans to see it happen?

I hope so because He has BIG plans for cities!

I hope so because His desire is that no one misses out on His love!

I hope so, I don't have many decades left.

Think Big, Live Big

Last night I was with some big thinking friends. We talked about about many things, but conversation repeatedly came back to how we can positively effect our nation. We concluded that to touch the nation you have to touch the cities and to touch the cities, you have to touch people.

In order to do that, you have to move from thinking big to living big. It's not enough to think about something you could do, anyone can do that ...and truth be told that's as far as most people go. They look at situations they face as individuals or world issues we have to deal with together and repeatedly identify the problems. "Wow, nice work Sherlock ...I think Holmes is looking for you!"

And ...if they do take it any further, it is only to find where they can assess blame. It's like that song Living Years by Mike and the Mechanics that says, "every generation, blames the one before".

Well we could stay on the treadmill of the "blame-shame game", or we can be part of the solution - ie. THINKING BIG and LIVING BIG.

Deep down I believe everyone wants to be part of positive change. It's what we were made for, it's what we were destined for ...it's why we have the capacity to THINK BIG and LIVE BIG.

Here's where we can start...

...dream more than others think is possible;
...care more than others think is wise;
…Pray more think others think is necessary
…work more than others think is practical
...risk more than others think is safe;
...expect more than others think is reasonable.

Think Big, Live Big!