Real Life: It's been a surreal kind of week since we have decided to close down Real Life. I have spoken to our folks about the details that made up that decision and why we had to end so abruptly. So I will save those details for our people and not posting them on my blog. Quite frankly, it's just so heart wrenching to keep writing them down. I want everyone who played a part in Real Life from it's inception to the end that I thank them for their service and you should know that I and many other people have been changed for the better because you allowed God to work through you!
Blogging: A few days ago I thought that I would close my blog down and move on. As I woke up this morning and have thought more about it I think that I am going to keep it open and rather than blogging about my thoughts and experiences as a pastor, church planter, and cheerleader of one of the coolest churches ever. I will write about my continuing spiritual journey. Over the next week I will share some of the emotions and struggles I have faced personally as a pastor, leader, and husband.
Me: Where will I go and what will I be doing next? Right now I don't know. April and I are going to take a few months and not go anywhere or do anything church related. After the start of the New Year we'll pick ourselves up, end our sabbatical and start the process of trying to figure out where we fit in the kingdom of God.
Will I be working in ministry again? Probably, but right now I need to step away and spend some time allowing God to fill me up, hence the need for stepping away for a season.
2 comments:
I know this has been hard on the two of you and I don't know that there are any words I can say to help lift you up. One thing I have learned is that that's really not my job. I think there is someone that will do that for me.
The kids had their Halloween party last night and some were upset initially about what has happened but after realizing that events like last night were not done forever they appreciated the relationships that have been created.
Understand that these wounds will heal but they will always be scars. Hopefully we all have learned a great deal from our experiences. You and April were the source of kindling some great friendships and hopefully we can build on getting to know each other better...don't be a stranger!
We were born priests and kings because we have been born as sons of God. Have you ever realized that you are a priest and a king?
(1 Pet. 2:9) “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people acquired for a possession, so that you may tell out the virtues of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
(Rev. 1:6) “And made us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father, to Him be the glory and the might forever and ever. Amen.”
The problem with us today as Christians is that we have the knowledge of religion with its many forms and teachings and spend much time in studying the Bible. However, not many of us will spend time to open ourselves to the Lord and remain in the shekinah glory of God as a true priest. Therefore, there are different opinions, different concepts, different teachings and ideas, all of which only create divisions. Our opinions create divisions, and divisions only create confusion. This is the real situation of Christianity today.
The restoration of the Lord is to deliver us out of our opinions, concepts, methods, and words into the priestly experience of being transformed into the image of God. We do not need to emphasize the teachings or methods. We only need one thing—to be in the presence of the Lord until we are transformed into His image.
If we all would focus upon this, we would be one in the priesthood. We cannot be one in teachings, doctrines, or opinions. If we return to our opinions and concepts, we will be divided into many divisions! But once we enter into the priesthood and are brought into the shekinah glory of the Holy of Holies, all of our concepts will be swept away.
( 1 Corinthians 13:8) “Love never falls away. But whether prophecies, they will be rendered useless; or tongues, they will cease; or knowledge, it will be rendered useless.”
Prophecies shall fail, tongues shall cease, knowledge shall vanish away, but the priesthood and kingship will remain forever!
The most important matter is the priesthood. How much have you been saturated by the Lord? This is most important. Before we can be the true priests, the Lord must deliver us from the outward things and bring us into reality. There are too many opinions and too many concepts in today’s Christianity. But praise the Lord that He can opened our eyes to see the basic, primary need of the priesthood.
An intimate relationship with Him, being lead by the Spirit in all things, and actually experiencing the Word is everything. Without this condition daily, moment by moment, we are just individuals devoted to destruction. It is in our fallen nature.
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