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Children’s activities books often have these little exercises. They will display one picture with many items and characters, and when you turn the page, you see a very similar picture which almost looks identical. To the casual glance you would think that nothing is different about the two pictures. However the small instructions at the top of the second picture has a question which let’s you know immediately that even though these two pictures may look the same, they are not. The instructions say, “What’s different about these two pictures?” You then are given opportunity to find and list the items that are missing from the second picture that are evident in the first one.
My younger brother is very successful in law enforcement. I am amazed at his ability to pay attention to the slightest details. He has the ability to walk into a situation and tell you not what is present, but what is not present. What’s missing is often the clue that leads to a case being solved. Myself, I would probably end up exhausting myself studying the clues and items that were left at the scene of a crime rather than understanding what is different or missing from the scene.
Here is the problem many churches in our present day have. There is something missing and we haven’t figured out what it is yet. We are studying what is in front of us, but we can’t figure out why we are not having the kind of revival we know our Lord wants us to have.
We see people’s lack of involvement. We see the lack of dedication to the House of God. We know that the growth of our congregations are not keeping up with the population growth of our communities. People come to church with an “Entertain Me” attitude that lacks the fundamental hunger that is needful in a revival church.
We want to identify with the biblical New Testament church but the picture that was the Original Church is in many ways very different than the picture that is the modern day church.
Brotherly love, One accord, One Mind, Unity, Together, One for another, are terms descriptive of the original church. These are not terms we use to describe many modern day churches. Miracles occurred constantly in the Acts church. They occur only occasionally in the modern church. Could it be that the Spirit of God is grieved by the lack of care the modern day saint shows to his brother? The early church would hold an all night all church prayer meeting to get Peter out of jail. We hardly give 5 minutes to pray for our brother’s cancer or his back-sliden children. The early church would go from house to house fellowshipping and praying, we barely make it to Steak and Shake to have an after service hamburger with a new convert.
What’s missing? What is in the first picture that is not in the second one? What did the early church have that we do not have today? We too often see another church begin to have a measure of revival and then ask, “what do they have that we don’t have?” We measure ourselves by ourselves when we should be measuring ourselves by the original church in the book of Acts.
We promote programs and agendas ahead of care for our fellow man and soul winning. Our calendars are full of events which do little to win souls. Coming upon us soon will be the holidays with their dinners and fellowships. How many souls will be won by their expense of time, energy and money? What’s missing?
The early church had a revival in a jail house. We can hardly get the saints to worship in the church house on a Sunday night. What’s missing? The early saints walked by a cripple man at the gate beautiful and lifted him up to his feet – healed in Jesus name. We find it hard to go to someone who’s life is falling apart and ask them if they would like to pray. What’s missing? They turned their world upside down in the space of two years. We have had churches in communities for over 30 years who are struggling to get their sanctuaries filled to 75% on a Sunday night. What’s missing? Fear of God and respect for the ministry prevailed in the early church. Disrespect for the Man of God and the ministry often prevail in some churches. What’s missing? Devils left screaming from the New Testament church, they come to church and sit in the pews untouched in many modern churches. What’s missing?
We make a terrible mistake when we conclude that we have arrived at some point of maturity as a church. The Church will ever be striving to become what the Early Church was. The cares of life, elements of this world and the evil powers at work, will ever be pulling us away from what the original church was. We have to maintain the desire to be like them. We have to continually hunger for what they had.
The scripture paints a picture of a beautiful Church who loved one another, who had respect and recognition in their communities and from evil spirits. They knew how to pray not lengthy prayers, but prayers that shook Heaven and Hell. They were bold people who walked into the market places and into kings throne rooms and declared the gospel of Jesus Christ.
That Church grew exponentially because of God’s favor and because the world looked at it as something that offered a refuge from the sinful lifestyles. What a beautiful Church it was. Wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if could find out what’s missing and cause it to happen in our church? If we want what they had, then we have to know what is missing and be brave enough to make the changes needed to experience the kind of church that they experienced.
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Ten Principles for Getting Along With Difficult People
It’s easy to love those who love us and those who are easy to get along with. But how do you treat the stranger, the difficult person, that person you don’t really understand, can’t relate to and don’t really care about? Jesus said that is the true test of our character and love.
- Maintain your confidence by being in right relationship with God. You can’t be objective or discerning if you’re not in good standing with God. A strong relationship with God gives you the grace and confidence to deal properly with difficult people.
- Remember over- reacting will only accentuate the conflict and confuse the issue.....
Ten Principles for Getting Along With Difficult People
It’s easy to love those who love us and those who are easy to get along with. But how do you treat the stranger, the difficult person, that person you don’t really understand, can’t relate to and don’t really care about? Jesus said that is the true test of our character and love.
- Maintain your confidence by being in right relationship with God. You can’t be objective or discerning if you’re not in good standing with God. A strong relationship with God gives you the grace and confidence to deal properly with difficult people.
- Remember over- reacting will only accentuate the conflict and confuse the issue.....
What Did Jesus Say About Tithing?
It began with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter two, but was continued and maintained, in part at least, by the giving and sacrifice of the first century church!
The bible says that they gave their all and laid it at the Apostles feet. They sold houses and land, possessions and goods, and parted them to those who had need of them.
Were these new, born again, Christians giving of their all, simply out of faith, or was there some precedent that had been set by the words and actions of the Jesus and His disciples?
Obviously, these Christians did not yet have the New Testament writings to refer to...but they were there in person when Jesus taught, instructed, and acted as their example in all things.....
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What Did Jesus Say About Tithing?
It began with the outpouring of the Holy Ghost in Acts chapter two, but was continued and maintained, in part at least, by the giving and sacrifice of the first century church!
The bible says that they gave their all and laid it at the Apostles feet. They sold houses and land, possessions and goods, and parted them to those who had need of them.
Were these new, born again, Christians giving of their all, simply out of faith, or was there some precedent that had been set by the words and actions of the Jesus and His disciples?
Obviously, these Christians did not yet have the New Testament writings to refer to...but they were there in person when Jesus taught, instructed, and acted as their example in all things.....
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What to do When People Don't Worship
Although we put so much effort into preparing for our worship services with music practices and prayer meetings, there are some in our churches that we know are not going to worship. It doesn't matter how wonderful the music sounds or how exciting the service may be, some people just aren't going to be involved at all in worship. The Spirit can be so powerful and the anointing be so strong and there are people whose lives are clearly being changed, yet there will be that select few who are content sitting in their seats doing nothing. What do we do when people don't worship? How do we get those people to worship?......
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What to do When People Don't Worship
Although we put so much effort into preparing for our worship services with music practices and prayer meetings, there are some in our churches that we know are not going to worship. It doesn't matter how wonderful the music sounds or how exciting the service may be, some people just aren't going to be involved at all in worship. The Spirit can be so powerful and the anointing be so strong and there are people whose lives are clearly being changed, yet there will be that select few who are content sitting in their seats doing nothing. What do we do when people don't worship? How do we get those people to worship?......
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When No One Cares Who Gets The Credit
There is no limit to what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit. It is important to cast a vision of servanthood to lay leaders and those in the church who serve the body of Christ.
Preach servanthood. There can be no greater example of servanthood than Jesus Christ. He was someone who could have expected everyone to serve Him. However he continually offered himself as the servant of all. You get what you preach. If the church needs to be reminded to serve one another, Preach servanthood....
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When No One Cares Who Gets The Credit
There is no limit to what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit. It is important to cast a vision of servanthood to lay leaders and those in the church who serve the body of Christ.
Preach servanthood. There can be no greater example of servanthood than Jesus Christ. He was someone who could have expected everyone to serve Him. However he continually offered himself as the servant of all. You get what you preach. If the church needs to be reminded to serve one another, Preach servanthood....
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The Top 10 Steps That Will Help Get You Unstuck
It’s not unusual to feel stuck, trapped, and unable to move from a situation you feel is stifling. Actually, it’s part of life and growth. But, getting “stuck in” and “growing through” situations are different. Here are ten ways to shift from one to the other:
- Step back and ask yourself what’s really going on. When you’re caught up in the stuff of everyday life, it’s easy to lose objectivity. It’s good to set aside a little time each day to challenge the obviousness of what seems to be going on. Is there a lesson to be learned that you are missing? Might that setback really be a step forward? Will things really turn out as badly as you think they will?
- Consider whether what’s happening has happened before. Is this a unique situation or is it just another example, in different garb, of an issue you’ve failed to confront before? If it’s the latter, maybe now’s the time to solve it and move on.....
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The Top 10 Steps That Will Help Get You Unstuck
It’s not unusual to feel stuck, trapped, and unable to move from a situation you feel is stifling. Actually, it’s part of life and growth. But, getting “stuck in” and “growing through” situations are different. Here are ten ways to shift from one to the other:
- Step back and ask yourself what’s really going on. When you’re caught up in the stuff of everyday life, it’s easy to lose objectivity. It’s good to set aside a little time each day to challenge the obviousness of what seems to be going on. Is there a lesson to be learned that you are missing? Might that setback really be a step forward? Will things really turn out as badly as you think they will?
- Consider whether what’s happening has happened before. Is this a unique situation or is it just another example, in different garb, of an issue you’ve failed to confront before? If it’s the latter, maybe now’s the time to solve it and move on.....
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Bi-Vocational Ministry - The Need to Refuel
To avoid burnout one needs to identify ways to refuel the energy expended in their challenging role of bi-vocational ministry. Exercise, proper diet, and adequate rest cannot be over-emphasized for long-term health, stamina, and creativity.
One analogy is that of an automobile over the course of a year. It order to function without failure it needs to visit the occasional gas station, be serviced for lubrication and filter replacements, undergo routine preventive maintenance, be cleaned, have inspections and documentation kept current, and so forth. Just as these things are essential to problem-free automobile service, similar things are essential to problem-free bi-vocational ministry.
A few tips include:
- Block out multiple windows of time for quality family time each week.
- Maintain spontaneity and the capacity to have fun.
- Schedule a vacation or time away from church and work at the same time.
- Leave work at the office. When you come home bring “you” with you.
- Discover ways to expend excess energy, tension, and anxiety......
Bi-Vocational Ministry - The Need to Refuel
To avoid burnout one needs to identify ways to refuel the energy expended in their challenging role of bi-vocational ministry. Exercise, proper diet, and adequate rest cannot be over-emphasized for long-term health, stamina, and creativity.
One analogy is that of an automobile over the course of a year. It order to function without failure it needs to visit the occasional gas station, be serviced for lubrication and filter replacements, undergo routine preventive maintenance, be cleaned, have inspections and documentation kept current, and so forth. Just as these things are essential to problem-free automobile service, similar things are essential to problem-free bi-vocational ministry.
A few tips include:
- Block out multiple windows of time for quality family time each week.
- Maintain spontaneity and the capacity to have fun.
- Schedule a vacation or time away from church and work at the same time.
- Leave work at the office. When you come home bring “you” with you.
- Discover ways to expend excess energy, tension, and anxiety......
Why Are Small Groups So Successful?
The institution that is the home, is under attack. (I will leave out all the gory statistics.) Lifestyles that are illicit, abusive, negligent, are too often, lived out in the home. If ever there was a place I believe the Holy Spirit would want to go, it would be these homes. In the Gospels, you find over and over, Jesus inviting himself into people’s homes. Look at what happened when Jesus invited Himself to Zacceous’s home. Immediately, the man began repenting of his sin and promised to make his wrongs right.
I’m really not convinced that the New Testament church is supposed to have a central church building. (I’m glad we do.) It appears that the Holy Ghost was quite capable of falling on people when they met in their homes with their Oikos to pray and worship. In fact it is the home, He desires and needs to heal. The greatest needs in the world whether social or religious, are needs that can and should first be met in the home. When you study some of the wicked men/women in history, you will find that the home they grew up in was dysfunction at best.
Over and over again, Small Group churches see whole families instead of just individuals come into the church. We are hearing of spouses who have never come to church, but are now involved in church services because a Small Group meeting was held in their home and they stayed to “check it out”....
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Why Are Small Groups So Successful?
The institution that is the home, is under attack. (I will leave out all the gory statistics.) Lifestyles that are illicit, abusive, negligent, are too often, lived out in the home. If ever there was a place I believe the Holy Spirit would want to go, it would be these homes. In the Gospels, you find over and over, Jesus inviting himself into people’s homes. Look at what happened when Jesus invited Himself to Zacceous’s home. Immediately, the man began repenting of his sin and promised to make his wrongs right.
I’m really not convinced that the New Testament church is supposed to have a central church building. (I’m glad we do.) It appears that the Holy Ghost was quite capable of falling on people when they met in their homes with their Oikos to pray and worship. In fact it is the home, He desires and needs to heal. The greatest needs in the world whether social or religious, are needs that can and should first be met in the home. When you study some of the wicked men/women in history, you will find that the home they grew up in was dysfunction at best.
Over and over again, Small Group churches see whole families instead of just individuals come into the church. We are hearing of spouses who have never come to church, but are now involved in church services because a Small Group meeting was held in their home and they stayed to “check it out”....
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Tax Time! - What is a Ministerial Housing Allowance?
Any licensed or ordained minister in the U.S. who performs ministerial duties and who is employed by the church qualifies for a housing allowance which is a great tax benefit. Housing allowances are not taxable to federal or state income taxes, so you can save taxes by utilizing the housing allowance. In general the rules are as follows.
To have a housing allowance, you must have a resolution pre-authorizing the housing allowance. A pastor cannot designate his own housing…it must be done by either the church board or the church membership. The amount designated goes to pay all housing expenses: rent or house payment, utilities, taxes, insurance, repairs & maintenance, upkeep, association dues, furnishing & appliances (purchase or repair). Any expenditure that is for the upkeep of the house you live in is included in the housing allowance......
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Tax Time! - What is a Ministerial Housing Allowance?
Any licensed or ordained minister in the U.S. who performs ministerial duties and who is employed by the church qualifies for a housing allowance which is a great tax benefit. Housing allowances are not taxable to federal or state income taxes, so you can save taxes by utilizing the housing allowance. In general the rules are as follows.
To have a housing allowance, you must have a resolution pre-authorizing the housing allowance. A pastor cannot designate his own housing…it must be done by either the church board or the church membership. The amount designated goes to pay all housing expenses: rent or house payment, utilities, taxes, insurance, repairs & maintenance, upkeep, association dues, furnishing & appliances (purchase or repair). Any expenditure that is for the upkeep of the house you live in is included in the housing allowance......
[ read more...]
Things to consider when planning church activities
People are very busy, don’t burden them with mere activities.
- Many full time church leaders do not understand the time constraints of the working saint and their family.
- Many homes are two income homes where families seldom have time for one another.
- God and church should be at the center of our lives, however church leadership needs to realize that people need a break once in a while as well.
-
We live in a different world than we did 30 years ago and the family unit is suffering as a result.
-
It would be a good exercise for church leadership to see how they can cut the church calendar 20% by removing unproductive activities.....
Things to consider when planning church activities
People are very busy, don’t burden them with mere activities.
- Many full time church leaders do not understand the time constraints of the working saint and their family.
- Many homes are two income homes where families seldom have time for one another.
- God and church should be at the center of our lives, however church leadership needs to realize that people need a break once in a while as well.
-
We live in a different world than we did 30 years ago and the family unit is suffering as a result.
-
It would be a good exercise for church leadership to see how they can cut the church calendar 20% by removing unproductive activities.....
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