I love History – especially stories that lie at the root of liberty.

October 31st, 2017 marks the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation.

I recently read an article (quoted below) and watched a video (above) about the people of Magdeburg and how they stood up against a tyrant and preserved Christian Liberty by preserving the Reformation.

I hope you find the video and/or the article linked below to be an encouragement and a blessing and a stirrer of hope!

If you are not familiar with the concept described as “The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrate” then perhaps this will serve as your introduction. 🙂

According to Pastor Matt Trewhella of Mercy Seat Christian Church:

If not for the interposition of the magistrates of Magdeburg, the Reformation may well have been just a blip on the radar screen of human history.

…

The [Magdeburg] Confession impacted other of the Reformers, including John Knox, Theodore Beza, Philipp Mornay, and Christopher Goodman who all wrote further on the doctrine. The repercussions of the Magdeburg Confession were felt throughout Western Civilization all the way to the founding of America as a nation.

Read More at Matt Trewhella’s Site

Video Problems? Watch On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZORfSLWNbs

Monday morning is coming. Live it for the King!

Your whole life is meant to glorify Him.

Even your work.

Take Dominion Today!

I have been all over the world, and I have often been the recipient of hospitality in my ministry travels. On more than one occasion I have been blown away by the generosity of others.

One of my passions is to spread the ideas of a Biblical Christian Worldview. As I have studied the Bible about this, I have been pleasantly surprised about how many real and practical things can be lived out in day to day life to see the Kingdom of God advanced in the earth!

One of those areas is hospitality!

You might not think you can do much to advance the gospel, but you never know how much is happening when you simply share your life, your home, and basic Christian hospitality with your neighbors.

You might desire to be a great evangelist. You want to see lives changed by the Love of God.

Start with a cup of cold water, a few minutes sitting in your living room over snacks with a neighbor, helping someone carry in their groceries.

A Christian Transformational Worldview starts with the little things!

My heart cry to God:

“Father, I need your heart for my neighbors! I need your heart to have a more open home and a more sharing heart!”

I was inspired to think about this today by this article at AmericanVision.org:

“What if I told you that Christian hospitality was a necessary key to reclaiming our culture for Christ? It may sound a bit extreme, but if you think about it for a minute it makes sense. Influence flows over time to those who serve. As Christians more effectively show hospitality by opening their lives to and serving others they will begin to affect their surrounding communities and culture at a very fundamental level.”  [Read More]

Ways Our Culture Sometimes Receives the Bible:

• Indifference
• Mockery and Scoffing
• Criticism
• Laziness

Let these wonderful Kimyal people show you the right way to receive the Bible:

This reminds me of when the people of Israel discovered the Book of the Law after their exile as told in the book of Nehemiah. (Nehemiah 8:1-12)

They started with weeping:

“…all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law…”

And ended with rejoicing:

“And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they had understood the words that were declared to them…”

Lord, let me be this hungry for Your Word!

As you contemplate Thanksgiving Season, consider being Thankful for the Bible, God’s Word Revealed To Us! He didn’t leave us in darkness, but gave us light.

I spent a number of years in the world of Short Term Mission Trips. I don’t regret it. We worked with a long term focus, and in spite of many “learning” moments I trust that the Kingdom of God was advanced in the earth.

But I did have the opportunity to observe many interesting things about how Americans tend to view “the lost” and “the poor” and “the needy” in the world.

I remember preaching the Gospel of Jesus in an Indian village. The temptation was there to see the beautiful people in that village as helpless lost people that needed me to bring Jesus and save them.

I chose a different path. I chose to see each person whose eyes met mine as a brother or sister human being, equal to me in every way. I was just a Messenger. A Servant. I am not the Savior.

We Americans sometimes like to be “missionary tourists.” We like to go out and save those poor wretches in the rest of the world.

This little rant was inspired in general by my life experience and in the moment by this article over at TheVeryWorstMissionary.com:

“I want to fill a rental van marked “Tourist” with unbelievably rich people and then I want to bring them to your middle-class neighborhood to take pictures of you and your kids and your house and your cars.”  [Read More]

Asking the question “should the church be ‘institutional’ or ‘organic’?” is like asking whether or not light is made up of particles or waves. Light has the properties of both particle and wave. So in one instance it may be more useful to study light as a photon moving through space, while in another instance it may be more useful to study it as a wave of energy.

It is the same with the idea of “church.” Some aspects of “church” seem organic and almost unstructured, while other aspects of church would be virtually impossible to achieve without administrating some kind of plan and organization!

There are at least two mistakes available to us as we build local church communities. On the one hand we can be so afraid of being “institutional” that we refuse to practically organize to achieve the duties and goals for which the local body is responsible. On the other hand, we can so desire order that we stamp out the dynamic and organic “alive and growing outside of precise human control” element of church life.

So the answer to the question “is church organic or is it institutional?” is “yes!” Church is an organic, dynamic, living institution!

Sometimes there seems to be a fear of being an “institution” because that word is associated with buildings or legal structures.

Websters 1828 Dictionary defines the word “institution” like this:

1. The act of establishing.
2. Establishment; that which is appointed, prescribed or founded by authority,and intended to be permanent. Thus we speak of the institutions of Moses or Lycurgus. We apply the word institution to laws, rites, and ceremonies, which are enjoined by authority as permanent rules of conduct or of government.
3. A system, plan or society established, either by law or by the authority of individuals for promoting any object, public or social. We call a college or an academy, a literary institution; a bible society, a benevolent or charitable institution; a banking company and an insurance company are commercial institutions.

The Local Church Body has been “instituted” or established by God. It has goals and purposes. It has traditions and methods appointed by God. It has a leadership. It has tasks to perform. It is alive, growing, and multiplying organically. The kind of leadership appointed by God is not top-down and controlling; but rather operates more like shepherds, farmers, trainers, and equippers.

The Local Church Body is an Organic Institution.

There are Elements of Equipping Leadership: Pastors and Teachers (Shepherds or Elders), Apostles (Foundation Layers, Traveling Builder-Uppers of the Church, Missionary Pioneers), Evangelists (Bringing in New Believers and Equipping the Body to do the same), Prophets (Bringing Words from the Lord in Season and Equipping the Body to do the same).

There are also Elements of Administrative Leadership: “Deacons.” Those who administer the distribution of aid to those in need who can not be cared for by their family. Financial administrators. Administrators of any of the common property of the Body. Administrators of Events or Activities. Organizers of Food. Etc.

If there is going to be any life to this “church” thing there will be things that need to be organized! If the organizers try to grab control rather than trying to guide the living flow then the organic life is at risk of being stamped out. If the life givers resist any attempt to order, plan, and strategize then the overall effectiveness of the body will be limited.

Order and Liberty, Power and Structure, Flow and Guidance, Participation and Leadership, Grass Roots Born and Spoken into being by Visionary Leadership.

All of these dynamics and orders can be seen in the Scriptures.

We need Power and Form. Spirit and Truth.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree? Disagree? Do you have anything to add to the discussion? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Consider this short video at WorldviewTruth.com: Don’t Look Down On the Poor

Gary Brumbelow responded to my comments at the Darrow Miller and Friends Blog here: http://darrowmillerandfriends.com/2012/05/10/does-dna-teach-the-prosperity-gospel/

Thanks for the thoughts Mr. Brumbelow!

Here are the comments I left in response to that article: