Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Faith is spelled: "R - I - S - K" (John Wimber)

We have now lived in Kansas City for 15 months. This has truly been a life changing experience for our whole family. We've learned so much about ourselves and our God. First, He loves it when we have no where else to turn but Him. I am in a place of ministry in which nothing that I have done to date fully prepares me for what is ahead. My file of good sermons is useless here. My experience in pastoring and preaching in "church as we have known it" doesn't earn much interest here. My ability to provide for my family has been stripped away. We must trust in God and be dependent on the loving support of others.
So much of what I used to take pride in has vanished. In its place are oodles of opportunities to risk in ministry. That translates into the rush of pioneering adventure and the panic of perceived failure. We are in the process of brainstorming about a new school that will launch in August of 2008: The Apostolic Missions School.
We are believing that God will bring to us hundreds of young people that have heard the Lord invite them to plant a House of Prayer, a church or a compassion based ministry. This school will focus on students who have graduated from our program or have had similar education or life experience. We look forward to investing into these proven leaders and then sending them to the ends of the earth to see the exploits of God in the last days.


Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Niagara in a Teacup


"I could more easily contain Niagara Falls in a teacup than I can comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God." Brennan Manning


There is a spiritual experience that you can apprehend even if you cannot comprehend it. In Ephesians 3, Paul reminds us that the love of God "surpasses our knowledge."
Apprehending this love of God involves risk. . .the risk of getting involved with a supernatural power that is beyond your control and understanding. The risk of being known, and even worse, knowing that you are known.
You have the option to only experience love that you can comprehend. But you will only go as far with God as YOU can go.
I'll choose something else. I want to go as far in the love as God as HE can go. I'm learning that it is worth the risk.