This may be defined as a more personal post; maybe in the real-time sense of the joust in the journey, anyway.
As you may now be aware, if you have been working this platform as you know you should – After all, love does what is best – that I have announced plans to plant a church in 2019. By the grace of God. As long as He leaves the lights on.
Because I have lived-out the substance of my history – as you do – when I declare such potentially significant implications, I am reminded of this history; I am reminded how in my relative youth, it was too easy to declare the most darndest things. Subsequently, when conceiving these ways of God, it was too easy to manipulate the journey because of a sick belief in my own genius, which in real time then dominates the process.
Even still, there remains a not-so-fine-line between being aware of our proclivity and then playing dog-sniffing-Detective.
What counts, and so amounts, is really the follow-through. When Jesus healed the mute, I want to conceive how this can be existentially more than only those who couldn’t speak; into my today. Many times, when I thought the Lord was about to giveth, He taketh away. He gifted existential silence. I have learnt to speak more decisively after the fact as any future is entirely His prerogative. It is too easy to presume the end of a journey like we know the best outcome, which results in taking the reins in real-time, as we get situationally lost.
Very recently, as in the past less-than-a-week, we have added the first family to what amounts as the core team. Woopee. This should prove a big deal, but still, too often I find myself fumbling in doubt. We really need God. Get how comprehensive that is in application.
And this family should become very core like an Apple. Maybe more like a corpse; as in that death-to-life Philosophy beginning, of course. I will share more at the right time. But, as I have begun to become more generally intentional in publicising, I have noted some disturbance begin-to-form within. Calvin affirms two most important realities in life amount to knowledge of God and knowledge of ourselves. The more I grey, the more I become attuned and aware when the working inside becomes broke; even if I don’t always have the cash to suffice in real-time.
I am reminded that just because something is right, this will not always mean every step I take amounts to this same locational presumption. This encourages humility and dependence. As Paul would affirm to the church in Galatia, you can totally mess up the process in the most important story (Galatians 3:3).
God doesn’t want us to presume on His sovereign purpose; when this presumption blocks the vine and branches type of every-moment-supply-demand, away from His abundance. When this happens, you know there is another not-so-fine line with a whole big deal of difference in your lifestyle. The apart-from-me-you-can-do-nothing must be conceived in more than just the main conceptual headings in our living, becoming more like a moment-by-moment realised substantiation through our engagement. This may outwork like the prayer without ceasing. Too often we robotically intuit in the wrong direction. There must be a way of practical translation.
I can see how I have too easily assumed how this plant will take shape. Of course, as time demands greater shape, this will become so. But today, it is a reminder that we plant, we water, but only God will make this grow. It is too easy to confess these words, but deep down already live like we have got this sorted. I know who will be part of the plant, and then live like this is now my prerogative. The result is that I implicitly bring God down to my level. Or worse, I functionally make myself the authority figure.
I need to refrain from assuming, then prizing, and presuming. The only way I will last this journey is to trust His Manna for the day. Continue to be faithful in the message. And rest in Him that He will do more than my simple math can attain. This has already happened with the first family in this core group. I could not have concocted the route to this destination if I have tried my best. It was beyond. Don’t construe this in any way as a statement against the making of plans requirement. But that even, in our best plans of mice and men, the exact shape and fruitfulness is beyond our imperfection to calculate. And if we begin to consider these ends, we can make these our focus, and can lose perspective in this process.
This is an indication how easy, especially in things we most prize, to begin to wrap our grip around their object. We can appropriately without the cheese – Let Go and Let God – because our identity is not at stake. If not even ten become part of what God will do, let me rest according to the counsel of His will. It is too easy for an identity-enabling-means to be the sin-under-the-sin in our ministry for the Lord!
For the Lord!!!
I don’t even think this always-happens at the propositionally-cognisant-level. We become well-intentioned, but then just-as-quickly place our trust in the physical solutions, instead of the God who will with perfect discretion, decide the applicability of each of these.
He is the Vine. We are the Branches. We stay connected to the Source.
May we each more viably and vitally live out of this already completed identity in Christ, as we serve at His beck, calling, and ultimately, fruitfulness.
Soli Deo Gloria.
It is really the only way to sustain this through the fight of life.
For the Fame of His Name