- To reestablish right lines of government and order in the state.
- To unlock the pioneer spirit of the Northwest: we visited areas where the origins of the spiritual life of the Northwest were forged, where commerce was born, and the birthplace of the significant cities of the Northwest region.
- To awaken the right spiritual atmosphere over the Northwest.
Tag Archives: 2015
Northwest Prayer Assignment, 2015
- To reestablish right lines of government and order in the state.
- To unlock the pioneer spirit of the Northwest: we visited areas where the origins of the spiritual life of the Northwest were forged, where commerce was born, and the birthplace of the significant cities of the Northwest region.
- To awaken the right spiritual atmosphere over the Northwest.
Monday, April 27, a team of 14 seasoned intercessors gathered in
One group went to the
Then a team of 9 women met on the Interstate 90 bridge. This is the only highway that stretches from the west coast to the east coast, so it is a significant roadway. We prayed for God’s glory to go from
Northwest Prayer Assignment, 2015
- To reestablish right lines of government and order in the state.
- To unlock the pioneer spirit of the Northwest: we visited areas where the origins of the spiritual life of the Northwest were forged, where commerce was born, and the birthplace of the significant cities of the Northwest region.
- To awaken the right spiritual atmosphere over the Northwest.
Maximize Your Strengths
There's a line of thinking in the western education system that has also influenced the western church that says if we're not good at something (say, math), then we need to develop our skills at math until it's one of our strengths, which necessarily means we don't work at our developing the areas that are already our strengths (say, writing), so they don't develop so much.
We tend to think that it’s best to be a pastor or a teacher, because that’s what we see modeled. But if that isn’t you, then you have a choice: either try to fake it, or be who you really are, even if it’s something that isn’t as well recognized.
Exercise your strengths. |
That’s pretty ridiculous, isn’t it?
What took the Seahawks to the Superbowl twice recently was each member recognizing that they have a gift that is different that others' gifts, and each member developing their strength, and trusting others' strengths in places where they are not strong.
You've seen how Marshawn treasures his offensive linemen? He buys them gifts, sometimes expensive gifts, because they do very well what he cannot, and it makes the way for him to do (very well!) what they cannot.
Yeah, that's how it works. We don’t ignore the gifts we don’t have, but neither do we focus on them. It’s absolute foolishness to ignore the gift that God has given us in order to develop what someone thinks is a more important gift.
Don't be a copycat. It never works, anyway. |
I’ve got more important things to do than prepare for Heaven’s bonfire. So do you.
Use the gifts God has given you, even if you don’t know another soul with those gifts. Be you! God doesn’t need copycats.
Maximize Your Strengths
We all have strengths. It’s more effective to make maximum use of our strengths rather than trying to turn weakness into strength.
There’s a line of thinking in the western education system that has also influenced the western church that says if we’re not good at something (say, math), then we need to develop our skills at math until it’s one of our strengths, which necessarily means we don’t work at our developing the areas that are already our strengths (say, writing), so they don’t develop so much.
We tend to think that it’s best to be a pastor or a teacher, because that’s what we see modeled. But if that isn’t you, then you have a choice: either try to fake it, or be who you really are, even if it’s something that isn’t as well recognized.
Exercise your strengths. |
Consider the Seattle Seahawks. Applying that line thinking would teach us that quarterback Russell Wilson needs to learn how to block a blitz from 275 pound linebackers, that defensive corner Richard Sherman needs to learn to learn how to function as a quietly confident offensive lineman, or that “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch, the best running back in the league, needs to develop his public media and publicity skills, and stop focusing so much on running the football.
That’s pretty ridiculous, isn’t it?
What took the Seahawks to the Superbowl twice recently was each member recognizing that they have a gift that is different that others’ gifts, and each member developing their strength, and trusting others’ strengths in places where they are not strong.
You’ve seen how Marshawn treasures his offensive linemen? He buys them gifts, sometimes expensive gifts, because they do very well what he cannot, and it makes the way for him to do (very well!) what they cannot.
Yeah, that’s how it works. We don’t ignore the gifts we don’t have, but neither do we focus on them. It’s absolute foolishness to ignore the gift that God has given us in order to develop what someone thinks is a more important gift.
Don’t be a copycat. It never works, anyway. |
If the gift is from Holy Spirit, it’s as valuable as He is (that’s kind of a big deal). If the gift is from skill or practice or sheer determination, instead of from the Holy Spirit, then it qualifies as “wood, hay or stubble,” and it will make a nice bonfire in the day or reckoning.
I’ve got more important things to do than prepare for Heaven’s bonfire. So do you.
Use the gifts God has given you, even if you don’t know another soul with those gifts. Be you! God doesn’t need copycats.
Maximize Your Strengths
There's a line of thinking in the western education system that has also influenced the western church that says if we're not good at something (say, math), then we need to develop our skills at math until it's one of our strengths, which necessarily means we don't work at our developing the areas that are already our strengths (say, writing), so they don't develop so much.
We tend to think that it’s best to be a pastor or a teacher, because that’s what we see modeled. But if that isn’t you, then you have a choice: either try to fake it, or be who you really are, even if it’s something that isn’t as well recognized.
Exercise your strengths. |
That’s pretty ridiculous, isn’t it?
What took the Seahawks to the Superbowl twice recently was each member recognizing that they have a gift that is different that others' gifts, and each member developing their strength, and trusting others' strengths in places where they are not strong.
You've seen how Marshawn treasures his offensive linemen? He buys them gifts, sometimes expensive gifts, because they do very well what he cannot, and it makes the way for him to do (very well!) what they cannot.
Yeah, that's how it works. We don’t ignore the gifts we don’t have, but neither do we focus on them. It’s absolute foolishness to ignore the gift that God has given us in order to develop what someone thinks is a more important gift.
Don't be a copycat. It never works, anyway. |
I’ve got more important things to do than prepare for Heaven’s bonfire. So do you.
Use the gifts God has given you, even if you don’t know another soul with those gifts. Be you! God doesn’t need copycats.
Insight About Heaven’s Resources
Let’s take up the assignment, the dreams he’s laid before us, shall we? For we do not work alone.
Insight About Heaven’s Resources
Insight About Heaven’s Resources
Let’s take up the assignment, the dreams he’s laid before us, shall we? For we do not work alone.
Remembering the Great Commission
We're called to introduce people to Jesus, but sometimes it seems that sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we end up introducing them to our club, to churchianity. To religion. Ewww.
They're looking for real relationship, and Jesus offering real relationship, but we're offering membership in a Sunday Morning Club complete with its own foreign language and foreign culture. "Bring your friends to church!" we are exhorted, forgetting the "Go" of the Great Commission.
Coming to faith does NOT require leaving your culture, leaving your language, leaving your community, leaving your music behind. (Yes, it does involve leaving your slavery behind.) For example, there's no need for a pipe organ or Taylor acoustic guiter in a tribal church in order for their gathering to be legit. They worship with drums; you don't have to!
Here's a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that's acceptable - or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.
I even know of a church that worshiped with (shudder!) country music! They would line dance in church! What?!? (And they shared the building with a church that worshiped with grunge rock music! What's up with that?)
I get it that some folks often can't go back to the culture that enslaved them for years, but let's distinguish between the slavery that held us captive and the preference of music the enslavers enjoyed while they practiced their torture upon our souls.
And since music reaches people, the Great commission applies to music: GO TO THEM. Do NOT expect them to come to you. So bring the gospel to their music; not Gospel music, but the "Good News" of the Kingdom: that belongs in THEIR music, too. There's no need for them to leave their love for Italian operas behind in order to meet Jesus.
Our commission is to go to them, and to bring the good news of the Kingdom to them.
Our job is NOT to bring them to our culture, our little club.
When we disciple folks, we are to make them followers of Jesus, not into MiniMe's.
Remembering the Great Commission
We’ve misinterpreted the Great Commission, I think.
We’re called to introduce people to Jesus, but sometimes it seems that sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we end up introducing them to our club, to churchianity. To religion. Ewww.
They’re looking for real relationship, and Jesus offering real relationship, but we’re offering membership in a Sunday Morning Club complete with its own foreign language and foreign culture. “Bring your friends to church!” we are exhorted, forgetting the “Go” of the Great Commission.
Coming to faith does NOT require leaving your culture, leaving your language, leaving your community, leaving your music behind. (Yes, it does involve leaving your slavery behind.) For example, there’s no need for a pipe organ or Taylor acoustic guiter in a tribal church in order for their gathering to be legit. They worship with drums; you don’t have to!
Here’s a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that’s acceptable – or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.
I even know of a church that worshiped with (shudder!) country music! They would line dance in church! What?!? (And they shared the building with a church that worshiped with grunge rock music! What’s up with that?)
I get it that some folks often can’t go back to the culture that enslaved them for years, but let’s distinguish between the slavery that held us captive and the preference of music the enslavers enjoyed while they practiced their torture upon our souls.
And since music reaches people, the Great commission applies to music: GO TO THEM. Do NOT expect them to come to you. So bring the gospel to their music; not Gospel music, but the “Good News” of the Kingdom: that belongs in THEIR music, too. There’s no need for them to leave their love for Italian operas behind in order to meet Jesus.
Our commission is to go to them, and to bring the good news of the Kingdom to them.
Our job is NOT to bring them to our culture, our little club.
When we disciple folks, we are to make them followers of Jesus, not into MiniMe’s.
Remembering the Great Commission
We're called to introduce people to Jesus, but sometimes it seems that sometimes we forget. Sometimes, we end up introducing them to our club, to churchianity. To religion. Ewww.
They're looking for real relationship, and Jesus offering real relationship, but we're offering membership in a Sunday Morning Club complete with its own foreign language and foreign culture. "Bring your friends to church!" we are exhorted, forgetting the "Go" of the Great Commission.
Coming to faith does NOT require leaving your culture, leaving your language, leaving your community, leaving your music behind. (Yes, it does involve leaving your slavery behind.) For example, there's no need for a pipe organ or Taylor acoustic guiter in a tribal church in order for their gathering to be legit. They worship with drums; you don't have to!
Here's a radical thought: Christian pop music is by NO means the only music that's acceptable - or desirable. Some believers like barbershop quartets! Others touch God in metal music or Dixieland or Baroque or dance music.
I even know of a church that worshiped with (shudder!) country music! They would line dance in church! What?!? (And they shared the building with a church that worshiped with grunge rock music! What's up with that?)
I get it that some folks often can't go back to the culture that enslaved them for years, but let's distinguish between the slavery that held us captive and the preference of music the enslavers enjoyed while they practiced their torture upon our souls.
And since music reaches people, the Great commission applies to music: GO TO THEM. Do NOT expect them to come to you. So bring the gospel to their music; not Gospel music, but the "Good News" of the Kingdom: that belongs in THEIR music, too. There's no need for them to leave their love for Italian operas behind in order to meet Jesus.
Our commission is to go to them, and to bring the good news of the Kingdom to them.
Our job is NOT to bring them to our culture, our little club.
When we disciple folks, we are to make them followers of Jesus, not into MiniMe's.
Insight from Gandalf the White
Insight from Gandalf the White