posted Feb 1, 2011 4:41 PM by Lori McKinney
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updated Feb 1, 2011 4:43 PM
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So often I have to remind myself of a couple of scriptures when it comes to the lack of interest in serving the church. I was a member of a pretty big church for 7 years and I remember how it seemed like the same few people did all the “work”. Same people interceding, same people serving communion, so on and so forth. AND, well serving His church also includes reaching out and including the broken-hearted, the lost, the lonely…the “least of these”.
2And he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3Go your way; behold, I am sending you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. –Luke 10:2-3(ESV)
Graham Cooke often says his ministry is “reaching Christians for Christ”…and, while I laugh at that statement (because it’s funny), I also ache inside a little because so often that is the case! We as Christians just sometimes don’t GET IT!!! We are SO COMFORTABLE in America that if reaching out and including people doesn’t fit into our schedules, life-style or clique…well, we are just not going to do it! It seems to me that Jesus’ ministry was primarily filled with finding…even going out of His way (Woman at the well) to reach the fatherless, the rejected, the needy…which can be any of us…anyone that is HONEST with their brokenness!
It’s hard to be honest about brokenness, but sometimes, when we are, we realize we are not alone…ALL of us are broken! And, the interesting thing to me is the way God reveals this is often through those in our community in which we least expect it!
“Community is the place where the person you least want to live with, always lives!”-Henri Nouwen
"In the unity of the Body of Christ, differences of race, status & gender lose their significance."
-John Mark Pool
So, I tried another big church for awhile and well, I wonder why this was the same case with a "few workers"!? Hmmm…can Satan have us so deceived that we don’t follow our mission? Do we need to have a “come to Jesus meeting” with each other? OR, do we need to pray that we would LIVE the mission and connect with each other? Well, YES, PRAYER is the obvious choice, but I believe we also need to just realize that maybe FEW will truly reach the harvest?! Few because I believe the choice to serve like Jesus wants us to also is HARD and well, NARROW! Few actually choose to connect with those in their community and serve.
13"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few. –Matthew 7:13-14(ESV)
The narrow gate is hard because it often is the uncomfortable route for most of us. It includes obedience, discipline, suffering, pain and SURRENDERING! Surrendering our lives daily to God’s will! Just this past week, my 12 step group went through the Surrender Step. It is Step 3 from Kathy Escobar’s “The 12 Steps. Refuge Style. Transformation. Healing. Change.” Step 3 in her steps is: “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.”
I have to admit…a VERY hard step for me! Probably because it IS including the narrow way! But, WHY is it that I want the wide gate? This gate leads to destruction? Probably because I believe the wide gate IS the best and may be “easy” in the short-term, but then, eventually leads to my harm. So, right now, the choice again is PRAYER! Prayer that I would have the COURAGE to enter that narrow gate, surrender and serve those Christ wants me to serve!
Again, I would like to share a poem God gave me as I processed this Surrender Step…
Heartbeat of God
Laying my head
Upon Your chest
Your pulse I hear
As I rest.
You gently say,
“I am here.”
“No more worry,
No more fear!”
Heartbeat of God
Beat with mine
Restore my soul
Take my life.
In Your Comfort
I am still
Beside Your stream
In Your Will.
Walking in peace
Guide my step
Your rhythm leads
Right or left.
Heartbeat of God
Beat with Mine
Restore my soul
Take my life.
-Tammy Carter
So, as His Beloved, I pray we would be part of the few to reach the harvest, enter the narrow gate...AND surrender to Him! Surrender because I believe He will restore our souls giving us rest, peace, trust, faith and HOPE! |
posted Jul 23, 2010 2:56 PM by Lori McKinney
A friend of mine suggests you sit down and make a list of all the things in your life that aren’t working. It should be pretty easy, the enemy taunts you with them all the time. Then make a second list of everything God wants to do in your life instead (look at Is 61 for examples). Burn the first list and pray the second one.
I would like to suggest we do that with our country.
I get an amazing number of forwarded emails about what is wrong with our economy, our president, our morals, our treatment of Israel, etc., etc. The emails usually encourage me to forward the email to everyone else who cares about our country. I’m not interested in forwarding any more curses over the internet. I suggest we make an “instead” list for what God would like to do with this country and forward that instead. (I’m not saying ignore the problem, I’m saying speak into the solution instead of the problem.)
Just a thought. And you have my permission to forward it.
Lori |
posted Apr 21, 2010 1:16 PM by Lori McKinney
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When we share our stories, or testimonies, it provides an open door for God to "do it again." The Israelites were instructed to pass down the stories of what God had done for them to their children and their children's children. Today, stories of what God is still doing builds faith in others. As you share your story, it gives credit to God for his wonderful works, his kind nature and it encourages others to trust him as well. We look forward to hearing the good news of what God is doing now - with you, today, this week. |
posted Jul 23, 2009 4:39 PM by Lori McKinney
How
good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity (Ps 133:1).
Unity is not just everyone being in one place at one time. Nor is it just
everyone doing the same thing. It is a family
mindset. We care about each other because we are family. We
are also a body. One Body submitted to one Head. It is what Jesus
prayed for in John 17 when he asked that we would be one, even as he and the
Father are one. We had a great time getting together with other
networkers this past Monday and we will have some other city-wide events coming
up where lots of followers of Jesus will gather together. But the
underlying heart that we want to see is that we would be one.
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posted Jul 6, 2009 6:24 PM by Lori McKinney
In the last few months the Lord has been encouraging me to
extend beyond the usual stand firm against the enemy. As I am
standing firm in the warfare I am in, I am beginning to release
thanksgiving for all that the Lord has done for me and according to the
word. It is what David did in 1 Chronicles 16:7-36. For me it settles the
question of the victory and the purpose of the standing firm. The enemy is
defeated.
In Romans 16:19-20 Paul says “For your obedience has become known to all. Therefore I am glad on your behalf; but I want you to be wise in what is good, and simple concerning evil. And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”
Hold the enemy under your feet and proclaim the word of God, blessings, and hope over the situation. The Lord, Mighty in battle will contend with us.
by Donna Young |
posted Jul 1, 2009 7:11 AM by Lori McKinney
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updated Apr 21, 2010 1:14 PM
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One of my spiritual gifts is noticing where the “gaps” are. For years I approached this from a negative mindset. I complained about what was wrong, what was missing, what needed to be upgraded. It got bad enough that I brought it to the Lord and asked him to help me stop being so critical. He told me “I’m showing you where the gaps are so you can do something about it.”
Have you ever considered that if you notice a problem, you should rejoice? Rejoice that you are sensitive enough to see the problem. Rejoice that God is giving you an opportunity to be part of the solution. Move in the opposite spirit. Instead of confessing and confirming the problem, ask the Holy Spirit what He would like to see happen and participate with Him in that.
As intercessors, we are supposed to stand in those gaps. To stand in them, you are going to have to see them. The question is, are you going to agree with the gaps or agree with the solution?
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posted Apr 26, 2009 7:41 PM by Lori McKinney
I’m starting to realize that a lot of Christians, even
leaders (maybe especially leaders) have low self esteem. Consequently we are
always trying to prove ourselves. It may be through performance and doing good
works. Whoever has the most things going on must be doing the most for the
Lord. Or it may be titles and accolades.
Having the right title must surely win you the approval of others. Being important must be important. Having the
latest word or teaching puts you “in the know.” The unfortunate outcome is
busyness, weariness, pride and myopia.
The sadly ironic thing is that we are known in heaven by a
vastly different metric than we are on earth. If each of us knew our calling
and really believed it, the unworthiness issue would not be an issue. The subtle
lies of the enemy would not work on us. We would rise up to who we really are
in Christ. The different parts of the orchestra would work in concert with each
other. The bright notes and the undertones would all be played to make a
masterful whole.
So here’s the challenge.
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you who you are in Christ. How does that fit into the bigger picture?
How does what you’re doing augment what the whole Body is doing? Next, think of
someone else you know (especially if they drive you nuts). Go through the same thought
process for them. Maybe event jot it down
and mail them a note of encouragement.
We are all in this together.
for His glory, Lori
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