Are you radical or just impulsive?

Are you radical or just impulsive?

by Dale Coad

   We just celebrated a fantastic retreat with the theme, "Thriving in Change."   Our colleague and retreat speaker Don Exley focused on God's passionate love for us facilitating powerful encounters with Jesus.   Our extended communion service in the historic Wesleyan Chapel at Epworth was as intimate experience as I have ever had with Jesus.   Where do we go from here?

   With 20128 looming on the horizon, can we take those power encounters and incorporate radical new ideas that are pregnant with possibilities with any surety that we've heard from God?  Something may be crying out for change but is it God's mandate or our own discontentment?   How does a believer distinguish between a Divine mandate versus an impulsive need for self-validation masked by a false sense of Spiritually?

   At the retreat we establish clearly that Jesus must be at the very core of all of our changes for us to thrive.   As Colossians 1:15-17 MSG declares, 

"We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen.   We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created.   For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels--everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him."

   How often do we pursue a radical change in the culture of our field only to find out the change must first take place with us?   Some of our radical ideas will be become self-validating with time while others will serve only to reveal deep needs in our walk with Jesus.   The difference between being radical for Christ versus being impulsive to meet our own needs is revealed in our walk with Jesus.

   Are we authentic in our love for Jesus?

   Does his character shine through us in our relationships with others?

   Are we moved with compassion seeing the needs for others around us as Jesus was moved?  (Matthew 9:39)

   May we be radical for Jesus in 2018 for His sake and fully discover everything that He has purposed for us this year!

Caribbean Retreat on St. Simmons Island, Epworth Retreat Center (Click on link)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/pgwkc8uwglvwxiv/Caribbean%20Retreat%202017_11%20Worship%20in%20Historic%20Chapel.mov?dl=0

Caribbean Retreat Rope Course (Click on the four links below)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nahgxxmyadjvnue/Caribbean%20Retreat%202017_11%20Ropes%20course%20Video%201.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2qwllcfvdv87l7a/Caribbean%20Retreat%202017_11%20Ropes%20course%20video%203.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/am9bjgly6ar25ds/%21%20Caribbean%20Retreat%20ROPES%20Video%204.mov?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g87gdxrcu69c39x/%21%20Caribbean%20Retreat%20ROPES%20Video%202.mov?dl=0

God's Favorite Kid

God's Favorite Kid by David Speer

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children (Ephesians 5:1 ESV)

I grew up in a very loving home with parents who were pastors and grandparents on both sides that were church planters.   But somehow growing up, I only received that message of the first part of the verse above.   Be imitators of God.  It didn't take long to realize that I was not up to the task when I tried to live that out from the mud-puddle depth of my own efforts.   I was acting like I didn't have a Heavenly Father, essentially trying to "DIY" it (Do It Yourself).

Christians who live as spiritual orphans (those who "DIY" it) can only live out this verse in their own religious, legalistic effort.   Some of the symptoms that will be experienced by "DIY'ers" include fear, worry, doubt, burnout and feelings of insignificance, among others.   Thankfully God did not design us to live that way.

Recently I looked a little deeper into the word "beloved" or "dearly beloved," as some version say.  I discovered that in the Greek this word could also mean "favorite" (See Strong's g0027).   Have you ever thought of yourself as God's favorite kid?    Me neither!   But what would change in our outlook and daily walk with our Father if we did?

If we were to think of ourselves as God's favorite kid, it wouldn't take long to come to the realization that He is crazy about us and loves to care for us.  King David must have had a similar realization when he penned the words of Psalms 139:17 NLT 'How precious are your thoughts   about me, O God.   They cannot be numbered.' 

However, I think it's difficult for us to think along the same lines as David when we come face to face with the reality of our fallen nature, especially when combined with our American cultural tendency to "DIY" in everything.   But if we look a little earlier in Ephesians 2:8-10, God underscores the fact that we are not a "DIY" project!

What if we were to live from the wellspring of the revelation that we are God's favorite kid?   Fear would be replaced with faith.   Loneliness could be exchanged for His Presence.   Weariness would be traded for rest.   "Just another face in the crowd" would find itself "in Him."

Mourning could be turned into dancing.  Pain would be given purpose.   Doubt could be transformed into obedience.   You get the picture.   Every "promise in the book" takes on new meaning when you read it with a thorough understanding of what it means to be a "beloved" child of God!

Whatever the circumstances may be that you are facing, our prayer is that you would be encouraged and remember that as God's favorite kid, you never face it alone!