Stoned by Adrian Plass

If you want to laugh and think about God you must read Adrian Plass. If you want to find out more about him go to his website: http://www.adrianplass.com/
Here is one of his letters
Dear Pastor,
First of all, thank you for your wonderful talk on Sunday reminding us that the Old Testament is just as inspired and inerrant as the New. Later that morning I opened the Old Testament section of my Bible at random and was led to this passage from Deuteronomy.

If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard.” Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death.
Well! I was stunned! Those verses could have been written with my sixteen-year-old son Darren in mind. Darren never does what he is told and argues with everything I say. So, bearing in mind the guidance I received I am writing to ask if I could arrange for Darren to be stoned to death, preferably on a Tuesday or a Thursday, and if possible during the next fortnight, as I’m heavily committed in the following month.
Practical questions. Frattlington has no gate as such, but do you think the patch of waste ground between Tesco’s and the Esso garage might reasonably be regarded as a symbolic gateway to the town?
Then, concerning the stones themselves, I have done some pricing. Our local garden centre does offer quite nice bags of rocks at a reasonable price, but is a particular shape or size or colour more spiritually fitted to the purpose? I would value your guidance.
Also, are refreshments appropriate? If so, I am sure the ladies of the entertainment committee would be more than happy to arrange finger food and soft drinks.
Finally, it might be better not to actually tell Darren what we are planning until much nearer the date of the stoning. He can be very negative and uncooperative when it comes to church events. What do you think?
Yours in His Grip

So Beautiful – Leonard Sweet

This is a must read for all Churches that want to make a difference!

What is commonly known as DNA today was exclaimed as " . . . So pretty!" when it was discovered years ago, and over the course of his ministry, author Leonard Sweet has discovered that this divine design also informs God's blueprint for the church. In this seminal work, he shares the woven strands that form the church: missional, relational, and incarnational. Sweet declares that this secret is So Beautiful! Using the poignant life of John Newton as a touchstone, Sweet calls for the re-union of these three essential, complementary strands of the Christian life. Far from a novel idea, Sweet shows how this structure is God's original intent and shares the simply beautiful design for His church.

The Sacred Diary of Adrian Plass, Christian Speaker, Aged 45 3/4 by Adrian Plass

Plass has done it again! He takes the ordinary things we religious people do and puts them under the microscope of reality. As we see ourselves as we really are we have to laugh, cry and realize that Jesus really is nice and he likes us IN SPITE OF THE SILLY THINGS WE DO. This diary shows us a more mature, thoughtful diary writer than before. All the family and friends are there, and I had a definite feeling that my knowledge of them was growing deeper.

Don't be afraid to read this if you are a Christian. It doesn't make fun of Jesus, but of us. If think that this book is a must read for all theology students or any other person thinking about going into ministry. This is something that we are certainly deserving of, and Plass delivers a healthy dose of humourous-medicine that challenges our status quo and invites us to run giggling into the arms of the One who loves us so much He'd rather die than live without us!

Jesus Manifesto: Leonard Sweet & Frank Viola

First published on http://paul-barnard.blogspot.com/2010/06/jesus-manifesto-leonard-sweet-frank.html

This is one of the best books I have read in my life. Not because of all the new insights but because of the central truth. This is much more than a book but an outpouring of love for Jesus.
The truth is, I agree with perhaps 90% of the book–especially the central thrust–that Jesus Christ is a living and active presence here and now–and that we, by extension, are called to manifest Jesus' presence into the world. This idea might seem like a "no duh" to many Christians. However, as the authors point out, "the reality and experience of an indwelling Lord has been almost lost to the Christian faith."
Jesus Manifesto serves as a helpful reminder that Jesus isn't some long-dead sage who showed us a new way to live. Nor is he a theologically abstract principle or idea. One needn't look too long to see that most of Christianity assumes a sort of deadness to Christianity–that it is a religion of principles laid out by someone who is no longer present. This has certainly been my own experience of Christianity, for the most part.
Rather, Jesus dwells in us and, therefore, the important question isn't "What would Jesus do?" but "What is Christ doing through me…through us? And how is He doing it?"

There are huge implications to such a shift in our thinking. If being the embodiment to Christ to the world is much more than simply living out good principles, then all bets are off. Our faith becomes a terrifyingly beautiful journey with Christ in the world.
Since Christ's abiding presence in his Church is central to our life together, Frank and Len set out to challenge those things that set themselves as the engine for our faith…like conservative morality, church growth, miracles, movement-building, social justice, evangelism, leadership principles, prosperity, spiritual warfare, systematic theology, etc.

Christians have made the gospel about so many things—things other than Christ. Religious concepts, ideas, doctrines, strategies, methods, techniques, programs, and formulas have all eclipsed the beauty, the glory, and the reality of the Lord Jesus Himself. On the whole, the Christian family today is starved for a real experience of the living Christ. We know a lot about our Lord, but we don't know Him very well. We know a lot about trying to be like Jesus, but very little about living by His indwelling life. "Jesus Manifesto" presents a fresh unveiling of Jesus as not only Savior and Lord, but as so much more. It is a prophetic call to restore the supremacy and sovereignty of Christ in a world—and a church—that has lost sight of Him. Read this book and see your Lord like you've never seen Him before.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LEONARD SWEET occupies the Chair of Evangelism at Drew University in NJ and weekly contributes to sermons.com and a podcast, "Napkin Scribbles." He is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at George Fox University and has authored numerous articles, sermons, and forty books.
Len's Website: www.LeonardSweet.com
Len's Twitter: http://twitter.com/lensweet
FRANK VIOLA is a best-selling author, international conference speaker, and church planter. His books include Reimagining Church,The Untold Story of the New Testament Church,Pagan Christianity (with George Barna), Finding Organic Church, and the best-selling From Eternity to Here.
Frank's Website: www.FrankViola.com
Frank's Blog: www.frankviola.wordpress.com

The more you judge the less you love.

In the church today we talk far to much about what is right and what is wrong and not nearly enough about love, grace and mercy. We must be careful of what we say about others, especially is we take the moral high ground. Christianity does not allow moral high ground it urges us to confess our sins! Don’t live the lie. When we hide our sins we tend to point to other people’s weak points and declare Sinners.
In Galatians 6 we read:

Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. ² Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. ³ If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. ⁴ Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, ⁵ for each one should carry his own load. ⁶ Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. ⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.

We are only there to help restore the fallen brother and then gently! The major part of the teaching urges us to look at our own lives. To test our own actions WITHOUT comparing it to others. Is does not depend on how others treat me. My actions are born out of my relationship with Jesus Christ and is not a mere reaction.
When I live a life where I am pointing fingers to others even if they were pointing fingers to me first then I am missing the point. I can not judge other people I can only look at my own life. To live a life where you judge others while you are taking the moral high ground is to mock Christ Jesus according to this scripture.  When we live the lie we try to smear the character of those who point to our sins. We try to get people on our side by telling stories behind their backs.
We need confess our sins, we need to confess our weakness and we need to embrace the other sinners. We need to bring grace to those who judge us and mercy to those who confess their sins. But most of all we need to rejoice in the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.

The amazing Bar Church – By Breda Ludik

It is now just more than a month since I attended a most unusual evening worship service in Red Lodge, Montana.
The worship service took place around a campfire on the banks of Stone Brook on the property of Jim and Nancy Johnson, just outside town. Worship is led by Jim, a former pastor in the Lutheran Church of America turned bar owner. The people around the fire are bar people –the regulars from the Bull ’n Bear that Jim had run for fifteen years and sold a little less than two years ago. They are not church people. Almost to a man or woman they have never attended church before. Most of them have only recently started reading the Bible. The stories of the Bible are new to them. They do not know how to ‘behave’ in church, the way people who were born into church do. This is the birth of a church. Everything is fresh and new.

Church without an Edge!

Last night I couldn’t sleep. I sat up past the early morning hours I usually hit the sack. In my time with God I was extremely aware of the fact that we have become a ‘safe’ church. Safe not in a good sense, but in the sense that we are working on our structures every possible moment. We want to make sure we have everything under control! 
Al we talk about is structures, busy defining ourselves en redefining. The question is not what would Jesus do, rather the question is: What is Jesus doing? How much time would Jesus spend building Church structures, making sure everything is documented, clinical correct.

Lus vir ’n loopdop, dominee?

As julle kans kry kyk bietjie na hierdie artikel van Neels Jackson wat vanoggend in die Beeld verskyn het.

2010-06-07 22:38

Ds. Izak du Plessis sing tydens sy afskeidsboodskap: “There’s a lot of wrong directions on that lonely way back home.” Foto: Neels Jackson
Die kerk moet meer soos ’n kroeg word, meen ds. Izak du Plessis, wat pas as predikant bedank het.Neels Jackson het met hom gesels en na sy afskeidsboodskap in die NG gemeente Valleisig in Pretoria gaan luister.

From the diary of a bipolar person: Part 2

Bipolar disorder, better known in layman’s terms as manic depression, is regarded as one of the most under-diagnosed psychiatric illnesses of all time. Bipolar disorder accounts for the highest rate of successful suicides amongst psychiatric diagnosis. The sad misconception amongst the population is that all persons having a psychiatric disorder have the unfortunate disposition of a lower IQ, disorganised, low profile jobs, struggling to make ends meet. No wonder bipolar disorder has been misdiagnosed! This profile fits the same way a left shoe fits a right foot. Bipolar patients are usually of above average intelligence, often highly intelligent individuals occupying high profile jobs. Doctors, accountants, ministers, lawyers, etc. When the illness is controlled on medication, they are highly functional individuals in various spheres of their lives. The flipside of the coin is unfortunately also true. If uncontrolled, the patients are dysfunctional, disorganised and extremely difficult to manage and to live with.

From the diary of a bipolar person: Part 1

There once lived a man and a woman whose paths were destined to cross and lives would become entwined forever. They both emerged from the battlefield where the battle had been bloody and fierce. They had fought bravely till the bitter end. They were wounded and they would carry their scars for the rest of their earthly lives.
When she looked at him she saw the light of life radiant from his eyes. He seized life with outstretched arms and his passion and compassion for life touched the corners of her mouth, leaving them with a smile. A smile filled with love and compassion. He had an inner strength which made him a man amongst men. A man who was honest and true, strong and righteous. When she felt his arms around her and she could feel life throbbing in his chest, she felt safe and secure, loved by a man that filled her very heart.

Discipleship a choice?

Jeepers Creepers how could my understanding of discipleship be so screwed up? For years I grew up with the idea that discipleship was a choice. That I had to make a choice to disciple somebody. I had to identify the person I believe that God send on my way and then had the responsibility to guide this person on his or her way. I also had to decide on which material or program I was going to follow. This may be true in some minute way, but this is definitely not the New Testament idea of discipleship!
Discipleship is not a choice, each one of us IS a disciple. With our lives, actions and words we are discipling our Children, spouses, friends and people we meet. The only question that remain to be answered is who’s disciple did you choose to become? If you look at your kids or the people around you do they reflect Christ as seen in your life of do they reflect your life without Christ?