You See Bones, I See an Army (cont,)

Continuing with Floyd McClung's book, this section titled Strong but Weak.

Being courageous is about believing God for what he puts in your heart to do for him, and then doing it.  It doesn't mean you have it all together, or that you always have faith to move mountains, but it does mean stepping out in faith to obey the next thing God tells you to do, whether you're twenty years old and have been walking with God just a few years or you have known Christ for decades.  One of the problems with not seeing ourselves as courageous is that we don't take up the challenges God has for us.

I have discovered that God is more concerned about my passion than my ministry.  I have learned that if I keep my heart on fire for him, he will take care of my ministry.

I have learned that these times are arranged by God for us to seek him.  It's his way of putting desperation in our hearts for him, to prepare us for the fresh word he wants to give us.  These types of experiences usually precede a major decision in our lives.  As I said, it's God's way of preparing us, of stirring our hearts to be alone with him so we can hear his voice.

Courageous Leaders Mobilize Courageous People

When you inspire your friends and people around you to obey the commands of Jesus and model obedience to Jesus yourself, you are courageous.  When you go one step further and intentionally invest in the lives of those you are discipling to obey the Great commission, you are equipping them for courageous ministry.  The word equip is used by Paul in Ephesians 4:12.  It was originally a medical term used to describe what happens when a broken limb is mended and set straight.  To equip someone is to mend what is broken in his life so he can go all out for Jesus.

We join his mission by living a lifestyle of personal evangelism, prayer, and disciple-making, and by inviting others to do the same.  Reaching out to the unchurched and poor of the earth is central to God's purpose for the church and for each of our lives.  When Jesus was crucified, he was led outside the gates of Jerusalem.  Apostolic people follow Jesus' example and go outside the gates.  We go where we are not comfortable.  We take risks.  We get away from comfortable and familiar church life and get among the people.

I really like the definition of the word equip used above.  It is funny that for many of the people in our church (me included), there have been deep spiritual hurts in their lives.  God has led them to our church to mend, get rid of misconceptions, and be set straight to follow Jesus with their whole hearts.  God even brought a couple one week who had been spiritually hurt, and after Greg listened to their story and prayed with them, sent them back to their church to work out the problem with those who had hurt them. 

Ephesians 4:12 was the scripture that God used to name our church EQUIP.  I was reading a church planting book I had picked up and read this scripture in it.  My eyes kept going back to the word equip, as though I hadn't read it or comprehended it.  Finally I got God's point, that was what He wanted us to name our church.  Bringing the word to Greg was interesting.  Greg didn't immediately latch on to it.  But being the Godly man he is, he prayed, saying, "God, if this is the name you want for our church, because it is so unique, you've got to show me why.  You've got to give me a reason, some proof, this is of you."  Sure enough, God showed him within a day the acronym that would be our vision:  "Everyone Qualified, Unified, Ignited in Purpose."  It is this acronym that encompasses our values and purposes.  Pretty cool. 

We went over our vision and values last Sunday.  This Sunday we're having one of our elders come and talk about outreach.  If you're interested in checking us out, our times and location are on our website at http://www.equipchurch.org/.

Have a blessed overcast once again, Friday.