What I am Thinking About....
When Amber and I go out on dates, she usually asks me this simple question a few times during the evening: "So what have you been thinking about?" Usually I have a few things on the tip of my tongue that become conversation starters. Last night, since the focus of my mind was mostly what draft beer I would pick for dinner, it took me a few minutes to answer...
The most obvious things on my mind are what consumes most of my time right now: Family, work, a class I'm teaching for a few folks in the community on Biblical interpretation, a friend going through some very difficult times. Lack of time alone has really hurt my blogging capability the past few months. But in the midst of everything, there are some clear threads of God's action that have been occupying my thoughts.
First is the ministry of the Spirit. Healing, the prophetic, deliverance - the signs of the Kingdom present. There is nothing happening right now that I haven't seen before or even an unusual increase of God working in this manner. It just has been a regular topic of conversation and we have been having more opportunities for training / experimentation with others. I believe with all my heart that the signs of the Kingdom should not be for 'special Christians' (i.e. weird) or those that are who are supposedly able to turn their left brains off for a while. As an engineer, I'm as left-brained as they come and have never been accused of being one of those hyper-Spirit people. My attitude is that if you cut off yourself from what is available through the supernatural intervention of God, you are severely handicapped in dealing with the mess of your own life and helping others. The fact is, most people who for one reason or another struggle in this area just have never had a safe, low-pressure environment to ask questions and see thing modeled in an appropriate manner. What I've been thinking about is how I can help foster that environment and give people more 'wins' in relationship to the Spirit's ministry.
Second is networking and supporting fresh works of mission in our area. Recently I was praying and God gave me an image of Amber and I standing at the top of a cliff. We looked over the ledge and saw about 50 climbers slowly making their way up the rocky wall. We had nothing to help them get to the top, and they didn't know we were already there, so there was not much else to do than wait. I felt that God was showing me that the past seven years has been our time of climbing. Much of it was done alone or with only a few others and in some cases didn't even know why we were making the climb. Regardless, we've made it to the top of this particular cliff, and God is sending others. I think there will be an increase among our community here in Jupiter, The Well. But I do believe what God was showing me was broader than people we worship and live with. It has to do with a movement of people of no reputation. Those who simply want to get their hands dirty with Jesus. The other night, Amber and I met with two young women (via Shawn) who want to work with victims of sex trafficking. They are typical, evangelical Christians who just heard the call of God. We don't have much to offer them other than our support and companionship. But I think at this point, that's enough. What I've been thinking about is how Amber and I can support people like them follow their dreams and press into the heart of God.
Finally, I've been thinking about transformation - becoming more like Jesus. My friend T has gotten me thinking about AA, the 12 steps, and the Gospel all over again. (He's been blogging about this...check it out here, here, and here.) The sooner we come to terms with the fact that the world doesn't need just another cool church, but transformed people, the better off we'll be.
Well...my boy wants to play Lego Starwars. More later.
The most obvious things on my mind are what consumes most of my time right now: Family, work, a class I'm teaching for a few folks in the community on Biblical interpretation, a friend going through some very difficult times. Lack of time alone has really hurt my blogging capability the past few months. But in the midst of everything, there are some clear threads of God's action that have been occupying my thoughts.
First is the ministry of the Spirit. Healing, the prophetic, deliverance - the signs of the Kingdom present. There is nothing happening right now that I haven't seen before or even an unusual increase of God working in this manner. It just has been a regular topic of conversation and we have been having more opportunities for training / experimentation with others. I believe with all my heart that the signs of the Kingdom should not be for 'special Christians' (i.e. weird) or those that are who are supposedly able to turn their left brains off for a while. As an engineer, I'm as left-brained as they come and have never been accused of being one of those hyper-Spirit people. My attitude is that if you cut off yourself from what is available through the supernatural intervention of God, you are severely handicapped in dealing with the mess of your own life and helping others. The fact is, most people who for one reason or another struggle in this area just have never had a safe, low-pressure environment to ask questions and see thing modeled in an appropriate manner. What I've been thinking about is how I can help foster that environment and give people more 'wins' in relationship to the Spirit's ministry.
Second is networking and supporting fresh works of mission in our area. Recently I was praying and God gave me an image of Amber and I standing at the top of a cliff. We looked over the ledge and saw about 50 climbers slowly making their way up the rocky wall. We had nothing to help them get to the top, and they didn't know we were already there, so there was not much else to do than wait. I felt that God was showing me that the past seven years has been our time of climbing. Much of it was done alone or with only a few others and in some cases didn't even know why we were making the climb. Regardless, we've made it to the top of this particular cliff, and God is sending others. I think there will be an increase among our community here in Jupiter, The Well. But I do believe what God was showing me was broader than people we worship and live with. It has to do with a movement of people of no reputation. Those who simply want to get their hands dirty with Jesus. The other night, Amber and I met with two young women (via Shawn) who want to work with victims of sex trafficking. They are typical, evangelical Christians who just heard the call of God. We don't have much to offer them other than our support and companionship. But I think at this point, that's enough. What I've been thinking about is how Amber and I can support people like them follow their dreams and press into the heart of God.
Finally, I've been thinking about transformation - becoming more like Jesus. My friend T has gotten me thinking about AA, the 12 steps, and the Gospel all over again. (He's been blogging about this...check it out here, here, and here.) The sooner we come to terms with the fact that the world doesn't need just another cool church, but transformed people, the better off we'll be.
Well...my boy wants to play Lego Starwars. More later.
posted by Mike Bishop at 8:15 AM
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