WILL WE EVER LEARN?

PROVERBS SAYS - Proverbs 17:28 (NAS) Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise; When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

These are very wise words to live by. In the world of Facebook so many people simply can not resist that wickedly tempting comment box. I can't imagine how many relationships have been broken, how many jobs have been lost and how many fools have been found out, all because people can't help but spew their hateful putrescence all over the world wide web.

I adopted a pretty serious self imposed rule when I was pastoring that I have found to be a life saver. It's simple, don't create conflict with anyone on social media. When I do have the very rare "conversation" that has enormous potential to "Break Bad", I either take it to email and a private conversation or I pick up the phone.

Relationships are bridge building endeavors that take time and patience, thinking you are going to change someones political or religious position with a Theologically incorrect or chastising FB post is foolishness.

So I've been watching FB and every other social and political media I can keep up with as a few very volatile issues have been brewing and boiling over in a pretty ugly way. It is painful to watch as men and women sitting in pulpits and broadcasts around the USA have been attacking the Homosexual community and our country's Supreme Courts Ruling on Same Sex Marriage. As I've watched this all unfold, it feels so familiar and I have to ask myself   are we missing something big here? 

First, it is worth noting as a matter of fact, the Supreme Court makes ruling on matters of the Constitution and the Law, it's interpretation, the intent of the original author and modern "conflicts". The Supreme Court does not evaluate Holy Scripture.

Is it our job and duty as Christians to point out others sins? Have we become so dependent upon our country (USA) making choices for us, have we forgotten that it is God that we are called to put our trust  and faith in? What is the Great Commission and is the modern church doing it's job as described in Acts? 

So many questions, so much hate and finger pointing. I have been drawn to two storys in the Bible that have great truth and importance in regard to how we (as spirit filled Christians) are to treat others. In the Book of John, chapter 4 you can find this account of Jesus and his encounter with a Samaritan Woman. You need to really understand the powerful and significant importance of Jesus, a Rabbi, a Man, A Jew, Speaking to A Samaritan Woman. This is not an acceptable "meet up". I'm posting the entire text below, take a minute and read through it when you get a minute. Let it sink in a little. The second is the story of the Harlot being dragged out to be stoned but they bring her to Jesus and ask him to Judge and sentence her. Jesus' reaction is not what they expected.....put down your filthy stones.

Here is the hard and ugly truth that, it appears the Christian community seems to be completely freaked out about. If Jesus physically walked the earth today, He would be engaging the Gay community, He would be sitting down to dinner with them, He would be a guest at their weddings, He would do business with them, When a Gay couple walked into His carpentry shop He would take the order and make the Headboard and footboard for their bed. He would build a relationship with them, not because He supported their life choices but because He loves them. He would not do it to be the "cool, hip" Messiah friend but because his love for people compels him to reach out to everyone and He needs to build a relationship that affords him the ability to speak into their world. 

You will never gain anyones trust while you point a loaded gun in their face and demand that they comply with your demands. (by the way, that goes both ways)

For anyone who has read the Bible, particularly the Gospel's of Matthew, Mark, Luke and most Especially John, it seems quite clear what the overwhelming message that Jesus is communicating to us, to all of us, even those who don't know Him yet is, "I (Jesus, God the Father and The Holy Spirit) Love you! Even before you knew me, I loved you, before time existed, I loved you. When you rise and when you fall, I love you. When you are a mess in a puddle of sin, I Love You! When you worship me and when you run away from me, I love you!" The Gospels are a map of sorts to decoding the great mysteries of God's (The Father) heart and will for mankind.

If we (Christians) fail to live our lives reaching out to the lost and sin-filled world with a compassionate and grace filled heart, without a sober awareness of our own condition, then all of our "good works" and "tithes and offerings" are of absolutely no use or value to God or anyone else. 

We are no longer building alters for our living sacrifices to God. We are building egotistical monuments, massive religious museums, void of the power and the presence of God. We are living in a time when everything comes before obedience and submission to our Lord, yet we still look out at the "World" through our blood stained glass windows and point our disapproving fingers at everyone else's sin and faults.

God plan and purpose for his church and His people is so much bigger and better then we have displayed recently.

I'll finish with this scripture and simply mention as a point of context, this is being spoken to believers not the heathen.

2 Chronicles 7:14New International Version (NIV)

14 if my people, who are called by my name,(A) will humble(B) themselves and pray and seek my face(C) and turn(D) from their wicked ways, then I will hear(E) from heaven, and I will forgive(F) their sin and will heal(G) their land.

Below is the story I mentioned above.....the Woman at the well.

John 4,1Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John(A)— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea(B) and went back once more to Galilee.

4 Now he had to go through Samaria.(C) 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.(D) 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon.

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?”(E) 8 (His disciples had gone into the town(F) to buy food.)

9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan(G) woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.[a])

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.”(H)

11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well(I)and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?”

13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst.(J) Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water(K) welling up to eternal life.”(L)

15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty(M) and have to keep coming here to draw water.”

16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.”

17 “I have no husband,” she replied.

Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet.(N) 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain,(O) but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.”(P)

21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming(Q) when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.(R) 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know;(S) we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews.(T) 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come(U) when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit(V) and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit,(W)and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ)(X) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”

26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”(Y)

The Disciples Rejoin Jesus

27 Just then his disciples returned(Z) and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?”

28 Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.(AA) Could this be the Messiah?”(AB)30 They came out of the town and made their way toward him.

31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi,(AC) eat something.”

32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat(AD) that you know nothing about.”

33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will(AE) of him who sent me and to finish his work.(AF)35 Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.(AG) 36 Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests(AH) a crop for eternal life,(AI) so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’(AJ) is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Many Samaritans Believe

39 Many of the Samaritans from that town(AK) believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.”(AL) 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.

42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”(AM)

Thank you,

Stephen Alexander

The Greatest Father

The Greatest Father

The account of Abrahams life has always been a source of inspiration and awe for me. Have you ever thought about the story as it may apply to your life. The modern day church is not modeled on this kind of a life and certainly not focused on the dedication and principles behind and throughout this event in Abrahams life. 
At an age that most people would be hoping to retire and wind things down in life, Abram is given a promise from God. The one thing he has desired his whole life would be granted straight from God. A son would be born to him and his wife Sarah. God goes to the extent of changing Abrams name to Abraham and his wife is to be called Sarah, a blessed women.
Abraham has to wait again for God to provide what he has promised. Abrahams attempts to "help"god are disastrous and cause division in his family and conflict for his wife. Abraham continues to believe for Gods Promise even after this monumental mess up.
For 10 years Abraham and Sarah wait and then just as God had said his son Isaac is born. What a blessing and what a joy for them both. Abraham is 100 years old and still faithful and blessed. Years pass and one day God speaks to Abraham and says,"Take Isaac your Son who I gave to you as a blessing and as a promise and take him with you to sacrifice him". 
Can you even begin to imagine what was going through Abrahams mind. Abraham doesn't hesitate, he didn't waver, he simply acted in obedience to God request. He took his son and set out to 
make a sacrifice.
It is so easy to follow God and praise him when it benefits us, when we get something out of it BUT that's not actually the Gospel message. It has sadly become a "Christian misconception" peoples sit and judge and say if someone is going through a tough time, that they must have sin in their life. ****NEWS FLASH*** we all have sin in our lives. 
Equally errant is the concept that if I am successful somehow I am more blessed and favored by God then others.
Abraham was called by God "Faithful and Righteous" and he certainly had his share of suffering and trials. It was through the trials and suffering that he learned to trust God, (That's called growing your faith).
In todays world Isaac would be taken away and put in Children's Services and Abraham would be locked up for child abuse.
Living a life that pleases God is not about Prizes and Favor (sorry) It is about Worshiping God and being obedient to Him, no matter what is asked of us. Abraham, through his obedience and faith didn't just become the father of Isaac but became the father of a two nation and thousands of years latter that promise and those nations live on.

Abraham, Father of the year.
Happy Father's Day

Stephen Alexander

Change and Constant

Life never stops, I often have prayed that a day would last forever. The day I was married, the day my children were born, a special day spent with family and the last day I spent with my Father and GrandFather before they died. Time keeps ticking  by and life moves on. People change too, not that that's a bad thing, we all need to change, to get better and improve on yesterday.

There is only one constant and that is God. He is always here and always aware of us, that's a comforting truth. 

2 Timothy 3:16 says "All scripture is God-Breathed and it is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

God-Breathed, that's an awesome text, Genesis 2:7 says, WE are also God-Breathed. "vs7 the Lord formed the man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living creature."

Knowing that I am created and not just a cosmic cocktail of alien accidents is a huge thing. It means I have a purpose, a reason for being here today. Take some time and think about his question. How many events needed to take place for you to become you. From your Great-Grandparents meeting each other to delayed flights, switched classes, stuck elevators in blackouts and impossible circumstances all colliding and just the right moment, multiply that all by a couple thousand and see if you still think you are anything but a specially made, God designed person.

Life never stops and neither does the will of God! Time doesn't stop and we don't need it to, every day is a new opportunity for you and I to do better, to try again. 

Lately the world has faced a great attach, it seems like an inexhaustible amount of energy is being put forth to destroy the Church (that would be you!) and rip it apart, piece by piece, person by person. So many people seem so willing to participate in this dismantling. I know that this is do to the lack of knowledge of the Scripture and a never ending erosion of integrity within the local church.

What are we going to do about this problem? It is life threatening and it is destructive to every living soul.

Jesus gave us two super scriptures to live by in Matthew Chapter 22:37  He said “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.

I noticed right away, even as a new believer that this scripture is about what WE must do, not what others must do for us. God Breathed life into you so you could worship Him and Love Him and your brothers and sisters, your neighbors and friends. Let's stop Judging and start Loving.

A final thought for now, A Law will never be as powerful as Scripture, an Ideal or a personal conviction. Laws can be written and broken but Scripture and an Ideal must be instilled in a persons heart. Once that  takes root it is a powerful thing, capable of enormous greatness.

You were made for greatness!

Stephen Alexander

EQUIP - WEEK 4 - LEADERSHIP - FOLLOWSHIP - DISCIPLESHIP

LEADERSHIP:

Are You A Leader? What Kind of Leader Are You?

Great leaders possess a mix of an entrepreneurial spirit, the mind of a dreamer, and a compelling strategic vision that sets the overall tone and direction for the organization. They see a clear and preferred picture of the future without prompting from others. They have passion to see the vision come true even in the face of opposition.

Home Work:

1) What is your strongest Leadership Quality?

b) What is it in your life that effects and molds who you are?

3> Your "HIT LIST"

1 Corinthians 13: 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.(Y) But the greatest of these is love.

As for leadership goes, 1 Cor: 13;13 says it all. This is an everlasting word and principal.

To lead in church you need a different Focus and Attitude.

The qualities of a visionary/prime leader have been well defined by many great writers,

the more so over the last two decades. The science of leadership now occupies a premier

position in notable business colleges throughout the world, the writings of leaders now

dominate bookshelves and the want to be a leader is never far from anyone of us, or at

least the thought that we are ‘meant’ to want to be leaders.

However I’m not sure that the whole story has been told. I’m not sure that all the traits

have been spoken of with, how do I say it - candour. We all know that something has

been missing from the picture and so I humbly submit this article to complete the picture.

If you have 6 or more of the following traits you are most likely a prime/visionary leader;

4 or less and you are most likely in need of immediate psychological assistance and

medication.

1. You are an impatient and edgy driver. This most likely means that you speed and

find other cars on the road a complete nuisance, an impediment. You’re going

places and it is obvious most others aren’t. What is particularly annoying to lawabiding

citizens is that you are rarely given speeding tickets whereas they, as soon

as they go over the limit, are. And you hate red lights - green is the only

acceptable colour. Red is the devil, orange not much better. In fact orange is an

invitation to display your impatience with all things hesitant.

2. You are distracted a lot of the time. This leads to others assuming you are

unfriendly at times – a very unfriendly judgement you’d say. Distraction is

normal and necessary but it doesn’t always go down well in a social setting – like,

with your wife and children.

3. You tend to twitch and some of you have a permanent sheen of sweat on your

brow. Tics are normal as are headaches, painkillers, melancholic moments and

concerns/worries. These are indisputable marks of prime leadership.

4. You get accused of not being a good listener sometimes, and rightly so. Because

you are thinking, mulling, cogitating, dreaming and envisioning you seldom have

time to listen and if you do it isn’t ever for long. Tell the others to get over it –

listening never changed the world. Too much empathy creates dependence, not

maturity.

5. You have more energy than a herd of bull elephants on heat. Your pace of life

makes others tired just watching. You could burn out but you do little to avoid it.

6. You promote a balanced life but seldom ever get around to living it. The

balanced person is someone you admire for 10 minutes. But the balanced life is a

bore and difficult as all the energy required keeping it debilitates a person, so why

bother? The only people that are successful balancers are tightrope walkers.

7. You have more ideas than a patent office could process in a lifetime. Some of

your ideas will last as long as the life span of a fruit fly and others may change the

world. Ideas are to you as water to a fish.

8. You are a terrible shopper.

9. But, you are a great spender. This is another of those incontestable hallmarks of a

visionary leader. Prime leaders think more about money than most people

because money is required to get things done, little happens without it.

10. You always believe tomorrow will be better than today. Today only exists to get

to tomorrow and yesterday is nothing if not a nuisance.

So, are you a prime/visionary leader or do you need medication? (You’ll probably need

some either way.)

But you might ask, what about the traits of a non-visionary, non-prime leader? How do I

know if I’m not that kind of person? Below are listed 5 characteristics of the non-prime

leader. If you exhibit these in an abundance you are probably going to be very unhappy

running your own deal and much happier and fulfilled if on a team with others – provided

you can admit it.

1. You find it hard to say no to the requests of people. People matter to you so you

do all in your power to care for them. Sometimes they need to hear ‘no’ but you

don’t go there easily. You spend hours with people hearing their problems and

feel nothing but love and compassion for them. Time seems to be best spent

around others. You aren’t confrontational because you want people to be happy.

2. You drive considerately, as though the roads were made for all to use. Green

light, orange light, red light – doesn’t much matter to you, as the journey is as

important as the destination.

3. You are hesitant when it comes to the raising of money and you secretly think

those people who do talk about and raise big amounts are a little fixated and

maybe they have a money issue. Of course they do but you’ll need the same if

you are to do what they attempt, so you don’t. Vision is the same – overrated and

frankly very thin on the ground for you, elusive.

4. You need more than 6 hours of sleep and 8 are preferable. You go to sleep with

few thoughts in your head and actually sleep through the night. This is

something the visionary leader sees as a waste of time and resource as time is

money. All the prerequisite fears and pressures of a visionary leader seem to

have quite nicely evaded you, lucky you.

5. You are a genuinely nice person, loved by all. You have time and energy for

others, nothing is a problem, and you live a balanced life most of the time. When

you are with people they have your undivided attention, and you actually listen to

them with an expression of interest. Sounds very much like you are a Christian.

It is these traits that mark out the team player and if you identify with most of them then

it is likely you are currently frustrated as having a vision still eludes you no matter how

many conferences, tapes and positive confessions you have immersed yourself in.

So there you have it. At last a way we can all tell who is who without needing to resort to

fancy diagnostic tools and interminable ‘gift’ analysis formulas. What are you?

One last thing. Never write long e-mails to a visionary leader; their life isn’t given to

answering your lengthy thoughts, suggestions and concerns. Grammar and sentence

structure is for those with time on their hands – excepting for the author, that is.

CHALLENGES FOR THE VISIONARY/PRIME LEADER-TO-BE.

NO PATIENCE

BIG EGO

LACK OF RESPECT

NO FOCUS

THIS FALLS INTO AN AREA CALLED FOLLOWSHIP.

This is the make it or break it piece in the Discipleship connection.

A Leader must ID people that will become Disciples

He must ask them to make a commitment.

**Jesus called his Disciples

Matt 4:

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee,(W) he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter(X) and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,”(Y) Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.(Z)

21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John.(AA) They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.(AB)

When the Disciples were called they dropped what they were doing and follow Jesus.

When the Rich Young Ruler is called by Jesus he has a different response.

Mark 10:17-27

17 (A)As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and (B)knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to (C)inherit eternal life?” 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. 19 You know the commandments, ‘(D)Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” 20 And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept (E)all these things from my youth up.” 21 Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have (F)treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” 22 But at these words [a]he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.

BONUS MATERIAL**

What does it take to become a leader in C3 Church.

Be sold out for Jesus Christ

a Prayer

a Worshipper

Teachable

a Lover of The Word

Filled with the Holy Spirit

a Tither / Generous Person

You must love people

Ready for the greatest adventure of your life!

EQUIP WEEK 3 SEPT. 18TH

PART 2 CULTURE EXPLORED

Why is Culture so important in this church?

Our Culture creates FOCUS!

Focus in the right direction.

Who knows that you can search as hard as you like, with great enthusiasm and excitement but if you are looking in the wrong direction you will only find discouragement and exhaustion.

Most church Denominations are designed to produce a behavior through rules but don't explain the reasons behind the rules. 

The result:

People become disillusioned with baseless rules and rebel, leave the church and distance themselves from God. 

Because people can't come to terms with rules in church they think God doesn't love them, because the average denominational church punishes people for sharing how they struggle with sin.

Ex. Pornography, Homosexuality, PreMarital Sex, Stealing, Lying, 

Now we can see the importance of a strong heathy church culture.

The Culture of the C3 Church is meant to appeal to the "Spiritual Man" - Your Spirit!

It deals with things from the INSIDE OUT and not the OUTSIDE IN.

**2005 housing market was insane, take a $200,000 house put new ikea kitchen and some crown moulding in the house add some cool paint and resell the house for $325,000 3 months later. Is that right, is it really a better house. Have you really added $125,000 of value to the house?

Take a person and tell them if they dress a certain way and say the right words that they are more except able to God, they are more holy or righteous is to distort the work of Christ on the Cross. It creates liers and frauds in the house of God.

(Youth Group story)

**Our culture is a reflection of our fruit, in other words 

our culture is actually a bi product of our relationship with God!

If you pray, read Gods word and Seek God with all your heart, a change will take place that is the result of living a life to please God, not to please people.

Live a life to please God!! You Win! The Church Wins, The World Wins!

On our Website:

C3 Church exists to connect people to God. The church is full of people who have discovered an incredible richness of life that comes from having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Contrary to a view held by many people, God is not dreary, depressed or weak. Rather He is vibrant, joyful and powerful. His presence should always give rise to a sense of excitement and a fullness of spirit. This understanding of God is reflected in the enthusiastic and upbeat nature of our church services.

Jesus said that He came to earth that we might have a life of abundance (John 10:10). Every time we come together to worship God we are celebrating what Jesus has done for us. C3 Church has congregations around the world that are bright, enthusiastic and relevant.

Our message is one of faith, hope and love. We have a united vision to build the church by connecting people to God, connecting people to people and also empowering people for effective, joyful service.

More thoughts on Culture:

LEADERSHIP:

Are You A People Visionary?

Great leaders possess a mix of an entrepreneurial spirit, the mind of a dreamer, and a compelling strategic vision that sets the overall tone and direction for the organization. They see a clear and preferred picture of the future without prompting from others. They have passion to see the vision come true even in the face of opposition.

Home Work:

1) What is your strongest Leadership Quality?

b) What is it in your life that effects and molds who you are?

3> Your "HIT LIST"