2 excel

Often I receive things by situations, by actions, by pictures.

The other morning I received a call from the Excel company. It was a call that grated on me. Later that day, I had coffee with a pastor from Brazil. When I called his cell phone, he said this is "Pastor J_____ of the Excel Maintenance Company." Now I may be slow about somethings, but the "coincidence" was not lost on me. Two times the word "excel" was brought to my attention. I would say that the word excel was not something I had heard for a week or more. So what did I think? I was thinking God was attempting to make a point about excellence.

As I looked for the word "excel" I found three scriptures that spoke to my heart and this definition.

Synonyms: excel, surpass, exceed, transcend, outdo, outstrip
These verbs mean to be or go beyond a limit or standard. To excel is to be preeminent (excels at figure skating) or to be at a level higher than another or others (excelled her father as a lawyer). To surpass another is to be superior in performance, quality, or degree: an athlete surpassed by none. Exceed can refer to being superior (an invention that exceeds all others in ingenuity), to being greater than another (a salary exceeding 70 thousand dollars a year), and to going beyond a proper limit (exceed one's authority). Transcend often implies the attainment of a level so high that comparison is hardly possible: Great art transcends mere rules of composition. To outdo is to excel in doing or performing: won't be outdone in generosity. Outstrip strongly suggests leaving another behind, as in a contest: a case of the student outstripping the teacher.

Just the thought of being better than something else brings images of overcoming. And Jesus said in John 14:12 "greater things than I, shall you do.

1Co 14:12
So also you--since you are zealous in matters of the spirit, seek to excel in building up the church.

2Co 8:7
Now as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--excel also in this grace.

2Co 9:8
And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

Each scripture talks of the "better than" average works that one can do. How can we fail as we follow the "excellent" one? God is calling His church to excellence, to excel in evey good work. Even I can see that.

1/1/2005

Happy New Year!

Over the last week I have had many dreams and last night was no different.

In the first dream a Christian leader was in a factory( A new technology manufacturer.) and he was holding people hostage. As others of us looked for and escape route, we heard glass break as people tried to warn others and escape. Later we had escaped but the issue at hand was what to do. One of our co-leaders pointed out that while bipolar illness was treatable, the illness of "impaired decision making." We were meeting in a school to determine the best course of action to take care of this man. The end result was that he would have to be hospitalized and time would be spent waiting for a treatment.

I believe that for years we have said "there is a new regime of leader coming." That leader is more with the times, able to relate better with the younger people. Open to the next moves of God with resistant. Not holding people "hostage" to old thoughts and traditions for the sake of having them.

I think the dream points out the dangers of old wineskins and inflexibility to change. I think it is interesting that the dream pointed out bipolar as treatable. The dream suggested the man was vulnerable to this illness. The switching of gears, the change from high to low. On the other hand he was affected from an illness that allowed for poor decisions. One was addressed medically, while the other hand no "cure." The answer is to "put them away." while others go on.

Is this a warning? I believe so. For me, I have already reviewed things in my life. I certainly see necessary changes in our ministry and having been working towards the implementation. My heart's cry is for those who will be resistant to change(Not even just to God.) as God is trying to move the church ahead. Some of you will recognize leaders over you. You will be looking for direction. I encourage you to pray for these men and women. God DOES have the ability to bring "rightness" to His leaders.

In the second dream, a friend of mine was struggling with the next phase of her life. She spoke to me about the "breaks" in her life. We were sitting on the edge of a lake in the Adirondacks. Motorcycles were on the side. She was struggling with the decisions she had made, the effects on her children and those around her. She wanted to move ahead. We got in a car and began to drive around the lake. We began to look at businesses for sale. Her creativity needed to shine, she said. We looked at al types of businesses. The more we talked the stronger she was in her resolve to do something. Finally we pulled up in front of a beautiful part of the lake. She sat on a bench as I said, " I really want to see this come to pass in your life." Her response was "maybe I will surprise you." I sensed in the dream that she was receiving an inheritance. Her adoption had placed some holes in her past. I felt her adoptive father had left something behind for her.

Everyone has dreams and surely the church a large is no difference. We came in on motorcycles and drove in a car. Both vehicles indicate change coming. But there was a "unity" as two people began to work on a problem, hence the car. The lake was a focus as we drove around around it. Clear, clean blue water. Certainly, clarity was coming. The desire to be creative and release God given talents was clear. The conversation where I sensed the adoptive father giving in some type of inheritance. It appears clear that God is releasing to the church and it's people as our adopting Father.

The year 2005. Anyone can prophesy change. It is inevitable. I think the tsunami was a foreshadowing of the spirit to come, but with that wave of the spirit, comes greater responsibility to those around. Many will flounder and even "die" under the crushing of his waves. Those that have prepared will be available to those who were not. But even as the natural tsunami showed the weaknesses of the systems and the cry for better systems, I would suggest that many of our "systems" have not been tested under "waves" of that magnitude. Many have strategized but not engaged. Like riding a bicycle you can read and look at pictures, but until you do it, it is just knowledge. You can think it is "easy" but as the nature has born out, we do not have the control we think we do. As the woman in the second dream was realizing, her gifts and talents need to be released for the blessings to come.

I see churches that have thought they had it all, only to realize how poor they had become. Yes, we will have young people in this, but there are many older ones coming alongside. For years we have spoken of the need for fathers in the church and I think we are on a year of fathering with love and compassion.

Years ago we sang a song about taking back what the devil stole. But as people walked through collecting their "belongings" they picked up things that were the devils. They were tainted. God is purifying His church this year. I believe many Christians will see the holy side of God in a way they had never imagined and at first which they never had. We will see the towel appear around the waists of His servants once again. People will know us for our love. We will not have to say, "Don't worry about it-look to Jesus," but people will follow us as we imitate the Christ. We will start to "think" carefully about our efforts to see people into the kingdom. And we will pick up the authority God has given us. We will see power restored to the church as the church chases HIM

This year will be a wild ride. It will definitely not look like we think it will. Many will even think God has "left the building" and question, but the end of the year will bring a defining moment to the church at large.