The Power of Intention

I think one of the things that I am really discovering in 2010 so far is the power of being intentional. This seems to be the resonating lesson that I am to grasp so far. There is such power in living our lives intentionally! I am not just talking about the big hairy audacious goals that we plan to conquer, but even down to the smallest things, such as the food that I put in my mouth, the way that I address a co-worker, the date night that I plan with my wife or the time that I spend in meditation and prayer.
I looked up the word intention on dictionary.com and really liked one of the definitions: "meaning, significance". That is what it is really all about. It is so easy at times for me to change any repetitious task into a mindless routine, that I miss the opportunity of recognizing the significance and meaning of the moment. That is such a shame!
I think this is what Paul may have had in mind in his exhortation of whether we eat, drink or do anything, to do it all for the glory of God.
I am a pretty results oriented person. If there is a goal, I want to hit it. If there is competition associated with the goal, I want to win. This is the type of compulsive sickness that our society applauds. Nevertheless, I think one of the things that the Lord is showing me is that the significance to life is not the results that we produce, but the fact that we are producing intentionally. Opportunities missed are gone forever.

Thinking Kingdomly

Jesus constantly taught about the kingdom. His message was the Gospel of the kingdom. His parables gave insight into the kingdom. His invitation was to enter the kingdom. When he sent out seventy followers to prepare for his arrival, he told them to announce, "God's kingdom is
right at your doorstep!" The kingdom is the existence, the presence and the authority of the king. And Jesus is the King. All the time he is coming to every person, looking for a "Yes" to him as their king. "The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world," wrote John.

The word "kingdom" appears 121 times in the four Gospels, the word "church" appears three times. Jesus spent almost no time describing the forms or activities his followers should employ when they gathered. He spent years describing the heart, the attitudes, the loyalty and the
conduct of his servants as they lived, suffered, and represented him in a world gone wrong. The kingdom is not represented by cathedrals, worship centers, organized religion, or festive events. It is represented by people who are like their king - humble, gentle, generous, loving, full of faith but unimpressed by wealth, power, or position. "God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's sins against them. And he has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. We are therefore ambassadors for Christ, as though God was appealing to you by us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: be reconciled to God." Il Cor 5:19,20. What an astounding calling!

This is not an anti-church theme. It's simply a paradigm that is larger than church and precedes it. When we talk about "going to church" we mean the church when it is gathered. But the church gathered is not the messenger. The church scattered is the messenger. That's why the New Covenant is marked by the gift of the Holy Spirit given to every believer! As relational insiders we advance the kingdom into our extended families, into our workplace, into our neighborhood, into the gym, etc. Instead of inviting the lost to church, we need to invite
them to coffee, to lunch, to our homes. We need to dialogue with them in circumstances that build rapport and treat them with God-like character. "Let your light so shine before men..." Believers, of course, should gather to encourage one another, to learn from one another, and to pray. But, we don't need to gather to impress the lost or even to offer them a chance to worship. Worshipping is fashionable these days but without faith in the King, it's ineffective. "They honor
me with their lips, but their hearts are from me." Let's be the king's ambassadors all over town 24/7. Let's use our lives and homes to be the church's half-way houses, open to the disinterested and unconvinced.

No one can visually see the kingdom. "The kingdom does not come with careful observation, nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom is within you." The kingdom may be active when you are at church, at work, with your family, or with your neighbors. Or it may not. The question is whether Jesus is free to express his presence and influence in us, whether the light of the King in our lives is ON. If the assembly of believers can occur in any number and at any time, then Jesus' promise makes even more sense. "For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Obviously, local congregations who have a desire to see everyone present on Sunday morning need to mix this traditional expectation with all other valid expressions of life in the kingdom. We are not encouraging a lack of enthusiasm about the regular assembly of believers. We are encouraging freedom and creativity as we serve our King all week long.

For further study on the Kingdom of God: Ps. 47:2; 103:19; Dan. 2:44; 4:17, 25-37; Mt. 3:2; 6:9; 10:33; 13:24-52; 19:23, 24, 28-32; 20:1-19; 21:28-32; 22:2-14; 25:1-46; Mk. 1:14,l 15; 4:11-20, 30-32; 10:14; Lk. 8:1; 11:14-20; 14:15-24; 17:20-37; Jn. 3:1-21; Rom. 14:17; 1 Cor. 4:20;
6:9-11; 1 Th. 2:10-12

by Dan Greene, Navigator Staff

Does anyone really read this anymore?

I have decided that I am not a facebook type person. Initially I really thought it was great getting to get in touch with people, but then when I started getting the endless stream of notifications that they had found pink cows on their farms or needing my help to become a super vampire or a mob boss is when I started checking out. So I guess I am back to blogging, simply because I enjoy this format much more. I like the aspect of longevity. So with said, I find myself back here again.

I was curious though. Does anyone read this anymore?

Just a review of James

I haven't taken much time to comment on this blog because I have been busy posting on my boat blog. However, on a spiritual note, I just want to comment hwo wonderful and challenging it has been to go through our nine week study over the book of James. I have been strongly challenged to live out my Christianity in spite of the curves tha life throws. That is not to say that I have that mastered but it is certainly something that I will strive for, with God's grace. So if you did not get a chance to be there, I do have some great news. You can listen the entire series in MP3 format at www.lifeatcornerstone.org

Whatever happened to Josh?

Josh is hands down the most talented guitar player that I know. However, it seems Josh has laid down his axe to venture into a new direction. Check out his most recent release here.

Yes this is really him and no this is not a cry for help....(I don't think?)