Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death.
- James F. Byrnes

How many of us live that way?  Come on be honest. I know I fight it. That need to feel secure juxtaposed with the call of the Lord to let go…

Today’s been an random sort of day. So I want to know what’s on your mind. What’s the first thing off the top of your head? It could be a random thought or something more profound. So what is it?

I’ve had this thought rattling in my head all weekend:

People need to know they’re loved. When approaching someone about their salvation, I’m convinced that the “without Jesus, you’re going to spend an eternity in hell” argument is useless because most people are already living in their own version of hell. People need to know they’re loved. That is the catalyst for change.

So, what’s the first thing off the top of your head?

I meet every Tuesday morning at 6am with 3 other guys for breakfast and Bible study. We always sit in the same booth at Don’s diner. I’m always half awake till I dive into my bottomless cup of diner coffee. So, I drug in this morning and walked over to our regular booth and was about to sit down till I noticed that there was someone else in my booth. From behind (and through my bleary eyes) it looked just like one of my breakfast mates. But upon closer look, it sure wasn’t Alan. It was the wrong guy. Luckily, I stopped just before sliding into the booth with a chipper”Good morning!” I’m sure the guy would have appreciated the greeting, but he wasn’t who I was looking for. The other guys laughed at me from across the room as they watched this unfold.

How often do we get caught up in routines and regularity of life and miss where we are going? I was pointed in the right direction. I was walking towards what I though was my destination. And when I arrived there it wasn’t where I wanted to be. I was led more by routine than vision.

I find myself doing this more than I like to believe. I get on cruise control and take my eyes off the road. It says in Lamentations 3:40, “let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord.”

So is it just me? Or do you find yourself speeding though the day, simply trying to get to the end, but not looking where you are going? And at the end of the day, I look in the mirror and find myself not being the man I set out to be. My vision has been lost. I’ve become busy. I’ve become stressed. I’ve become tired. I’ve become the wrong guy.

[NOTE: this post is best experienced if you listen to "From Yesterday" by 30 Seconds to Mars while reading]

A couple of days back one of my posts (or rants) brought forth the question:

“How do we change the Church? Or is it worth changing?”

(from youthminister66 )

And I’ll go ahead and accuse myself of being critical and often times offering no answers. SO let me embark upon these questions. It will bring us into territory that is bigger than me, so your input into the journey is paramount. I need all of you to take apart in this.

So let me answer the easiest part first: is the church worth saving?

The answer is a resounding YES. It must. The bride/church is meant to exists until He returns.

Then that leads us to the first question: how do we change the church?

Walk with me for a bit as I meander around the question. Christ cleared the church with a whip because the people had forgotten its intended purposed. So clear your mind about any church clutter you may have entertained thus far in the conversation. Step into the clearing with me.

Picture this. You are apart of a Kingdom. A mighty Kingdom. Now picture this Kingdom established deep within enemy territory. You serve a mighty King. To live you must obey what is governed by your King. To survive you must protect yourself from the enemy that surrounds you. You live in a walled city. Men stay watch over its walls at all times. As you leave those walls, you gird yourself with heavy armor; protection against what may come your way. You serve a cause greater than yourself. This Kingdom is your hope and life. You live to provide for your family and serve your King with honor. You would die for your King and your family.

Now apply this to your lives now. What if we as Christians lived like we had a King? Like we lived with a kingdom? Like we had an enemy outside the walls. If that was reality, how would it shape our lives today?

What if prayer, like the men in the watchtower, were necessary by someone within the body of the church at all times? If the post is left, the city is vulnerable.

If we began to take on this Kingdom view, how would it change our churches (little “c” churches, not THE CHURCH - His people)? We have forgotten that this battle we are in is LIFE and DEATH. Part spiritual, part physical. The events of 9/11 changed our views on safety and patriotism, but they quickly faded away. What if life was like 9/11 every day? How would you live differently?

We have an enemy (some flesh, some spirit) that seeks to “steal, kill, and destroy”. Do we act like it? I get angry because the church has turned into psychiatry and steps to good living. We have lost our edge, our drive to be apart of his Kingdom. We have left our city unguarded and taken up residence with the enemy. The dream has been forgotten and we’ve moved on with our lives.

What if we began to see the church as our lifeblood? Not the walls or steeple. But the people and community we have there. What if it wasn’t simply once a week? What if we sought out to live this Kingdom lifestyle?

This whole vision is all a dream you wake up from. It makes sense, at the time, but it doesn’t within the context of the world of your awakend state. You know it’s real, but can’t completely define it. We’re just waiting for it to take physical form. So wake up dreamers. Wipe the sleep from your eyes. Until now, we’ve lived alone and dreamless within the dark forest. We’ve scrimped and scratched by to live. Step out of the forest and into the clearing… your Kingdom awaits.

[tomorrow: a second side to add contradiction to the first]