For folks in the Philly area, this Nov 16 event has the potential for being the most exciting development in the Church of the greater Philly area in the last hundred years, in my not-so-humble opinion.  My longtime friend and GospelFriendships’ board member, Glenn McDowell is the co-chair of Philadelphia Gospel Movement.  I’ve been praying for…

for our level of self-awareness.  Self-acceptance without unusual self-awareness is what Jesus referred to as the “leaven of the Pharisees” — imagining one is a good guy, a God-follower, when in fact, we are the evil, the wicked — followers of ourselves, willful, agendafied, defensive, proud, competitive, judgmental, confident-we-know-what’s-best, wise in our own eyes, leaning…

fixing my eyes and thoughts on my performance/worthiness, instead of Jesus and His imputed performance/worthiness.  Worldliness is contagious.  Outside the Church, and inside too.  A worldly feels pressure, alone, UP TO ME.  An alien/stranger to this world, on the other hand, feels contented, happy.  An alien/stranger is never defensive, never failure-avoidant, never feels the need…

to not know what to do in a situation.  UnAmerican. UnChristian. We’re trained from an early age to KNOW what to do.  INdependence, not [shudder] DEpendence.  Activism applauded, while anything remotely passive is negative, pathetic.  No wonder we Christians are hardly any different than the seculars around us.  We’re not the aliens and strangers we’re…

to the accomplished Christian, in business, ministry, politics, amateur sports, academia, whatever.  It’s BAD news to the Christian good at a hobby.  At parenting.  At leadership in the Church.  At whatever makes you feel good about yourself, worthy.  The Gospel is BAD news to you, because it says your worthiness/somebodiness is filthy rags.  The Gospel…

with the seculars around us?  Jesus said, “You cannot bear fruit unless you remain in me.”  Do we remain in Jesus all day long?  No.  Whyzat?  We are created-dependents functioning as independents, wise in our own eyes, leaning on our own understanding, confident-we-know-what’s-best — analyzers/judges of everyone and everything.  We remain in OURSELVES as we…

that WE are the Israelites?  We Christians worship the idol of independence/confidence-we-know-what’s-best, leaning on our own understanding, wise in our own eyes, not ASKing about everything, not THANKing about everything — especially the harrrd, not curious/expectant to see what Jesus does NEXT, in us, others, circumstances.   In awe of human accomplishment/somebodiness.  We work hard at…

Only in Jesus-dependency.  The independent is wise in his own eyes, leans on his own understanding, does not ASK Jesus about evathang, nor does he THANK Jesus about evathang, and he is not curious/expectant to see what Jesus does NEXT, in him, others, circumstances.  There is no contagious Jesus in an independent.  Only in a…

but a nation of fools: proud, defensive, confident-we-know-what’s-best, wise in our own eyes, leaning on our own understanding, critical-judgmental, competitive, willful, agendafied, self-absorbed, angry with the opposition.  Independents, not God-dependents.  Believers in a sovereign nation, not a sovereign God.  Obsessed with being the Superpower, with being superior.  Self-appointed PolicemanOfTheWorld.  Chastising other nations.  If power corrupts,…

because there is no humility in our land.  Self-righteousness, divisiveness, acrimony, pride, we have in abundance.  There has never been a civil war between humble men, humble factions.  Only the proud/independent/confident-we-know-what’s-best/willful are on the opposite sides of civil war, leaning on our own understanding, wise in our own eyes.  The humble are observers, not combatants. …