The Kingdom Has Come To You

Apr 15, 2021.Evil is real. Thankfully, so is the Kingdom of God. And we are servants of the latter. But do we have confidence in our authority to dispel darkness when we come up against it? Truthfully, most US Christian leaders are avoiding this topic altogether; they would rather not tangle with the obscurities involved. And besides that, there are many other things we can do inside the organized church: board meetings, staff meetings, visiting people in the hospital, teaching the scriptures, etc. But, will we ever learn to take a stand against the works of evil like our Master did? This question creates much angst in many of us, I know.#JesusStories: In Matt 12, Jesus cast out a demon that was making a man both blind and mute. So remarkable was the miracle that the crowd marveled, and started to ask for the first time if Jesus was perhaps The Messiah. When the Pharisee's heard this, they countered with the idea that Jesus Himself was filled with demons, and that was why he was able to control the demon that was in the blind man. I can just see Jesus shaking his head at the foolishness of that notion. He then told them that any kingdom who is working against itself cannot stand, and if Satan is casting out his own demons, he will be unable to advance his dark strategies. Then Jesus pivoted the conversation and said something quite powerful: "When I force out demons by the power of God's Spirit, it proves that God's kingdom has already come to you." In other words, the ability to exercise authority over evil and drive darkness backwards is proof that the kingdom of God is flowing through us. It is possible to be working in Christian organizations and yet not be working in the kingdom of God. Wow. There is a very real conflict between the 'inbreaking kingdom of God' and the 'uprising kingdom of darkness'. Soberness needs to be felt, choices need to be made, prayers of surrender need to be offered, and Christian leaders need to move beyond their job descriptions and find their place in the advancing kingdom of God. Leadership maturity in such a kingdom is the ability to push back evil, and advance the kingdom into new places. And according to Jesus, the power for such a role is already here...it came with him and never left. Oh Lord, anoint us to be the kind of leaders who can kick in the front door of the strongman, any day of the week and twice on Sunday.#DinnerChurchQuotes: When you stand before God at the end, God won’t ask, “Why weren’t you more like Moses?” It is more likely He will ask, "Why weren’t you more like you? I already had a Moses.” (Tod Bolsinger quoting a Rabbinical Teaching)#PracticalStuff: If you are a student of history, you know there is a big gospel wave coming our way; big revival waves always follow a profound downturn throughout human history. This means that our Christian leadership needs to find a new sense of readiness. Would you be willing to call yourself into a day-long prayer retreat? And ask the Lord what kind of leadership He needs from you as this Gospel Tsunami approaches? These insights are not the result of previous training - they come as 'Spirit calls to Spirit' and 'Deep calls to Deep'.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Provable Wisdom

Apr 8, 2021.Most of us long to be wise in our leadership. In fact, we probably pray for wisdom often in the shadow of James 1:5. And that is good. But, if we'd be honest, there is still a mocking voice within us at every critical turn. And of course, there are questioning people around us at every turn too. Will we ever see wisdom show up in such a way that our inner and outer detractors are silenced? Ah...such is the inner questioning of the Christian leader.#JesusStories: No one has ever been questioned or derided any more than our Lord when he walked this earth. At one point in Matt 11, he spoke to his detractors about their insatiable mocking nature. He pointed out that John the Baptist came without eating and drinking, and the mocking crowd said that he had a demon in him. And now that Jesus spends so much of his time eating and drinking, the mockers say is that he eats with sinners. How dare he. And of course he is able to cast out demons because like John, he has a demon in him too. Can't the voice of criticism ever come up with some new material? Today we hear the same things circling around from church to church: "you're preaching has lost something", "your leadership ideas are ill-thought-through", or "you keep asking too much from us." Christian leadership has always been exercised in the midst of furrow-browed critics from the time of Jesus to the present. But I love the way Jesus ended this particular qripe session, "Yet Wisdom is shown to be right by what it does." In other words, let's just see how things turns out. This is a big truth here: Wisdom is proven by divine results. And while that might seem weighty at first glance, we have been given the repeating behaviors of Christ that creates these divine results: prayer, healing, eating with sinners, time with the poor, talking about the inbreaking kingdom, breathing comfort, etc. Can we be confident that if we start repeating Jesus' behaviors in our leadership, that wisdom and the gospel will flourish around us? We can be.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "A consumer lifestyle can't be overturned by criticism, it can only be outclassed by the Christlike lifestyle." -Graham Cray#PracticalStuff: The Jesus Stories bible is only a week away from distribution. We are asking each DC leadership team to figure out a way to get one of these bibles into the hands of every new congregant Jesus has given them. These bibles are written for people with no Christian history, and focuses on the story rather than the verse. Can you start making plans to acquire these? And then start preaching from this bible in your dinner church gatherings? The cost is under $4 per bible, and they will be available at DinnerChurch.Com very very soon.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Despite Our Failings

Apr 1, 2021.Holy Week is an opportunity for us to re-experience the Lord's last days upon this earth. Some are guided through this time with formal liturgies, others are making extra time for prayer and reflection, and still others are simply reading the Gospel narratives of these final events. Whatever your approach, the heart of Holy Week is that we all experience purgation, which in the words of Robert Mulholland is "a renunciation of all blatant inconsistencies with wholeness in Christ." I'm quite sure we can always benefit from prayers of purgation.#JesusStories: It is Thursday morning as I am writing this piece, and is the approximate time in that first Holy Week when Jesus and the disciples had finished their Passover meal and were now walking toward the garden of Gethsemane for a final prayer time together. As they walked Jesus said, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you that your faith will be strong. And when you have come back to Me, strengthen your brothers." This is such a stirring story, especially for anyone who is willing to let the Lord sift them like wheat. What a picture. Just as wheat needs to be shaken so that its husk is separated from its kernel, so do we need to be shaken so that our self-dependency is separated away from our Christ-dependency. And I notice from Peter's account that Satan was the instrument of the shaking. In point of fact, evil and darkness is often used by the Lord to separate away our self-reliance. Take a moment to remember those historic words, "they meant it for evil, but I have used it for good." When evil brushes against Jesus' people, He uses it to shake away 'self' and reveal an unobstructed 'divine-dependency' in us.Something else about this Peter story that stirs me is when Jesus said, "But I have prayed for you Peter." Take a moment and let that sink in - Jesus praying for Peter. And I'm very sure he prays for you and me too. Have you stopped to consider what a powerful thing it is for the Son of God to actually pray for us? If I am filled with expectation when my family and friends pray over me, I am doubly-filled with expectation to think Jesus is praying over me. And yet, this is the job he took right after his ascension - to sit at the right hand of the Father and make constant intercession for us. This is perhaps the most overlooked victory of the Resurrection, that Jesus is now alive to pray for you and me throughout the whole of our lives. Lift up your head and inflame your courage; the Risen Savior is praying for you and me right now! And just as Jesus knew Peter was going to fail in the heat of his sifting moment, Jesus still believed in Him, prayed for him, and knew he would come back strong to strengthen the Church for the rest of his life. Know this: Jesus is praying for us during our sifting moments too. And despite our failings, He is expecting us to come back stronger than ever, and fully empowered to strengthen the Church the rest of our days.#DinnerChurchQuotes:

• "Our soul is restless until it finds rest in thee O Lord, for thou has made us for thyself." -St Augustine
• "There is one thing that would dramatically change the world we live in and help return us to our rootedness in Christ: Bring back the table!" -Len Sweet

#PracticalStuff: Can you get to a table sometime in the next week, and engage in a soul-deep conversation with someone? In this way you will help sift their soul, and they help sift yours. Never under-estimate the specialness of a Jesus Table to increase our dependency upon our Lord.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon 

Preaching to the Poor

Mar 25, 2021.Some ministry assignments are exciting and esteeming; some are not. When I've been  directed by the Lord toward some tasks, it is amazing how quickly I have found myself wondering how it will look to my peers. We all want to be engaged in honorable and noteworthy ministry. But how do we handle the less-than-honorable assignments that Jesus needs us to do? Are we willing to pursue them despite how it will look to our ministerial cohorts?#JesusStories: Matt 11 tells of an interaction between Jesus and Johns' disciples. John had been in-prisoned by Herod and sent some of his men to inquire if Jesus was really the Messiah? Jesus' reply was eye-opening: "Go tell John...the blind see, the lame walk, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is being preached to the poor." Notably, this was the list of salvific activities that Jesus read from Is 61 at the synagogue when he announced his mission at the beginning of his ministry. In other words, he was doing exactly what the prophecy said the Messiah would do - healing folks and preaching to the poor. On the list of ministry tasks, healing is an impressive assignment. Most of us won't refuse that assignment (unless we've been weirded-out by a TV evangelist). But preaching to the poor? That isn't a very impressive ministry engagement. Our clergy friends might say things like, "How's your church service for the homeless going?" Or, "How are you ever going to fund your church by reaching out to those people?" But you will get the point - ministry to the poor isn't impressive to your friends. Now if you were building a multi-million dollar church campus, hiring a multiple staff, and drawing in thousands every week to hear you preach - now that would be impressive. But doing church for the poor? Not so much. And yet, that was exactly how Jesus VALIDATED his ministry. Let me say this plainly: any Christian leader who is preaching to the poor will make a deep impression upon Jesus Himself. And that should mean something.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "Church Leadership in this Post-Christian Era is about disappointing your people over and over again at a rate they can absorb." -Tod Bolsinger#PracticalStuff: A significant percentage of the Gospels reveals Jesus being with the poor. This is supposed to be an ongoing activity of Christian leadership. So when are you going to be with the poor next? Here is a profound cornerstone of discipleship: PUT IT ON THE CALENDAR! I know, I know, that sound too simplistic. But if you never get around to calendarizing your Christ-like-ness, it remains 'all talk'. So, when are you going to be with the poor next? Do you have a Dinner Church? Can you find a nearby Dinner Church to attend? It is most likely that you'll find financially-challenged people at a Jesus Table. A lot of Christian discipleship is about just showing up at the right places with the right folks.

Laughed At

Mar 11, 2021.No one enjoys being laughed at. We all have a basic need to be respected. But that doesn't always happen in this broken world. Sometimes we deserve the ridicule, because we are doing something foolish. Foolishness happens. But sometimes being mocked forces to face an important leadership question: What is my capacity to be ridiculed while pursuing something the people around me do not understand?#JesusStories: Matthew 9 records a story where Jesus entered the home of a young girl who had died. In fact, the mourners had already arrived to grieve with the family. These mourners were like the Hospice professionals of the day; it was their job to pronounce and deal with death. But when Jesus walked in he said, "Get out of here! The little girl isn't dead. She is just asleep." To which these learned and paid professionals laugh at him, because they knew better. We all know the end of the story; Jesus took her by the hand, raised her up, and walked her out the front door to the shock of those who had been wagging their heads only minutes before. It was an interesting day to say the least. But there is a leadership issue that presents itself in this story. How do you feel about working alongside Jesus who is often laughed at? Do you have enough metal in your soul to help usher in divine plans that are going to initially be mocked by society or members of your family? God's ways are always higher than man's ways, so there will always be room for His plans to be misunderstood, ridiculed and mocked. And if you are partnering with him on those plans, you too might be laughed at. Are you good with that?Many Christian leaders have walked away from divine strategies because they did not want to be laughed at. I refer to this as the 'Wilt Chamberlain Syndrome': Wilt was one of the great basketball players from generations ago. Though everyone else shot their free-throws overhand, Wilt shot his free-throws underhand, granny-style. Though it looked awkward, Wilt had a very high percentage of free-throws shooting this way. After years of success, he suddenly refused to do the granny-shot any more, and shifted to shooting overhand. Immediately his free-throw percentage plummeted to a pitiful percentage, but he never went back. The reason? It made him feel stupid. Many leaders are suffering from 'Wilt Chamberlain Syndrome', and cannot partner with Jesus in some of his inbreaking Kingdom plans. While they have the theological insight to know what Jesus is up to, they also know that people in their family, church, and town will initially ridicule them. And they back away from the Lord's best interventions. This is an important leadership discussion, especially in this day when Jesus is moving upon the earth in so many new ways. So I ask again, How do you feel about working alongside Jesus who is often laughed at?#DinnerChurchQuotes: I went to Asbury Seminary and told my dorm-mates I wanted to change the world for Jesus, and they laughed at me. Now 36 years later I am disturbed, not that they laughed but what happened to that boy that thought Jesus could use him in a significant way. I miss him; I want him back. -Jorge Acevedo#PracticalStuff: An important facet of self-leadership is keeping yourself encouraged. My father used to read the biographies of men-of-faith to keep his spiritual leadership potent. Other Christian leaders rely heavily upon their prayer-life for this. All good stuff. But for those on the Dinner Church trail, it can get lonely. Who is another Dinner Church leader that you can hang out with? In-person or virtual? They might need you as much as you need them. But one thing for sure, being with others who are called to the same path you, is strengthening. Can you get with someone this week? And you can always feel free to drop into DC LEADERS PRAYER/CONVO'S on Thursdays at 4:30pm pacific time, which is our weekly half-hour heartbeat. (Zoom Meeting ID: 825 4419 7948).Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Why Are You So Afraid?

March 4, 2021.Each of us deal with fear throughout our days. But sometimes, we need to deal with it as Enemy #1. As a young man in my twenties I realized how pervasive the voice of fear was in my life, and how much it was ruining my relationships and weakening my ministry. It was even beginning to affect my marriage. Thankfully, I had some seasoned men of God that helped me face off with the spirit of fear - like Paul talked about with young Timothy. Looking back, winning the battle over that voice turned out to be one of the greatest spiritual steps I've ever taken. It closed many darkened doors in my future, and opened up many kingdom doors for me, my family and ultimately the churches I served. At some point, most of us need to rise and attack the voice of fear.#JesusStories: Matthew 8 tells of a day the disciples were rowing across Galilee when "a terrible storm suddenly struck the lake." Terrible storms are the perfect metaphor for understanding fear - they both come upon us suddenly and paralyze us. That was surely occurring with the disciples as they panicked and called out for Jesus' help, but he was asleep in the bow of the boat. I love the image of a sleeping Jesus - it is a picture of a man who is not being victimized by fear. Maybe one day we can all be like him and take naps during storms. When Jesus awoke amidst their shouts he said something very unexpected, "Why are you so afraid?" Wow, that is a bigger question than most realize. Forty years ago, I needed that question to be pressed into my soul over and over again until it changed me.Whenever Jesus asks this question, it forces his people to face their humanity. Humanly speaking, terrible storms are the perfect times to be afraid. Sitting in a boat with three foot sides while being slammed by ten foot waves is a rational time to panic. Right? But here is another critical lesson about the nature of fear - it usually stems from an honest concern. In this year of Covid deaths, mounting suicides, spiking drug overdoses, increasing poverty, and decreasing church engagement, these are good reasons for us to fear. And yet, Jesus would still ask his famous question, "Why are you so afraid?" He wants us to understand the why beneath our fear. And we must confront that why before we will have mastery over that voice. The why beneath our fear is always the same - the storm is bigger than our abilities. For the disciples: the ten-foot waves were bigger than their three-foot boat. For us: the contagions, the grief, the poverty, and the losses are bigger than our capacity to respond. When the human-limitation-perspective prevails, the voice of fear becomes overwhelming.We however, have been called to enter into the God-perspective, the faith-perspective, the Jesus-who-can-color-outside-the-lines-perspective. This story ends with Jesus commanding the waves to settle down, and him going back to his nap. The disciples were left in a quiet boat to wrestle with their limitation-perspective that dominated them. They had a choice to make. We have a choice to make.#DinnerChurchQuotes:

• My biggest fear is failure. On second thought, my biggest fear is rejection. On third thought, actually my biggest fear is the shame that comes from rejection after a failure. -JR Briggs
• Leadership is the constant process of conquering fear. -Don Ross

#PracticalStuff: This might be a great time to call your leadership team together for an Acts Prayer Gathering - to make the spiritual journey from fear & weakness to boldness & strength. Start by reading Acts 4:23-31.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Taking Orders

Feb 25, 2021.We live in an egalitarian world. Western civilization is rooted in the same Greek-based social construct that spawned democracy. So, any suggestion to 'take orders' tends to rub us the wrong way. On top of that we have a situational storm brewing; the idea of anyone exercising authority 'over us' is becoming referred to more and more as toxic - especially if it is a man. And truthfully, many have exercised their authority without humility, which has led to this generalized frustration with men and power. And yet, a scriptural understanding of power and authority reveals it as one of the great blessings God has given to the world. Hmmm. But it is scary stuff to talk about in this day, much less endeavor to practice.#JesusStories: Matthew 8 tells of a Roman army officer who comes to Jesus requesting healing for one his servants. Jesus generously offers to go with the pagan officer to his home to heal the man. Interestingly, the officer objected and said, "Lord, you do not need to come to my house. I have officers who give orders to me, and I have soldiers who take orders from me. I can say to one of them, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I can say to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes. If you will just give the order, my servant will get well." Here was a man who understood power. Perhaps his training in the Roman military had taught it to him, or perhaps he was naturally insightful in the nature of power. Either way, he had the ability to take one look at Jesus and recognized His great authority. Do we recognize the nature of Jesus' authority as simply as this officer? We know that Jesus is the son of God and has been given all authority, that is clearly stated in the great commission. But have we connected the dots like this Roman soldier did? That Jesus' word is all that is needed to change major things on this earth? A right understanding of Jesus' power would undoubtedly change the way we view healing, evangelism, lifting the poor, the mission of the Church, and many other strategic components of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Could we ever see these things as "orders" rather than theologies. And subsequently, could we expect divine power to accompany these "orders" as we engaged in them? Having a proper view of Jesus' use of authority gives us a proper view of ourselves and how Jesus' power is handed over to us as we carry out His orders and download His divine interventions upon the earth. This is the assumption of our working relationship with Christ. Surprisingly, Jesus credited this cursed Roman officer as having great faith, just because he understood the nature of power. There is some deep substance here for us; the size and scope of our faith is wrapped around our expectation that Jesus' power will flow through us. Anyone under Jesus' orders is able to expect Jesus' power. And that is no small thing in Christian leadership.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "As Christians, we should rarely find ourselves defending the Bibles authority. Rather its authority becomes undeniable when its compelling reality is visible among us." -David Fitch#PracticalStuff: Last week I invited you to a weekly DC LEADERS PRAYER/CONVO on Thursday evenings @ 4:30pm (pacific time). However, the zoom link I posted became corrupted. Here is the new one: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82544197948. Can you join us? Every vision needs a heartbeat. This is ours.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon 

First

Feb 18, 2021.If Covid has done anything, it has increased the digital noise flooding upon each of us. Zoom invites, email advertisements, text advertisements, and message waiting & notice beeps sounding from all of our devices. Something is dinging every couple minutes and calling us to respond. This is our life now. And it is not as though we didn't have enough distractions before 2020. All of this is probably disturbing us more than we realize. I actually had a dream a couple nights ago that I was could not find my office. And later I was a bird that couldn't find a branch to land on. (No wonder I woke up tired). Where might your pandemic displacement be symptomizing?#JesusStories: I am deeply thankful for Mt. 6, where Jesus addressed our human tendency to get all spun up in worries: not enough food, not enough clothes, not enough time, not enough money, etc. The concerns that are avalanching upon us right now are actually rooted in this age-old list of worries. Speaking to this human condition Jesus instructed us to stop trying to solve tomorrow and come back to the provisions of today. "Tomorrow", he said, "will take care of itself." Once we put away the concerns of tomorrow, the restoration of our souls begins. So simple but so true; So basic but so transformative. However, it is vs. 33 that speaks loudest, "More than anything else, put God's work FIRST and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well." (Contemporary English Version). This is big. When we get swallowed up in distractions and a multitude of voices, we really need to know what is FIRST. When we begin to drown in our schedules, it means we lost our FIRST. I know that sounds odd, but the human mind must always know what is FIRST. When we have our FIRST in focus, order is restored. In this verse Jesus reminded us what our FIRST is. And this is it - to engage in God's inbreaking kingdom plans! When we put tomorrow away and engage in the work Jesus has for us today, divine order and unexplainable provision starts flowing into our lives. Those needs we would normally worry over resolve naturally. Here is the truth of it - when we focus on Jesus' work, he focuses on our concerns. Lord, help us direct our time and money FIRST toward your inbreaking kingdom, because we know you are focusing upon us.#DinnerChurchQuotes: It is clear from the NT that the Early Church saw itself as living in 'the time between the times' - the time between Jesus' disarming the powers of darkness and taking his seat at the right hand of God, and the time when his reign shall be unveiled among the nations. -Lesslie Newbigin#PracticalStuff: We all need to meet and talk and ask questions and share stories. To that end, I have began weekly Prayer/Convo for Dinner Church leaders on Thursdays @ 4:30pm (pacific time). These are half hour segments for us to strengthen each other in the Jesus Table vision that has been entrusted to us. I'd love to have you join in each week. The zoom link is:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81244786858Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Sitting In Fertilizer

Feb 11, 2021Until 100 years ago, the only fertilizer available was animal manure. Farmers across the globe used it generously to increase the yield of their crops. In other words, there was always a moment in the harvest cycle when things got smelly. Have you ever felt like you were stuck in one of those smelly seasons? Have you felt like your church has been sitting in some fertilizer lately? It might not be as bad as it feels.#JesusStories: In Luke 13, Jesus tells a parable about a tree in a garden that was not producing fruit. The owner of the garden became frustrated and asked the gardener to cut it down. But the gardener appealed to the owner: "Sir, let it alone this year until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that, you can cut it down." We don't know the ending to this story precisely because Jesus wanted to focus on the process of turning dormant lives into fruitful lives. He wanted us to know that when we get a shovel full of manure poured all over our lives, it is designed to make us more fruitful. And when our church suddenly find themselves sitting in smelly circumstances, that too is call to prepare for greater fruitfulness.If this Pandemic has done anything, it has dumped a truck load of issues all over our lives. Shutdowns have led to massive business closures, and heated debates about reopening schools have erupted all around there land. The courts have become filled with charges and counter-charges about orders and regulations. Just this past week alone, two supreme courts have struck down governors' orders to continue to shutter churches in their States for reason of constitutional overreach. Yes, our governmental leaders at every level have struggled to find balance: Vaccines, no vaccines, masks, double-masks, indoor distancing, outdoors distancing, no church, no more than 25 people in church, and if you go - no singing in church. Yes, the smelly circumstances continue to press in all around us. AND YET, the Lord is doing something important! Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, is using this particular version of manure to ready his people and his Church for an upcoming season of fruitfulness. If we focus on the fertilizer, we will feel hopeless. But if we focus on the forthcoming harvest, we will find our spirits saying, "Lord, do in me and my church what you need to do. We want to be at our best come harvest time."#DinnerChurchQuotes: The Great San Francisco earthquake, WWI, the communist revolution in Russia, The Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918, and the Great Depression all contributed to the rise of America's Great Awakening that started at Azusa Street. -Daniel Tomberlin #PracticalStuff: This is a great time to prepare for the forthcoming harvest by doing dinner Church training with your team and your church family. Might I recommend my book, "Welcome to Dinner Church", as a training tool. It is a small book that is priced so that a leader can grab one for each of their people, purchase one video companion for the entire group, read one chapter at at time, answer the questions in the back, come together once a week, play a 10-minute segment from the video, and use the remaining 50 minutes for discussion. In this way you can help your people, who were discipled in a traditional church, learn how to become effective at a Jesus Table Church. This is the season to get ready for something great. And if your church has already been delving into training - GET OUT THERE! Even if your State disallows indoor gatherings, set up a canopy tent on the sidewalk and serve up the New Passover from there. Our neighbors are struggling; they need us now.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

The Challenge of Good Works

Feb. 4, 2021.I have noticed that it is rather difficult to engage in meaningful good works. It's far easier to talk about good works, than it is to show up and actually do them. They are not as readily available in society as we'd wish. Occasionally, we can help the proverbial "old lady" cross the street, or help reach something off the top shelf for someone at the grocery store, but those efforts falls short of something that is trying to climb out of our soul - especially as we mature in Christ. How do we engage more deeply in the world of Good Works?#JesusStories: In Matthew 5:14ff, Jesus noted that nobody in their right mind would ever light a lamp and then hide it under a basket. Rather, they would put it on a stand so that it gives light to all who are in the house. Jesus then used that image to reveal how our lives are like those oil lamps, and that the light showing forth from our lives are to be in the form of unusual Good Works.There is much for us to unpack in these three little verses. Initially, the oil within us that causes our lives to shine is not our own - this oil is the presence of the Spirit who lives in us and flows out of us. This is something different than the kind of works we can enable through our strength, our personality, our gifts, and our winsome ways. Neither are these the kinds of works that someone can do by merely practicing random acts of kindness. The kind of works that flow from the Spirit are on the level of what we saw flowing from the life of Christ: healing, prophetic insight, prayer with authority, profound sacrifice, etc. These are the Good Works Jesus was talk about - the kind that causes society to say, "Wow, only God could help them do that!"One of the reasons Rome turned to Christianity in the Fourth Century was because of the contrast between the Christians and the Roman citizens during the back-to-back plagues that besieged their cities. Out of a sense of self-survival the Romans packed up, left their sick family members behind, and headed for the isolated countryside. However, when they returned home after the plagues subsided, they found their homes swept, in order, family members nursed back to health, and those who died were buried with honor. All of this because the Christians refused to leave the sick behind to die alone; the Spirit within them called them to stay where healing and comfort was needed. Such sacrificial Good Works caused the returning Romans to say, "Wow, only God could help them do that!" Christian history is filled with mere people engaging in Works that are simply beyond human capacity. May that heritage of Jesus-sized Good Works continue throughout our lives. Lord help us!#DinnerChurchQuotes: The communal reality of holy living, mutual support, and sacrificial service in the New Testament is called koinonia. -Darrell Guder#PracticalStuff: Jesus Tables are ripe environments for Jesus Works. Setting a table, eating with strangers, praying healing over the broken, sacrificing for new friends, and telling the life-giving stories of Christ naturally enfolds us in the kinds of Good Works spoken of in Matt. 5. So next week at Dinner Church, you go and Work the Works of Him who has sent you!Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Opening Up The Heavens

Jan. 27, 2021.I have noticed something about me - I seldom recognize my self-centeredness when it shows up. Melodee seems to recognize it though...whoa. (Truthfully, it's a good thing I have her). As thoroughly human as self-interest tends to be, it comes at a cost.#JesusStories: Matthew 23 is an interesting chapter because of the way it chronicles how leaders can appear spiritual while actually being self-serving. Seven times throughout this Messianic rant, Jesus said, "Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!" I guess there was one hypocrisy for each day of the week. :) But what bothers me about this chapter is how these leadership woe's obscure and frustrate the plans of God. Jesus said to the spiritual leaders of his day, "For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men." This is the cost of self-seeking, self-indulgence, and self-aggrandizement in ministry. I am pretty sure that like me, you want no part of a form of leadership that shuts up heaven. Thankfully, Jesus offered a cure to woeful leadership when he said, "But he who is the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." In other words, any Christian leader who desires to become effective and skillful at opening up the heavens, humility is required.#DinnerChurchQuotes: The world doesn’t need religious organizations but communities that demonstrate Christ’s reckless love. -Michael Slaughter#PracticalStuff: We have recognized a weekly need for Dinner Church leaders to gather/talk/pray; a 'meet-you-at-the-drinking-fountain' kind of thing. Accordingly, I am proposing that starting Thursday Feb 11th at 4:30pm (pacific time), we gather via zoom for 1/2 hour for a DC LEADERS PRAYER/CONVO. There will be zoom links coming later, but for now I'd like to hear from you. Would you benefit from a short weekly touch-point like this? Does the suggested time work? Talk to me.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Releasing People From Their Bondage

Jan. 21, 2021.Routine and status quo are powerful things in human behavior. They create habits, and these habits quickly become unquestioned. We seamlessly engage in thoughts and deeds today just because we did them yesterday. But every once in a while, something new is needed, and the assumptions of yesterday are not sufficient. Can we learn to recognize and make room for these moments?#JesusStories: One day Jesus went to a synagogue on the Sabbath (Luke 13:10-17). While he was teaching his eyes caught a woman nearby who was permanently bent over so that she couldn't even look up. Jesus stopped teaching, called her over to him, and healed her. Immediately she stood up straight and started to glorify God. But the ruler of the synagogue was upset because Jesus had "worked" on the Sabbath. He made his position clear that there are six other days in the week to do this sort of thing, but on the Sabbath, only teaching and worshipful things were to be done. Jesus had to confront this leader as a hypocrite because he would water his animals on a Sabbath but was willing to deny this woman freedom from an 18-year oppression that was ruling and ruining her life. This synagogue leader had become so focused on his religious duties for God that he had forgotten to work with God in the moment. Sound familiar? Unfortunately, Christian leaders all around us have been doing church so routinely that they have forgotten what their church practices are supposed to be doing - releasing people from their bondage.Thirty-some years ago I was standing before my church teaching a Bible study when a man walked up and stood right in front of me. I knew who he was; this mans wife had attended our church for years and I had met him once during a home visit. Frankly, I was surprised he was at our church that day. He was very critical of his wife's Christianity, and in fact was an "onry ole cuss". But now he stood five feet in front of my podium while I was trying to speak. I finally had to acknowledge him and asked if he needed anything. He said, "I've been watching the news...and the bombs that are dropping in Iran this week...and I think it is time for me to get right with God." Whoa! This is one of those moments a preacher lives for, right? But I remember pausing before I answered him. After all, I had prepared for hours on that teaching, and he was interrupting me before I even got to point two. His divine moment was cutting in on my prepared spiritual service. Now I'm glad to report that I was able to snap out of it, stop teaching, and lead that man to Jesus right in front of everyone. But I still remember that halting feeling; doing church had momentarily gotten in the way of restoring this man. Has the routines of doing church ever disrupted you from your real calling? We need to pause and remember that the God-Family is in the rescue business, and SO ARE WE!#DinnerChurchQuotes: "If Israel failed to honor the Lord (Deut. 6:4-9; 8) and care for the oppressed (Exod. 23:1-9), their land would be taken from them. Indeed, this is the most striking characteristic of Biblical Justice." -Ron Sider.#PracticalStuff: Can you help us grow this weekly conversation? If there is a church leader or family members in your orbit that you believe would be benefited by this blog and subsequent comments, please invite them to join. I sense that a great harvest is approaching at tidal wave speeds, and I want many, many, many Jesus Tables ready to respond. Would you please forward this to a couple people today? And invite them to sign-up?Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Invest In The Kingdom

Jan. 14, 2021.If these recent months of national turmoil have done anything, they have challenged some of our idols, and caused the Church to re-evaluate our mission. It seems that a growing number of leaders are now desiring something deeper than producing Sunday church gatherings. Is the Lord speaking to you about taking a more vital role in the inbreaking Kingdom of God? #JesusStories: Luke 12:31ff captures a clarifying encouragement from Jesus, in which his followers who are like a little flock of sheep should not be afraid, because it is the Fathers great happiness to give us the Kingdom. But how do we receive such a gift? And what is our role to help download this Kingdom onto the earth? Jesus answers this in vs. 33 by telling us to ‘invest in the Kingdom’. And by investing he meant actual money, and directing money to “those in need.” Interesting. Giving to the poor is how we invest in the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Many in the body of Christ probably need to spend some time meditating on this instruction. Richard Stearn reports that the average US Christian gives 2% of their income to the Kingdom, and most of that is to help with the organizational costs of their local church. Don't get me wrong, paying for our local congregations is important. But I think you’d agree it is something different than what Jesus was talking about; giving to the needy invests in the Kingdom at a high-level. Jesus then ended this interchange with perhaps the deepest point of all: “For wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will be also.” This is big, because everyone who invests in the Kingdom by giving to the poor actually rewires the desires of their heart to match the God-Family. And that can never be a bad thing. #DinnerChurchQuotes: In AD 362, the Roman Emperor Julian complained that his people needed to match the virtue of the Christians, “who support not only their poor, but our poor as well.” -Chuck Lawless#PracticalStuff: Dinner Churches are not expensive. They cost $300 per week for an average table congregation of 75 people. Accordingly, it only takes a core team who is willing to give a tithe to start one. And in time, as the new congregation learns to trust Jesus as their provider, they join in. The historic tithe is still the best funding plan available - 2000 years and counting. 

Back On Track

January 7, 2021Yesterday was another tumultuous day in our nation. I had hoped that 2021 would somehow be more peaceful, but it looks like it's picking up right where 2020 left off - more protests, more lockdowns, and more instability. And yet the body of Christ does walk to the cadence of culture; we take our cues from the inbreaking Kingdom of God.#JesusStories: Mark 9: 33ff captures an all-to-human moment with the disciples. They were arguing about which of them would be the greatest. In response, Jesus' brought a child into the midst of their talking circle and told them to become a servant to everyone, even a  child. This was perhaps the equivalent of Jesus walking into a modern-day church office and demoting the Senior Pastor to a Childrens Pastor. (And no, I do not see Childrens Pastors as less important than Senior Pastors). The disciples had wandered off the path of Christian leadership, and Jesus got them back on track by reminding them of their 'servant of all' calling.We too, sometimes wander off the path of solid Christian leadership. In self-reflection, over these past months there have been numerous times when I've heard or seen  something on the news that made a spirit of hate rise up in me. I wish I were more spiritual than that, but no. Over and again I have felt a dark desire to "set somebody straight" for their fool-headed political perspectives. I am glad I do not have a FB account or it would have been too easy to spew a diatribe of my self-righteous words. Even though I have not gone public with my disgust, I've still had to deal with an ugly spirit coursing through my veins; I've wandered off the path of Christian leadership during those hate-fests. It is interesting however, how quickly my soul has been restored once I remember the servant of all calling - even for those who had previously been the subjects of my distain. The uprising kingdom of darkness traffics in hate and division; the inbreaking Kingdom of God traffics in servanthood and unity. When our souls are filled with the latter, we know our Christian leadership is back on track!#DinnerChurchQuotes: "The whole Bible in six sentences: OT = They tried to kill us! We survived! Let’s eat! NT = I love you! I forgive you! Let's eat!" - Leonard Sweet#PracticalStuff: It has been my practice to start most mornings early, sitting with Melodee, a cup of coffee in hand, and talking to Jesus. Some years ago I realized that my image of church and the prayer altar was controlling my image of prayer during these morning times. And all-to-often there was a feeling of resistance to talk with Jesus only because it was 6am and I wasn't yet in the mood to go to church. But after we starting recovering the historic Jesus Table, my morning image began to change to a breakfast table. Interestingly, my resistance to talk with Jesus started to fade; meeting Jesus at a breakfast table always sounds better than going to church, especially at 6am. What is your devotional image? Our  'prayer-setting-image' matters. As you take the first steps into 2021, you might want to try meeting Jesus for breakfast.

An Extravagant Invitation

Dec 17, 2020.Here we are one week prior to Christmas, and I am so glad I understand what the season truly means. You and I have been invited by heaven to the Fathers table, and we have taken our place at that table. And what a life-changing privilege it has been. Yes? The Lord sought us, invited us, and we said "yes". I am intrigued however, that not all invitations are the same.#JesusStories: Among the Incarnation accounts, I love the bit about the shepherds found in Luke 2. These nomad sheep-tenders represented the lowest rung on the social ladder of early Palestine; they spent their nights sleeping in the fields with their sheep. Yet on the night Jesus was born, heaven orchestrated a spectacular invite to "them" performed by glowing angels speaking in prose and song. WOW! The contrast between lowliness and glory is breathtaking. And as expected, this invite resulted in the shepherds making their way to the side of the newborn Messiah. And when they got there, they did not walk into a palace or high-end Inn, it was an animal cave on the edge of town - a place chosen so they would not feel uncomfortable or upstaged. It appears God went out of His way to make this invitation perfect for them, even to the discomfort of the first family. Now it is true that much later, wealthy nobles found a place at the side of the Christ Child too, but their invite was not the same as the shepherds. For the lowly, God pursued them in a most marvelous way and literally swept them to the side of the infant Jesus; for the others, God posted a star and left the door open for them to find their way. So all were welcomed, but the poor were given an invitation of extravagance.What does this mean to the leaders of Jesus' Church through the ages? In rich America, it serves as a confrontation against any form of elitism. Many Christian leaders have missed-the-mark by envisioning their churches filled with impressive people, while overlooking the lower-third who live in the shadow of their steeples. This is exactly the opposite of the message that flows from the shepherds grand invite story, isn't it? Further, it is exactly the opposite of the people Jesus pursued first during his ministry - the sick, the poor, the sinner, and the isolated at all levels of the social ladder. Could the American Church ever learn to reserve our most extravagant invitations for those left-behind and over-looked?#DinnerChurchQuotes: "Those who abandon everything in order to seek God know well that He is the God of the poor." -Thomas Merton#PracticalStuff: This is the season to remember that the Divine Invite holds particular power for challenged groups. So here is the idea-of-the-week: 1)Call a holiday huddle with your core team and remember where your dinner churchs' calling lies. 2)Then read the Luke 2:8-16, followed by Mt. 25:34-40. 3)End by leading them in a prayer of recommitment to set a table for the isolated knowing full-well that Jesus Himself will sit down with them.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Stalls, Setbacks & Side-Steps

Dec. 10, 2020.I hate pauses. For people who are progress oriented, having to slow down feels like a death sentence. And yet, an honest perusal of our lives will assuradely reveal many stalls, setbacks & side-steps. It usually takes most of us decades of walking with Jesus to realize there is something very holy going on during these slow-downs.#JesusStories: One of the undeniable themes of the original incarnation story is bad-timing and back-steps. Luke 2 records that Mary was forced to take a required trip to Josephs' ancestral home for governmental record-keeping while she was nine-months pregnant. And if that weren't inconvenient enough, the only accommodations were a cave-like animal shelter. And it was there that she went into labor, gave birth, and laid the Christ-child in a feeding trough. Are you kidding me? Then Matthew 2 tells that after Jesus was born, Joseph was visited by an angel who told them to flee in the night to Egypt to avoid Herod's jealous wrath. And then after they fled, all the remaining Jewish male babies were put to death. That was a grievous back-lash. It was years later before Joseph would be informed in a dream that it was safe to return home to Nazareth. In Mark 1, when it was finally time for Jesus to begin his ministry, he was instead swept off to the wilderness for forty days to face-off with Satan. FINALLY, in John 2 we see the wedding at Cana where Jesus' ministry of miracles began. But before that wondrous day, there were A LOT of pauses, half-starts, and push-backs. Is that the best that could be procured for the Messiah and the launch of the greatest rescue story of all time?Truthfully, as a life-long project achiever, I do not understand this long list of set-backs in the Messiah story. Nor do I understand pauses and intersections when they occur in my life and leadership. Do you? However, after sixty-plus years of being disappointed by God's pauses, I have come to the conclusion that there must be something holy going on here. If the first incarnation story needed all those earthly set-backs before the heavenly mysteries (stars, angel choirs, divine dreams), then perhaps our lives and ministries need the pauses too. Can we be good with that?#DinnerChurchQuotes: "The incarnational model leads to little Jesuses, walking across all boundaries to be in every nook and cranny of society." -David Fitch#PracticalStuff: Several of our pastors are reporting that miracles and healings and preaching impact is still happening at their sidewalk Dinner Churches. Covid aside, Jesus is still showing up around these buffet lines and doing his thing. Perhaps it would be misguided to assume that we will regain our traction once we get back indoors. It appears that Jesus isn't waiting.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon  

God Births

Dec. 3, 2020.Our Lord is actively birthing new things upon the earth every single day. Given that, we must learn to see them, sense them, and help usher them in. However, it is a difficult thing for us to move at the speed of God and flow with His Ways. We are limited beings living in a fallen world, so how can we get in sync with the Divine? Let’s look at the incarnation story through different eyes. #JesusStories: In Matthew 1, Mary became pregnant by the Holy Spirit and Joseph understandably assumed she had been unfaithful to him. But he was a good man and did not want to shame her publicly, so he decided to quietly end the engagement and walk away. But that night, an angel showed up and explained to Joseph that Mary had not been unfaithful, but was actually pregnant by the Holy Spirit. So Joseph woke up, took Mary to be his wife, and entered into a surreal story of divine proportions. And of course, you know the rest. But what if the incarnation was more than Jesus’ coming-to-earth story? What if it was intended to be repeated in some way millions of times in the lives of Christ followers through the ages?  This story, like so many others in scripture, reveals a pattern of how God intervenes upon the earth: He starts small, uses unexplainable elements, and enlists people to boldly help birth his intervention plans. While God certainly works differently from time to time, he clearly loves this particular pattern. At the very least, we shouldn’t be surprised if this pattern shows up in our lives and leadership. But how can we become bold partners for God during divine interventions? The answer is this: we must see a divine hand to assist in a divine birth. For Mary and Joseph, they both received a visit from an angel. That encounter gave them a glimpse into the God-world, and that glimpse emboldened them to engage in an impossible plan. Though it was illogical, they did it. Though it brought stress and turmoil into their lives, they did it. Though it took a long time to develop, they stayed with it. But it was that angels’ visit that emboldened them. Somehow, we need something similar to inspire our courage and enable us to help usher divine interventions into our families, our ministries, and our cities. But, angel visitations are rare, so how might we be invited to see beyond the veil into the God-world? Honestly, I do not know - that is a Jesus thing. But I do know that divine births are real. And divine glimpses that emboldens us into action are real too. Perhaps the real question is: Are we willing to become involved in an unexplainable ‘Divine Birth’ story in our time? #DinnerChurchQuotes: “It is all too possible to emphasize spiritual truth, yet miss Christ - who is Himself the embodiment and incarnation of all these things.” -Frank Viola#PracticalStuff: There is great value in 'showing up', far more than we realize. Dinner Churches are very good at embracing isolated people, and these people in particular are deeply impacted when Jesus' people come to eat with them - especially during the bad weather, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Years. Numerous times our team has heard, “I cannot believe you guys are here today. You are the real deal.” So here is my coaching tip: Would you take a look at your upcoming holiday calendar, and if you were planning on cancelling holiday Dinners, would you reconsider? After all, this is the time of year when we remember Immanence (God here), and Emmanuel (God with us). And there is no one more positioned than Dinner Churches to model the "show-up" Jesus.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon   

Roots!

Nov 19, 2020.We live in a transitory period in human history. Since the birth of the Industrial Revolution, nuclear families and individuals have branched out to 'make their own way'. That was a significant departure from the agrarian ideal where multi-generational families worked their farms together throughout the span of their lives. That was a day of roots; this is a day of isolation. In point of fact, these past one-hundred years in Western Culture is the first time in human history where family disconnectedness is considered normal. Hmmm.#JesusStories: I love how the Gospel of Matthew begins. Never-mind the fact that Matthew was trained to establish a person's family-line for tax-collection purposes, these opening verses provide a rich understanding that Jesus came from someone - many someone's. Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob.... Boaz.... Solomon... Josiah... Zerubbabel... and so on for twenty-eight generations. Jesus not only had a heavenly heritage, he also had deep roots upon this earth; he had a thick and rich human heritage. God made numerous promises to Jesus' ancestors: they experienced miracles, they made difficult choices of faith during difficult seasons of temptations, and they both failed and persevered. Altogether, these family stories created a certain seedbed for Jesus to be planted into. Jesus might have been sent for the World, but he was born into a particular family line. And that means something.What it means for us, is that when we are born again, we are born into the same family Jesus had, and in an instant we have a rich earthly legacy. To be honest, we are too quick to assume that we have been born into the family of God, when in fact we were also born into a particular earthly family-line. The Jews are not the only ones with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in their pedigree - we have been adopted into that same blessed family too. The promises God made to Abraham, the blessings God poured upon Isaac, and the dreams God showered upon Jacob are all flowing down the family heritage right into our lives too. And that is only highlighting three of our earthly fathers; there are many more on whom God cascaded His favor. Jesus worked hard at introducing himself as the 'son of man' for a reason; he wanted us to be connected to the long God-story right here on earth, not just the God-story occurring in Heaven. Something wonderful happens in our faith and leadership when we not only embrace him as 'son of God' but also embrace him as 'son of man'. We start receiving the life-flow from his earthly roots, and we start expecting those big OT stories to start showing up in our lives. After all, parting seas, divine dreams in deserts, and being surrounded by chariots of fire are just the kinds of things that happen to our family. Those are our roots! Those are your roots!#DinnerChurchQuotes:

• Augustine initially believed that charismatic gifts had died out in the church. But he changed his mind after keeping records in Hippo for two years: "I realized how many miracles were occurring in our own day; already we have nearly 70 attested miracles." -Augustine (Full quote via Michael Green).
• "In Israel, in order to be a realist you must believe in miracles. Anyone who does not believe in miracles is not a realist." -David Ben-Gurion (Israel's Prime Minister 1955-1963)

#PracticalStuff: Huddles matter! If you have been sent to open a Jesus Table, then the Lord will surely call forth a core team to help you shepherd that new congregation. We have found nothing that keeps a core team of shepherds pulling together any better than weekly huddles. There, you can keep hearts inspired by praying together, keep leadership developing by doing book read-throughs, and keep table-side skills growing by discussing weekly experiences. Jesus will give you the team, but you have a role in developing that team. Huddles Matter!Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

Comfortable With Authority

Nov. 12, 2020.Many American Christians see themselves as humble citizens of the Kingdom of God. And while humility holds certain theological merit, there is another truth associated with our  authority that needs to be embraced too. I have noticed that the average Christian becomes nervous when it is suggested that they've been given authority to change things here on the earth. Thankfully, we aren't the only disciples throughout church history that have been concerned about that.#JesusStories: There is an interesting exchange recorded in Luke 10 where the disciples returned to Jesus after being sent out two-by-two with the assignment to do what they had seen Jesus do numerous times. They healed the sick and preached about the Kingdom of God with great effect. But what surprised them most was their ability to make demons flee by using Jesus' Name. The Lord's reply is worth sober meditation; he told them something we all need to hear afresh today: "I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightening! Look, I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy." Did you hear that? Jesus' disciples (including us) have been given authority over the enemy. Do you believe that? I would propose that most present-day disciples have not embraced the authority Jesus wants to give them. We all know the horror stories of leaders who have used spiritual authority to abuse and control others, and we want no part of that. But what do we do with the scriptural fact that Jesus wants us to hold significant authority over the uprising kingdom of darkness? (BTW - this is not the only verse that suggests such authority. See Matt. 16, Mark 13, Mark 16, Luke 19, John 14, and John 20 for more evidence). Scripturally, it is clear that Jesus wants us to join in the Christ-tradition of 'destroying the works of the devil' (1 Jn. 3). This is our heritage; this is our calling. At some point, every disciple must choose to become comfortable with the authority that Jesus is actually trying to hand them.#DinnerChurchQuotes:

• "We underestimate how much spiritual authority we have when we pray in accordance with the will of God." - Mark Batterson.
• "Our ability to live like Jesus is the basis of spiritual authority." - Alan Hirsch

#PracticalStuff: Ask the Lord to give you at least one person to pray for each evening at Dinner Church when you walk in. Then don't be surprised when during a conversation you feel a stirring in your heart to do so. Boldly act on it! In this way your ability to pray healing prayers will grow, and so will your healing stories.Blessings & Boldness,Verlon

The Healing Touch

Nov 5, 2020.What is the American Church known for? I'm sure there are different answers from different regions and regarding different denominations, but there is one identifier shared by most of us - the American Church is about Bible teaching. This is why we were considered 'non-essential' during the pandemic, and were shut down along with schools, colleges, and other teaching-based institutions. But what was Jesus known for?#JesusStories: I'm remembering two particular stories in the gospel of Mark. In chapter five a woman who was suffering with a chronic bleeding problem decided to press through the crowd and touch the edge of Jesus' robe as he walked by. When she did, she was instantly  healed. Then in chapter six, hoards of people brought all manner of sick and maimed people to Jesus and asked to touch the edge of his robe. And again, all who touched him were healed. That woman changed everything; she revealed a new understanding of healing; she started a movement. Prior to that woman's healing, it was assumed that Jesus would need to touch someone as an act of his decision for them to be healed. But now it was apparent that healing flowed from Jesus when people touch him. THAT WAS BIG! Suddenly healing was within sick people's grasp too. That knowledge was so electrifying that within the space of one gospel chapter it reverberated throughout the crowd and out into the countryside. Throngs of sick people came asking to touch Jesus' robe too. And He let them! And the same healing that flowed into the woman now flowed into them! The thing that is often missed is what these two stories reveal about the nature of healing. Healing is not as much a divine decision as an ever-present reality. Healing flowed from Jesus even when he was not releasing it, because Jesus is the Healer in whom healing virtue resides. As it turns out, the healing touch might not only be about 'him touching us', but also about 'us touching him'. When Jesus is present, healing is present. When we set an Agape Table, Jesus and his healing virtue will be present at that table. Get used to it.#DinnerChurchQuotes: "The church is called to stand at the crossroads where the world feels pain; we must be willing to embrace inconvenient task of taking the healing of Jesus to the pain of the world." -NT Wright#PracticalStuff: We just received word that the American Bible Society is going to print a #JesusStories Bible for us. This bible project will be designed with a secular audience in mind and will include Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. The first printing will be coming out on Easter 2021. We are desiring to give a copy to every person Jesus has gathered to our dinner churches. Might you consider the same? If you are interested in receiving some copies on first order, let us know in the comment field below. These will cost around $5 per bible, and there are some grants available for those who need it. Talk to me!Blessings & Boldness,Verlon