Amos 1:1-3:15
Revelation 2:1-17
Psalm 129:1-8
Proverbs 29:19-20
To Live the DREAM means to live the Balanced Christian Life. I tried to copy a visual below, but it may not have worked. If you think of it as a wheel, the "tire" is our purpose - our Mission to reach our World for Christ. It's where the "rubber meets the road" so to speak. There are 3 spokes: Relationships Devoted to Unity, Empowered Through Biblical Training, and Active Ministry Involvement. The Hub of the wheel is the "Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship".
The Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship (DLOW) represents our relationship with the Lord. It must be the center of all we do. It must be healthy.
In Revelations 2, John is instructed to write a letters to the Churches. The Ephesian Church has a pretty good looking wheel, but has a significant problem.
"I know how many Good things you are doing. I have watched your hard work and your patience; (Active Ministry Involvement) I know you don't tolerate sin among your members, (Relationships Devoted to Unity) and you have carefully examined the claims of those who say they are apostles but aren't. You have found out how they lie. (Empowered Through Biblical Training)." Rev. 2:2
You could think things are going pretty good from this review. But, here it comes: "yet there is one thing wrong; you don't love me as at first! Think about those times of your first love (how different now!) and turn back to me again and work as you did before; or else I will come and remove your candlestick from its place among the churches." Rev. 2:4-5
The problem is that they're all spokes and no hub. As we live the balanced Christian life, we need to make sure that our relationship with Christ is the central focus. Great "spokes" should be part of our life, but we can't forget what holds us together.
Notice that the church was not told to get rid of their "spokes". They were told to "turn back to me again and work as you did before." So many times I hear someone tell me they have to throw their spokes away because their hub has lost it's focus. That isn't the point. The point is that we need to be in healthy relationship with Christ in all things.
It's BECAUSE I love Christ that I am devoted to unity. It's BECAUSE I love Christ that I'm Empowered through his Word & I'm Actively using my gifts. The manifestation of all these things is reaching our World for Christ.
It's great to desire balance. That's what we're shooting for. But we can never forget that in order to find balance, we must have the right thing in the center!
Let's get our wheel in order as we live the DREAM!
Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!
P Greg
Dynamic Lifestyle of Worship
Relationships Devoted to Unity
Empowered Through Biblical Training
Active Ministry Involvement
Mission to Reach our World for Christ
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