I wanted to share a few thoughts from a recent newsletter that Pastor Zeb Mengistu sent me. It really resonated with me. I think NCC is part of the research and development department of the Kingdom of God. We're called to be "reformers." I think every generation is called to reform and reinvent the church. The theological word is incarnation. I was challenged and encouraged by Pastor Zeb's thoughts:
I have been impacted by this idea recently. As I see it, there are two kinds of people in the world: Reformers and conformers. Basically, reformers are the ones who set the trends, and conformers are the ones who follow them. Reformers impact, conformers are impacted. Reformers influence, conformers are influenced. Reformers make the noise, conformers listen.
The struggle at the time of John the Baptist’s birth is a struggle every person who was ever born faces. Plans were being made for him which, though well intended, would limit him to a life of conformity. Family and friends, society and culture were waiting with open arms to steer his life down the path they thought best. But they failed to understand that before their plans were made, God had placed the spirit of a reformer within him.
In recent months I have been studying the life of Martin Luther who was responsible for the Protestant Reformation. In short this is what I discovered: The church in that day had been powerfully deceived through hard traditional conformation. It was a trap Martin Luther himself fell into and suffered under. He experienced a personal deliverance through the study of Scripture. When he introduced that experience to the church, the reformation was born. God is a creator, and one of the evidences of God’s presence is creativity--the introduction of that which has never been seen before.
I think of it like this. 1 John 5:19 describes how the whole world is under the control of the evil one. So the evil one is in charge and we are in prison. Matthew 16 describes how God gives us the keys of the kingdom designed to break us free from the systems that bind us and hold us back.
In spite of this, I have seen countless ministries conduct their operations from behind prison walls. They generally consist of encouraging prisoners and patting them on the back. Though it is nice and friendly, and we can all even love each other, the truth still remains: we are all still in prison. We would be much more effective if we were to take the reforming key and apply it to the conforming door, which has kept us all bound, and turn it. One turn would do more for the prisoners than a million counseling sessions. In other words, if you do not pick up your reformation calling, then we are all still in prison.
It is not always easy to live the life of a reformer. History teaches us that conformers and reformers generally do not get along. In fact, Scriptures teaches how all the prophets were killed with few exceptions. So too was Jesus, and all the disciples save for John. They were radical reformers in a conforming world. But for those who choose the reforming way, nothing else can satisfy.
The thing is this: If you, as a reformer, choose to spend your life conforming, that means the problem you were called to solve multiplies, and the world will not experience the tremendous deliverance and blessing that you were assigned by God to bring. The Goliath you were supposed to bring down will still reign.
I have been impacted by this idea recently. As I see it, there are two kinds of people in the world: Reformers and conformers. Basically, reformers are the ones who set the trends, and conformers are the ones who follow them. Reformers impact, conformers are impacted. Reformers influence, conformers are influenced. Reformers make the noise, conformers listen.
The struggle at the time of John the Baptist’s birth is a struggle every person who was ever born faces. Plans were being made for him which, though well intended, would limit him to a life of conformity. Family and friends, society and culture were waiting with open arms to steer his life down the path they thought best. But they failed to understand that before their plans were made, God had placed the spirit of a reformer within him.
In recent months I have been studying the life of Martin Luther who was responsible for the Protestant Reformation. In short this is what I discovered: The church in that day had been powerfully deceived through hard traditional conformation. It was a trap Martin Luther himself fell into and suffered under. He experienced a personal deliverance through the study of Scripture. When he introduced that experience to the church, the reformation was born. God is a creator, and one of the evidences of God’s presence is creativity--the introduction of that which has never been seen before.
I think of it like this. 1 John 5:19 describes how the whole world is under the control of the evil one. So the evil one is in charge and we are in prison. Matthew 16 describes how God gives us the keys of the kingdom designed to break us free from the systems that bind us and hold us back.
In spite of this, I have seen countless ministries conduct their operations from behind prison walls. They generally consist of encouraging prisoners and patting them on the back. Though it is nice and friendly, and we can all even love each other, the truth still remains: we are all still in prison. We would be much more effective if we were to take the reforming key and apply it to the conforming door, which has kept us all bound, and turn it. One turn would do more for the prisoners than a million counseling sessions. In other words, if you do not pick up your reformation calling, then we are all still in prison.
It is not always easy to live the life of a reformer. History teaches us that conformers and reformers generally do not get along. In fact, Scriptures teaches how all the prophets were killed with few exceptions. So too was Jesus, and all the disciples save for John. They were radical reformers in a conforming world. But for those who choose the reforming way, nothing else can satisfy.
The thing is this: If you, as a reformer, choose to spend your life conforming, that means the problem you were called to solve multiplies, and the world will not experience the tremendous deliverance and blessing that you were assigned by God to bring. The Goliath you were supposed to bring down will still reign.
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