Jesus Downsized For You and Me Will We Downsize To Follow Him.

2 Corinthians 8:9 (New Living Translation) “You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich.”

The more we as human beings have the less we become willing to give to others.

As many of you who read my messages weekly are aware since I have spoken of it several times in the last few months I have been in a place financially like so many others where I have to downsize my lifestyle.

Even though Father continues to meet my families and my needs in abundance, I am almost embarrassed, because at times this need to downsize has been a source of great disturbance, depression and anger to me.

In truth, this has been one of those weeks.

As I share this it feels crazy, but I find that at times I even feel fear not of not having my needs met, but of having to give up things I enjoy.

As I mentioned previous I have had things if Father asked me to give to someone and if that meant I would have none for myself there was a good chance, I would not give it up.

In the past, I have given away my lunch money so someone else could have food in his or her refrigerator and I felt like I did something great, because of it.

However the truth is I only did it, because I knew that in time my lunch money would be replaced and I could always find something at home.

Besides, if you saw me in person you would notice I have not missed many meals or snacks for that matter.

It is somewhat strange, because even as I write this I find myself excited and encouraged.

Even though I find this disturbing and uncomfortable I also know in my heart that in the end this will result in me growing in relationship with Father and as I learn more to embrace need I will become more effective in loving my neighbors.

As I learn to embrace need and be content with what I have I will be able to truthfully reach out to and impart faith, hope, and trust to others in need.

Hebrews 12:26-28 (New Living Translation) "When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.

Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe."

The world is in a place where whatever can be shaken is being shaken in personal lives, nations, governments, business, industry… and even in the church.

The leadership of the last institutional church I was part of, became a personality-worshiping cult and corrupt and in the last approximately 8 months a former thriving Christian church that had nearly 2000 people attending on Sundays has shrunk to 1/10th of that size.

Statistics demonstrate thousands of people per month are leaving the institutional church and 100’s of those are leaving for more organic genuine community building oriented ways of gathering and for spiritual growth and opportunities to use their God given gifts for the benefit of others in the body of Christ in ways that are not available in institutional church.

I have heard reports of many besides myself declaring the end of Evangelicalism.

Some months ago, I wrote “I believe the Spirit is leading the Ecclesia of Christ into a post-institutional, post-congregational, post-obligation, and post-sectarian organic relationship with Christ, His Body, and our neighbors that is free of man-made systems, programs, and agendas that pigeon hole us and attempt to pigeon hole God.”

This is a time for all of us to consider what areas of our lives are being shaken lose by Father to reveal to us that they are not built on the solid foundation of Christ.

We need to ask Father is there areas in which I am being shaken to reveal where downsizing will make me more effective for the works that you have prepared for me.

John 1:14 (The Message) “The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish.

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