I’m a beggar telling other beggars where to find food.

Real food is needed. Real truth is where unction meets function. Disciples will not be made until our pride is reduced like hide.

Life is built upon life. Cheap tricks won’t save a life lost in a cave.  We won’t use banana splits or any other gimmicks that are only counterproductive and destructive.

How many times will the youth pastor shave his head before he saves the spiritually dead?

Apparently more than once.

I urge you, leaders, no more gimmicks.

Preach the gospel instead. The things that Jesus did and said. When you do this you create positive momentum – power in the meek – boldness seen in the weak.

I’m talking about disciples, not converts.

Tell me,  when were we told to make converts? Was it when Jesus chose the twelve and led them up life’s hills? Maybe when he taught them to be fishers of men.

The Last Dinner

Just as Paul was the chief of sinners delivering the message of the cross to sinners, so we are beggars giving other beggars dinner.

Bread

on bread

on bread.

Remember when Jesus had his blood

poured out

poured out

poured out.

Remember when Jesus said,

“When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,  and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

Could we ever repay Christ? No, we are the poor, crippled, lame, and blind. We bring nothing to the dinner table of salvation other than our sin.

Our treasure was set on Earth. Our abilities to act toward God were dead. Our path of choice was wide and led to death. We couldn’t walk on the narrow road. We didn’t want that home. We got everything we wanted before Christ.

The worst part? We were unable to see our iniquities. Blind to the sin that had us bound.

Children of wrath,

Such were we!

 But God came-‘n

Delivered we!

No More Gimmicks

Gimmicks didn’t help me; they tortured me! Enabled my sinful insanity!

A gimmick to feel good. Some Kush to push the Loud to cloud. Some brew for a spew with my bounce-house-ice-cream-licking crew. But what I needed was a leader. A Pillar of Smoke.

I won’t use another banana split to convince beggars of their need of you. I’ll use your bread and wine till they’re fine and dined. It is by the work of your Spirit that beggars hear it. So I’ll join with your Holy Unction and declare it.

Relationships built to live upon the life they give. Short term lives making long term shifts in rifts between the norm and God’s discipleship storm. Like the final split when the curtain was torn. Go into the world, but don’t conform.

When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!”

The kingdom dinner is ahead. The beggars bread is at hand.