Change Is Inevitable, Obedience Is Not

Martha and I love change

We love the newness of change

We love the challenge of change

Change can be good

Staying the same can lead to being “stuck in a rut”. When our forefathers were blazing trails in their horse drawn buggies they tried to follow the ruts. If there were ruts in the ground, it was easier to follow them than to create new ones. Ruts were the path of least resistance. Eventually someone broke free of the ruts and started a second lane or a path that led off in a new direction – maybe even a short cut. I would guess that trailblazer was mocked for not following the path. This change in direction led to the many streets and highways we have today and the settling of our great nation. Horse drawn carts led to cars and now our cars can practically drive themselves.

I love the feeling of change so much that I tend to crave the challenges it brings. Sometimes God asks us to stay the course and remain on the path. He wants us to be patient with His plan that will eventually take us into new wonders. However, I find not changing hard.

I find obedience hard when it doesn’t fit my plan.

The challenge for you and me today? Are you willing to let God orchestrate when and where we experience change or blaze a new path? Whether that change be a career path, a move, hiring another staff person, running for Congress, or mentoring a young adult – let God lead.

Chris Tomlin says in “Everlasting God” – “our” strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. God will bring change but let Him do it and wait. Better to obey…

Acts 5:29 English Standard Version (ESV)

29 But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

How Do YOU Measure Up?

Top down vs bottom up

I was working on a home project the other day that involved drilling a hole through the kitchen cement wall to the outside patio. I carefully planned out the project, including the decision to drill from the outside in, to minimize the dust and cleanup in the house. I measured more than twice to drill in the exact spot I had to hit in the kitchen. I measured from the ground up inside and outside and also used the window sill as a reference to make sure I had it perfect. Then, I began the tedious job of drilling and using my sledge hammer & chisel to get through the 12 inch thick cement. I pounded, chiseled and drilled for over 4 hours before deciding to go to a big box home store and purchase a $23 - 12” cement drill bit to finish the task. I drilled the rest of the way through the wall and guess what? I missed the mark by over 2”…! Why?

I measured from the ground up instead of from the top down. The floor inside is over 2” higher than the floor outside. Back to the store I went, to purchase cement patch to fix the huge stinking hole and start over. This time I drilled from the inside out and was through the wall in 7 minutes.

Where did I go wrong? I used the wrong reference point.

How often in life have we made decisions with the wrong reference point as well? Decisions made from the bottom up use our wisdom and our perspective. Decisions made from the top down use God’s wisdom and God’s perspective. He has the perfect solution to the issues we are facing.

Lesson Learned? Always start with our Father. He has given us Holy Spirit to help with all our decisions and perspective - even construction projects at home.

Heavenly “Top Down” measuring always delivers the solutions we need and we won’t have to patch the ridiculous (damage) hole afterwards.

Proverbs 3:5-6

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Words To Understand: Part 2

Pastor and Minister

Last week we talked about the word Pastor and the fact that you do not have to quit your job in order to be one. You can do a Romans 12:2 paradigm shift and be a pastor right there in your workplace and your neighborhood, even your small group. Pastor isn’t about a title, it is about a calling and an attitude. You are surrounded by people who need to be led to Jesus, so Pastor them.

Now for the rest of you who think:

“It would be so fulfilling to quit my job and do ministry all day long.”

STOP! The enemy has done such a great job of pigeonholing Christians into a building with which ministry is being done. ENOUGH of this stupid thinking. The enemy cordoned us off in a building while he was out deceiving the masses who don’t want to enter that meeting place.

Have you ever considered that the Body of Christ is spread out all over the world, in every imaginable workplace SO THAT MINISTRY can be done there? You are a minister of Jesus to the masses that you work with. You are there in your workplace or retirement place to teach the lost to be found. You are there to minister to the least of these. You are there to set the captives free. IF YOU LEAVE YOUR WORKPLACE who will take your place and do the ministry that YOU WERE REALLY CALLED to?

You are in ministry. You have been since the day Jesus found you. All around you are hurting and lost people. They don’t know your “church” pastor, they know you. They trust you. They need you. PLEASE DON’T QUIT.

For daily challenges like this, tune into iWork4Him

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Words To Understand: Part 1

Pastor & Minister

IF I have heard it a million times, I have heard it once (but I really have heard it a million times):

“I just wish I could quit my job and be a Pastor. I wish I could just work in a church so I could do ministry” 

Those words make my heart sink, not because we don’t need people working at the church and preaching, but because they may be missing the ministry that God has for them at their work now. There is so much misunderstanding in those statements you could write a book about it. 

I’m not going to write a book, I just want to write this blog.

What is a Pastor? A pastor is a shepherd, a leader who cares deeply for and leads his/her sheep.  The Way of the Shepherd by Kevin Leman is my favorite book on this topic.  When you are a manager or leader or business owner, you can be a pastor to your people, right there in your workplace.    You don’t need to go to a building that houses the church on Sunday in order to be a pastor, you can train up to be one right where you work.  You don’t need to be ordained to be a pastor in your workplace.  You just need to love people above yourself and lead them to Jesus through caring for their needs.

So enough of thinking “I wish I could quit my job and go be a pastor in a little “c” church.”  You can do a Romans 12:2 paradigm shift and be a pastor right NOW in your workplace and your neighborhood, even your small group.  

What does Our Heavenly Father have to say about this with regards to you and your life – I don’t know just listen to Him! 

What is the difference between Pastor and Minister?  Lets talk about that next week

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Word To Understand:

Church

We have heard our listeners say things like:

“I hate my work environment, I wish I could work at a church.”

What do they really mean when they say the word “church”?

The church was Jesus’s idea. The church was another word for a gathering of Christ followers. The church is the church wherever it gathers. The church is not defined by a building. If Jesus had wanted us to build a bunch of buildings, he probably would have downloaded a few blueprints for us like our Father did for King David. No, the Church isn’t a building and the Church is everywhere: in our neighborhoods, in our workplaces and of course in the 4 walls building we also call a church.

There is the Big “C” church – the whole entire complete Body of Christ and the little “c” church - which is the building we meet in on Sunday. Please, I beg you to stop saying that you wish you worked at a church. You are the church! You are part of the Body of Christ. Some of you are a mouth and some of you are corpuscles but all of you are CRITICALLY important to the mission set before us by Christ.

Your workplace can be a “c” church if you gather with others to pray and meet. You bring the big “C” church into your workplace because you are part of the Body of Christ. Church is not a word defined by buildings, it is defined by your heart. You want to see a difference in your workplace, believe you are part of the “C” church when you walk through the doors of your workplace today. Check out www.iWork4Him.com/jointheNation

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Words We Just Don’t Use Any More: Parachurch

Since the beginning of the church, the Body of Christ has struggled with unity.

“I follow Paul”

“I follow Apollos”

“I follow Jesus”.

In the early church they struggled with division and taking sides, and many still struggle today.

Until now. Inside the religious institution of the 4 walls church, there are 45,000 denominations worldwide. 45,000! How does that match up with John 17:20-23? Jesus wanted us to move towards complete unity. This unity hasn’t happened, until now. No longer are there “churches” and “para church ministries”, those are diving words. Everywhere the body of Christ is scattered around the globe, it is THE Church. It is free from division and making an impact.

How do I know…Martha and I have been experiencing it.

Since 2006 I have been studying the Faith and Work Movement and for the past 6 ½ years we have been the Media mouthpiece for it. So much time invested in highlighting what God is doing in the workplaces of our country.

What have we seen?

When the Body of Christ is outside the 4 walls church the body of Christ is unified in reaching the workplaces of this country. There are over 3000 Faith and Work Ministries in this country and all of them are unified with the sole task of discipling Christ Followers to live out their faith in their work. Not one person is in charge of this movement. The Holy Spirit is in charge and He is raising up men and women from every occupation to speak Truth into work and redeem work from the enemy. Work was God’s idea and He is out to transform the workplaces of our country.

So let’s not bring division into the Body of Christ. Stop thinking there is a little “c” church or parachurch, we are THE Church and it was Jesus’ idea.

Have fun in your mission field this week.

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Bible, Bacon, Berries in Bridgetown

This past Sunday Morning I found myself reading my Bible, cooking bacon, eating berries and enjoying the beauty of our new neighborhood called Bridgetown!

This is a sneak peek into my life.

My Bible reading time has to come first every day or it just doesn’t happen. Bacon is my favorite food mixed with so many other great things like chocolate. We are so blessed to be able to eat Bacon, and I like berries because they offer the ANTI to my Bacon.

I often get distracted by the everyday and forget to be thankful. I am thankful for the Word of God: 66 books, by 40+ Authors in 3 different countries over a period of 1500 years. It is not one book but a collection of completely unified writings from people in relationship with our Heavenly Father. I am often amazed at the freshness of the scriptures each morning. I have been reading and re-reading 1 Corinthians in the past month. So much to encourage me. I love Paul. He and I have similar personalities, because we both just say it like it is. Truth is truth. Without Truth we are lost. 1 Cor 15:12-20. The Word of God is living and breathing and active. Just pop it open and read - you will find it feeding your soul, like it does mine. So if I start my day with God’s word, it just makes the Bacon and Berries and living in Bridgetown all that much better.

Are you thankful for God’s Word?

Jim

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

What Is Being Stolen From You Right Now?

When things go haywire in my life, I often reference John 10:10 (NLT) where Jesus said

10 "The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life." Is your life rich and satisfying or does it feel like you are dying a slow death?

The enemy is on the prowl and he doesn't want you to experience what Jesus has to offer. What is the enemy stealing from you right now? Is it your peace? Is he replacing it with fear? Is it your trust? Is he replacing it with mis-trust? Is it your joy? Is he replacing it with misery?

I believe it is a choice to follow Jesus, all day long.

When I experience fear, mis-trust and misery, I am reminded of what Jesus said and I ask for forgiveness for giving that miserable enemy a foothold in my life. I recognize that Jesus didn't bring any of those things, He came that we might have life and live it to the fullest - or a rich and satisfying life.

So many of us head to work miserable because we hate the work, the people, the manager, the commute, etc. But when we realize that Jesus said he came that we might really experience LIFE, who is wrong. Is it Him? Does He just not get it? Is your job unredeemable?

I think it all starts in our understanding. If Jesus said we are to have LIFE, then when the enemy starts to steal, kill and destroy, step back and stop him in Jesus name and claim life. Walking with the Lord all day long here is tough but it is possible and it will breathe life into you.

So the next time you are feeling like you are on the end of Satan's kill stick, break it off with Jesus name and proclaim LIFE. It was Jesus' idea.

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

It’s Just Not Funny Anymore

It used to be funny when the people our culture complained about the most were the Christians. Now when Christians are being blamed for all the ills in society, it’s just not funny anymore. People following Jesus, us, were supposed to be the solution to the problem, not the causes of problems.

Jesus said in John 17:20-23 (NLT)

20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. 22 “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. 23 I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”

Jesus prayed for us, you and me.

We are the ones who believe the disciples message. He prayed we would be one (unified).

The other day, a listener called into the show to say that he feels alienated as a believer in his office because of his political views. The “Christians” in the office were bickering over politics instead of being unified for the sake of the LOST.

Enough of the stupid. We all follow Jesus. Let’s find commonality with those who also claim to follow Jesus in your workplace. Forget about your differences and focus on your UNITY for the sake of eternity.

I don’t believe Jesus would have been a registered party member in this country. He was not a politician, He was our Savior. So often we confuse our politicians with our Savior.

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!

Why Was "Cheers" So Successful?

Imagine a place where everyone knows your name.

They care about you. Everyone is nice to you. Everything around you is being perfectly orchestrated to bring you a little happiness. I know, its sounds like Heaven or the opening to the old hit TV show "Cheers" that I've been watching lately. I believe this idea might be key to experiencing a little bit of Heaven here on Earth. Read on.

What is your workplace like for you? Do people know your name? Are they nice to you and care about your happiness? Do you know their names and welcome them into a non-judging environment?

Imagine if every person who calls themselves a Christian actually saw their workplace as more than an income stream, but a place of ministry. Imagine if every Christian saw their workplace full of hurting people who need to meet Jesus, as an opportunity to get paid to do mission work every day. If we love everyone, even the grouchiest people, and do excellent work, our workplace will be magical, almost like Heaven.

The show, “Cheers”, resonated with so many people over the years because everyone was welcome, their name was known, and they were served kindness. Love breaks down the largest barriers and bridges gaps. You do not need to quit your job in order to "Go" into ministry, all you need to do is shift your paradigm. You already are on mission and in ministry. Love the people around you in your workplace and serve them kindness. Check out the iWork4Him Nation today. It can be a great step in shifting your paradigm.

Jim

iWork4Him exists to transform the workplace of every Christian into a mission field.

About the Author, Jim Brangenberg

Jim's Mission: We are called to be examples of Christ to those around us. With that in mind, Jim is passionate about helping Christ followers connect their faith to their work!