Saturday 26 October 2019

Vision of the Bonsai Church


Vision of the Bonsai Church
.........At that point in the middle of the redwood forest, Chris had a vision. Now, when I say vision, it wasn't anything otherworldly. Jesus didn’t appear in a blinding light. An angel didn't show up dressed like a warrior with a scroll in his hands. This was all in Chris’s mind - one of his powerful spiritual insights. In the vision, Chris was on a guided tour of a popular megachurch campus. The pastor, excited about his wonderful church, was leading Chris around, showing him the facility and commenting on all the great things that God was doing there. When the pastor got to the sanctuary and opened the doors, Chris was shocked at what he saw. The pews were packed out, but in each seat, instead of a person there was a bonsai tree - thousands of bonsai trees. Each little tree represented a member of the church. The staff, all paid professionals, were running around frantically pouring tiny thimbles of water into them. Other staff were trimming the bonsais with pruning shears, making sure they all looked alike and stayed the size they were. There seemed to be a lot of twisting and manipulating going on in an effort to maintain them.  It was obvious that the staff was way overworked, exhausted, and stressed. 

When Chris stepped out of the building and looked back, the whole church was a massive greenhouse for growing bonsais. Above it was a sign that read, “The Bonsai Church.”  Chris realized the bonsai trees were so completely dependent on the greenhouse environment, the professional clergy feeding them and tending them, that they would not survive if taken outside of the greenhouse. They were tiny and being kept that way. All growth revolved around church programs and activities.  Outside of the greenhouse, the bonsais had little or no impact on the environment. Instead, the environment impacted them negatively.  Many wilted and died, unable to withstand the brutal climate - winds, storms, heat, fires.  On the other hand, the mature redwoods that Chris was experiencing in the forest actually created their own climate by the power of being what they were meant to be.  


There are reasons why redwoods impact environments instead of environments impacting them. It doesn't just happen. 

First redwoods are relational. As forests, they thrive in community with roots that go down deep and intertwine with the other redwoods for extra strength. Being connected is vital to other redwoods for extra strength. Being connected is vital to their survival. When storms hit, they support and anchor one another. Why do you think they live to be thousands of years old?  A bonsai’s roots, however, are shallow because they are in the pot all the time and can’t  get connected to anything on a deeper level. In fact, bonsai roots are trimmed so they won’t break out of the pot. Sunday pews have defined their community.  Let’s go to church sing some songs, hear a sermon, hug some folks, and go home…..and oh, don't forget to tithe.   Bonsai trees’ shallow root system keeps them in a dwarfed shape. It’s the religious system versus an authentic relationship with Jesus. The latter allows God to occupy our lives 24/7 and move into deeper relationship with others, which challenges the issues in our lives.   While going to church is important, church won’t sustain you. 

From the book by author Max Davis - When Jesus was a Green Eyed Brunette

Christian Education - Resuscitating the Canary"


Christian Education - Resuscitating the Canary 
(At the Coal face of Education)
"Wiktionary - An allusion to caged canaries (birds) that miners would carry down into the mine tunnels with them. If dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide collected in the mine, the gases would kill the canary before killing the miners, thus providing a warning to exit the tunnels immediately."

"Judging by how things are in most places - it looks like business as usual, or trying to…..but it would appear over the last 50 or so years - For all the truck loads of message tapes, books, dvds, conferences, seminars, worship bands, technology, celebrities etc  - it looks pretty much like many churches developed a system which devoted itself to tucking itself up on a bed of comfort and ease…
A church system creating generations of Bonsai Christians more dependent on leaders and pastors than standing up on their own two feet of faith and reaching their full stature in Jesus Christ.  That will be hitting the bullseye for some of you reading this... because we all know places and churches run exactly like this..but there is no such thing as Christianity by proxy in the Kingdom God..   we all are called to seek God for the plans and callings He has for each of our lives. We are all called to hold the line…...and it would appear desperately few really are holding the line, and will be fewer still as the older generation of Christians pass on.
And the word for the “Church” today is - Repent - The Church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ and Him only!  We only have to read through the book of Revelation to realise how serious the Lord takes this.
Going by what has happened the last 50 yrs one thing is for sure the church cannot go on sleepwalking into a future pretending everything is fine  - will it be fine in say 10 - 20yrs time? are we going to be like selfish King Hezekiah - when the prophet spoke of a future generation taken into captivity?.     The king was reassured bad things wouldn't happen in his lifetime. I wonder how King Hezekiah feels now looking from eternity? 
Our children, and grandchildren will not thank us for being too nice, timid, tame, too at home and comfortable, friendly with the world...to make a difference for Jesus Christ in our generation. 
What built great nations 200 years ago or more was built on the foundation of Christian education embedded in the worldview, laws and fabric of those nations…..and it was built on the back of martyrs who fearlessly translated the Bible and the faithful who obeyed it - we are kidding ourselves if we think we are equal to their faith back then  - their faith went through the fire and turned the world upside down…. What does our faith do exactly today? Is it too late? 
And if anyone thinks this is extreme...I doubt very much Jesus Christ would agree…..I rather think He would like it to stay in the minds and hearts of all who read this…..

As Leonard Ravenhill once wrote, "Five minutes inside eternity and we will wish that we had sacrificed more, wept more, grieved more, loved and prayed more, and given more." 
and that dear friends is exactly why I write this…….. Has the canary snuffed it? Is it on life support?   Who do you think is the canary? Take a look in the mirror - and you may see "

Peter's Online GalleryShop

Trust and Obey

Click Link for prints and cards and much more While looking through old sketches and photocopies of sketches....I came across one I ...

Prophetic Art