GOing....GOd

This month at the Refuge we are experiencing and learning about our GOing. What? uh what is the Refuge? Oh hey that's a cool question, ok hang tight for a second. Hey gang for those that already know about the Refuge, you can go get you a donut, or cheetos, or for the healthy folks you can go grab some celery sticks, or tofu bars...

Ok for the rest of us, the Refuge is a safe place, yes i know that's what the word refuge means, but you asked hahaha. It's a place where folks can gather that have been unplugged or never plugged in with other people that are living out Christ in homes, living out Christ at work and living out Christ in the community. The Refuge is a place where you can live out and or learn about Christ at your pace and through your uniqueness. All of us are learning together how to make Jesus famous in our travels, but before we can make HIM famous (which HE already is) to others, we ask ourselves is HE famous for me? The Refuge is a place where conversations are a bit deeper than the weather, it's a place where folks can express their burdens and give others the chance to help them carry (not fix, that's Jesus' role, HE's the one that fixers us fixer uppers) therefore, living out Galatians 6:2.

Oh hey the others are coming back, I see some of them licking the glaze and tofu off their fingers. Real quick, that's a brief snapshot of the Refuge you can go to facebook and look us up or you can follow tweets at therefugemboro.

Kinda interesting that the word go is in both words listed above and the past few weeks and the weeks ahead we are taking time to learn a bit more about our GOing and in our GOing are we asking GOd if we should go. We are a busy people, I mean really, as I type this I am racking my brain over the past 48 hours and realize that i'm having some difficulty recalling the GOing of the days. And the crazy thing is that I just returned from an incredible time of rest with my bride, Debby, down in the sands of Destin, FL.

So what has our mind so tangled or is the tangled mind coming from our GOing at speedracer pace? What are we saying yes to and why? Now before you hit the delete button and unsubscribe hang in here with me....Jesus tells us to GO, that we are to GO and make disciples in all nations.... (Matthew 28:19-20) but why? Why did and does Jesus tell us to go and make disciples? Hang on to that question for a moment. As i thought it would be pretty neat to look up the word go in scripture, so i did...shows up almost 1500 times. WOW are you serious, other words like went, sent, depart show up quite a bit also, cumaltively up to another 1500 times, so we see that we are designed, commanded, encouraged to GO.But look at part of the definition...

to pursue the journey on which one has entered, to continue on one's journey

What is your/our journey? Where are we entering and are we making disciples as we GO in our GOing. What if in our GOing we decided as a people that love JEsus Christ, started in our homes and met every seen need, we didn't ask if we could do it, or we didn't wait for someone else to do it, we just did it. Or, or what about if at our workplaces we started with helping fulfill needs around the workplace, we didn't ask for permission, we just did it, and we did it without any recognition, that we almost try to do it like CIA....no not central intelligence agency but Christ In Action...or what if we as a people that love Jesus Christ just started meeting the needs of the community, what if we had conversations with the city officials and asked; "what are the biggest needs for our community"? and we just started fulfilling those needs, all along the way answering the question when asked "why" we could simply reply...Jesus, no other reason...just Jesus. i just wonder if anyone would be drawn? Doesn't matter, go check out Romans 13:8 NLT .....never mind i can't wait here it is!

Owe nothing to anyone-except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God's law.
Hang on here are some more, this is better than that glazed tofu bar isn't it? YEPPERs

Galatians 5:14 (NLT) For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself

So why did Jesus tell us to go?

John 13:35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."

Ah there's that word again.....You see our journey's and our teaching comes first in our homes, then at work and then in our communities. That our LOVE for CHRIST compells us to serve in our continued journey, not from obligation, guilt or duty, but out of incredible love for JESUS who emptied a tomb, once for ALL, that through our faith we are free to serve one another in love (Galatians 5:13)....some folks want or desire to prove themselves worthy, we cannot folks. Thank God Christ did prove us worthy and now take another peek at what proof the world is seeking from me and you that are lovers of Christ.....yea....incredibly cool! Now GO really get GOing and serve GOd in a manner that leaves a sweet aroma of Christ (Ephesians 5:2
Gang, thanks for giving me the opportunity to share with you. If you desire and or know folks that desire to learn, encourage, teach each other what living life in Christ looks like, well come on. We don't have everything figured out with the exception that Jesus is who HE says He is and we are who He says we are...

will you forward this to those in your circle of influence, thanks for those that do and those that don't, i bet those that don't eat tofu HAHAHA....just kidding...you know I love all you guys. Ask em to like the Refuge facebook page. You then can keep up with where we are meeting throughout the week.

mike and debby bivins