I’m friends with internationally known writers and speakers. Their blogs are hotbeds for Christian discussion and debate over what it means to be a follower of Christ in the 21st or any century. None of my blogs have ever solicited that sort of attention. Part of the reason my be that I’m not that great of a writer or at least blogger. It may be that my target niche is a select audience that for the most part is uninterested in blogs in general. It may be that my blog is too specifically linked to my name and that my name doesn’t mean squat in a personality based culture. One observation I’ve made along those lines is that the post modern Christian tends to follow personalities or names rather than the more modern custom of denomination or movement. While the generation before that followed institutions and local parishes, the modern movement followed organizations and denominations that were structured more like the business world. The post modern person follows authors or schools of thought endorsed by personalities more so than a denomination or an institution. Think about how many people are molded and shaped by Don Miller, Len Sweet, Francis Chan, John Piper, etc etc without belonging to those persons respective denominations or theological schools of thought.
Back to the point. I’m sure all of the above are factors playing into by low readership numbers. The other factor is that when people do happen to stumble onto this blog they notice the scarce number of posts. I don’t blog daily or weekly for that matter. The truth of the matter is that I don’t have very much to say. I’ve got endless stories and travels tales. I’ve got some God encounters and some things that I’m sorting through and to be honest I’m not that comfortable with putting it all out there. For one reason I’m sorting out a lot of it and the blog world is more about conclusions and opinions than it is discovery. Another reason is that mediated communication isn’t relationship. I don’t know my readers and as such a blog is like writing on a piece of paper and posting it on a phone pole. Everyone is free to read it and come up with their own meaning because they lack the context that only relationship affords. Blogs are more individualistic than communal. They are ripe with self glorification and meditation. Frankly, there is nothing so amazing about my life that it requires me to daily inform you of my day to day doing and being.
One pitfall I want to avoid is over spiritualizing the minute details of my life. I believe that God belongs just as much in the simple as He does the complicated. I love the mindset of the Celts and the mystics. That God is in all events if we notice Him. Yet I can’t help but feel a little dumb when I’m making up the meaning of of my life and not allowing it to flow from union with Christ.
This is a long over wrought way of saying that as of now I can’t, won’t and am wholly unable to blog on a consistent basis. Which makes me wonder why blog at all?
I spent a good 7 years in the HC/Organic/Intentional blah blah movement directly are probably 8 around it. So a major portion of my faith and understanding on how the church should operate is based on being in groups of believers who attempted to live as closely under the direct Headship of Jesus Christ as possible. Our meetings were open and participatory and every believer was expected to move in the Spirit for the edification of another. To most people this sounds like unruly chaos. In reality I’ve never been in single chaotic meeting like this ever. It has always been fairly seamless. I’ll admit that at times we’d wait on Lord and sit quietly to hear his still small voice. That make take an hour or more. Usually we found that we needed to repent corporately or personally. As soon as we did boom someone got healed or a prophetic word or a teaching. In a setting like community where you are all a team working toward one goal you are forced to live out the teachings of Jesus. Forgiveness and dying to self must be in play 24/7. Although this is awfully uncomfortable and often off putting to many Christians there is nothing better for transformation and lessons in humility.
Being apart of a community is not all roses though and there are some negative things about being apart of a House Church
1. Most organized churches are suspicious about you or your group and they assumer certain things about why you meet the way you do. The result is you get cut off from a lot of fellowship with other believers. In fact, if they ask what church do you go to? And you tell them you meet in homes expect to get some dirty looks or to be treated as less than.
2. If you don’t grow you will die. Sometimes your group gets into a flow or dynamic that seems like a peak. You are all getting along and you all can trust one another. This often makes it difficult for others to feel like they are apart of your group. Second since all the ministry is done by the people and there is a pressure for all to participate newcomers don’t get the pew buffer that allows them to just sit back and watch for a few months before deciding whether or not to join. THe thing is you need new blood to come in and add aspects of Jesus that may not be on display with your current clan.
3. The church can become very insular. Often times evangelism and outreach fall by the wayside. This is multi layered but it is mainly because it’s hard enough to get a group of Christian’s to participate let alone to do that and reach out to new people. Also most people even the unsaved are only familiar with traditional church models. So when you win someone to the Lord and invite them to one of your meetings they instantly think cult. So this often makes you nervous and slightly ashamed of how and why you meet.
4. Most church services are only as good as the leaders leading them. In the case of shared leadership the church life is only as god and healthy as the people involved. If you have a church filled with people of good character and empowered by the Holy Spirit your church will be awesome! If the majority of folks are broken and not very free to move in the Spirit than you are going to have a difficult road.
A few years back a fresh copy of Spread the Fire magazine hit my mailbox. John Arnott wrote an article stating that all historic revivals were controversial and messy. People react in wrong ways. They judge without really knowing and they jump on emotional bandwagons without ever discerning. Both reactions are equally carnal and equally dangerous. He went on to say that the cost of revival, even with all the mess it brings, is far less than the cost of not having it. We are all in a position where the nation will die without another great move of God. Unless there is restoration of the glory of God to the church the church will not make it another 20-30 years. My generation has given up on the Church and the Christ it supposedly represents. They are walking out on the Truth because He has been so sadly represented. God has been reduced to a nice friend who’s “greatest hits happened a long time ago”.
Sadly we are all so used to church without God so when He shows up it can be a bit shocking. We are used to a distant and remote relationship with Jesus. When He comes close we all get shocked and we can really get uncomfortable. Bottom line is we need to revival whether we like it or not. We need revival whether we want it or not. I believe the Lord is knocking on the door of the Church. He wants back in and He wants control. If we don’t open up He will bypass us and go to the streets. He will find someone in the world, someone in America. He always does. The only question is are we the someone? Are we the ones willing to let God wreck us and bless us with His presence?
In 2001 I became aware of two separate and very different ways of doing church. One was the old school way most Christians have grown up. Its the same system and order of doing things for the last 1600 years. A single priest (pastor) gives a oratory (sermon) from the scripture. There is some form of worship or sacraments and prayer. The layperson comes in, sits down, shuts up and off, and listens. One person or at most a few people do all the work of the ministry of the church. The laypersons only job is to obey God and do the ministry stuff “outside the four walls of the church”. that is the pattern we have all grown up with, change the lingo and the ritual but the essence of the whole deal is the same.
Yet in 2001 I saw a different way of doing church. It wasn’t a new model or postmodern method. It was in fact the first way of doing church. For the first 250-300 years of Christian history the church had one way of doing church. They would gather in homes or public places (if safe). Though leadership developed over the first few centuries it was vastly different than what we have today. The bulk of day to day minster was done by ordinary believers. Both men and women. The method of this ministry was the spontaneous spiritual manifestations of supernatural power from the Holy Spirit. The church functioned as each believer moved in supernatural power. On the practical side they would share huge meal together that were celebrations of Christ’s raising and soon return. These AGAPE (love) feasts are what we have reduced to a wafer and swig of wine.
Clearly the question was which was right? Were both right or were both wrong? The next 8 years of my life would be trying to discover that.
At the end of 2009 the Lord had me focus on what I’m calling “core values”. These are truths and values of the Spirit that are supposed to become part of our lives so that our internal culture is one with the heart and culture of heaven.
So I’d like to invite anyone believer to join us for Session 1 of the series:
The Centrality and the Supremacy of the Lord Jesus Christ
We are going to be talking about Jesus Christ as the centrality of ALL of God’s works:
creation
scripture
the church
and the believer
We will also talk about how He is supreme over all things and how it is the Father’s eternal plan for Jesus to have the preeminence. This is the single most essential revelation in the world and everything else in the world will be misunderstood without it.
William Shatner has a a show on the Biography channel called Shatner’s Raw Nerve. I find it quite the interesting because it allows actors and other well known personalities to bare their soul. It’s not really about their work or their own image but about who they really are. Shatner is a soft soul who has a away of asking really deep and hard questions in a way that makes a person feel safe. It is interesting seeing people respond differently. Some answer the questions a bit more superficially than others. Some bare it all and leave you reeling.
People have told me I have some odd abillity to get them to open up and pour out their secret selves. I’m not sure why that would because it really isn’t something I do on purpose. However, I do recognize that people tend to be a little more “real” around me than usual. I’ve long said that I’d love to have conferences that were extremely stripped down and intimate. I’d love to gather a hundred or so people and bring in a prophet, author, church planter, missionary, and have them share informally and from the hip so to speak. As a speaker I know the comfort and fun I have speaking here at home. I can just let it rip! I’d love to produce a series where we have cutting edge and radical ministers without all the religious garb and trappings. Just two real life people and a wonderful Lord between us. Intimate and real in color perfect HD. It’s an odd dream but I think I’m going to go for it at some point.
I may set up a pay pal account so that you can donate directly
Dear Friends & Family,
You can send me to AFRICA! That is sort of a big statement so let me unpack it for you. For the last 15 Rolland and Heidi Baker have been taking care of orphans in one of the worlds poorest countries in the world. That nation is Mozambique Africa. After years of burn out God supernaturally blessed their ministry. In the last decade they have gone from a few hundred and children and a handful of churches to tens of thousands of children and thousands of churches! Rolland and Heidi are regarded as some of the most influential people in all of the continent of Africa!
This upcoming summer I have an amazing opportunity to join Iris Ministries (Rolland and Heidi Baker) and Dr. James W. Goll to build a playground for orphans in Pemba, Mozambique Africa. The playground was the dream of Michal Ann Goll who died of cancer in the fall of 2008. She died before her dream could be realized and before the children of Pemba could have their playground. Her Children and Husband (Dr. Goll) are continuing her mission of compassion this summer by completing the Dreamer’s Park playground.

Almost 11 years ago I first felt the unction to travel overseas to share compassion and the good news of Jesus Christ. The very first place I wanted to go was Africa. I wanted to immerse myself in the heart of poverty and sorrow. To see the starving bodies of little boys and girls was a problem I wanted to personally solve. That dream has never left me and though I have yet to stand of African soil my heart is still with it’s orphans. Over the years I’ve read about Heidi’s work and longed to join her on a short term trip to Pemba. I’ve read almost every book she and her husband have written. In many ways their lifestyle of radical love, mercy, and compassion has been a huge example to me. I’ve had the blessing of meeting Heidi in person twice in the last two years. Meeting her and hearing her stories of good triumphing over poverty and injustice has only strengthened my resolve. I want to go to Africa this summer and you can help me!
Prayer
First and foremost I need lots of prayer support. I’d like to assemble a prayer team that will pray for me and get special updates once a month. Upon my return I’ll meet with the team to debrief and tell them all about my trip to Mozambique. If you want to join my prayer team please email me.
Donations
I need Financial support. I need to raise $3,000 by April 1st 2010. I need the first $1,500 by the end of February 2010. Here is the financial breakdown:
Financial Breakdown
Deposit Due: January 25, 2010 $500 (non refundable)
First Installment: February 25, 2010 $1,500
Total Balance Due: April 1, 2010 $3000
Total Trip costs (subject to change): $3,500
Make Checks Payable To:
Jason Aldridge
In case I do not raise the total amount in time all money raised will go to either this project or another mission trip/relief project in 2010. All donations are non refundable but I will definitely let you know where you money goes no matter what. Though I trust that God will provide the total amount on time if it is His will.
So I’m doing some writing and I’ve hit a block. Not so much in what to say but in where to start and how to organize all that is in my head and my heart. It is one thing to write a blog and another to write something that is meant to bring a clear understanding to the reader. Especially when the content is fairly abstract. I need a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit to blow on me and give me wisdom and revelation. I need an anointing to write this. It is His work and it will be done His way and in His time. Holy Spirit Come!
That brings up a great point. Sometimes the Lord comes and brings a task. He comes in fire and revelation to reveal to us and empower us to do His work. Then the sensation of His approval wanes and we are left with the task alone. So how to do we get done what God told us to do? We remain in the same position we were in when He gave us His word. Our hearts must remain in a posture of dependence and brokenness before God. Just as we saw ourselves as poor when we were ignorant we must remain in poverty when we have understanding. We must realize that He gave us understanding as a free gift of grace. It was and still is His. Though the vision is alive in us it does not belong to us. We were not responsible for getting it and we are not responsible for making to come to pass. We are only rich in Him. Apart from Him we are nothing.
So Lord, do this work through me. Take my hands and type your story for your glory. I confess that I can not do this thing. However, you have given it to me as a steward. Let interest be gained as I cast my bread upon the waters. You are more than able and willing to do your will in and through me. Touch the nations!
I’m really excited for the next few months. If the Lord allows I’ll be leading a spiritual formation retreat that will lay the ground work for 5-6 months of teaching weekends on what I’m tentatively calling Spiritual Core Values. My belief is that this can really change some peoples lives (including mine). So I’m hoping all goes well. As always if you are interested please message me for details.
“Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one’s heart, it’s pleasures, and it’s pains, to a dear friend.
Tell him your troubles, that he may comfort you; tell him your joys, that he may sober them; tell him your longings, that he may purify them; tell him your dislikes, that he may help you coquer them; talk to him of your temptations, that he may shield you from them; show him the wounds of your heart, that he may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved tastes for evil, your instability. Tell him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride disguises you to yourself and others.
If you thus pour out your weaknesses, needs, troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject. It is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subject of conversation. They do not weigh their words, for there is nothing to be held back, neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of their heart, without consideration they say just what they think. Blessed are they who attain to such familiar, unreserved intercourse with God.”
Ten Years ago this past September marked 10 years of knowing Christ. Now I had been raised in religion my whole life but in 1999 I had a real encounter with the Lord of Glory. I gave my life and have been walking out His grace ever since. After my conversion I was compelled to witness and compelled to go overseas. The very first place I wanted to go was Africa. I didn’t even care where. I felt the need to go to Africa. As a 14 year old kid my parents, still reeling from my sudden change of heart, very shocked that I would choose to go to another side of the world. Out of protection and assuming it was a phase the banned me from Africa.
Two years later I would travel to the Dominican Republic. That trip began a series of prophetic encounters that I’m still living out to this day. I assumed that I would travel all the time after that trip. After all God had led me on that little trip to get His heart for missions and the poor. He had branded me with a fiery desire to travel the world preaching good news and loving the poor (both material and spiritual poverty. So I assumed that that was enough and that doors would swing wide open. Just the opposite happened. Every door shut so tight I couldn’t open it if I tried. Since that time I’ve gone through so many years of equipping. Learning to operate in healing, the prophetic, learning to cultivate and release an atmosphere of His glory. Above all learning to serve and love others more than myself. I continue to learn and grow and go through the Holy Spirit’s “School of Christ” .
Now after 10 years of waiting and nearly 9 years since I was on the foreign mission field I’m headed (Lord willing) to Mozambique Africa with Encounters Network to build a playground for the area near Rolland and Heidi Baker’s Pemba mission .
Here is what needs to take place:
1. My application needs to be accepted by Encounters Network
2. I need at least $2,000.00 more dollars
3. I need prayer support!
Here is my plan if my application is accepted
1. I will be putting together a team of intercessors who will pray for me and the whole team going to Mozambique. I’ll keep this group up to date on all the ins and outs as well as special prayer requests from he point my application is accepted to my return to the U.S..
2. I will set up a pay pal account or such by which anyone online can give to help send me to Mozambique
If you’d like to help pray for me please leave a comment on this post and I’ll be in touch
