God is wanting to do a new thing.

There was a famous merchant family in Australia who began a business called Anthony Hordens.

When they opened their first store in Melbourne they planted a tree out front. On that tree they hung a sign "While I live, I'll grow" Their business flourished, and their motto stayed.

It's a true reflection on life. If we're not growing, changing, developing - then we're dying, decaying and taking up space.

One of the big problems with the church today is our desire to keep things the same. As Pentecostals we mock mainline denominations like Baptist, Anglican, Methodist etc. Because they are not free in the Spirit like we are. Yet the truth be known most AOG churches are just as bound in liturgy and dogma as they are. Just look at attitudes toward women. Just look at attitudes towards dance. Just look at attitudes toward the poor. You see it's human to want to stay the same and not change. Jesus didn't want that in his church. He didn't want it in the Jewish "church" either. In fact he spent much of his time admonishing people for these attitudes.

Now please don't take that as a request to justify your church, or for me to justify mine. It's not. It's an observation - that's all.

This is the late 1990's - it's 1997 - it's almost the beginning of a new century. The word of God hasn't changed but the people who need to hear it have. Let me repeat that: The word of God hasn't changed but the people who need to hear it have. If our programs have come out of a past era - and don't relate to a current generation - what use are they?

Our commission is to go into all the world and preach the gospel.

So why do we run Rangers and Missionettes?
Are they outreaches?
Do they change lives?
Do they fulfil the great commission?

If they don't - should we chuck them out?

Sure, there's a need to disciple new Christians and see them grow and mature in God. But there's also a need to reach unsaved people.

I presented a challenge to my rangers and ranger leaders this year. Each ranger is to recruit a friend - an unsaved friend - who will join rangers, hear the gospel, get saved and stick in the program to be discipled. Each leader is to recruit another leader, who will uniformed and undergo training, to help with this growth.

We've got to get past the "this is my program" and the "we've always done it this way" and the "you can't do that" attitudes and into a "Can do" attitude.

When I was a child, my parents went on holiday and some friends of my parents brought their family to live at our place for a week to look after us. The mother had a wonderful expression. Whenever I'd complain and say "I can't do that" - she'd counter with "There's no such thing as can't - only won't"

Are we "Can do" people or are we "will not" people.

As far as I can see there's only two choices. You can't sit on the fence.
You can only be hot or cold. "Can do" or "will not".

What will you choose to be?