Brian Dolleman's Blog

The old flow has to be broken in order for us to enter a new flow.

If you’re getting married—the old, single life must die.

If you’re getting healthy—unhealthy habits must be broken.

Unfortunately, we’re not always successful in breaking the old flow (which causes us to fail in the new flow).

But there is Good News…

Jesus is the ultimate flow breaker.

He permanently broke the old system, the old flow.

God no longer measures our right standing with him based on our ability to be good and do good.

Jesus did that for us: he was good and did good; he lived a pure, holy, sinless life…

And he became our once-and-for-all sacrifice.

Here’s what the Bible says about it:

“God put the wrong on him (Christ) who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God”
(2 Corinthians 5.21 MSG)

“Now that we are set right with God by the means of this sacrificial death… there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way.” (Romans 5.9 MSG)

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. God has done it all!”
(2 Corinthians 5.17, 18 CEV)

In other words, Jesus broke the old flow COMPLETELY and opened the entrance to the new flow—for us.

It’s kinda like the Jordan river getting stopped up so that 2 million Israelites could crossover on dry ground into the New Territory…

Jesus made the way for us to enter this new flow, this new life in him.

Our ability to be good and do good is no longer the issue.

It’s all about him—Jesus, the ultimate flow breaker.

In order to enter a new flow, you must first break the existing flow.

In Joshua 3.13 we read,

“And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” (ESV)

God told his people that the New Territory was a land flowing with milk and honey.

Between the people and their Promised Land was the flow of a river—which happened to be flooding at that time.

Interesting how it seems like it’s never a “good time” to crossover.

God led his people to the Jordan river for a crossing during the flood season.

Stepping into the new flow means breaking the old flow—whether it’s easy or not.

Often times, breaking the old flow requires a firm stance, determination and patience.

“Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.” (Joshua 3.17)

I wonder how long it took 2 million people to walk across that dried-up river bed?

I have no context for it—I’ve never been part of an event with 2 million other people.

I’ve been to some sporting events with about 70,000 people in attendance.

Getting out of the stadium to the parking lot takes at least 30 minutes.

The number of people crossing the Jordan river was 28 x 70,000.

30 minutes x 28 = 14 hours.

If it took 14 hours to get everyone across—that means the crossing would’ve continued non-stop from 8am-10pm.

That’s a long time for the leaders to stand.

Change takes time. Crossing over doesn’t “just happen.”

Entering the new flow demands strong leadership, clear vision, and a strategy to move everyone forward.

Think about habits: if you do something everyday for 21 days in a row, you’ve probably started a habit.

Habits are easy to form. Habits have a way of sneaking up on us, unplanned and unexpected.

Breaking habits, on the other hand, takes a lot of time and effort.

Entering a new flow means breaking the old flow, and breaking the old flow takes some work!

In your life, breaking the old flow so that you can enter the new is challenging… but the reward is worth it.

Be patient. Stand firm. Hold on to the vision God gave you.

The New Territory—a place flowing with God’s blessings—awaits you.

The furnace man came out to my house the other day.

He was there to install a new thermostat.

He was friendly and talkative.

His grey hair and glasses gave him the “happy grandfather” vibe.

Within minutes, he asked me what I do for a living.

“I’m a pastor” I said.

Immediately he responds, “Well, let me ask you a question…”

I’m thinking, “Oh boy—this should be interesting.”

He asked, “Do you think the church all over is still declining or are people starting to come back to the church?”

I thought about it, and answered slowly…

“I’m not sure if there’s been much of a change in the overall statistics. Our church is growing a lot—but it’s young and reaching people with kids, we’re pretty modern and our music is loud, we throw lots of parties and BBQ’s and car shows and stuff like that.”

There was a bit of an apologetic tone to my explanation of our church to this older gentleman.

The furnace man paused.

He stopped working.

He turned around and looked at me.

And then he smiled.

“That’s the way it should be,” he said.

He continued, “I can’t imagine Jesus ever wanted us to freeze time and act like we’re not living today.”

Driving his point home, he said: “It’s like the movie Sister Act. I think that movie really should have opened the eyes of the church. The church has to change. If it stays stuck in yesteryear, it won’t be long before it dies completely—and I don’t see how that honors Jesus at all.”

Boom.

The furnace man was dropping wisdom like bombs.

We are alive today.

Jesus promised “I will build my church.”

He is building his church. He is building it now, today.

He’s building his church with today’s people, today’s language, today’s technology and today’s songs.

Thank you, Mr. Furnace Man, for that reminder.

PS—Mr. Furnace Man goes to a Lutheran church. His favorite thing about his church: the new cushioned seats (he really hates pews).

Sometimes, it’s important to look back.

It gives a sense of perspective—of how far we’ve come.

We’re no longer where we used to be (and that’s a good thing).

However, there’s a big difference between:

looking back in appreciation…

and looking back because you want to go back.

Looking back because you want to go back is never fruitful.

Just ask Lot’s wife. (Genesis 19.26)

Jesus said, “Anyone who begins to plow a field but keeps looking back is of no use…” (Luke 9.62 NCV)

Wanting to go back not only drains today of its potential—it also sabotages your future.

Looking back doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

Looking back in appreciation is good.

It makes us thankful for all that God has done.

It fuels our faith for today’s adventure.

It reminds us of God’s faithfulness.

When Israel crossed the Jordan river, leaving the desert behind, God instructed them to take 12 stones from the river and build a memorial. (Joshua 4.3)

God wanted them to remember what happened there.

He wanted their children to see those stones and ask, “What does this mean?”

He wanted them to be thankful for what took place.

He wanted them to have faith for the new adventures that awaited them in the Promised Land.

He didn’t want them to look back longingly.

He didn’t want them to look back, wanting to go back.

He didn’t want them to stand in the middle of the Jordan river for all eternity.

He didn’t even want them to build their homes, cities or lives around the 12 stones.

He didn’t want them to worship the memorial.

He simply wanted them to remember.

I believe God wants us to honor the past AND embrace today…

Look back in appreciation AND have faith for the new adventures waiting for us.

We’re not where we used to be—and that’s a good thing.

God has been so faithful, so good to us.

And our best days are ahead.

Moses was a great leader.

God used him to lead 2 million people for 40 years—out of slavery in Egypt, to the brink of the Promised Land on the other side of the desert.

During those years, another generation came up…

And God raised up another leader to take them across the Jordan river into the New Territory.

The Moses era was over. Now, it was Joshua’s turn to lead.

At the end of Moses’ life, God showed him the Promised Land. Moses didn’t get to go in, but he saw it from a distance. He died, and God buried him.

“So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place.” (Deuteronomy 34.5, 6 NLT)

That’s pretty interesting—God took care of Moses’ burial and kept the location a secret.

Theologians agree: God did this so that the people wouldn’t worship the body of Moses, so they wouldn’t turn his body into a shrine or an idol.

The separation of Moses from the people was necessary in order for them to get to the next place.

They had to let go of the old so that they could embrace the new.

I’ve been reading a good book by Dr. Henry Cloud called Necessary Endings.

In his book, Dr. Cloud asserts that “endings” are a healthy and necessary part of life. He says, “Endings are crucial, but we rarely like them.”

Dr. Cloud points out that the “Time and Season for Everything” refrain found in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 gives as much emphasis on endings as it does beginnings.

Quoting from the book:

“Nothing lasts forever…

Each season has its own set of activities.

In the language of Ecclesiastes, are there areas of life where you are trying to birth things that should be dying?

Trying to heal something that should be killed off?

Laughing at something that you should be weeping about?”

It’s human nature to hold on to things for too long—have you ever seen an episode of Hoarders?

As Dr. Cloud says, “Endings are crucial, but we rarely like them.”

I don’t think anyone in Israel wanted to see Moses go.

He truly was a great leader.

But if the people held on to Moses (even after his death), they would never have embraced Joshua.

And without Joshua, they couldn’t take the New Territory.

So, God hid the body.

I think sometimes God has to do this in the church too…

He requires one thing to die and another to come take its place.

We must be careful not to turn an era, leaders, styles, methods or traditions into a shrine or idol to be worshiped.

If we do, we will certainly miss out on what God has for us today.

Life frequently requires: in order for us to receive one thing, we must let go of another.

Married? Gotta let go of the single life.

Have a child? Gotta let go of some freedoms.

Getting healthy? Gotta let go of some unhealthy habits.

In order to grasp the future, we must sever ties with some things of our past.

If we really want to receive something new, we must be willing to let go of something old.

In order to cross over, we must separate ourselves from anything we cannot take forward with us.

As God led his people from Egypt towards the Promised Land, he prepared them for change…

The Israelites had to let go of the wilderness in order to receive Canaan.

They couldn’t have the wilderness AND Canaan.

They couldn’t have Joshua AND keep Moses.

They had to let go.

They had to let go of the wilderness and the lifestyle associated with it (camping, manna, etc.).

They had to let go of Mo.

The things they had to release weren’t bad—they were just never meant to be part of the next season.

Here’s a difficult question to consider…

What things were valid parts of your yesterday—but have no place in your tomorrow?

Historically, the church has not been good at letting go… we want to possess the new AND still keep the old.

God didn’t want Joshua to have to live in the shadow of Moses.

The death of Moses symbolized an end to the previous way of doing things.

The old regime had its day. Those things were relevant in their day, but they have long since passed away.

Leading the Israelites to posses the New Territory would require different strategies and methods.

Joshua knew he couldn’t lead the people the same way Moses did.

The challenges before them were different.

A new generation had come up.

They weren’t where they used to be and they hadn’t arrived yet.

It was a new day. They were crossing over—moving forward, advancing.

The new day required new things: new leadership, new methods, new structures and new strategies.

In order to receive the new, they had to let go of the old.

They had to let go of Mo…

And so do we.

We gotta let go of Mo.

We must release the “Moses mentalities” and “Moses traditions” of our past.

In order for us to receive one thing, we must let go of another.

In order to grasp the future, we must sever ties with some things of our past.

If we really want to receive something new, we must be willing to let go of something old.

In order to cross over, we must separate ourselves from anything we cannot take forward with us.

Letting go of Mo means saying “yes” to crossing over into the new territory.

Swagger:

To move with confidence.

How one presents him or herself.

Swagger is shown in how a person handles situations—it is also shown in the person’s walk.

Too many Christians have lost their swagger.

I’m not talking about arrogance, pride or even self-confidence.

I’m talking about faith.

Confidence in God.

Assurance.

Boldness.

Shining, not hiding.

Advancing, not retreating.

On the offense, not defense.

Playing to win, rather than not to lose.

Saying things like…

“If God is for us, who can ever stand against us?”

“Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ who loves us.”

“Nothing can ever separate us from God’s love.”

That’s the kind of swagger I’m talking about.

Christians lose their swagger because of various things…

Some—because of challenges, difficulties and hurts.

Others—because they’ve gotten lazy and quit growing.

The reasons don’t matter. What matters is that you get your swagger back.

When the 12 spies came back, only 2 had their swagger.

Joshua and Caleb said, “Let’s go—we can do this!”

They moved with confidence.

They presented themselves as ready for the challenge.

They trusted God—and they walked with a swagger.

Here’s what God said about Caleb:

“He has a different spirit; he follows me passionately. I’ll bring him into the land and his children will inherit it.” (Numbers 14.24 MSG)

My interpretation of that verse: “He walks with a swagger because of his confidence in God.”

How about you?

Is it time to get your swagger back?

Do you remember that song from the late ’80’s by Timbuk 3?

It went something like this…

I study nuclear science.

I love my classes.

I got a crazy teacher, he wears dark glasses.

Things are going great, and they’re only getting better.

I’m doing all right, getting good grades.

The future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.

When the Israelites were on the verge of something new (entering the promised land), 12 spies were sent out to explore the land and bring back a report.

God had promised them this territory (which is why it was called “the promised land”).

It was an abundant place, a land “flowing with milk and honey.”

When the spies brought back their report, only 2 of them were singing like Timbuk 3 — the future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.

Joshua and Caleb said things like…

“Let’s go—we can do it”

“God will lead us into that land.”

“He will give it to us.”

“God is on our side, don’t be afraid.”

The other 10 spies brought back a fearful, negative report…

“We can’t.”

“It’s a land that swallows people whole.”

“Everybody we saw was huge—we even saw giants,”

“We felt like grasshoppers there.”

When you compare the statements of the spies, you will notice something:

Joshua and Caleb emphasized God and His ability.

The other 10 spies emphasized their inability and magnified the strength of the enemy.

They took God out of the equation. For them, the future was all about their abilities -vs- the obstacles.

And that, my friends, is exactly how to make the future a scary place.

Focusing on yourself + focusing on the obstacles = freaking out.

For a bright future, keep God at the center of it all.

He’s not just the God of yesterday—he’s the God of today and the God of tomorrow!

There is no reason for the future to be a scary place.

Our weaknesses aren’t the issue and the size of the challenges aren’t the issue.

The fact that God is with us and for us is the issue.

Our best days are still before us.

The best is yet to come.

Like Caleb, I’m saying: “Let’s go—we can do this.”

Fear exaggerates the threat to your well-being and safety.

Insecurity magnifies the possibility of failure.

Worry paralyzes.

When Moses sent 12 leaders into the Promised Land to spy it out and bring back a report, all 12 received the same instructions. All 12 went to the same places. All 12 saw the exact same things.

Only 2 (Joshua and Caleb) brought back a good report.

The other 10 fixated on the challenges and brought back a negative report.

“We scouted the land from one end to the other—it’s a land that swallows people whole.” (Numbers 13.32 MSG)

Sounds a bit dramatic, doesn’t it? “It’s a land that swallows people whole.”

I believe there is a land that swallows people whole.

It’s not a physical place, but it is a place where people live: a place of fear, insecurity and worry.

And this place of fear, insecurity and worry consumes people…

It eats them for breakfast.

It makes them freeze up.

It kills progress.

It denies potential.

It declares: “You don’t have a chance!”

It causes people to think, “I shouldn’t even bother trying.”

The words of those 10 negative spies became like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

They ran from the challenge and they died without ever receiving what God had for them.

Their story serves as a cautionary tale for us.

We don’t have to live in a land that swallows people whole—a place of fear, insecurity and worry.

We can live in a place of confident trust, courage and faith in our God—who does the impossible.

We’re going somewhere! We’re moving forward, advancing, taking new ground—entering a new territory.
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And we have faith like Caleb, who said: “Let’s go! We can do this.”