Revival. This is another one of those words that we hear around church and religion that what we think it means and what it really means are two completely different things! Of course that shouldn’t be any big surprise there. I have found that the frequency at which we use a word or a phrase is directly proportional to our propensity to misunderstand and therefore misuse it! So much so, I have even heard it argued that we shouldn’t pray for or seek revival?! Yeah…ok, lemons and lemonade; chicken salad and chicken…well, you get the idea.
This leads us to another round of “what they say, what they mean” so that we might gain a bit of clarity on this whole
REVIVAL
thing!
Now, the dictionary says (pertaining to revival in the sense of Christianity):
Revival – an awakening, in a church or community, of interest in and care for matters relating to personal religion.
Which sounds pretty good
EXCEPT FOR
the part about matters relating to personal religion. To me, that sounds a bit contrived on our part. As if we purposed in ourselves to schedule time for God?! Then there is that reference to personal religion. True revival has less to do with religion or customs as much as having everything to do with
PRESENCE AND RELATIONSHIP
The second defintion more closely resembles what our defintion of revival has become:
an evangelistic service or a series of services for the purpose of effecting a religious awakening.
Again, it seems to insinuate a recipe by which we might entice God to present Himself to us! Sorry, kiddos…it just don’t work like that!
Revival is, in its truest sense, a tangible increase in the level of the Presence of God experienced in our lives personally, collectively and communally. It has more to do with how we deal with our lives (and the amount of sin contained therein) than it does with some sort of conjuring or invocation of the Trinity in “forcing” an appearance! Which is to say, there is no bargaining with God and there will be no deals made on behalf of Him making a personal appearance for the opening of your new sanctuary, or that new super Wal-Mart down the street! God is not on tour with Lady Ga Ga, Beyonce, or even the Brooklyn Tabenacle Choir or Chris Tomlin!
Well, what does the Bible say about revival? The word revival doesn’t actually appear in the Bible
HOWEVER
The conditions of
REVIVAL
are found within II Chronicles 7: 13, 14
If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; II Chronicles 7: 13
It is important to note here that these conditions appear upon the places we live as they are representative of the conditions of our hearts. The land itself exists as the manifest blessing of God’s provision. Even today, though we live less in an agriculturally based society, our land ceases to be fruitful through layoffs, business failings, and economic downturn. It is also no surprise that during such times we
FIRST
attempt to do within ourselves those things we believe necessary to “fix” the problem. But, when the land becomes sick and diseased it is a symptom of the society dwelling there, and more personally:
THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE HAVE TURNED FROM GOD
Then verse 14 says:
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. II Chronicles 7: 14
And it is here that we see how we might return to a right relationship with the Lord, and it is to us He addresses the qualifications for restoration:
1. If my people, which are called by my name… This is referring to those of us who gather together (for His sake) and call ourselves His. God is not directly speaking to or about the heathen, the pagan, or any unbeliever. It is also of note that God is NOT specifically speaking exclusively of the clergy or ministry, nor is He ONLY addressing this church or that denomination. This is addressed in this manner for two reasons:
a. No one individual is at fault for this condition. Therefore, no one individual is called alone to atone for it.
b. The blame here is corporate, therefore the intercession SHOULD be corporate! Fortunately, Jesus’ definition of corporate only requires 2 or 3 (Matthew 18: 20).
All of us have an opportunity to play a part in God’s restoration of our lives.
LIKEWISE
We have ALL played a part (either actively, or through ignorance, or through apathy) in creating the conditions in which we live.
2. shall humble themselves… Recognize that we cannot fix the problem ourselves. You cannot simply get a new job when none exist. You cannot sell what you have to spare when everyone is broke. Collectively, we speak much and often about the ills of society and how people have become jaded, impersonal and selfish…yet we fail to recognize the plank in our own eye that is (at least) as jaded, impersonal and selfish as those individuals whose behavior we lament! Humbling ourselves is taking
PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
for our collective condition
3. and pray… This one seems fairly self-explanatory, or is it? What are we praying for…to restore our relationship with the Lord…
OR
simply to have our symptoms or condition alleviated? This is problematic beyond the obvious answer as well…
If we only pray to complain how great our need is or how big our problem is, then aren’t we exalting the condition, problem or need above the Lord Himself? I mean, despite some minimal recognition of God’s provision, aren’t we essentially saying that the problem is too big? Isn’t this kind of like when we say:
Don’t tell God how big your problem is, tell the problem how big your God is!
4. and seek my face… Because, when we seek only His hand we are only seeking His provision.
BUT
when we seek His face, or that is to say, when we seek to be closer to Him in a relational sense
His provision is a byproduct or condition of seeking His face.
The hand comes as a part of the face! But, if you only seek the hand…you might very well find it empty!
5. and turn from their wicked ways…You might think this should be one of the first things we should do…
HOWEVER
until we establish something else to turn toward, it is of no benefit to turn away from our wicked ways. It would be like saying there is choice to make when only one choice is apparent! Now, one might argue (well, no might about it…) that turning from wickedness is to turn toward righteousness…
YET
To simply turn from wickedness is NOT turning toward righteousness. One must seek the Lord, and one must seek righteousness! Anything less is simply our best intentions or “I was meaning to”…and that just don’t feed the bulldog (i.e., won’t do or qualify as acceptable)!
It is from here that the Lord concludes:
…then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Many folks would like to point out that these above listed “conditions” mean that God; whose love is supposedly unconditional, is putting conditions on that same love!? Let me assure you:
God’s love is most certainly unconditional
HIS PROVISION HOWEVER, IS VERY MUCH CONDITIONAL!
If we were in our sinful nature like a drug addict, selling, stealing and lying to only buy more drugs; is it love to continue to give us a means by which we are destroying ourselves?
OR
Is it love to say, “I will not help you to continue to live in this manner! I will not reward your bad behavior!” Only ask for and seek help, and I will be there for you.
Therefore, it is very much the will of God for us to seek and pray for
REVIVAL
IF
We know what
REVIVAL
really is and know God’s purpose for it.
and that is as
REAL
as it gets boys and girls!
And if we meet these conditions…what happens then? What will God do then?
Good question!
October 3rd,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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Where were we…? Oh yes, now while the physical church struggled, the virtual church (online) prospered! Now when I say prospered, I mean that in a biblical sense. For though there were few who cared to even listen to what the Lord gave me to say at our physical location, there were (and are) many whom the Lord has given me favor with as I posted devotions and taught the wisdom of Scripture online! It has been, and continues to be a truly amazing thing to watch the Lord work in this manner (everyday)!
When we were ordained (World Christianship Ministries) we were also ordained to go and ordain others through our ministry! We didn’t think much about it at the time (as when you only have 5-7 members including yourself) ordaining others is not a real big priority. But, as we’ve grown online, there have been people from time-to-time who have asked if we could or would consider ordaining them into the ministry. And this seems to be an avenue where we feel the Lord leading us, especially as it pertains to home-based churches.
The burden to plant and help grow home-based churches is a part of what CITR ministries is about. This falls very much in line with helping people to get more, and to be more from their church experience! The home-based church is the model/template of the first century church. There are many reasons this worked then and we feel that it is a large part of what God is doing with the modern church. We will begin to cover the reasoning and their application in greater detail within future blog posts.
Additionally, we will begin to offer audio and video teachings and sermonettes sometime in the near future concerning many topics from both practical and academic applications within Scripture. There is also a rather extensive library of Praise and Worship material I have written over the years that the Lord has released for me to share with people. Further out, I can see (should the Lord tarry) the books (humorous, devotional, and instructive) so many of you ask if I’m writing being made available at some point! Remember, you asked, and God help you all!
All the while, there are several small groups that I facilitate every week (and some daily). Personally, I hope and pray that more of you would contact us personally with prayer requests, testimonies, or questions you may have. For it is in seeking a deeper understanding and striving together that we feel more connected with our brethren in all parts of this nation and the world at large! We ask that you continue to pray for us (this ministry), that the Lord will provide all that we need to be a blessing as we seek to glorify God and share the Gospel message of our Lord, Christ Jesus! Amen.
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8: 28
July 11th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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If you haven’t noticed yet, our physical address has changed to a P.O. Box. And what is up with that you ask? Well, in short, the focus of our ministry has shifted. Your probably wondering what that means? Remember, you asked…
As I write this, keep in mind, I believe with 100% conviction that we are where we are (and every step along the way) because it is where God has us (and therefore His Will). So, we count it all joy to be where we are, doing what we are (and can), where we are at, with what we have!
When we began this ministry, it started out in our home as a Bible study. We consistantly ran 10-20 people each week for what was some wonderful and insightful meetings. After a period of time, our regular attendees began to urge us to turn our Bible study into a church. At first I was hesitant to do so, but as the urging continued I began to earnestly pray and seek God concerning this. All the while our group continued to grow as did the number of people who said we should turn this into a church!
Now, I never felt like God specifically wanted me to start a church. I felt the thrust of the ministry He had placed on me was a burden to teach people how to take responsibility for their own walk, and to quit relying on Pastors (or other officials in ministry) to “do” their walk for them! This was as much about what people shouldn’t do, as what they should. I perceived that this ministry (which was God’s Will) was about teaching people how to get more out of church no matter where they attended by just giving them a proper perspective of their collective expectation, as well as their responsibility!
As I continued to pray concering “starting a church”, one day I felt the Lord say, “You know, everyone who is attending this Bible study will quit once it becomes a church.” At first I thought this to be a confirmation of my hesitancy to NOT start a church! Then the Lord said, “That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give them all that you have been given.” Then why should I start a church Lord? “Because it will give people an opportunity to experience what church should be, and I will teach you things about leading people.”
I should take a moment to note here that when the Lord tells you He is going to “teach you some things”, that should read
BRACE FOR IMPACT
For it is the nature of the Almighty God to teach people through
EXPERIENCE
And not just by lecture! Furthermore, these collective experiences (notice experiences is plural, meaning mutiple…ouch!) involve revealing the nature of people which is rarely pleasant (think the religious of leaders in Jesus day), AND ourselves, which is NEVER pleasant (think Job)!
OH JOY
So, with that in mind, here is our related Scripture:
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
Psalm 51: 16, 17
And everything happened EXACTLY the way the Lord said it would (like it wouldn’t?!). Though to be completely honest, I usually KNOW it’s God when I hope (and to the degree hope) He’s wrong!
* Our Bible study went from 20+ a week to less than 5 in less than a month (thats gotta be some kind of record!?).
* Whether we met at our house or eventually when we leased the space we were in, it was always a struggle (on my part) for it NOT to become like regular church (people as a collective tend to let…check that, WANT one person to intervene to God on their behalf)!
* People were sent by other churches in the community to check (spy) on our services. They would even cruise our parking lot on Sunday morning to see how many we were running (attendance) for service!
* Others, whom I had served in ministry with over the years began to openly (behind our backs of course…i.e., the left hand of fellowship) persecute us! Even and especially those who wanted us to start a church in the first place! Others politely distanced themselves from us (i.e., would speak on the phone with us, but would NEVER, EVER be seen talking to us in public!).
* People I considered friends NEVER even visited us (but were always quick to call when they had a need…funny how that works). They were even quick to become offended at inviting them to VISIT!
too busy (for God?! really)
already have a church (It’s just an invitation to visit…fellowship with friends…hello?! )
too far (again, for God?! WOW! )
too much commitment (to visit…too much of a commitment to VISIT?! )
but y’all remember to pray for us (and we did, and still do! )
* And family! They’re the best ones of all! They had to be guilted into visiting, but when they did, the Lord always gave them a Word, and ministered to them (which they admitted NEVER happened in their home church)!
I’m not exactly sure what the thought process is here but, people have a tendency to blame you for the Holy Spirit moving in your meetings, rather than question why He isn’t moving in the meeting at their home church (or their life)!? Even while they enjoy receiving a Word, and being prayed for or remembered before God, they will also villify and openly mock you and your beliefs and calling!? How does that work?!
Remember, I said earlier:
Ouch
BRACE FOR IMPACT
That God teaches through
EXPERIENCE
and that it’s rarely
PLEASANT
concerning people, and
NEVER PLEASANT
concerning ourselves! But most important of all, I said:
I believe with 100% conviction, we are where we are
AND EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY
Because it is where God has placed us
AND THEREFORE HIS WILL
What exactly did I learn from all of this? Well, here is a partial list of things I learned about people:
1) The deeper you begin to flow in the things of God, the more the world will hate you and despise you (John 16:33).
2) People (even and especially the people of God) will ALWAYS want someone to speak to God for them (Exodus 20: 19) and are therefore (despite themsleves) like the chidren of Israel.
3) When you are doing what the people want, they are placated and docile (I Samuel 16: 23). But when you are doing what God wants, they will do everything to destroy you (I Samuel 19: 9, 10) and are therefore like king Saul.
4) They will welcome you with open arms when they think you’re going to do what THEY want (John 12: 13) the way they want it. But they will persecute you with malice if it does not happen when and how they want it to (Mathew 26: 66-68).
And here are some things God taught me about myself:
1) Failure (falling down) is inevitable. Defeat (staying down) is a choice.
2) Just because you CAN, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
3) Being RIGHT, and being UNDERSTOOD are two completely different things! It is often better to say less and be understood than it is to force your point no matter how right you are!
4) Learning that God hates sin, but loves the sinner is one of the ( if not the most) difficult things to learn, as it is a constant (moment-to-moment) teaching. By association it is also the way of the world to do the opposite (love the sin, hate the sinner), though this is more of an observation.
5) No matter how much I think I’m out-of-the-box, it is by the propensity of my flesh, that I will always be in a box, and therefore will seek to place God in one also! This has been and continues to be the history, and growth of the Church!
There is a story that goes, a bird waited late into Autumn to fly South for the winter. As he was flying his wings froze and he fell from the sky. He landed hard in a cow pasture, where a cow promptly coverd him in manure. The warmth of the cow manure, began to warm and thaw out the bird’s wings, and despite its smell, felt good to him. A cat came along, cleaned the manure off the bird…and ATE HIM!
The moral of the story?
6) Everyone who takes mess off of you is
NOT YOUR FRIEND
AND
Everyone who dumps on you is
NOT YOUR ENEMY
7) If you won’t go before God for yourself, you sure won’t (and aren’t capable of) doing it for anyone else! And often times, interceding for someone successfully is figuring out how you fit into their life (and how they fit into yours)!
It is, despite potential disapointments; a blessing to find out your worth to those who are close to you, so that you may determine the amount of trust they should have in yours!
As painful as most of this sounds, we still believe:
1) God has brought us every step of the way (usually kicking and screaming…but He brought us anyway).
2) Growth is an often (always?) painful process (hence the kicking and screaming) but, despite the adversity, it has been (and continues to be) a blessing.
3) For all the pruning away of those we thought were with us, he has brought us some we didn’t expect that have stood with us (2Timothy 2: 15). We have and continue to develop new friendships and associations with those like-minded individuals that God has partnered with us!
4) Some of those who have gone their own way from us, are not evil in heart or intent, but walked with us for only a season, and continue on a different path(Acts 15: 36-40). We bless them and pray for them, and their calling which is in Christ Jesus! Amen.
But even and above all of this, God continues to steer and lead this ministry. That direction we will cover in more detail in our next post!
July 10th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it; even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Ephesians 5: 29-32
Now, I’m not going to say that what I’m sharing today is THE GREAT MYSTERY spoken of in Ephesians 5, but there are some interesting things I would like to share about this passage of Scripture and the relationship of Christ and His Church!
So, for starters we need to establish(Jesus said):
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Matthew 5: 17, 18
In short, Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. Therefore, His life in totality here on earth represents (among many other things) the law in action! This is even seen in the events leading up to His death! In other words, there are spiritual parallels to every event contained within the gospels (some more apparent than others).
It is also worth noting for the sake of this article that God says:
The thing that hath been, it is the thing which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun. Ecclesiastes 1: 9
Next, in the Ephesians 5 passage there is the word
church
repeatedly referenced. This is the Greek word
Ecclesia (Ecclesiastes? Coincidence perhaps?! There is no such thing!!!)
And it means to be “called out”
and this is also the feminine form of this word. In Hebrew tradition, a man becomes betrothed to a woman (often) several years before they actually have a wedding ceremony. She is “called out” to him, and he goes to prepare a place for them to live once they are married (does any of this sound familiar?!). She then waits for his return; not knowing when that time (of his return) will occur. It may be any hour of the day or night, and she therefore must live in a constant state of anticipation of his return (Matthew 25: 1-13; 24: 39-42). But, when he finally comes to claim his bride, we see again as in Matthew 25: 1-13, he comes with a shout and the fanfare of his companions just as we read in I Thessalonians 4: 16, 17!
But, what else should we know about this Bride?
Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Galatians 5: 1
That before we were saved, we were slaves unto sin. And, what does slavery have to do with the bride? In Leviticus 27: 4 it says that the cost to redeem a female slave from bondage is 30 shekels of silver. In Matthew 26: 15, Judas betrays Christ for 30 pieces of silver. Again, everything that happens in Christ’s life happens for a significant and spirtual reason.
So, what is our precedent to establish this marriage covenant?
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. Ephesians 5: 31
This is actually a repeat of Genesis 2: 24 where Eve is created from Adam. And why is Adam and Eve’s relationship so important? What could that possibly have to do with the relationship of Christ and His Church (Bride)?
Well,
The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
I Corninthians 15: 47-49
Just as the first man (Adam) had his wife taken from his side; so the second man (Christ) would have the “evidence” (A heavenly parallel) of His bride taken from His side.
But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water. John 19: 34
The blood and the water are significant because they represent the “evidence” of the Christian Church (The Blood of Christ and the water of the Holy Spirit)! Which is paid for in the natural by the thirty pieces of silver, and in the spirit by His death!
Furthermore, we see the “two become one flesh” fulfilled by this Scripture:
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53: 5
Our sins are evidenced as the scars upon His body (of which we are His body), and fulfill how
Two
Become
One
FLESH!
June 20th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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We seem to become so conditioned to certain ways and behaviors; types, forms and conditions, that we forget to ask why sometimes. One of the greatest things about a child between 3 and 5 years old, is the propensity and the verasity to ask the why of something irregardless of how mundane or common the circumstance! Maybe if we did this (collectively), we wouldn’t have to suffer through nearly as much religion as we do, and actually leave more time and room for the Holy Spirit to do…whatever the Holy Spirit would like to do! Hmmmm…there is a little something to ponder on for the next little bit!? And while I’m at it, let me throw a few more things your way to think on…
* Why is it when I buy a book on, say prayer (for instance), I have to spend the first half of the book reading about a history of prayer, the importance of prayer, and EXACTLY why the author felt the need to write the book in the first place (in exacting and painful detail), how they prayed about whether or not they should or shouldn’t write a book about prayer, etc., etc… It is often so bad, I never finish the book as I spend most of the first 5 or 6 chapters just trying to stay awake, that I NEVER actually get to any fresh revelation that the author might have to share!?
I know that we shouldn’t assume, but for the sake of my sleep patterns, and my sanity, I think it is safe to assume:
1) I have a fairly good grasp of the overall history of this subject. Why?
I BOUGHT THE BOOK!
If there is something about the history that you feel is
PERTINENT
to what you have to share, fit it into the context of a relevant chapter.
2) I understand on at least a very basic level, the importance of the subject covered in the book. Why?
I BOUGHT THE BOOK
Once again, if you feel that there is some FRESH revelation to the importance of the subject matter as it pertains to something (anything) new you have to share,
FIT IT INTO THE CONTEXT OF A GIVEN CHAPTER!
3) See #1 and #2 as it applies to the need for the book and whether or not it should have been written in the first place!
Seriously, when I buy a book on a given subject, I’m looking for the authors insight and unique experience (hopefully fresh) on that subject! Which leads us to:
4) I would rather read a good and relevant pamphlet than an encyclopedia of rehashed blather! I mean, 2 or 3 chapters of good material is certainly much better than tacking on another 8 or 9 chapters of bunk, just for the sake of saying it’s a book rather than a nice pamphlet!?
Maybe the reason this is so common in today’s Christian writing, is that it has been so very prevalent in Christian teaching and preaching for so long (yeah, I said it)?! Think about it, if you replaced the word listening for the word studying, and changed the phrase
I BOUGHT THE BOOK
for
I CHOSE TO WORSHIP HERE
Everything else I covered in this section is interchangable (especially the part about falling asleep because the subject matter is so very droll)!
* Maybe it’s just me
(…and here it comes),
BUT
Should churches really advertise on radio and TV the way other businesses do? This may be splitting hairs or whatnot,
BUT
I don’t mind a posting in the paper, and handouts in coffee houses or even on telephone poles doesn’t really bother me all that much. I don’t mind radio spots where the Pastor of a church does a “ministry moment” (sermonette, or mini-bible study) where the speaker states what church they Pastor during that message. It doesn’t really even bother me all that much to see a plug for a new book or media message (teaching, sermon, etc.) during their TV time (show, TBN hosting, etc.). And I fully realize that a web site itself is a form of advertising!
What bothers me is a commercial that markets a church like a car dealership or an amusement park (complete with a whimsical theme song and a slogan)! Now, believe me, I’m no stodgey, stick-in-the-mud when it comes to church services, and I think if a given fellowship has something to offer people, then they should make that known! I am in no way offended by loud music (rock on for Jesus), people preaching in jeans and t-shirts (I do it myself), alternative forms of worship (signing, drama ministry, video messages, etc.). I am in no way offended by long hair (if I had hair, it would be long) or no hair (which is again applicable), tattoos (have ‘em), or peircings (don’t have ‘em…but they don’t bother me either).
I enjoy listening to female ministers; which is to say:
1) They have the Holy Spirit (and He works through them)
2) God talks to them (and through them)
and maybe most important of all
3) THEY TALK TO GOD
In a more devotional and dedicated way than most male ministers do (oh yeah…I said it)!
But it seems borderline blasphemous to treat a move of the Holy Spirit like a rollercoaster ride at a Six Flags, or to portray your service in such a way as to be likened to a Monster Truck Rally complete with that ultra-deep, hyper-excited voice:
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY, come on down to the first church of the frozen chosen (a PLACE for every RACE) and experience what the Holy Ghost is doing, blah, blah, blah…
There is something about that whole presentation that just screams
Acts 5
to me. If you’re not familiar with Acts, chapter 5
PLEASE
HELP
YOURSELF
TO
STUDY IT
RIGHT (wait for it)
ABOUT (in just a second)
NOW
June 11th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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On a day-to-day basis, I get asked a lot of questions. Maybe I look like I know something (nah… that couldn’t be it!)? Or maybe I look kind and approachable (ok, that’s not it either)? Maybe I look funny and sound amusing (I think we’re onto something)?! Well, whatever it is, it seems I get a lot of questions, and thought I might share some of them with you today (along with my responses…yep, there is truly NO FREE LUNCH)!
Q: Pastor, I feel like a righteous person wouldn’t do _____ (certain types of behavior), and anyone who does really doesn’t trust God to begin with, y’know?!
A: Sure, no argument there; in theory! But, you and I don’t really know anyone’s walk (or life). The best we can hope for is to know ourselves and govern our own walk!
I try to approach it like this:
What if you get to heaven and see someone that you just knew wasn’t supposed to be there?! How do you reconcile that? Clerical error? They snuck in or are “just visiting”? Bad bookeeping? Personally, I won’t be surprised or offended, I’ll be thankful that it wasn’t my call!
Christ deals with each of us individually. It’s hard enough to deal with ourselves, much less what someone else does or doesn’t do (or what they should or shouldn’t do)! We are to be an encouragement to others; how do we do that if we’re always telling them the conditions by which God will let them in?!
Q: What else proves the Bible correct (For those who don’t believe, how can we prove that it is correct)?
A: Well there are many examples:
The flood is a proven historical event. There have been archeological discoveries proving that the events at Jericho happened as the Bible says. The O.T. laws regarding sanitation and food preparation predate the discovery of bacteria and microbes by about 3,500 years. The book of Job says the earth is round and that from space it appears suspended upon nothing! That pre-dates the proof of a round earth by at least 3,000 years and space flight by 4,000!
There are many sound, scientific proofs contained within the Bible, but you cannot convice anyone of its validity regardless of your evidence! People believe based on Faith (and hope), when we come at them with all of our facts and proofs, all we are doing (whether we intend to or not) is showing them how clever we are (to have found them in the Bible). It is the prompting of the Holy Spirit that brings people to Salvation, not a good intellectual debate! What people need is a Savior, not a salesman…and surely not a lawyer!
Q: Do you think God prefers us not to go out and do the things that interest us, or have hobbies that don’t involve Him in it?
A: There are two types of activities that God is not involved in:
Those He won’t be involved with
AND
Those He is not invited to be involved with!
It all depends on us; if we’re supposed to do everything as unto God, how much do we invite Him to be a part of everything we’re doing?!
That question is not rhetorical! How much do we invite God to be involved in our lives? Or, maybe more importantly, how often do we hope He isn’t even looking (much less involved)?! We determine the amount of God’s involvement in our lives! If He isn’t a part of something we’re doing, He either doesn’t approve of it
OR
He wasn’t invited to participate!
Q: Do you know where the bread is?
A: Aisle 2, over by the peanut butter.
Q: How is it that people can say they have to see the proof to believe, but don’t open their eyes when it is right in front of them?!
A: A lot of what we profess to believe “could” be dismissed by an outsider as feelings and opinion. If it were as obvious as we think it is and yet so easily dismissed by others, we wouldn’t have much need for Faith would we?
Outside of a belief in God, His existence and explanation sounds ridiculous to unbelievers. The acceptance of ANY explanation outside of Him is more plausible because He is not included in it! The fact that the explanations they embrace are contradictory to the practical knowledge they profess to believe is simply NOT a consideration! It is a rejection of God’s existence moreso than rejecting a practical explanation!
Your (our) case or argument seems readily plausible to us, because it is viewed through both our “enlightened” eyes of Faith, as well as the practical eyes of our experience!
Unbelievers can’t (not won’t) do that! What they do have is an experience just as genuine and real to them as ours (is to us)! Their belief is mistakenly based on that experience assuming that its logic is grounded in that experience being an ABSOLUTE truth of the way things are, rather (what it is actually is) than being the symptom of their condition outside of God!
By being brought up that way they choose to stay in that mindset?!
No, not choose. That would suggest they believe they have a choice. They do of course; they just don’t realize it. This mindset is their whole “raison d’tere” (reason for being) and why life is the way it is for them. Life experience has taught them an entire personal philosophy whereby anything that is contrary to that belief is dismissed outright!
The problem with any personal philosophy is that it seeks to justify behaviors based on outside circumstances (cause and effect outside of God). Our belief is to look inward and seek the Holy Spirit so that we may respond properly AND not become victims to circumstance!
Q: Can you tell me where the bathroom is?
A: Do you mean any bathroom or the just the one in this building?
Q: (asked by a woman) Is it permissible to wear pants to your service?
A: Yes, absolutely! I always wear pants to church!
And
that
is as
REAL
as it
gets!
BLESSINGS!
April 17th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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Upon reflection, there is a lot about sanctification I alluded to in my last post that I would (and maybe should) expound upon! In my previous post, I wrote at length about how people or organizations should NOT use sanctification as a legislative tool for controlling individuals or groups of people.
All we can do is offer someone the truth, if they do not feel the conviction to incorporate it into their walk (at that specific time) we cannot force them through guilt, shame, bribery, threats, or any other manner to make them do something they do not want to, nor feel the need to do!
PERIOD!!!
For that exact same reason, it is a recipe for failure to try and self-impose a discipline upon yourself that you neither understand nor really see as a “bad thing”! You cannot, through sheer force of will make yourself NOT do something that you truly enjoy (like, or are entertained by), or even think you need. It would be like many people who quit something “cold turkey”; they may abstain for a period of time, perhaps even a long period of time, but in the end, they inevitably gorge themselves on the very thing they were trying to quit! And why is that?
Well, in short, there are two primary reasons this happens. First of all, What did you put in place of this behavior, so that it was positively reinforced within you to quit? A reward if you will. It is important to fill that time with something that is fulfilling to you. Otherwise, whatever you are abstaining from stays at the forefront of your thoughts, even as you deny yourself from it!
For example, when we teach fasting to people, we always tell them fasting is not simply abstaining from food; it is putting something in its place that you want from God. Those time periods that you spend in meals, should be filled with prayer, worship, and studying the Bible. Those moments between meals (during a fast) when you begin to feel hungry, are moments to pray, not about feeling hungry, but that being in the Presence of God is enough and that would satiate the pangs of hunger! Seeking more of God at the expense of even food is the power of fasting, not simply giving up eating! We often joke, that if you are fasting and not seeking God, you are only starving (and in more than one way)!
The second reason people fail at change is, they do not or will not see the benefit of change! Or to say it simply,
THEY DON’T WANT TO STOP! (Matthew 6: 24)
Again, this is tied to the first reason. Unless given a desirable and viable alternative, you won’t stop! Personal Trainers have begun to teach that you cannot effectively train someone to lose ____ number of pounds and expect it to happen, no matter how you train or diet. Likewise, you can’t even expect to train someone to have a body like Serena Williams or Michael Phelps and be all that effective without having them to train like a Tennis Player or an Olympic Swimmer!
We must have clear definable goals and a plan of how to achieve them! Once that is put in place, then successful abstinence as well as a desire for the new behavior can become established. But, how does that really apply to sanctification?
Society as a whole has really reached a point, where simply questioning oneself whether they should or shouldn’t do something has become skewed. If this weren’t true, then drug addicts (any addicts) would never become addicts at all, they would simply know when and where to walk away from something before they ever got addicted to it! Even in reaching the point where an addict knows that what they are doing is killing them, they have lost the will to quit (and by extension live)!
We no longer collectively listen to that voice within us that says:
“This might not be a good idea”
“Maybe I shouldn’t do this”
“This is wrong”
“I should stop before this gets out of control”
CAUTION!
DON’T!
WARNING!
DANGER!
STOP!
This is why we need the Holy Spirit more than ever! And we should heed His voice when He tells us anything! Call it Spirit, conscience, a little voice or even Bob (whatever), it’s ok to listen to it. But how do we know the difference between the voice of the Holy Spirit and the voice of desires that get us into trouble?
In short, if you can’t tell the difference
1) You don’t pray enough.
2) Here is your rule of thumb:
If what you think you want to do is akin to scratching an itch:
then wait till the itching stops and then see if you still want to do it.
If it is a desire that burns like lust:
don’t do it at all!
If it’s something that makes you think, “thats inconvenient, or hard work, or I’m too tired to do that right now”:
then its probably God! LOL
In closing, here is a part of Jesus prayer for those who are sanctified:
“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. “ John 17: 6 (NLT)
And that’s a big
AMEN
right there!
April 14th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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And exactly what is that word in the title? This is one of those words used with frequency throughout the Bible, but we don’t hear it used that often in the modern church! Some churches refuse to talk about sanctification, as they find it to be opposed to the warm and fuzzy, seeker-friendly, politically correct churches of today! Those that are so afraid they will lose members (and therefore diminish the offerings). While other churches use it as a verbal club to beat their congregations into conforming to the outlines of denominational doctrine! The former is like denying it’s raining outside while standing in the midst of a storm soaking wet! While the latter is akin to using a baseball bat to swat flies; it can work, but it’s probably not the best tool for the job!
So, what exactly is sanctification? The dictionary defines sanctification as:
1. To make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate. 2. To purify or free from sin. 3. To impart religious sanction to; render legitimate or binding. 4. To make productive of or conducive to spiritual blessing.
With the exception of number 4, it seems sanctification by definition is every bit as restrictive as traditional religion suggests!? Let’s take a look at the Bible’s definition of sanctification and see if it reveals anything more:
1. To purify or make holy. 2. To observe as clean; consecrate. 3. To prepare, or dedicate.
Overall, there seems to be a general implication of washing (Ephesians 5: 26) as a means of a preparation to be purified. Let’s think of a water filter system. Something that is put in place to remove impurities. WOW…almost sounds like a good thing when I say it like that, huh?! But in a pragmatic, nuts and bolts type of way, how does sanctification work?
Well, first off, sanctification is NOT legalism! It cannot, nor should it be imposed upon anyone personally, or a group collectively! In the simplest of terms and applications, sanctification is a response from the urging of the Holy Spirit to cease and desist; deter from nor associate with any type(s) of behavior that is unpleasing to God or His character!
Sanctification can be something as specific as refraining from drunkeness, or lewd and inappropriate behavior (or being seen to condone it), to keeping one’s cool in a traffic jam, or simply taking the time to push your grocery cart (along with two other carts belonging to others) back to the cart return!
All the things of this world that seem to aggravate us to one degree or another, even including behaviors and habits that we previously exhibited ourselves! Previously, our practice of and apathy toward others’ practice of these behaviors didn’t bother us in the least! Now, it seems a trial of the first order to go anywhere or do anything without feeling some sense of obligation to do, say, and experience it in a way that is pleasing to God (or too often, simply not experience it at all)!
We don’t need people or organizations to tell us the do’s and don’ts of our walk with Christ. If we disciple them correctly(yeah, I know, but that’s a whole other thing!) we simply teach them to expect to have a new-found distaste for the things of the world, and how that is a good thing, and that there are better, and healthier choices available for all who are in Christ Jesus!
But, the evidence of sanctification is not only the distaste of the things of the world! It is also not reacting in a worldly way to that uncomfortable urging! For example, I’ve seen Christians cuss other Christians out for behaviors they thopught less than appropriate; take a swing at someone they were in an argument with!? Uhmmmm, yeah…that don’t work either there, Hoss! Just because it makes you feel sick, angry, sad, disappointed, etc., doesn’t mean you should sulk, pout, fight, yell, scream, swear, etc.. You will feel like you want to, or even like you should; but, and I promise, you won’t feel better afterward; you’ll feel worse!
Sanctification is also how you respond to adversity in spite of how experience has taught you! We can detest, abhor, and loathe behaviors, habits, types of personalities, and even the malicious actions of individuals; even all the while maintaining your peace, and joy, and love (Ephesians 4: 26)!
Sanctification makes us aware of our surroundings AND our association (I John 4: 4). Anger, malice, rage, and even especially that most detestable of justifications, righteous indignation, are not of God, nor are pleasing to Him! They are simply the misinformed, and misguided emotional outbursts of those who are either incapable of maturity (spiritual or otherwise), or have not been properly discipled!
How often, even as Christians do we “enter in” to Spiritual warfare only to battle in a very worldly way (emotionally, verbally, or even physically)?Those who seek to make war in the name of God, do not march with, but against God, the Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ! Warfare to a Christian has nothing to do with conventional worldly battle, but a warfare in and of the Spirit (II Corinthians 10: 3-5). Sanctification is the means by which we become increasingly aware of where the battlelines are drawn within
US!
As the time of the end draws closer, we will find ourselves more and more at odds with the ways of this world. In that negative sense, we become increasingly upset with almost all facets of society, and find ourselves more and more withdrawn from the mainstream. However, at the same time, we find ourselves no longer dependent upon social and civic organizations (even in some cases churches), governments, forms of casual entertainment (TV, radio, news outlets, etc.) and become more focused on prayer, worship and the Word of God! To be effective in showing Christ to a lost and dying world, we must become more and more removed from it (I John 4: 4).
As strange as it seems to turn from things that seem to have nothing wrong with them…well, the wrong is not in things, boys and girls; the wrong of it exists within the heart of individuals. Anything and everything has the potential to distract us from our relationship with God! Therefore it makes US exist in enmity with Him! Even those things we think are good, can gain power over us if we let them. Those things that are of God, are everlasting, and better than anything we can make on our own to make our lives better.
It is as the Prophet Isaiah said:
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for heaviness; that they might be called trees righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. Isaiah 61: 3
Truly let us desire to be sanctified.
April 13th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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Now that we know what we have – Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God – let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all – all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.
Hebrews 4: 14-16 (The Message)
Welcome to Easter weekend! One of three holidays where people make a more concerted effort to attend church (the other two being Christmas and Mother’s Day). With that in mind I would like to share my take on “religious” holidays and Easter in particular! Not that I expect everyone to believe like I believe; I would simply like to share my observations with you!
In the passage of Scripture above, notice the reference to Jesus “experiencing it all”. This would be His life here among us
AND (importantly)
As one of us!
This is a very important point. If Jesus is not as human as we are, then His sacrifice is for naught! He cannot pay the price for our sins, and we cannot be redeemed! There must be a relation (pun very much intended) between Himself and those who He came to save.
But, for this sacrifice to be legitimate for all humanity, it must contain something within this life that no other human possessed! Notice the very next statement in this Scripture:
…experienced it all – all but the sin.
And this is in reference to the other half of Christ’s DNA; the part that is His Father! It is this part of Him that makes us joint heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven (Romans 8: 17). Pretty big stuff, huh?
Without relation to us (through Mary), there is no life as a man here upon earth, and therefore no relation to all that we struggle with! No understanding, no comprehension, and thereby, no redemption! Without relation to the Father, His sacrifice and death is no different than any other man’s…mourned by those who were closest to him in life; grieved, remembered by those he left behind. His memory forgotten when his generation passed into eternity as well! Just like you and I.
What we attempt to do this weekend is recognize the life of Jesus! Because:
This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this personally from my Father.
John 10: 17, 18 (The Message)
It would almost seem a gross understatement (by example) to only take a day (or a week, or a season) to recognize the life of our Savior, Jesus
THE CHRIST
THE MESSIAH
THE LAMB OF GOD
WHO HAS TAKEN AWAY THE SINS OF THE WORLD!
Are you getting excited yet? Hallelujah!
But, we are not simply taking a day, a week or a season to observe ALL that He has done for us and ALL that He has accomplished for us! Whether we recognize it or not, we do that everyday since we have accepted Him! Our lives (like it or not) are our testimony to who He is to us! How we walk, talk, live, eat, and breathe is an example of who Christ is to us!
Now, that being said, we’re all probably thinking right now about how often we don’t do that accurately than about how often we do! But, that’s a good thing because that means we recognize the need to change, and the conviction to initiate that change!
Look, Salvation is not as much a single destination, as a path (THE PATH) by which we travel toward Him! If it were (a single destination), we would be more accurate and appropriate to recognize and celebrate Easter on the day WE got “saved” ! However, everytime we pause and look at our lives (our actions) in comparison to Jesus’, we are taking an opportunity to change (II Corinthians 3: 18). This is why Paul said:
I die every day – I mean that, brothers – just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. I Corinthians 15: 31 (NIV)
Everyday?! Yep, like it or not, accurate or not; who we are
everyday
is our celebration of what Jesus died for! That’s not polite, or comfortable. It is certainly NEVER convenient. But, if our lives are to be lived in recollection of His life, then it is not meant or intended to be polite, comfortable or convenient! It is only meant to be lived without
SIN
And why would anyone want to do that for us?
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12: 2 (NIV)
He did it because being with us makes Him
HAPPY
So, as we get ready for church tomorrow morning, and as we take the extra time and care to look better, dress nicer, and yes, even act better for Easter service, let us take a moment to recognize and remember how much better we appear on the inside because of Him! Because without
THAT
all the rest is just a fashion show (Isaiah 64: 6)!
Blessings!
April 3rd,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Revelation 2: 4
First love. Remember how that felt? Can you remember all of the silliness that it was to be in love for the first time, and not caring how silly you might appear?
boy: Okay, you hang-up.
girl: Nooo-uhh, you hang-up first!
boy: We’ll hang-up at the same time! On three, ok?!
girl: OK
boy: 1…2…3…
…are you still there?
girl: Yes!
boy: I thought you were hanging up!?
girl: You hang-up first…
Oh yeah…fun times.
Now, you’re probably wondering what exactly does this have to do with the Revelation Scripture above? You would also probably like to know what that has to do with our Spiritual walk? Fair enough.
In running a ministry, albeit even a small one; it is often necessary to be an administrator. Which is to say, on a day-to-day basis, that church for me is more often about doing the things that have to be done and/or making sure that they are getting done (git r done) so that any meetings or gatherings we have might be presented in such a manner that the congregation can focus on meeting the Lord!
Too often this happens at the expense of meeting Him myself! Or, at the least, appreciating and recognizing the opportunity to meet Him myself! Yep, I said it. The reason I said it is so that I might confess my fault and repent of it. It is the opportunity in meeting Him that is the entire reason I got involved in ministry to begin with!
I can remember early in my walk, listening to my Pastor talking about experiencing tangible, powerful moves of the Holy Spirit in services, and even his private life! I used to hang on every word of those accounts. I would read books by people like Smith Wigglesworth, A.W. Tozer, Watchman Nee, Tommy Tenney and John Bevere, and be amazed at the things they experienced in God! It seemed (and still seems) so awesome to me that He would manifest Himself today as He did in the times of people like Moses, David, Elijah, and Isaiah!
I listened and read these accounts so much, that I began to wonder why I couldn’t have such an experience myself?! I began to pray, and ask the Lord why I couldn’t have such an experience myself? One day, I felt the Holy Spirit answer me:
I don’t know…why can’t you have an experience like that?
Wha…?! Who…?! GET BEHIND ME SATAN!!!
Isn’t it funny, how we get really religious when God opens our eyes to our own ignorance?! Well, at least that’s the way it works for me!?
Now, whether I heard that or just sensed it is not the point. The fact of the matter is this:
I went from thinking why couldn’t I have a personal, powerful experience of the manifested Glory of the Lord, to wondering why shouldn’t I have such an experience! And, as they say, that changed EVERYTHING for me!
Think about it: Jesus came and died and was resurrected so that each and every one of us could have an intimate and personal relationship with Him! Notice I said
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US
So, we should have MORE of a manifestation of the power of God in our lives, than the people (as a whole) of the Old Testament, right?! Life and life more abundantly(John 10: 10), as it were! That is the whole point of the New Testament (John 3: 16, Hebrews 8:6, etc.)!
I got tired of sitting at the foot of the mountain, waiting for Moses (or some other minister) to come and tell me about how great and loving and awesome God is! I decided I wanted…
no, check that…
I HAD to go find out for myself! I wanted (and still want) my own experience, and I believe that He wants me to have my own experience also! More than that, He wants to have His own experience with US!
I want a burning bush, pillar of smoke and fire, thunder and lightening on the mountain, Trump of God, heralded by angels, chariot of God, wrestle till dawn with my hip out of joint, seen Him high and lifted up, struck blind on the road to Damascus type of experience!
And yes, I have experienced alot of that! But, like Moses himself, it only drives me to want
MORE
And less than that just won’t do! Church as usual simply will not suffice! And you know what?
IT SHOULDN’T!
It was NEVER intended to!
But, instead of that, we have church (with a small c and an all too small experience). We still think we have to sit parked at the foot of the mountain waiting for the Prophet to come and tell us what the Lord says! We have become accustomed to parking our bohunkus in the pew, putting a dollar in the offering plate, and waiting for the preacher to regurgitate a sermon he has preached 3 times a year for the last 5 years! That is why I’m not fond of the idea of programs, classes, cell groups, demoninations, etc. as a whole! They exist in practice (if not intent) as veils between us and Christ! And we know what Christ did with the veil!
I remember hearing a preacher say once that most of us would never have an Old Testament type of experience in God! What!? Well, I’m hear to tell you…if that is the truth, it’s NOT because God didn’t want you to! And anyone who would tell you otherwise is a
LIAR
let me say that again
A
LIAR
We are a royal priesthood (I Peter 2: 9). It doesn’t say becoming one. It doesn’t say we will one day achieve one. It says we
ARE
A
ROYAL
PRIESTHOOD!!!
Now, in turn, I get more than a little grief for believing like I do! There are alot of folks (and even more ministers) that think I’m a heretic (or worse) for sharing and exercising such a belief as this! The world, and even more importantly, religion says that what I preach isn’t possible anymore!
But, that Scripture in I Peter says we are also:
A peculiar people… I Peter 2: 9
Paul said:
I become a fool in glorying… II Corinthians 12: 11
and
But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise: and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty I Corinthians 1: 27
So what if people think I’m an idiot?! That is a small price to pay for more of a God in my life! And, if I’m being perfectly honest; people have thought I was a little strange my whole life (yeah, like I wasn’t aware of the fact I’m weird!?)! So instead of fighting that, I finally embraced it
AND
God has blessed me for it!
But, back to the subject at hand; what we have versus what we have been promised! We have a 7 course meal with Lobster and Filet Mignon and the church is offering us a bite of their peanut butter sandwich!? No thanks Hoss, I brought my own! I like peanut butter…But, I like MEAT better!
So, in closing, I’ll leave you with this:
But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of.
John 4: 32
No…you hang-up first!
March 27th,2010
Church: In the Real! |
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