Mark 7:14
After He (Jesus) called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
This morning I was meditating on listening to God.
In the educational industry we call engaged listening, "Active Listening." No matter what you call it listening has to be more than hearing. Hearing is the reception of the message but listening is the acceptance of the message. Hearing is the first step in communication. But as soon as we hear something our brains begin to evaluate what we have heard. Correct hearing is crucial to be able to listen. We must accurately know what is being said before we can start to listen to it.
I am always amazed to find that even though we think we have fully understood what someone has told us that often we miss it. I have learned that one of the most important things I can do to help my communication with others is to ask them to tell me back what I said to them. Several times this last week I have been sharing something with a someone and if I had not done this simple clarification they would have completely misunderstood what I was saying. I was very happy to correct their comprehension. Even if people do not agree or will not follow the things I share with them I at least want them to know what I actually said and meant in saying it.
So the first step in listening to God is to accurately hear what He says.
I often say that to hear God all we have to do is read the Bible. It contains God's Word and is applicable to everything in our lives. It may not specifically address things that were not even a part of the lives of those who wrote it, like the internet, copyright infringment or movie ratings. But the principles it contains has more than enough application to cover each one of them.
However, even the Bible is misinterpreted. We need to have a defining principle to interpret even the scriptures. I sahre with people that creation and history are also infallible words from God when read through the lens of scripture. But scripture must also be understood in the light of creation and history as well. Gallileo was felt to be an enemy of God's Word because he challenged a non-biblical belief that the Earth was the centre of the universe. God's record of revelation in creation proved that he was not a heretic but proved everyone who believed that the Earth was the center wrong. In that way he was actually a vessel for God to correct a false teaching that the church had accepted even though it was not God's truth.
This is a way to say that all three aspects of God's revelation (Scripture, Creation and History) will line us with each other when we have God's full revelation.
So our first task to be able to listen is to test what we hear fro authenticity. We need to know if God has spoken to us or not. If He has we move on to listening. If He has not we dismiss the message.
Mark 9:1-7
And Jesus was saying to them, "Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power." 2 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves. And He was transfigured before them; 3 and His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 Elijah appeared to them along with Moses; and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 6 For he did not know what to answer; for they became terrified. 7 Then a cloud formed, overshadowing them, and a voice came out of the cloud, "This is My beloved Son, listen to Him!"
The second priniciple I learned about hearing God is that to hear the message as God intends it we must hear Jesus say it. I used to be so confused as I would read the scriptures. In some passages I "heard" things which I knew Jesus would not say. For instance:
Psalm 137:8-9
O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. 9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.
One day a person said to me, "It is God's Word but what is God trying to say?" That set me on a journey that ended with me realizing that even when the devil speaks in scripture God has a reason for letting us hear it. And when a man speaks out of the anguish of his heart God may not want us to agree with his desire for revenge but to understand his feelings. We can know that we too may feel things like this but Jesus did not. the contrast between The Psalmist and Jesus shows us that even when we would desire to cry out for the blood of those who have harmed us he does not. Even when we think we should bring fire down from heaven he does not.
Luke 9:53-55
And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go to Jerusalem. 54 And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did? 55 But he turned, and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.
So the second most important principle in listening is to listen for what Jesus wants to say in the passage.
Matthew 5:21-23
Ye have heard that it was said of them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Jesus said this in regard to the Old Testament many times. It does not mean the Old Testament was in error. It means that he is now revealing what the message he was giving in those original statements were. They were what we should "listen" to when we hear them.
Using these two principles I pray through the Bible and any outside revelation I may receive.
In a future post we will talk about how to really "Listen" once we know what God says.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Be Still
Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
This morning the Father said, "Be Still."
This is very different from saying, "Be Quiet."
Being a teacher of young children I spend much of my day telling them to be quiet. Being the father of adolescent children I often hear them telling each other, when in the midst of an argument, to, "Be Quiet." Generally the words are not what I just said. "Shut up...." is usually the phrase of choice. Anyway you look at it this is not what the Bible means when it says "be still."
One very important spiritual discipline I learned early in my life as a believer was the discipline of stillness.
We are often told that we need to spend time with God but due to our reaction to legalism we often reject any kind of spiritual discipline as a means of growth in grace. I have personally found that daily disciplines of prayer, devotion and bible study have been the very fabric of growth in my spiritual life. "Being Still" is a part of all three.
While I said that God asking us to, "Be Still" is not the same as Him telling us to, "Be Quiet", being still does involve quietness where possible. There is so much noise in our world. Perhaps the greatest noise is that from our own soul. I find it takes a very concentrated, focused effort to turn it all off and place our attention on what matters. But the rewards are great for doing so.
Our scripture tells us that being still is directly related to us knowing God in all His Glory. We must focus on God to comprehend him. This is no different than our relationship with others. No relationship can ever move beyond the surface if we do not spend time with each other focusing on the other.
The primary relationships we have are often given the least amount of our time. This is why they often fail.
When we were first getting to know a person with whom we were interested in building a primary relationship we spent lots of time together talking, sharing our thoughts and dreams for the future. We spent time just being together. Then when we got married or became solid as friends we thought we did not need to "be still" with each other. Almost from the moment we stop taking concentrated, focused time to spend in solitude with each other - "being still" with each other - stopping the noise that takes us away from each other's attentiveness - the relationship begins to die.
It is not strange to me that so many people end up involved in adulterous relationships in our generation. Not only is there a God Shaped hole in us, we are created with a spouse shaped hole as well. When it is not filled continually with the one we chose to be our life partner it will be filled with someone else. That someone else will be someone we spend time with. People fall in love with people they spend time with. That is why so many affairs are with people that work together or are involved in ministry together. The only way we can keep this from happening is to continue to fill the spouse shaped hole inside of us with our spouse by "being still" with them.
The same is true of God. Other gods will take His place if we are not filling our souls with Him on a moment by moment basis.
You may say that not everyone who does not spend "be still" time with their spouse ends up in adultery. That is true. But they end up in loneliness and isolation. The same is true with God. We may be able to maintain an outward obedience to God without intimate "be still" time with Him. But it will be a more dutiful and religious relationship. He wants us to know Him so deeply. And he wants us to be known by Him in that same way.
The only way we can reach that place of intimacy is to "be still" with Him.
On a practical basis I find that spending time with God as early in my day as possible is the best. It sets my heart on Him for the day. When I first became a believer I began to pray that He would be my first thought of the day. Soon He was. When He was not I found that whatever took His place was a noise in my soul that needed to be stilled. I still walk in that joy even after over forty years of belonging to Him.
Whatever moves us away from our focus on Him is noise that needs to be stopped.
I remember so well one period of time where I had a choice to make that showed me how important keeping this principle was. I started my daily "Be Still" times as soon as I got up. They were and are the best times of my day. When I was in university I had a wonderful band director who became a real friend. He loved sports cars. He owned an Austin Healey that needed a lot of repair but was well worth the investment even then. He wanted me to have a car so he gave it to me. All I had to do was pick it up in two weeks. The morning after he told me he wanted me to have it I went to have my "be still" time. Instead of God showing up the Austin Healey arrived. I imagined fixing all the different parts on it. I painted it a nifty color of metallic blue.... my favorite color. I drove it around with my girlfriend and everyone on campus thought it was so cool. I did a little reading and prayed a short prayer but did not notice that I did not connect with my saviour at all. This went on for a week. One morning I felt so drained and lifeless. I realized that I was missing God like crazy and my heart was growing dim to His love. I found myself being irritable and having some temptation issues that I had not experienced for a while. I tried in vain to "be still" with Him but made no connection. When the Austin showed up I felt a bit of delight but suddenly realized it was the problem. I had been spending time with my Austin to the neglect of the real love of my life. I tried for several more days to get the Austin to go away without success. Finally one the day before I was going to pick it up. I asked the Lord to show me what I had to do to get back to the place with Him I had before. He said, Give me the car." That day a burnt offering went to heaven. I willingly and joyfully gave the one who I could not live without what I could not live with. I called my band director and told him how much I had appreciated his gift but that I could not accept it. The next morning I had the most wonderful time of joy in the Lord's presence.
This pattern has kept me from so many things that would have destroyed my life. As I have come to a place of stillness with Him, leaving behind what ever disturbs our relationship I have found His peace to be precious beyond anything else.
Now when He says, "Be still" I know it is not a rebuke but an invitation to come away with Him to the secret place where we share quiet moments that no one or thing can steal the joy we have together.
Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
This morning the Father said, "Be Still."
This is very different from saying, "Be Quiet."
Being a teacher of young children I spend much of my day telling them to be quiet. Being the father of adolescent children I often hear them telling each other, when in the midst of an argument, to, "Be Quiet." Generally the words are not what I just said. "Shut up...." is usually the phrase of choice. Anyway you look at it this is not what the Bible means when it says "be still."
One very important spiritual discipline I learned early in my life as a believer was the discipline of stillness.
We are often told that we need to spend time with God but due to our reaction to legalism we often reject any kind of spiritual discipline as a means of growth in grace. I have personally found that daily disciplines of prayer, devotion and bible study have been the very fabric of growth in my spiritual life. "Being Still" is a part of all three.
While I said that God asking us to, "Be Still" is not the same as Him telling us to, "Be Quiet", being still does involve quietness where possible. There is so much noise in our world. Perhaps the greatest noise is that from our own soul. I find it takes a very concentrated, focused effort to turn it all off and place our attention on what matters. But the rewards are great for doing so.
Our scripture tells us that being still is directly related to us knowing God in all His Glory. We must focus on God to comprehend him. This is no different than our relationship with others. No relationship can ever move beyond the surface if we do not spend time with each other focusing on the other.
The primary relationships we have are often given the least amount of our time. This is why they often fail.
When we were first getting to know a person with whom we were interested in building a primary relationship we spent lots of time together talking, sharing our thoughts and dreams for the future. We spent time just being together. Then when we got married or became solid as friends we thought we did not need to "be still" with each other. Almost from the moment we stop taking concentrated, focused time to spend in solitude with each other - "being still" with each other - stopping the noise that takes us away from each other's attentiveness - the relationship begins to die.
It is not strange to me that so many people end up involved in adulterous relationships in our generation. Not only is there a God Shaped hole in us, we are created with a spouse shaped hole as well. When it is not filled continually with the one we chose to be our life partner it will be filled with someone else. That someone else will be someone we spend time with. People fall in love with people they spend time with. That is why so many affairs are with people that work together or are involved in ministry together. The only way we can keep this from happening is to continue to fill the spouse shaped hole inside of us with our spouse by "being still" with them.
The same is true of God. Other gods will take His place if we are not filling our souls with Him on a moment by moment basis.
You may say that not everyone who does not spend "be still" time with their spouse ends up in adultery. That is true. But they end up in loneliness and isolation. The same is true with God. We may be able to maintain an outward obedience to God without intimate "be still" time with Him. But it will be a more dutiful and religious relationship. He wants us to know Him so deeply. And he wants us to be known by Him in that same way.
The only way we can reach that place of intimacy is to "be still" with Him.
On a practical basis I find that spending time with God as early in my day as possible is the best. It sets my heart on Him for the day. When I first became a believer I began to pray that He would be my first thought of the day. Soon He was. When He was not I found that whatever took His place was a noise in my soul that needed to be stilled. I still walk in that joy even after over forty years of belonging to Him.
Whatever moves us away from our focus on Him is noise that needs to be stopped.
I remember so well one period of time where I had a choice to make that showed me how important keeping this principle was. I started my daily "Be Still" times as soon as I got up. They were and are the best times of my day. When I was in university I had a wonderful band director who became a real friend. He loved sports cars. He owned an Austin Healey that needed a lot of repair but was well worth the investment even then. He wanted me to have a car so he gave it to me. All I had to do was pick it up in two weeks. The morning after he told me he wanted me to have it I went to have my "be still" time. Instead of God showing up the Austin Healey arrived. I imagined fixing all the different parts on it. I painted it a nifty color of metallic blue.... my favorite color. I drove it around with my girlfriend and everyone on campus thought it was so cool. I did a little reading and prayed a short prayer but did not notice that I did not connect with my saviour at all. This went on for a week. One morning I felt so drained and lifeless. I realized that I was missing God like crazy and my heart was growing dim to His love. I found myself being irritable and having some temptation issues that I had not experienced for a while. I tried in vain to "be still" with Him but made no connection. When the Austin showed up I felt a bit of delight but suddenly realized it was the problem. I had been spending time with my Austin to the neglect of the real love of my life. I tried for several more days to get the Austin to go away without success. Finally one the day before I was going to pick it up. I asked the Lord to show me what I had to do to get back to the place with Him I had before. He said, Give me the car." That day a burnt offering went to heaven. I willingly and joyfully gave the one who I could not live without what I could not live with. I called my band director and told him how much I had appreciated his gift but that I could not accept it. The next morning I had the most wonderful time of joy in the Lord's presence.
This pattern has kept me from so many things that would have destroyed my life. As I have come to a place of stillness with Him, leaving behind what ever disturbs our relationship I have found His peace to be precious beyond anything else.
Now when He says, "Be still" I know it is not a rebuke but an invitation to come away with Him to the secret place where we share quiet moments that no one or thing can steal the joy we have together.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Comforter
John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
This morning I heard the Father say to me, "Comforter." It filled me with such a sense of His wonderful care for all of us. I thought of so many people today that are in desperate need of comfort. People who today are suffering so greatly that the mind can hardly fathom what they are going through.
The Comforter Jesus was praying for us to have was the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Of all the pictures I have in my heart of the Holy Spirit this one is the most precious. The Father sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us in all our trials. He is the God of all comfort. All true comfort comes from Him. Is that not a wonderful truth about our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit is the one He sends to comfort us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
See the pattern here? Jesus; heart was not untouched by the reality of our lives in this world. He himself had suffered its ravages. His heart was touched with the feelings of our struggle.
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
He knew we needed a place of refuge, a place to be comforted when life got to hard. He had found that in his relationship with the Holy Spirit.
In praying for us to have that same relationship we now have a wonderful comforter forever. See how he said that? The Holy Spirit does not come and go in our lives. The Holy Spirit remains with us forever. He is there for every joy and every sorrow.
As we find the comfort the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit bring to us he then directs our thoughts to comforting others.
1 Thessalonians 5:1
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The body of Christ is to be a place of great comfort.
I work with little children. It is always a reminder to me of what God does in our times of struggle as I watch the little ones when they are hurt.
Often as adults we have been embittered by life so much that when we get hurt we don't reach out for comfort. But little children do. The minute they are hurt what they seek is the comfort of another person. Most often the pain ends very quickly once they are loved and comforted.
Tell a little one they should not be so wimpy and they cry much harder. Tell them that you are sorry for how they got hurt, touch them to reassure them that you understand and just let them cry it out and they begin to relax and their crying diminishes. After a few minutes if it is not a serious injury they suddenly stop crying and are ready to go back to their play.
This is how the Father wants us to know He responds to us through His Spirit. We need to be like a child in this regard.
Undealt with pain, even in children, turns quickly into anger, bitterness or self hatred. When we allow for our pain to be comforted it builds a deep relationship with the one comforting us.
I have learned to quickly turn to my divine comforter. I have learned that I can find a place of safety in Him.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
John 14:18
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Acts 9:31
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Romans 1:12
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
2 Corinthians 1:6
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2 Corinthians 7:6
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Philippians 2:1-3
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
This morning I heard the Father say to me, "Comforter." It filled me with such a sense of His wonderful care for all of us. I thought of so many people today that are in desperate need of comfort. People who today are suffering so greatly that the mind can hardly fathom what they are going through.
The Comforter Jesus was praying for us to have was the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Of all the pictures I have in my heart of the Holy Spirit this one is the most precious. The Father sends the Holy Spirit to comfort us in all our trials. He is the God of all comfort. All true comfort comes from Him. Is that not a wonderful truth about our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit is the one He sends to comfort us.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.5 For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
See the pattern here? Jesus; heart was not untouched by the reality of our lives in this world. He himself had suffered its ravages. His heart was touched with the feelings of our struggle.
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
He knew we needed a place of refuge, a place to be comforted when life got to hard. He had found that in his relationship with the Holy Spirit.
In praying for us to have that same relationship we now have a wonderful comforter forever. See how he said that? The Holy Spirit does not come and go in our lives. The Holy Spirit remains with us forever. He is there for every joy and every sorrow.
As we find the comfort the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit bring to us he then directs our thoughts to comforting others.
1 Thessalonians 5:1
Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.
The body of Christ is to be a place of great comfort.
I work with little children. It is always a reminder to me of what God does in our times of struggle as I watch the little ones when they are hurt.
Often as adults we have been embittered by life so much that when we get hurt we don't reach out for comfort. But little children do. The minute they are hurt what they seek is the comfort of another person. Most often the pain ends very quickly once they are loved and comforted.
Tell a little one they should not be so wimpy and they cry much harder. Tell them that you are sorry for how they got hurt, touch them to reassure them that you understand and just let them cry it out and they begin to relax and their crying diminishes. After a few minutes if it is not a serious injury they suddenly stop crying and are ready to go back to their play.
This is how the Father wants us to know He responds to us through His Spirit. We need to be like a child in this regard.
Undealt with pain, even in children, turns quickly into anger, bitterness or self hatred. When we allow for our pain to be comforted it builds a deep relationship with the one comforting us.
I have learned to quickly turn to my divine comforter. I have learned that I can find a place of safety in Him.
Matthew 5:4
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
John 14:18
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
John 14:26
But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
John 15:26
But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
Acts 9:31
Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
Romans 1:12
That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith both of you and me.
2 Corinthians 1:6
And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.
2 Corinthians 7:6
Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
2 Corinthians 13:11
Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
Philippians 2:1-3
If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The God Shaped Hole
John 3:30
"He must increase, but I must decrease.
The context of this scripture is when John the Baptist's followers were reporting to John that Jesus was increasing in fame and power. He responded with the answer that Jesus was the one who needed to grow more prominent and in doing so he would as a result naturally grow less prominent. He saw this as a good thing.
I believe this understanding is foundational to our growth in God. I was listening to a preaher the other evening who misquoted the passage. And he said it like we often preach it. He said I must decrease and He must increase. You might think that this is a minor point. At one point in my history I came to realize that far from minor, it is foundational how we understand the way we grow in God.
After several years of desperate seeking to see God's transformation in my life I found in this verse the hidden treasure that opened the door to practical change. It opened a path for me that I have seen to be absolutely accurate biblically and powerful to bring about God's desire for my life to be conformed into the image of Jesus. I saw that the first priority was not that I decrease. The first thing that must happen for me to see the work of God in my heart is that Jesus must increase.
In fact I realize now that I cannot decrease unless he does increase.
I also understood that all John had to do for this process to take place was to accept it and see it as God's plan. John did not have to make himself less he just needed to point to Jesus. He would naturally decrease as a result.
The reason this is so essential is because our souls have a God shaped hole in them. Decreasing ourselves will do nothing to fill that hole. Only if it is filled with God will the ache inside cease and the sin outside end.
Even if we do not teach a legalistic faith, we tend to continually emphasize denial of self. This actually results in making us more self-conscious. I learned that the way God wants us to see the self is to open our lives fully to God. To let Him be the centre of our affections, attention and adoration. As we let Him increase we will see ourselves decrease.
It is as if our souls have a one way door. When we open it to God the flesh, the world and the devil lose their grip on us. He increases and we naturally decrease. When we open it to self God loses His grip on us.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
We see in this scripture the exact truth that I am sharing. We walk in the Spirit and the natural consequence is we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Can you see the power of this. We have been deceived that we can only walk in the Spirit by first dealing with the lusts of the flesh. There is no power to deal with the lust of the flesh except by being filled and following the Spirit. It is the one way door.
This is because emptying ourselves of self does not bring God into the empty place. The doctrine of emptiness is actual Buddhist. And it is impossible. The more we think we have emptied ourselves of self them more of self there is. The God shaped hole inside of us will be filled with something. The only things that can fill it are God, us, the world or the devil. This is why an emphasis in the proclamation of our message on dealing with the self life, without the call to be filled with God as the way to deal with it, will always result in dead works, discouragement, hiddenness and failure.
Colossians 2:6-10
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
The works of the flesh, the world and the devil being manifested in our lives are the way we can see that the hole in our being is not filled with God. When it is filled with God the other things no longer have power. They can't because the need inside out of which they are generated is gone. The diagnosis when we see sin raising its head is not to centre on it to slay it.... it is like hydra the serpent that when you cut its head of it regenerated three more heads. When we see sin begin to work in our lives we can know that the God shaped hole in us is being filled with something besides Jesus. He must increase for us to decrease.
Romans 8:10
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
The only way to fight sin is to open our soul to God and to be filled with Him. As He increases, the sin life (us) decreases. When He completely fills the soul there is no place for self and its attendant works.
Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
This is why preaching against sin without helping people to understand it as the indicator of their need to be filled with God never builds strong Christians. It builds sin obsessed Christians who spend their lives fighting sin. I know I did it for a long time.
Jesus is the only life giver. To be filled with Him is to be filed with life. The result of that life is death to the sin nature.
You might ask how does this work practically?
It works by opening our souls to the fulness of His Spirit by the simple acts that He asks us to do.
I have a teaching on the Three Roots of Sin which I will be placing on my Teaching Website in the future. For now let me give just one simple example which transformed my life.
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
All sin derives from these three roots. Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.
Go after them to destroy them without something to replace them and they grow stronger. Go \after them by walking in the Spirit and they die. It is a one way door.
For example I saw that the lust of the flesh was founded on self pity. People feed their fleshly desires to obtain comfort. As self pity increases so do the lust of the flesh. I also saw that the corresponding work of the Spirit in us is thankfulness. To walk in the Spirit means to purposefully live in thankfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I learned that as I give thanks in every situation that I cannot be filled with self pity. The two are mutually exclusive. There is the one way door. A heart filled with thanks cannot at the same time be filled with self pity. When we see that we are being motivated by the Lust of the Flesh and we start to thank. praise and worship God we defeat the work of the flesh by being filled with the Spirit. Jesus increases and as a result I decrease naturally.
"He must increase, but I must decrease.
The context of this scripture is when John the Baptist's followers were reporting to John that Jesus was increasing in fame and power. He responded with the answer that Jesus was the one who needed to grow more prominent and in doing so he would as a result naturally grow less prominent. He saw this as a good thing.
I believe this understanding is foundational to our growth in God. I was listening to a preaher the other evening who misquoted the passage. And he said it like we often preach it. He said I must decrease and He must increase. You might think that this is a minor point. At one point in my history I came to realize that far from minor, it is foundational how we understand the way we grow in God.
After several years of desperate seeking to see God's transformation in my life I found in this verse the hidden treasure that opened the door to practical change. It opened a path for me that I have seen to be absolutely accurate biblically and powerful to bring about God's desire for my life to be conformed into the image of Jesus. I saw that the first priority was not that I decrease. The first thing that must happen for me to see the work of God in my heart is that Jesus must increase.
In fact I realize now that I cannot decrease unless he does increase.
I also understood that all John had to do for this process to take place was to accept it and see it as God's plan. John did not have to make himself less he just needed to point to Jesus. He would naturally decrease as a result.
The reason this is so essential is because our souls have a God shaped hole in them. Decreasing ourselves will do nothing to fill that hole. Only if it is filled with God will the ache inside cease and the sin outside end.
Even if we do not teach a legalistic faith, we tend to continually emphasize denial of self. This actually results in making us more self-conscious. I learned that the way God wants us to see the self is to open our lives fully to God. To let Him be the centre of our affections, attention and adoration. As we let Him increase we will see ourselves decrease.
It is as if our souls have a one way door. When we open it to God the flesh, the world and the devil lose their grip on us. He increases and we naturally decrease. When we open it to self God loses His grip on us.
Galatians 5:16
This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
We see in this scripture the exact truth that I am sharing. We walk in the Spirit and the natural consequence is we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Can you see the power of this. We have been deceived that we can only walk in the Spirit by first dealing with the lusts of the flesh. There is no power to deal with the lust of the flesh except by being filled and following the Spirit. It is the one way door.
This is because emptying ourselves of self does not bring God into the empty place. The doctrine of emptiness is actual Buddhist. And it is impossible. The more we think we have emptied ourselves of self them more of self there is. The God shaped hole inside of us will be filled with something. The only things that can fill it are God, us, the world or the devil. This is why an emphasis in the proclamation of our message on dealing with the self life, without the call to be filled with God as the way to deal with it, will always result in dead works, discouragement, hiddenness and failure.
Colossians 2:6-10
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
The works of the flesh, the world and the devil being manifested in our lives are the way we can see that the hole in our being is not filled with God. When it is filled with God the other things no longer have power. They can't because the need inside out of which they are generated is gone. The diagnosis when we see sin raising its head is not to centre on it to slay it.... it is like hydra the serpent that when you cut its head of it regenerated three more heads. When we see sin begin to work in our lives we can know that the God shaped hole in us is being filled with something besides Jesus. He must increase for us to decrease.
Romans 8:10
And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
The only way to fight sin is to open our soul to God and to be filled with Him. As He increases, the sin life (us) decreases. When He completely fills the soul there is no place for self and its attendant works.
Colossians 1:27
To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
This is why preaching against sin without helping people to understand it as the indicator of their need to be filled with God never builds strong Christians. It builds sin obsessed Christians who spend their lives fighting sin. I know I did it for a long time.
Jesus is the only life giver. To be filled with Him is to be filed with life. The result of that life is death to the sin nature.
You might ask how does this work practically?
It works by opening our souls to the fulness of His Spirit by the simple acts that He asks us to do.
I have a teaching on the Three Roots of Sin which I will be placing on my Teaching Website in the future. For now let me give just one simple example which transformed my life.
1 John 2:16
For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.
All sin derives from these three roots. Lust of the Flesh, Lust of the Eyes, and the Pride of Life.
Go after them to destroy them without something to replace them and they grow stronger. Go \after them by walking in the Spirit and they die. It is a one way door.
For example I saw that the lust of the flesh was founded on self pity. People feed their fleshly desires to obtain comfort. As self pity increases so do the lust of the flesh. I also saw that the corresponding work of the Spirit in us is thankfulness. To walk in the Spirit means to purposefully live in thankfulness.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
I learned that as I give thanks in every situation that I cannot be filled with self pity. The two are mutually exclusive. There is the one way door. A heart filled with thanks cannot at the same time be filled with self pity. When we see that we are being motivated by the Lust of the Flesh and we start to thank. praise and worship God we defeat the work of the flesh by being filled with the Spirit. Jesus increases and as a result I decrease naturally.
Monday, March 22, 2010
No Good Thing Withheld
Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
For the LORD God is a sun and shield;The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
This promise is precious!
The Father whispered it to me this morning and I have been meditating on it since.
God withholding something from us tells us either one of two things. Both are gifts of His grace.
He will withhold something from us that is good for us because we are not walking uprightly.
He will withhold something from us because it is not good for us.
Outside of those two conditions nothing will be withheld from us.
What a promise!
In our age we get uneasy when people start to talk about walking uprightly. We can be suspicious that they are trying to cast us in their mold of what uprightly is. We are suspicious that their intentions may be self serving. Much of the time we are right. Every now and then however, God would like to be able to say to us that we are not walking in a way that is good for us. When we listen we find that far from being a destructive or binding thing we are liberated - we are being set free!
1 Peter 2:16
Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
Freedom always come through taking responsibility. Freedom is not being able to do anything we want. That will always lead us to bondage. Freedom is given to those who use it responsibly. I have the freedom to go into my friend's house because I will not do things in his house that are wrong. If I do not walk uprightly my friend will rightly remove my freedom.
I once had a man who visited me often. He claimed he was a friend. I thought he was for a time. Then I noticed that things went missing from my home every time he was there. One very precious thing I had was a Bible that was given to me. It was precious primarily because of who gave it to me. One evening when he was at my house he had been looking at it, commented on how nice it was and read in it a few minutes. It disappeared that night. I asked him later if he had put it somewhere. He said he laid it down on the table it was on and never touched it again. A few weeks later I went to where he was staying by chance and when I come into his living room there was my Bible. I picked it up and said it was mine. He said it was given to him by a friend and that I was wrong to accuse him of taking it. I opened it up to where I knew it had been signed by the one who gave it to me. There it was in black and white but he said the person who gave it to him must have stole it. I asked him to tell me who gave it to him and he said he would not tell me because if I confronted him it would ruin their friendship. He never came to my home again. Not because I rejected him or told him that he could not come. His conscience would not let him. He lost the freedom to have me as a friend due to his not walking in an upright manner.
Imagine that everything good that there is can be ours. Nothing withheld. No lack. Nothing good held back. Everything good supplied!
If we are walking uprightly we can know beyond doubt that everything in our lives is the good that God wants us to have.
If we are walking uprightly we can know beyond doubt that everything in our lives is the good that God wants us to have.
Romans 8:32
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?
There is such security in this promise. What is required? Walking uprightly. What is granted..... everything that is good.
2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Everything pertaining to life and godliness...... everything!
Through knowing Him.
That is walking uprightly. Walking in His Spirit. Walking in His ways. Walking in Him!
2 Peter 1:2-4 Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.
Everything pertaining to life and godliness...... everything!
Through knowing Him.
That is walking uprightly. Walking in His Spirit. Walking in His ways. Walking in Him!
Friday, March 19, 2010
An Apostolic Church - Devoted to Fellowship
Acts 2:42
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Fellowship is a word which has virtually lost its meaning in modern English. In church circles it is seen as what we do when we eat together.... food and fellowship. Eating together is a very important part of fellowship but it is far deeper than a meal together. It is a life together.
The word fellowship in Greek is koinonia. The root of that word is Koinonos. It means one who shares a common life.
When we take seriously what the Bible says about us, we understand that we share a common life as members of Jesus' body on earth. We are organically linked in the most intimate way possible.
I have said before that the fragmentation of our society militates against this at every point. That is precisely why so many are continually haunted by loneliness.
If we are to experience fellowship it will cost us our independence but we will never be alone.
Acts 2:46
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
When I was first saved at seventeen years old I immediately began a ministry with a friend for street people. We opened our house for 24 hour a day ministry centre. Anyone who desired could come to our house, get a meal, get help with anything that we could help with and most of all be prayed for. We called it God's Crash Pad.
The team of two of us grew to about ten. We lived together, shared everything we had in common. We saw miracles on an almost daily basis. I was the cook and fed from thirty to forty people a day, sometimes three meals a day. We literally prayed in the food, and the money to pay the rent and bills as we had no sponsors and no charitable tax number. We did not let others know the need. We prayed and God answered.
By the time the ministry was closed down due to zoning restrictions in our neighborhood, I knew what fellowship was. I have experienced it with a few people all my life. It is more precious than any other gift God has given me except His own presence.
Fellowship occurs when we live our life with God and each other intimately. It cannot happen when relationships are only surface. It also cannot happen with more than about ten people. That is why small groups are essential.
I should say that the picture many churches promote of small groups is very different than what we see in the New Testament. The Biblical small groups were not smaller groups that do the same thing as we do on Sunday morning. A small group where one person teaches and we go home afterward is just about as devoid of fellowship as the morning service of a twenty thousand member church.
True fellowship involves getting to know each other, sharing meals, having open discussions about our real lives, praying with and for each other, spending time with one or two in intimate conversations and building covenant relationships. The best place for these kinds of relationships to grow is in our homes.
Acts 5:42
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
After God's crash pad closed I moved to Tulsa to go back and finish high school. I was twenty. A group of four young men and I lived together in a home and once again made it a place of ministry.
We held neighborhood barbeques where we invited the whole community to chicken and homemade ice cream. The larger group of young people that met weekly in our home joined us and shared Jesus with our neighbors.
Out of that little group of believers came a revival. We would go to the park play music and share with the young people who were drawn to the singing. An older couple opened up their home and soon there were seventy to a hundred young people sharing deep fellowship with one another. It ignited a flame that still blazes in many hearts. Out of that group came pastors, missionaries and common people who continue to live their lives in an uncommon fellowship. We knew we belonged to God. We knew we belonged to each other.
I have seen that pattern for all of my life.
If the church is to be vital it must recapture a devotion to living a shared life. A shared life means a shared home.
Acts 20:20
how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
When I first came to Canada I found a deep reluctance to open homes. I have often said that the living room for Canadians is Tim Hortons. I believe nothing can take the place of an open home in the work of the Kingdom. As we established our home as a centre of ministry we saw others begin to do the same.
Our homes are a safe place for those who are seeking to know more about Jesus but will not go to a church. I understand the seeker friendly movement practiced by many churches today. But the morning service at most churches can never match the seeker friendly environment of our homes. I have participated in all kinds of evangelistic outreaches. I have shared my faith on the streets, knocking on doors, in crusades and in church meetings. I have never seen people come to the Lord as effectively as when they came to my home for our small group meetings.
It has been a great sadness to me that the most effective movement for leading people to Jesus in the present day world has met great resistance to following its plan here in Canada. Alpha was never intended to be a church based outreach. It is meant to be done in homes. My friend Harvey Katz took this to heart. He has been running Alpha out of his home for years. The result is a multitude of people who have come to Jesus. Alpha has had some success when put on in churches but when it is done in a home it is amazing. A home is a safe place for a seeker to come. The invitation to a dinner of ten to fifteen people is a chance to get to know people in a real way. Authentic fellowship always draws people to Jesus.
Our homes are the best place to disciple others. Many feel that discipleship is simply instructing others in the faith. They feel that meeting for an hour a week to teach the fundamentals of the faith is fulfilling the mandate of Jesus to disciple all nations. It is certainly a part of discipleship. But the fullness of discipleship involves every aspect of life. Having people in our homes gives a more natural environment to open our hearts to each other to talk about real things.
One young woman we invited to our home was a single mother and struggled with every aspect of mothering. She came to our home every week and found a group of supportive people who loved her into the kingdom and then loved her into being a good mom. When she first came her hygiene was so bad that it was hard to be in the room with her. She loved her child but knew nothing about how to take care of an infant. She was so undisciplined in her life she could not keep a job. There were many more obstacles she had to face than learning about spiritual things. She did learn about spiritual things but in the fellowship she found in our home she learned all the other things as well. We could have never addressed them with her if she had only attended our church. She needed to belong to a community of people who she could grow to deeply trust before we could address her problems. She did grow to trust us and she experienced an amazing transformation. She literally began to live a new life.
An apostolic church will be a church devoted to intimate fellowship. If the only gatherings of a church are to hear teaching it is not an apostolic church no matter how good the teaching is. A church will never reach the world through teaching. Jesus did not say the world would know we are his disciples through our teaching. He said they would know it through our love. Fellowship is love lived out in reality. It is being devoted to knowing and caring for each other in a common life we share together.
It is the life of the apostolic church.
They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Fellowship is a word which has virtually lost its meaning in modern English. In church circles it is seen as what we do when we eat together.... food and fellowship. Eating together is a very important part of fellowship but it is far deeper than a meal together. It is a life together.
The word fellowship in Greek is koinonia. The root of that word is Koinonos. It means one who shares a common life.
When we take seriously what the Bible says about us, we understand that we share a common life as members of Jesus' body on earth. We are organically linked in the most intimate way possible.
I have said before that the fragmentation of our society militates against this at every point. That is precisely why so many are continually haunted by loneliness.
If we are to experience fellowship it will cost us our independence but we will never be alone.
Acts 2:46
Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,
When I was first saved at seventeen years old I immediately began a ministry with a friend for street people. We opened our house for 24 hour a day ministry centre. Anyone who desired could come to our house, get a meal, get help with anything that we could help with and most of all be prayed for. We called it God's Crash Pad.
The team of two of us grew to about ten. We lived together, shared everything we had in common. We saw miracles on an almost daily basis. I was the cook and fed from thirty to forty people a day, sometimes three meals a day. We literally prayed in the food, and the money to pay the rent and bills as we had no sponsors and no charitable tax number. We did not let others know the need. We prayed and God answered.
By the time the ministry was closed down due to zoning restrictions in our neighborhood, I knew what fellowship was. I have experienced it with a few people all my life. It is more precious than any other gift God has given me except His own presence.
Fellowship occurs when we live our life with God and each other intimately. It cannot happen when relationships are only surface. It also cannot happen with more than about ten people. That is why small groups are essential.
I should say that the picture many churches promote of small groups is very different than what we see in the New Testament. The Biblical small groups were not smaller groups that do the same thing as we do on Sunday morning. A small group where one person teaches and we go home afterward is just about as devoid of fellowship as the morning service of a twenty thousand member church.
True fellowship involves getting to know each other, sharing meals, having open discussions about our real lives, praying with and for each other, spending time with one or two in intimate conversations and building covenant relationships. The best place for these kinds of relationships to grow is in our homes.
Acts 5:42
And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.
After God's crash pad closed I moved to Tulsa to go back and finish high school. I was twenty. A group of four young men and I lived together in a home and once again made it a place of ministry.
We held neighborhood barbeques where we invited the whole community to chicken and homemade ice cream. The larger group of young people that met weekly in our home joined us and shared Jesus with our neighbors.
Out of that little group of believers came a revival. We would go to the park play music and share with the young people who were drawn to the singing. An older couple opened up their home and soon there were seventy to a hundred young people sharing deep fellowship with one another. It ignited a flame that still blazes in many hearts. Out of that group came pastors, missionaries and common people who continue to live their lives in an uncommon fellowship. We knew we belonged to God. We knew we belonged to each other.
I have seen that pattern for all of my life.
If the church is to be vital it must recapture a devotion to living a shared life. A shared life means a shared home.
Acts 20:20
how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house,
When I first came to Canada I found a deep reluctance to open homes. I have often said that the living room for Canadians is Tim Hortons. I believe nothing can take the place of an open home in the work of the Kingdom. As we established our home as a centre of ministry we saw others begin to do the same.
Our homes are a safe place for those who are seeking to know more about Jesus but will not go to a church. I understand the seeker friendly movement practiced by many churches today. But the morning service at most churches can never match the seeker friendly environment of our homes. I have participated in all kinds of evangelistic outreaches. I have shared my faith on the streets, knocking on doors, in crusades and in church meetings. I have never seen people come to the Lord as effectively as when they came to my home for our small group meetings.
It has been a great sadness to me that the most effective movement for leading people to Jesus in the present day world has met great resistance to following its plan here in Canada. Alpha was never intended to be a church based outreach. It is meant to be done in homes. My friend Harvey Katz took this to heart. He has been running Alpha out of his home for years. The result is a multitude of people who have come to Jesus. Alpha has had some success when put on in churches but when it is done in a home it is amazing. A home is a safe place for a seeker to come. The invitation to a dinner of ten to fifteen people is a chance to get to know people in a real way. Authentic fellowship always draws people to Jesus.
Our homes are the best place to disciple others. Many feel that discipleship is simply instructing others in the faith. They feel that meeting for an hour a week to teach the fundamentals of the faith is fulfilling the mandate of Jesus to disciple all nations. It is certainly a part of discipleship. But the fullness of discipleship involves every aspect of life. Having people in our homes gives a more natural environment to open our hearts to each other to talk about real things.
One young woman we invited to our home was a single mother and struggled with every aspect of mothering. She came to our home every week and found a group of supportive people who loved her into the kingdom and then loved her into being a good mom. When she first came her hygiene was so bad that it was hard to be in the room with her. She loved her child but knew nothing about how to take care of an infant. She was so undisciplined in her life she could not keep a job. There were many more obstacles she had to face than learning about spiritual things. She did learn about spiritual things but in the fellowship she found in our home she learned all the other things as well. We could have never addressed them with her if she had only attended our church. She needed to belong to a community of people who she could grow to deeply trust before we could address her problems. She did grow to trust us and she experienced an amazing transformation. She literally began to live a new life.
An apostolic church will be a church devoted to intimate fellowship. If the only gatherings of a church are to hear teaching it is not an apostolic church no matter how good the teaching is. A church will never reach the world through teaching. Jesus did not say the world would know we are his disciples through our teaching. He said they would know it through our love. Fellowship is love lived out in reality. It is being devoted to knowing and caring for each other in a common life we share together.
It is the life of the apostolic church.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
An Apostolic Church - Devoted to Prayer
Acts 2:41-43
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
The first church was an apostolic church. It was a sent church. This is what it means to be apostolic. Any church that is a country club whose mission is to keep its members safe, happy and docile is not an apostolic church. It is doubtful it is a church at all. An apostolic church is actively seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. Notice I did not say evangelize. Evangelization is the one step.... not the first.... in being sent. It is not the whole thing.
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 1920 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We are sent to build the Kingdom of God everywhere. In order to accomplish this magnificent task we must have power from on high.
Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
The first church was an apostolic church. It was a sent church. This is what it means to be apostolic. Any church that is a country club whose mission is to keep its members safe, happy and docile is not an apostolic church. It is doubtful it is a church at all. An apostolic church is actively seeking to advance the Kingdom of God. Notice I did not say evangelize. Evangelization is the one step.... not the first.... in being sent. It is not the whole thing.
Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 1920 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,
We are sent to build the Kingdom of God everywhere. In order to accomplish this magnificent task we must have power from on high.
Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
Our part in procuring this power is the simple act of prayer.
Acts 1:9-14
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14These all with one mind (were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven." 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 When they had entered the city, they went up to the upper room where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James. 14These all with one mind (were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
"Continually devoting themselves to prayer." We know the result of that continual prayer.
Acts 2:1- 11
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.
History shows that when believers have taken prayer seriously power has always come from on high to advance the kingdom of God.
Prayer is the key to unlock God's resources of provision, protection and presence. When we pray the Kingdom of God advances.
August 13, 1727 A group of refugees from Moravia living on the estate of Count Ludwig Zinzendorf began a 24 hour a day prayer advance they called "The Watch." It lasted continuously for over one hundred years. Virtually every mission of the church since has been birthed or effected by the prayer ministry that began that day.
I can recount many similar experiences where history clearly shows that a devotion to unceasing prayer always results in major advances in the kingdom of God. The point is when the church takes up its apostolic mandate of devotion to prayer God will advance His Kingdom.
Now I am going to say something that may shock some as it did when John Wesley said it. Wesley was led to Jesus by the Moravians. He understood the power of prayer. He saw the result of it directly as he followed the passion of the one who led him to faith. He said,
"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer."
John believed it and saw it happen.
A little known aspect of Charles Finney's work was the prayer ministry behind it. Daniel Nash prayed continuously for him. He took as his final work of life to spend most of the day praying for the work Finney did. It was met with heaven's power. Within three months of Daniel's death in 1822 Finney stopped his crusades as the touch of God had gone from them. He acknowledged that he knew the power behind his work was not himself alone. He knew that God blessed his meeting because of Daniel's prayers.
Dick Eastman took up this apostolic call on Thanksgiving Day 1971 in California. He tells of the vision he had.
“A detailed vision of the promise given seven years earlier followed. I saw a powerful prayer army involving a people who walked with God. Their power was found in answered prayer Holiness was their joy. Hundreds were joining the ranks as they marched. A revival followed in the wake of their marching.”
“Suddenly, the vision became specific—so specific I had to grab a page of scratch paper and write what I saw. Before me stood a large wood frame structure. It was a house, a very large house, and Christian young people were coming and going. Those residing in this house were here to pray and minister to the Lord. I saw a catchy title written on the outside of the center. It read: ‘THE FIRE HOUSE.’ An occupant explained the reason for the name to me, ‘Every town has a fire house to put out fires. We want to see a special ‘Fire House’ in each community to start fires—fires of revival. That’s our ministry, we start fires!”
“Once inside the center, I saw the key to the whole program. Glancing to my right I noted a special room, marked by a sign attached to the door. Large letters across the top declared: ‘THE GAP.’ Below in smaller letters, was printed: ‘I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land (Ezekiel 22:30).
“I opened the door slightly. There a young lady stood near the middle of the room, looking down upon the globe. She was earnestly praying for different countries of the world. Following this individual came another, then another, and still another. It continued day and night without ceasing. Prayer, actual intercessory prayer, never ceased in this most extraordinary room. Intense intercessory prayer took place 24/7 in this room. The Gap was the focal point of the ministry.”
“As the Spirit of God continued in this unusual tour, I watched the participation of the youth more carefully. They were not “spiritual critics”—the kind of people who think the church has failed miserably. They respected and supported the church.”
“The Vision continued and I jotted down my every observation. A definite key to the ministry, I noted, was centered in the spiritually mature couple directing the program. They served as resident directors under the executive leaders of the project—the local pastor.”
“Each participant of this center came with the understanding of giving a year of his/her life to prayer and evangelism. The first 6-months were given to prayer. The second 6-months were given to evangelism. These youth, in return, received a small weekly allowance for personal needs, food, lodging and gas while ministering. They honored and respected the local church and the local church was rejoicing too because it cost them little to maintain this ministry, though it provided an abundance of helpers for all phases of church activity. The main bulk of those participating were the ‘Cream of the Crop’ high school graduates who were talented and committed and carried Holiness [Isaiah 62:12].”
From The Purple Pig and Other Miracles, Dick Eastman, Copyright in 1974 pages 63-67
The house was purchased, the young people came and the Kingdom of God was advanced mightily. He later founded the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs. Virtually every prayer ministry that has be birthed in the years since can find it's roots in the Fire House Dick began.
Inspired by these examples in my own city a small group of young people started a similar prayer advance on a smaller scale. One group prayed as a group all night every Friday night Another group had an extended meeting very early in the morning on another day. They did this for almost four years.The church they attended experienced God's power in an astounding way. When the prayer focus ended so did the renewal.
These are examples of the way the world can be changed as we are on our knees.
A life giving apostolic church will be one that understands her first act of being sent is to go to the Father in continual devoted prayer.
I can recount many similar experiences where history clearly shows that a devotion to unceasing prayer always results in major advances in the kingdom of God. The point is when the church takes up its apostolic mandate of devotion to prayer God will advance His Kingdom.
Now I am going to say something that may shock some as it did when John Wesley said it. Wesley was led to Jesus by the Moravians. He understood the power of prayer. He saw the result of it directly as he followed the passion of the one who led him to faith. He said,
"Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a straw whether they be clergymen or laymen; such alone will shake the gates of hell and set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. God does nothing but in answer to prayer."
John believed it and saw it happen.
A little known aspect of Charles Finney's work was the prayer ministry behind it. Daniel Nash prayed continuously for him. He took as his final work of life to spend most of the day praying for the work Finney did. It was met with heaven's power. Within three months of Daniel's death in 1822 Finney stopped his crusades as the touch of God had gone from them. He acknowledged that he knew the power behind his work was not himself alone. He knew that God blessed his meeting because of Daniel's prayers.
Dick Eastman took up this apostolic call on Thanksgiving Day 1971 in California. He tells of the vision he had.
“A detailed vision of the promise given seven years earlier followed. I saw a powerful prayer army involving a people who walked with God. Their power was found in answered prayer Holiness was their joy. Hundreds were joining the ranks as they marched. A revival followed in the wake of their marching.”
“Suddenly, the vision became specific—so specific I had to grab a page of scratch paper and write what I saw. Before me stood a large wood frame structure. It was a house, a very large house, and Christian young people were coming and going. Those residing in this house were here to pray and minister to the Lord. I saw a catchy title written on the outside of the center. It read: ‘THE FIRE HOUSE.’ An occupant explained the reason for the name to me, ‘Every town has a fire house to put out fires. We want to see a special ‘Fire House’ in each community to start fires—fires of revival. That’s our ministry, we start fires!”
“Once inside the center, I saw the key to the whole program. Glancing to my right I noted a special room, marked by a sign attached to the door. Large letters across the top declared: ‘THE GAP.’ Below in smaller letters, was printed: ‘I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land (Ezekiel 22:30).
“I opened the door slightly. There a young lady stood near the middle of the room, looking down upon the globe. She was earnestly praying for different countries of the world. Following this individual came another, then another, and still another. It continued day and night without ceasing. Prayer, actual intercessory prayer, never ceased in this most extraordinary room. Intense intercessory prayer took place 24/7 in this room. The Gap was the focal point of the ministry.”
“As the Spirit of God continued in this unusual tour, I watched the participation of the youth more carefully. They were not “spiritual critics”—the kind of people who think the church has failed miserably. They respected and supported the church.”
“The Vision continued and I jotted down my every observation. A definite key to the ministry, I noted, was centered in the spiritually mature couple directing the program. They served as resident directors under the executive leaders of the project—the local pastor.”
“Each participant of this center came with the understanding of giving a year of his/her life to prayer and evangelism. The first 6-months were given to prayer. The second 6-months were given to evangelism. These youth, in return, received a small weekly allowance for personal needs, food, lodging and gas while ministering. They honored and respected the local church and the local church was rejoicing too because it cost them little to maintain this ministry, though it provided an abundance of helpers for all phases of church activity. The main bulk of those participating were the ‘Cream of the Crop’ high school graduates who were talented and committed and carried Holiness [Isaiah 62:12].”
From The Purple Pig and Other Miracles, Dick Eastman, Copyright in 1974 pages 63-67
The house was purchased, the young people came and the Kingdom of God was advanced mightily. He later founded the World Prayer Center in Colorado Springs. Virtually every prayer ministry that has be birthed in the years since can find it's roots in the Fire House Dick began.
Inspired by these examples in my own city a small group of young people started a similar prayer advance on a smaller scale. One group prayed as a group all night every Friday night Another group had an extended meeting very early in the morning on another day. They did this for almost four years.The church they attended experienced God's power in an astounding way. When the prayer focus ended so did the renewal.
These are examples of the way the world can be changed as we are on our knees.
A life giving apostolic church will be one that understands her first act of being sent is to go to the Father in continual devoted prayer.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
An Apostolic Church - Devotion to Four Foundational Acts
Acts 2:41-43
Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. 42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
Four foundations are the basis of a true apostolic church. Out of these four come the confirmational witness of the word through signs and wonders.
The four are devotion to 1. the Apostles Teaching, 2. Fellowship, 3. Breaking of bread, and 4. Prayer.
The first word is perhaps the most important - devotion. In the Old Testament something that was devoted was something that was completely given over to a purpose. The offerings are called devoted things.
Leviticus 27:28
'Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD.
'Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD.
The consecration of our lives to Jesus is to be complete. We are to die to our old life and be made alive to his. We carry around a cross of death to make the way for a resurrection of life.
Luke 9:23
And He was saying to them all, " If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
And He was saying to them all, " If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me.
Matthew 10:38
"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
"And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
We must never forget that the cross is an instrument of death. Jesus spoke these words knowing what the cross would mean in his life. Notice the demand is not optional. We cannot follow Jesus without taking up the cross. The cross is the place where death to all that is not God occurs. It is also the place where God's gift of life life cannot be denied. It is the place of devotion. The cross calls us to total surrender. As the Son surrendered fully to the Father on his cross so we surrender fully to the Son on our cross.
Notice as well this devotion is not a one time experience. We must take up our cross daily. The cross clarifies our daily priorities. The apostle Paul wrote:
1 Corinthians 15:31
I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
This is not a morbid preoccupation with death. It is a life giving principle. We no longer have to be bound by the things of the world, the flesh and the devil. We are daily set free from their power by the cross. We now can live in the newness of life God gives us through His Spirit. It says we can live today in a totally devoted passion for God's purposes.
2 Timothy 2:4
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.
An apostolic church is one that no longer considers worldly concerns to be important. They have focused their corporate life on four principles of Spirit life - Apostolic Teaching, Covenant Relationships that mark true fellowship, Sharing the grace of life found in the table of the Lord and Prayer. These are not minor aspects of their life. These are what they are devoted to. These are the central issues of their corporate life.
I will be discussing each of these four principles separately in the next few posts. For today I want to explore a more deeply the understanding that our faith is expressed in acts in response to grace and those acts lead us to a deeper place of grace.
Each of the four things the early church devoted themselves to were faith responses to the grace Jesus had given. As they DID them greater grace and revelation came from God.
In our age the church has so fought legalism that it forgot that the Bible is full of direct requests (commands) that we must do in order to see God's work released. This has been a central point in the teaching God has given me. It is foundational to everything I share from the Bible. It is not legalism to zealously and wholeheartedly do what God asks us to do. It is our greatest privilege!
We have our part God has His part. We do our part and He will do His part. If we do not do our part He cannot do His part because He keeps His Word.
The mystery is that as we faithfully devote ourselves to doing what He tells us to do grace is given.
It is not a slavish obedience. We obey in the delight of our hearts to show our beloved that we love him. It is with the understanding of heart that it is our greatest privilege to please him. It is the most exciting life there is because daily the impossible is seen, desired, requested for and experienced. No longer a place of death, the cross becomes the door to life.
An apostolic faith is a devoted faith. It is prepared to go to any lengths to please Him who has called us to active service.
An apostolic faith is one that sees the possibilities of every event in life in an exciting and confident way. It is looking to see the glory of God manifested. It is looking to go places with Him that are impossible but dreamable. As we have those apostolic dreams we call out to God to see them birthed. He speaks them out and they are created like He created the world - from nothing.
I know of only two men in history that have walked on water. One did it because he was destined for it. The other did it because he saw something that he wanted to do and believed the one he saw doing it could make it happen.
Matthew 14:25-29
And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea.26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." 28Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." 29And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Our response to God's offer of grace needs to be exactly like Peter's. We are on the greatest journey of possibility that we can imagine. Why sit in a boat looking at others having all the fun?
When we approach following God from the safe boat we will never know the joy of the impossible. Crossing the edge of the boat to step out on the water was Peter's cross. That's why we use the word crossing. In his act he moved from the world of the natural to the world of God's power. Peter died to safety. He died to the status quo. He died to his own ability to save himself. From the moment he stepped out he was fully devoted to the Lord's power to work in his life. But crossing the edge of the boat to step out on the water gave him access to the unlimited power of God. Which do we want? We cannot have both.
Even when he got his eyes off the Lord for a moment and began to sink he did not run back to the boat. He called out to Jesus. All of us who are fully devoted will have this final gasp of self to surrender but the work was already done when he got out of the boat. Jesus picked him up and I can see him laughingly saying, "Why did you doubt?"
I was not a religious duty, it was not a forcing to obey because "I have too." It was an awesome adventure to take hold of something that Peter knew was his to have for the asking and the acting.
This is what devotion looks like.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
An Apostolic Church - Servant Leadership
Luke 9:46
An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."
We find in this scripture passage a clear communication regarding church government. It is interesting that I have rarely heard any sermon on this topic. Jesus' teaching on authority stands in direct contradiction to the world's and most of the church's today. Jesus claims that authority is to be directly linked to humility expressed through serving others. This is what destroys the pride of life.
Matthew 20:20-26
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.21And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.". . . And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,
Like Jesus pointed out, gentile rulers believe that authority is given to make people do their own will. Those who have carried this thought into church leadership felt that they were given authority to force people to obey God. Most of the time it was not really that they were actually forcing people to obey God but a deified form of themselves.
It seems from history more horrendous acts of evil have been done using authority in the name of God, or god..... than secularists have done. It is because the vindication of a wrathful man is easier to spot as wrong that the vindication of an angry god. When you believe that god is spurring on your acts of evil there is no limit to them.
This simple reality is why people can fearlessly fly airplanes into buildings, set of explosives in a crowded public venue, lead almost a thousand people to commit mass suicide or blow up a government building where a daycare full of toddlers were the first to die.
The last example always brings tears to my eyes as a dear friend was working in the Murrah Federal Building in my hometown of Oklahoma City the day Timothy McVeigh set off his makeshift fertilizer bomb and killed her and more that two hundred others. Years before I played on the street as they built that building. My grandfather was tending a parking lot three blocks away the day it was destroyed. I listened as their murderer declared that the babies that were crushed in the rubble were "collateral damage." I spoke to my friend's husband seeking to console him only hours after she was killed. Mr. McVeigh believed God wanted him to do what he did.
These are the extreme cases but where ever there is a thought that the primary purpose of authority is to force others to obey or to requite justice there will be a destructive force at work. I have seen it in countless marriages, working situations, governments and churches.
Mark 9:35
Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, " If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."
The primary purpose for God giving us authority is to bless others with His life.
We serve to demonstrate the Love God has for others.
We serve to destroy the deep tendency to pride resident in all our hearts.
We serve to acknowledge our debt of love to God who first served us....
James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
We serve to be like our wonderful heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:43-48
"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
A few years ago I was listening with deep sadness to a pastor asking his congregation who was the "spiritual king" of the city I live in. If he had been referring to Jesus I would have been delighted. But he was asking what person in our city had the most spiritual authority. The obvious answer he was looking for was him. He believed that he was close if not the king.
As I thought about that question I realized that the person with the most spiritual authority would not even be asking it because it would never occur to them to do so. They would be so busy seeking to disciple others to their destiny that it would have no place in their hearts. They would not want anyone to feel a competition with them.....
The greatest spiritual giant in our city would be a person of deep prayer. They would be a person who was spending their life giving to others to see them fully discipled. They would be someone who would be taking the lowest place continually so that they would most likely be hidden.
I Corinthians 4:9
For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. . . 11To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
The clearest indicator of an Apostolic Church is the quality of leadership it has. Even if a man or woman bears the title of Apostle they are not unless they meet God's definition of their character.
2 Timothy 2:24-25
The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
Those who exhibit true humility in their servant leadership will lead an Apostolic church. They may not be the pastor.... elder..... deacon or hold any position at all. They will be the servant of all. Unlike the early church who took this model seriously we don't often give esteem to servant leaders by placing them in the "positions" of leadership. when a church does it becomes a life giving church.
It is important to understand that in most cases we choose our authorities. In our hearts we always choose our true authorities. People can force us to do things but those we choose to lead us in the intimate places of our hearts are those we choose. Jesus' test of those who we should give authority in our lives is simple. They are the ones that actually care about us, invest their lives in us and want the best for us.
Luke 9:46
An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."
An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."
We find in this scripture passage a clear communication regarding church government. It is interesting that I have rarely heard any sermon on this topic. Jesus' teaching on authority stands in direct contradiction to the world's and most of the church's today. Jesus claims that authority is to be directly linked to humility expressed through serving others. This is what destroys the pride of life.
Matthew 20:20-26
Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him.21And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.". . . And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 "It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,
Like Jesus pointed out, gentile rulers believe that authority is given to make people do their own will. Those who have carried this thought into church leadership felt that they were given authority to force people to obey God. Most of the time it was not really that they were actually forcing people to obey God but a deified form of themselves.
It seems from history more horrendous acts of evil have been done using authority in the name of God, or god..... than secularists have done. It is because the vindication of a wrathful man is easier to spot as wrong that the vindication of an angry god. When you believe that god is spurring on your acts of evil there is no limit to them.
This simple reality is why people can fearlessly fly airplanes into buildings, set of explosives in a crowded public venue, lead almost a thousand people to commit mass suicide or blow up a government building where a daycare full of toddlers were the first to die.
The last example always brings tears to my eyes as a dear friend was working in the Murrah Federal Building in my hometown of Oklahoma City the day Timothy McVeigh set off his makeshift fertilizer bomb and killed her and more that two hundred others. Years before I played on the street as they built that building. My grandfather was tending a parking lot three blocks away the day it was destroyed. I listened as their murderer declared that the babies that were crushed in the rubble were "collateral damage." I spoke to my friend's husband seeking to console him only hours after she was killed. Mr. McVeigh believed God wanted him to do what he did.
These are the extreme cases but where ever there is a thought that the primary purpose of authority is to force others to obey or to requite justice there will be a destructive force at work. I have seen it in countless marriages, working situations, governments and churches.
Mark 9:35
Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, " If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."
The primary purpose for God giving us authority is to bless others with His life.
We serve to demonstrate the Love God has for others.
We serve to destroy the deep tendency to pride resident in all our hearts.
We serve to acknowledge our debt of love to God who first served us....
James 1:17
Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.
We serve to be like our wonderful heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:43-48
"You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.' 44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 "For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 "If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
A few years ago I was listening with deep sadness to a pastor asking his congregation who was the "spiritual king" of the city I live in. If he had been referring to Jesus I would have been delighted. But he was asking what person in our city had the most spiritual authority. The obvious answer he was looking for was him. He believed that he was close if not the king.
As I thought about that question I realized that the person with the most spiritual authority would not even be asking it because it would never occur to them to do so. They would be so busy seeking to disciple others to their destiny that it would have no place in their hearts. They would not want anyone to feel a competition with them.....
The greatest spiritual giant in our city would be a person of deep prayer. They would be a person who was spending their life giving to others to see them fully discipled. They would be someone who would be taking the lowest place continually so that they would most likely be hidden.
I Corinthians 4:9
For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. . . 11To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now.
The clearest indicator of an Apostolic Church is the quality of leadership it has. Even if a man or woman bears the title of Apostle they are not unless they meet God's definition of their character.
2 Timothy 2:24-25
The Lord's bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,
Those who exhibit true humility in their servant leadership will lead an Apostolic church. They may not be the pastor.... elder..... deacon or hold any position at all. They will be the servant of all. Unlike the early church who took this model seriously we don't often give esteem to servant leaders by placing them in the "positions" of leadership. when a church does it becomes a life giving church.
It is important to understand that in most cases we choose our authorities. In our hearts we always choose our true authorities. People can force us to do things but those we choose to lead us in the intimate places of our hearts are those we choose. Jesus' test of those who we should give authority in our lives is simple. They are the ones that actually care about us, invest their lives in us and want the best for us.
Luke 9:46
An argument started among them as to which of them might be the greatest. But Jesus, knowing what they were thinking in their heart, took a child and stood him by His side, 48and said to them, "Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me; for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great."
Monday, March 15, 2010
An Apostolic Church - Miracles
Acts 2:43
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles.
Acts 5:12
The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people.
2 Corinthians 12:12
The things that mark an apostle—signs, wonders and miracles—were done among you with great perseverance.
Those who believe that the age of miracles has passed have no support from the scriptures to back up their assertion. They are left to do the work of witness to the world with nothing more than apologetics (using good, logical arguments to convince others of the reality of God).
The Bible tells us that we need God to show up if we expect people to have a living relationship with Him. He must be more than a nice thought. He must be present in our lives now. A truly apostolic church moves in signs and wonders as naturally as a human breathes.
Elijah could have never convinced a nation to turn from the worship of a false God if there had not been fire from heaven. Jericho would have never been captured if walls had not fallen down. We would not be ready to die for our faith if Jesus had not walked out of a grave. God has not stopped being God and as long as He is God there will be miracles confirming His reality.
The problem is that miracles can be understood to be magic. Miracles are not intended to fulfill our needs or to establish or display our power. They are to manifest the reality of God. This is a truth that is often forgotten.
God is not a genie in a bottle that comes to grant us wishes that are borne out of our desires or designs. Signs, Wonders and Miracles are to confirm God's Word in the mouth of His people.
Even in understanding God's love miracles are not primarily compassionate acts, though every one of His miracles has an element of compassion in it. God's presence is His primary way of demonstrating compassion. If it were not so then every time a tragic event took place he would fix it with a miracle. Babies of believers would never die, Christians would never die in car crashes. No tragedy would come into any believer's life because God would intervene with a miracle and stop it.
This is the primary error of the "hyper faith" movement. It does not understand God's miracles as having their primary focus on demonstrating to others that He is there and the words that have been spoken by his children are true of Him. Believing that miracles are to protect, provide and comfort us they find no place for God allowing us to suffer when He could fix the pain or fill the need with a miracle. Sitting in the room with a mom and dad who are watching their little one slowly die gives you a reason to understand why we want it to be so. But I have learned that the only way that we could ever hope to speak to a world that does not know God is to suffer the same reality they face and find the only thing that really does bring comfort in such grief - God's presence in the midst of it.
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I fear no evil, for You are with me;Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Miracles are not primarily for comfort. They are to bear witness to the reality of the living God to a world that does not believe He exists.
Mark 16:20
And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed
And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed
Acts 1:8
but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth."
We need to get this deeply ingrained in our hearts lest we find ourselves wither in self condemnation because we did not "get" our miracle or misunderstand God's compassion and feel that we have been abandoned at our point of greatest need because the miracle did not happen.
The second thing we need to understand is that miracles are a gift and not a right. The "rights" issue is one our generation has so misunderstood. Before God our only right is eternal separation from Him and all He gives. Miracles come not as a right that we claim. They come as a gift from heaven to reveal the Heavenly Giver.
The final thing I want to say about miracles is they must be God's will.
The "hyper faith movement goes so far as to say we must never say "Thy will be done." They say we must claim it by faith as a right that was given with our becoming sons or daughters of God.
My pastor and I often discuss his sermon before he preaches it. He was speaking on creative faith which has to do with faith that brings forth miracles. As I prayed about it I had the most wonderful revelation about our tendency to see miracles as the fulfillment of some personal desire we have that we are seeking from God.
My pastor agrees with me that demanding miracles as a right is not biblical. But all of us tend to feel the pressure to release our faith in a more active way so the concept of "thy will be done" can seem to be a lapse into passivity. I certainly believe it can be.
We need to be expecting God to do miracles because His word says He will. So when we say, "thy will be done" we are not thinking "Oh well God is really far away, uninterested and nothing will really happen....." We need to be pressing in to see God revealed to the world through genuine miracles. But they are not our from our will..... nor does God have to be strong armed to do them. They must be understood as acts of His will alone.
With this in mind I asked my pastor, "What was the greatest creative miracle that ever occurred?" He correctly answered the resurrection of Jesus. No greater physical miracle has ever occurred. This awesome creative miracle of the savior's resurrection was not preceded with Jesus claiming it by faith. He did not demand it occur as a right of sonship. He did not follow the advise of the hyper faith movement. He relinquished even his right to life into the Father's hands in real faith:
Matthew 26
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will."
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done."
44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
Jesus knew the correct place of miracles. They were not to keep him safe and protected. He knew the Father's care and in that knowledge he could walk through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil with only his Father's presence to rest in.
He knew as well that a miracle would happen. He knew he would rise from the dead. His claim on God's will was not a leap into uncertainty. Releasing himself fully to God's will was a surrender to grace. Grace to sustain him through the darkness knowing that his, and our Father was completely trustworthy no matter what the next few hours would bring.
This is not a story of self-expression or passivity. It is the story of God revealing Himself to a lost planet. That is what every miracle is ultimately for.
An Apostolic church will continually experience God's power through miracles because their hearts will have a higher purpose than meeting their own needs. You see the word apostle means "sent ones." And why are they sent? Because they understand that God's heart in salvation was to rescue as many from earth as He could. That is the mission of an apostolic church. Every other concern is secondary. When that is the central mission of the church, miracles will continually follow the word they proclaim.
Romans 15:19
in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.
Romans 15:20
And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;
And thus I aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ was already named, so that I would not build on another man's foundation;
1 Corinthians 1:17
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.
1 Corinthians 2:3-5
I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, 4 and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
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