Till We All Attain to the Unity of the Faith

O.K. This is the fourth and final re-write of the blog for today. I have tried to find a way to deal with questions concerning the latest social media outcry against the Osteens. I realize that there are people who want me to weigh in on the matter. However, I want to warn you that it may be offensive.

Several weeks ago, I heard about a big name pastor who was asked to step down from his church. There were accusations of plagiarism, mishandling church funds to create a best selling book, and abuse of power. As soon as I heard the report, my response was one of sadness. While I don't agree with any of his actions, nor do I a follow his ministry, I don't promote the bashing of other ministries. What does this have to do with the Osteens? While I don't agree with everything they say, nor do I follow their ministry, I don't promote the bashing of other ministries.

Paul speaking to the church at Ephesus talks about the need for Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. He tells the church that the function of these individuals is to equip the saints for the building up of the Body of Christ. He then makes this beautiful statement (found in chapter 4 verse 13): "until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ."

The reason why I don't promote the bashing of other ministries is because I don't see it as attaining to the unity of the faith. What good comes from my public outcry of a particular ministry? Whether we are talking about Joel Osteen, or any other ministry, this type of activity does not build up the Body of Christ. Instead, I want to be known for having GRACE for people. While I am not in the public eye like many of these figures, I understand what it is to be attacked, to have your name smeared, or for people to question the authenticity of your faith. I know what it is like to have every word weighed in the balance. So I give them grace. I give grace to the Osteens just like a gave grace to the other pastor that I did not name. Why? Because what you sow into the lives of others is what you will reap in your own. The same measure of judgement that we hand out is the same judgement that gets measured back to us. It's the law of reciprocity.

You see...Grace Changes Everything. It means that I don't have to join in creating division. It means that I can learn how to see people through the lens of honor. I don't have to agree with them. I don't have to support them. But I can love them.

I realize that some people will view may lack of concern as some kind of acceptance but that is not the case. I'm simply looking for a way to find unity. I desperately long to see the verse above become an abiding reality within the church. However, this will not happen if we continue the witch hunts. Always looking for that one person or that one ministry that we can expose. I wonder how many people have taken the time to look into the ministries of Lakewood Church? How many of them have taken the time to look at what they believe? There is a lot there that can create unity within the believing community. If we could just get over our knee jerk reactions.

Paul says of the church that we are ONE BODY.
That Body is made up of MANY MEMBERS.
This should help us bring things into perspective. It should help us see everyone through a different lens. It should create a sense of family. And rather than us spending out time bashing ministries that have absolutely nothing to do with our lives, we could spend time strengthening the bonds between us.

I'm passionate about the church.
I'm passionate about the Bride becoming everything that God designed her to become.
I'm passionate about the unity of the Spirit kept in the bond of peace.
I'm passionate about the nature & likeness of God within each of us.
I'm passionate about the love of God being manifest through us for the world to see.

I long for this passion to be the true passion of every church in our communities. I want the world to know us by our love for one another. And I honestly believe that this is our Father's desire as well.

May we give grace until we all attain to the unity of the faith - until we all grow up into the fullness & stature of Christ. This is our journey.

God Is...

As the A.W. Tozer quote reads below: "What comes into our minds when we think about GOD is the most important thing about us."

The reason this is so vitally important is because what we believe about God is ultimately what we will live out. If there is any confusion, any misrepresentation, any conflict in our understanding of the nature of God, we will continually find ourselves wandering around in the wilderness of fear and doubt. There is a reason that God has revealed Himself: He wants to be known by us.

Have you ever considered that reality? God chose to create us, He chose to reveal Himself to us, He chose to come after us, He chose to redeem us, and He chose to reconcile us to Himself. Why? Why has God went to such lengths? Why did God allow His Son to be plunged into the depths of our darkness? Is it because God has a need? Or...is it because we did?

Personally, I believe one of the greatest revelations about the nature of God is discovered in 1 John. When John decided to write his letter to the church, He made sure they would understand an incredible truth: GOD IS LOVE. And while I am content to see God through this lens, for some people this is not enough. It seems as though humanity is content to view God as Judge, as a God of Wrath, or a God of Vengeance (all names that we have ascribed to Him). We have viewed God through the lens of need. He needs our compliance. He needs our allegiance. He needs blood. He needs gifts, sacrifices, and needs our attention. However, in the midst of our confusion about the nature of God, we discover a God (even IN THE OLD TESTAMENT) that is not needy. He is the self-existent & self-sufficient One. There is nothing discovered in the name of God that denotes neediness. There is nothing seen in His creation of humanity that portrays Him as destitute. Someone who is needy is deprived or impoverished. That is not at all how the Abba of Jesus has been portrayed to us.

God didn't create out of need, He created out of a desire for relationship.
It was His desire to share His life with us. The same shared life that existed in the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit. He didn't create man because He needed worship or some type of service. Read back through the Genesis account. He wanted to create a being that would carry His image & His likeness in the earth.

God didn't redeem us out of need either. He redeemed us because we belonged to Him.
What Father gives up on His children? What Father doesn't do everything in His power to ensure the well-being of His kids? But if we see God creating us out of some kind of need, then we will carry that over into His redemptive purpose as well.

I mentioned that God does not present Himself as needy in the Scriptures. This may require a little work for you to understand but I encourage you to go back through the pages and read how God continually reveals Himself. Far from being a needy God, He continually shows Himself to be a GIVER. Here are just a few of the ways He reveals Himself:
JEHOVAH-JIREH - "The Lord our Provider"
JEHOVAH-NISSI - "Our Banner, a banner of love and protection"
JEHOVAH-SHALOM - "Our perfect Peace"
JEHOVAH-TSID-KENU - "The Lord is our Righteousness"
JEHOVAH-SHAMMAH - "The One Who is with us everywhere for He is Omnipresent"
JEHOVAH-SABAOTH - "The Lord of Hosts, our Protector."
JEHOVAH-RAAH - "The Lord our Shepherd"
JEHOVAH RAPHA - "The Lord our Healer"
As I went back through some of these Scriptures, I was reminded how many times that God revealed Himself as The LORD Our _________________. It's all a part of His "I AM" to us. The open-ended promise of a God who is for us - not against us.

If Jehovah were a needy God then he would be just like the pagan deities that surrounded Israel. Always in need of a sacrifice. Always in need of blood. Always in need of a gift. And even while you read these words, you may question the sacrificial system, the Law, & the Temple and ask "Why then do we see God in this way?" There are several reasons. I think first and foremost you need to understand that this was the reality of God that the children of Israel asked for. God & Moses invited them into a deeper reality. However, Israel chose to have a mediator. They chose to be limited in their relationship. They feared the God who brought them out of Egypt. The would not approach Him on the mountain. The consequences of that decision would be reaped for hundreds of years. Secondly, the people needed the sacrificial system in place because this is how they understood God. This is the humility of God. This also displays His eagerness to be known among us. Like any good Father, knowing that His children will only receive certain aspects of Himself, He complies. I believe He does this because He knows what is coming. He knows that it won't last. He knows that in the fullness of time that His Son is going to come into their midst and they will see the Father for who He really is.

Some people may shudder at this type of thinking, but how often do we see God humbling Himself in this way? This is one of His attributes that separates Him completely from the false gods of the day. God in His humility, came in the person of Jesus, wrapped Himself up in flesh, came into our darkness, took upon Himself all our anger - all our misunderstanding - all of our wrath - all of our sin, and rescued us. Why? Because He Is LOVE.

Have you ever experienced a needy Father? A father who needs approval? A father who needs praise? A father who needs provision rather than provide for you? If that is your experience of an earthly father? Then you need to know it is a perversion. Jesus said, "If you then being evil know how to give good gifts to your sons, HOW MUCH MORE will your Heavenly Father give...?" In other words, take your best understanding of a Father and multiply it by infinity. This is the goodness of God on display. This is the Abba of Jesus. He is not a Father who is needy but a Father who is (according to James) the GIVER of ALL GOOD THINGS.

I pray that your understanding of God will be radically changed. I pray that any conflict you carry about His nature, any misunderstanding about His intentions in your life, and any concept of a split personality will be forever altered. I pray that you will encounter the Abba of Jesus. May His kindness lead you to a change of mind. May His goodness well up in your Heart. And may His love be forever embraced in your life. Enjoy the journey of getting to know your Heavenly Father.

Be a Demonstration

1 Corinthians 2:4 is a game changer: "...my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power..."

I have always wondered when/where we got the idea that our arguments are enough? I honestly do not believe that the world is sitting back waiting for us to win a debate. They are looking for a living, breathing, manifestation of what we believe. They long for the embodiment of something real. This is what Paul carried into Corinth. Although he possessed the ability to argue through reason, he chose to be a demonstration.

Some of you may wonder what this looks like. If you have hung around the more charismatic side of our family, this verse could mean a lot of things. Not that I have any problem with charismatic expression. I just believe that Paul is pointing to a greater demonstration of power & the Spirit. He is speaking of a demonstration that impacted these people toward faith in Christ. There was something tangible, visible, & powerful about the way in which he embodied the Gospel. THAT...is what I'm after.

Many people in our family have been caught up in debate. They believe that Apologetics is the best way to present the faith. The problem I have with this approach is that apologetics was meant as a defense of the faith. While we are called to give a defense to what we believe, I don't think being defensive is the best approach, nor the best embodiment of what we believe. The faith we possess is meant to be embodied through demonstration.

Demonstration - a making manifest, showing forth, a proof. I believe this was our design from the beginning. The fact that we were created with image & likeness gives proof to the fact that we were always meant to manifest God in the earth. Sharing our faith should not be any different. My approach in ministry is not to get people to simply say a prayer. I want them to encounter the goodness & love of God. I want there to be a moment where they are not just convinced in their head but to know in their heart that God has spoken to them. This is where a demonstration of power & the Spirit is vital in all that we do. Demonstration forces us to embody the faith. How we live, the compassion that we display, the sincerity in our approach, all of these things matter. It's not enough to have good witnessing tools at our disposal. A sensitivity to the Spirit of God becomes our greatest asset. Hearing the Lord, responding to Him, and making Him manifest in our lives is the greatest proof we can possess.

Paul reminds the church at Corinth about his embodiment of the Gospel because there were many of them who had begun to create camps within the Body. Some were saying they were of Paul. Others claimed allegiance to Apollos. There was a group aligning themselves with Peter. They even had a Jesus only crowd in their midst. He wanted these believers to understand the reason he carried the message the way he did. He did not want their faith to be built upon the arguments (or wisdom) of man, but to have sheer confidence in the power of God. This is why I am passionate about verses like this one. This is why I often talk about seeing the Lord manifest in the way we minister to others. Our arguments will often fall on deaf ears, but that which comes through the power of the Holy Spirit is quite different.

How do I flesh this out? For me, personally, it means entering into a dialogue with people. Having a conversation. Listening to them & the Lord at the same time. It is amazing to me how quickly He moves in those moments. Words of knowledge, discernment, & the prophetic speaks volumes to people. I'm not there to win an argument. I'm there to win a person. While I know how to debate and reason, I choose to let the Spirit of God manifest Himself in me & in them.

I don't know what it looked like in Corinth when Paul chose to be a demonstration. I can imagine.
I imagine him sharing a word of prophecy that touched the life of an individual. I imagine him healing the sick in their midst. I imagine him creating such an atmosphere of love & goodness that people could not resist the Good News. I imagine that he did take them through a historical understanding of Jesus coming into the world, giving His life, and being resurrected from the dead. I imagine that he was able to give a good defense of what he believed, all the while ushering these people into a new found freedom in Christ. Whatever it was, and however it happened, he was able to call them to remembrance.

Here's what I believe: I believe the reason Paul focused on the demonstration of power & the Spirit is because he didn't want faith in Christ to fall into another philosophy of the day.
Oh how the Gentiles loved their philosophy. They enjoyed discussing, debating, and reasoning about the new ways of thinking. Paul showed up with something different. Faith in Christ wasn't the new philosophy on the block. This message came with power. We need to remember that Jesus sent His disciples out with more than a message. They were to heal the sick, cleanse the leper, raise the dead, & preach the Good News. It wasn't words alone that would win the nations. It was demonstration. It was an embodiment of the message. It meant bearing in their bodies the marks of the Lord, becoming a spectacle, and bringing people into an experience.

Jesus told the religious leaders of His day: "If you don't believe my words, then believe the miracles."
The majority of the church today says: "If you don't believe my words, then bow to my arguments."
Why not be a demonstration? Why not seek to embody the Gospel with all of its good news and all of its power? Let the Holy Spirit be the game changer. Trust me. He is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine.

The Adventure...

2 Timothy 3:16, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..."

The Bible is full of revelation. Revelation, by definition is: a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way. The divine or supernatural disclosure to humans of something relating to human existence or the world. With that being said, I don't believe we necessarily have a full revelation. I realize that can be a shocking statement. However, you need to understand that I say it will full respect for the written page.

Through Scripture we gain incredible insight and knowledge into the heart of the Father. For most of us, the Bible has been our basic introduction into the Gospel, the life of a believer, and our understanding of Jesus Christ. I believe this collection of writing to be an amazing foundation to our faith. But there are some major questions we need to answer. For some people the Bible is an open and shut case. They believe that any and all revelation is detrimental to the book. What I am proposing is not an addition to the canon of Scripture. What I am proposing is that we open ourselves up to the Spirit of God.

There are a few things we need to set straight.

#1 - the Bible was not written as a whole but brought together as a whole.
In other words, the Bible is a library of different types of writings. It's full of history, poetry, prophecy, narrative, and letters (just to name a few). It was a decision of the church to create a biblical canon (authoritative scripture). The church has always believed that this was inspired by God as well.

#2 - the Bible was not the end of revelation but can be used as a measuring stick for revelation.
What has been revealed helps us to better understand what is revealed. This is why I say that the Bible is foundational.

#3 - I love the Bible.
The majority of my life has been spent searching the Scriptures, gaining insight into the revelation of God contained within the pages, and sharing that revelation with others. I have studied, memorized, applied, and quoted Scripture for all of my adult life. I have read it in several different translations (from cover to cover). I look into the original language for deeper understanding. I have been trained in exposition and believe in interpreting bible verses in context. I continue to be amazed at the revelation contained within this book. I believe it to be inspired.

It's important for you to know these things because I will not discredit the Bible (in any way) for what it is, nor take away from the authority contained within it. What I often question, as I think most people do, is our interpretation of passages and verses. I believe the Bible opens the door for a greater revelation of the Father in our lives. I believe through the reading of Jesus' life and ministry that our eyes are open to see and our ears open to hear Him in our lives today. But I'm afraid that many people have created something out of the Bible that was never meant to be created. The Bible is holy in the sense that it is set apart from other writings, but it's not a magic book nor a choose your own adventure reading. The Bible is meant to provide a foundation for the lives of believers. It's an open door to a life of adventure with the Holy Spirit. It encourages, edifies, and helps bring comfort.

The problem that I have is how some people say that this is all God wants to say or reveal. If that is the case then why do we need the Holy Spirit? Think about it folks. People say that the Bible is the full revelation of God. If this is true, then why does Peter only have 2 letters in it? This guy walked with Jesus for over 3 years and only two letters give full expression to his insight? John has several writings as well but he's the one that stated that not everything Jesus did was recorded because the world could not contain the writings. What about the Old Testament? 39 books that were read, memorized, celebrated, and applied to the lives of the Jewish people; and yet Jesus came to reveal to them that their understanding about the nature of the Father was wrong. When we use the Bible to shut down revelation, we are saying two things: 1) We are saying that we trust our ability to understand, interpret, and apply every verse. 2) We are showing how inept we are at discerning the Spirit of God.

A couple of years ago, we were having a baby dedication. As a part of this ceremony I asked some people so speak prophetic words over the life of the child as a blessing. Little did I know that we had a visitor in our midst who would take great offense at what was meant to be an encouragement to this family. In his e-mail to me the very next day, the only question he had was whether or not the canon was closed. Do you see where I am going with this? In his mind, the closing of the canon meant that we were no longer able to operate in spiritual gifts. And somehow our prophetic blessing over the life of this child was coming against Scripture. This wasn't his only complaint against our church. His fundamental (even legalistic) background allowed him to be offended at a lot of things. Mainly our freedom in worship and our embracing of the Holy Spirit. This is where we are in many of our churches.

Jesus made a statement in John 5:39 (which, by the way, chapters and verses were not a part of the original writings), "You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to Me!" What a revelation. The whole of the Old Testament was to point people to Jesus. Paul tells Timothy the same thing. If you look at the verse I started with this morning, you will find that he is talking about the Old Testament (the only Scriptures they possessed at the time) as a means to bring us to faith in Christ. Jesus is also telling the Pharisees that any and all Scripture is meant to bring us into an encounter with Him. And that is why I'm sharing this blog with you today. I want you to experience the person of Jesus.

What the Bible does not contain, and cannot contain, is your experience with the Lord. Can you look back and see similarities? Will there be a biblical reference? I believe so. But to say that there will be a chapter and verse for everything we experience is to commit intellectual suicide. What I can look for is what your experience of Him produces in your life, and that kind of fruit I can find in the written Word.

So, please don't take any of this as a discrediting of the Bible. Please don't take it as a setting aside of the Bible either. Neither is intended. Simply takes these words as an invitation into a life of adventure. The same Father, Son, and Holy Spirit you read about in these pages can be encountered in your personal life. All the promises contained within this book are open to your life in Christ. Apply the lessons that you will learn from this book. Seek greater understanding. But understand that our Heavenly Father cannot be contained within the covers. For centuries, the Jewish leaders kept God bound up in the Law. They struggled to experience Him outside of it. That's why they couldn't embrace Jesus. God was contained within the scrolls, engraved in stone, embraced in ritual and tradition. And it was their interpretation of these things that blinded them to the reality of Jesus.

Let me encourage you. The next time you open the Bible prayer this prayer:
Father,
It is my hearts desire to encounter the person of Jesus. May my heart be open to the revelation of Him. I thank you for all that is contained within these pages. However, I desire to experience the reality of you. May I have eyes to see and ears to hear. Holy Spirit, I give you permission to reveal Jesus, the true Word of God, in me as I read these words.
Amen

Our Harmony in His Hearing

Psalm 133:1 reminds us "how good & pleasant it is for brothers to dwell in unity."

Have you ever wondered what unity looks like or sounds like to God? This particular Psalm is considered a Song of Ascent - songs that would be sung by people coming up into Jerusalem for the festivals or the Priests ascending the 15 steps to minister in the Temple. According to one source, more than half of these types of Psalms are cheerful but all of them are hopeful.

David goes on in this Psalm to describe unity as the oil flowing down the beard of Aaron & onto the edge of his robe. He also describes it as the dew that comes down on Hermon being the same dew that comes down on Zion. It's beautiful imagery. We see unity as something that flows from one person to the next, something that produces life, and something that is blessed. The word translated "unity" comes from a root word meaning "to be (or become) one." How many of you know that is a blessing all in itself.

As I reflected upon it this morning, I was reminded of something that I heard several years ago. Some time ago, a group of scientist decided to write down amino acid sequences of DNA as a series of text letters. Then they would assign musical notes to the different values of the amino acids in each sequence. The result of this application produces a song. Since no two people have the same DNA, then no two people have the same song. It's all a part of your unique make-up or design. What does this mean for you? It means the Earth doesn't need you to be a Cover Band for someone else's song. Walking in your identity allows us to see/hear your song unfold.

Let's carry that image just a little bit further. Imagine each & every person in the church walking in their identity. Every single person has a particular song coming out of them. Now imagine as these people come together in unity. They will still possess the same song/sound but now what comes out of the whole is harmonious. It reminds me of a symphony. The beauty (and complexity) of a symphony is every instrument playing their unique part. If we heard each of these instruments playing their part by themselves, it probably wouldn't make much sense. However, bring them together and you have a work of art. I envision the Lord sitting back, seeing us walking in UNITY, and enjoying the beautiful harmony that is us in relationship. We are His symphony, releasing His song, & filling the earth with His glory.

Is it any wonder that Paul encourages the church to endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? Is it any wonder why Jesus spent a lot of time instructing His disciples to love one another? He knows the symphony that we create when we dwell in unity. Ephesians 2:10 says that "we are His handiwork..." - a tapestry - a masterpiece. When you look at a work of art, or listen to a symphony, you can notice all the individual pieces. "Look at that line of color." "Listen to that violin." But what is breathtaking is how each individual part works together to create the whole.

When I was a kid, I didn't realize that the theme to the Lone Ranger was from the William Tell Overture. I wasn't introduced to the entire song until I was in 9th Grade. Of course, when we came to the trumpet blasts, my mind immediately flashed to the black & white image of the Lone Ranger riding Silver across the plain. Unfortunately, this is not too far removed from what we do in church. We tend to celebrate the individual. We recognize their part while missing out on the whole. Which is why I'm grateful to see so many churches placing their vision out in front. While we may be tempted to celebrate a pastor, a worship leader, or a particular teacher - we desperately need each part. I have a friend who pastors a church in Pennsylvania and their vision is quite clear: "empowered people advancing God's kingdom in the earth. We embrace a casual, safe atmosphere, in which we equip, activate and release each person to understand and pursue their original identity and purpose..." Any time I am around this group of believers, I see this vision played out fully in their lives. I hear the harmony of their song together and it is breathtaking.

What does our unity sound like to the Lord?
OR...what does our disunity do in His hearing?
One more question: What does the world hear?

May our lives resonate with the following words. A quote from Mr. Holland's Opus (edited for our purpose):
"We are your symphony Abba. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life."