Wishing You A Merry Christmas

Christmas Break started today. Our kids will be out of school for the next couple of weeks. With that being said, I wanted to let you all know my plans for the blog. I'll be taking the next couple of weeks off as well. We'll get things started back up in the New Year.

Allow me to take this time to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas. I pray that your hearts will be filled with joy and peace during this special time. I hope that the time spent with your family will rekindle the hope you have discovered in Christ.

During this season I also ask that you be mindful of those who have suffered such loss during the last few days. Going through Christmas without cherished loved ones is difficult. But I also ask that you be mindful of the blessings upon your own family as well.

May the Lord grant unto you the true wonder of His Son's birth into this world. This is a season of good tidings of great joy!!!

Creating A Kingdom Culture

Over the last few weeks I have been sharing a series of messages about creating a Kingdom Culture. The necessity of this mentality cannot be emphasized enough. We are Kingdom People - as such we cannot be satisfied with the best worldly structures, worldly governments, or worldly mindsets. It's time for the people of God to regain His vision for the church.

Here's what I have shared so far:
To establish a Kingdom Culture, we must understand that it is a...
Culture of Covenant - We serve a covenant God and we must be a covenant people. We do more than just operate on the basis of relationships or membership. Those ideals may seem lofty but they do not necessitate operating outside of our emotions, our natural discernment, or our feelings of right and wrong. Covenant (look it up in the Hebrew) is all about walking through a bloody mess. When I live in covenant with the people around me, I am compelled to see past issues, see past personality quirks, and see past the natural man/woman standing in front of me. I base all of my relationships upon the covenant that God established with me through the Cross. He was willing to establish an eternal covenant with us in Christ. Therefore, we must understand the eternal nature of our relationships. We must also understand that we can walk through anything together.

A Kingdom Culture is a...
Culture of Love - The greatest goals that we can aspire to within the Body of Christ is to Love God, Love Others, and Serve Both. That's it!!! All other goals, all other purpose statements, and all other things that would fight for our attention are secondary. I don't think most people understand how the mentality of the world has crept into the church. It's easy for us to grab hold of the desire for success. And by success I mean what the world defines as successful: Big Buildings, Large Crowds, Nice Facilities, Countless Programs and Ministries, etc. What we fail to recognize is that Jesus stated very simply that the proof of our commitment to Him is found in our love for one another. Trust me when I say that when a church body is willing to walk in love toward God and one another that the people on the outside of that fellowship will take notice. Grace is the atmosphere created by love. It drives out fear, it keeps us from needing to be in control, and it allows us to live freely with one another.

A Kingdom Culture is a...
Culture of Honor - Honor recognizes the greatness that God has placed within every person. In honor we learn how to prefer others. We work hard to step out of the competitive mindsets that dominate worldly institutions. We learn how to relate to one another as fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters. Honor chooses to view people according to their identity in Christ regardless of whether an individual is having an identity crisis. When we live in honor we create a funnel where life flows into the Body. And we want to be a life giving culture.

A Kingdom Culture is also a...
Culture of Confrontation - Please understand that conflict is not the same as conflict or combat. Confrontation means that I am willing to go to someone who has been overtaken in a fault so that they can be restored. In the Kingdom of God, Confrontation is always about Restoration. We stand upon covenant, we walk in love, and we honor people through the process. The goal of confrontation is not that we have a confrontation. The goal is restoration. This is important because we cannot afford to look at an individual and be satisfied with confronting them. We should find our joy in seeing people restored, seeing them walk in their true identity, and thriving in their relationship with the Lord. I'm not really sure where we got the current model for restoration that we see in most churches. It's as if we want to ensure that people have displayed enough grief and sorrow over their shortcomings before we ever consider allowing God to use them in the Kingdom again. The problem with this model is that it doesn't take into account the unconditional love of God. It doesn't take into account the gifts and callings of God that are (according to Scripture) irrevocable. Rather than walking in a loving/honoring confrontation with someone much of the church has walked around in offense. This has to change.

The last message in this series (which I will share this Sunday) will emphasize the fact that a Kingdom Culture is a Culture of Power. We'll be talking about the necessity of the Holy Spirit's work in our lives and in our midst. We will define the Kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit. This is the way Paul describes it and I think his definition will suffice for us.

Why is a Kingdom Culture important?
Allow me to go back to my earlier statement. Kingdom People cannot be governed by the best worldly mindsets or worldly structures. As a Kingdom People we are to be governed by love, established in covenant, willing to do the "dirty work" of confrontation, and living in honor toward one another. The world is longing to see something different within the church. It should bother us that most of them simply see us as an organization, a business, or a charity. God has a much bigger view of the church than that. We are the Body of Christ in the earth. We re-present Him to the world. We are defining God for people through our words, our actions, and through our love.

May God establish His Kingdom within our hearts. And may we be the ones who fulfill the prayer of Jesus "Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven."

A "Word" About God's Love For You

I want to share with you a prophetic word that God used to change my life. I came across this word accidentally...at least I thought it was...it was on a CD that I received from my brother. The Lord continue to speaks to me through a man who is firm in the unconditional love of God. And to be quite honest with you...sometimes we just need to be reminded.


"The Lord says that there is nothing that you can do that would make Him love you more. There is also nothing you can do that would make Him love you less.

He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
He loves you because
That is what He is like
It is His nature to love, and you will always be the beloved.

And His love is unchanging, and He loves you 100%, He won’t love you any better when you become better. He loves you 100% right now, and even if you have no plans to become better, He will still love you 100%; because He loves you, because that’s the way that He is, and even if you don’t want to change, He will love you 100%. Even if you have no plans to walk with Him, He will love you 100%, because that’s His nature. He loves all the way all the time.

His love is unchanging. What will change says the Lord is your ability to receive my love, and this evening I want to cram some more of that ability inside you. So I challenge you says the Lord, open your heart to me, open your heart to me and you will receive more of my love than you’ve ever experience before. I dare you says the Lord, come on, open you heart to me, give me your heart, give me whatever your obstacle is, I’ll take it, I’ll remove it out of the way, because I love you as you are right now. I love you 100% as you are right this moment. I love you as you are, so be loved. You are the beloved, it is your job says the Lord, to be loved outrageously. It is why I chose you, and it is why I set my love upon you, that you would live as one who is outrageously loved. That you would receive a radical love, so radical it will blow all your paradigms of what you think love is. And know says the Lord, I will love you outrageously all the days of your life, because I don’t know how to be any different, this is who I am, and this is who I will always be, this is the I Am that I promised you, I am He that loves you outrageously. And you may love me back with the love that I give you; you may love Me back outrageously, with the outrageous love that I bestow upon you. And know this says the Lord you can only love Me as much as you love yourself.

So My love comes this evening to set you free from yourself, to set you free from how you see yourself. To set you free from the smallness of your own thinking about yourself. My love comes to set you free from rejection, and from shame, and from low self-esteem, and from despair and from abuse. Because when I look at you says the Lord, I see something that I love, and I see someone that I can love outrageously. And I have so much to bestow upon you, so much to give you, so many places to take you in My heart, but you can’t go there unless you allow Me to love you. And my love for you, will break every barrier, bring every wall crashing down, and know this says the Lord, My love damages fear, My love hates fear My love will fight fear it will fight fear in you it will fight fear around you, and if you have fear this evening says the Lord, then know that you have a treat in store, because My perfect love casts out fear, there is no fear where I am present, because My love casts out fear. Beloved, you are My beloved, you are My beloved, and in My love I want you to feel good about yourself.” ~ Graham Cooke {The Inheritance}

I pray that you will be swept away in God's amazing love for you. May your heart always be persuaded that even in times of brokenness, God's love is constant. Be blessed!!!

Walking In His Light

I'm sure I have posted this before (at least some of it) but it bears repeating. After reading the book "Blessed Child" I was confronted with the words of Bill Bright who helped co-author with Ted Dekker. May these words challenge you as well as we seek to see the Kingdom of God established in the earth. I pray that the Body of Christ will once again discover the power of God. I pray that we will not shy away from the work of the Holy Spirit. And I pray that we will once again embrace the Kingdom as a little child.

"...It is the truth that God is indeed alive and still moves in supernatural ways today, whenever He so desires and for His purposes, through the lives of those who love, trust, and obey Him. It's the truth that the source of God's power is found in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Spirit, not in man's devices. It's the truth that what we see with our own eyes on a day-to-day basis isn't the half of it. There is indeed a supernatural reality all around us that is just as real as the world we see.

"And most importantly, it's the truth that, when seen through spiritual eyes, a healed heart and transformed life are far more spectacular than a straightened hand or restored sight. These were the themes of the New Testament church, and they must be the themes that guide our lives today. As dedicated believers, we are on a grand adventure that bristles with power and excitement. But I have been saddened again and again at the lack of enthusiasm and zeal among many who claim to be His followers. A lack of first love among His body - the Church.

"The Bible explains that in the last days people will hold to a form of godliness while denying its power (2 Timothy 3:5). Sadly, many believers do not know of the reality of living a supernatural life through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit...

"...At Campus Crusade for Christ we have noticed that the response in many parts of the world to the Jesus Film in phenomenal. Audiences who see the film say that if Jesus can heal the blind, He can heal them too. And so He does. In face, we have reported situations where people have actually been raised form the dead, and their communities revolutionized by the message that resulted.

"But in the Western world, we are more prone to rationalize and analyze until the true meaning of the gospel is dissipated and often rendered powerless. We become like the churches in Ephesus and Laodicea: we have left our first love and are neither hot or cold. We find it difficult to believe that Jesus would do today what He did centuries ago, while many of our fellow believers across the seas do believe and they rejoice in the fruits of their belief..."

{Blessed Child - Ted Dekker & Bill Bright - pp.349-351}

It is my prayer for you that during this Christmas season that you allow the joy, wonder, and awe of the good tiding of great joy to be birthed anew in your heart. May you be captured once again by the reality of God's power, love, and grace in our lives. And may you find yourself walking in the incredible light of this grand adventure!!!

Gritty Grace...

Romans 3:20-24 "For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it — the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

I just read an article that reminded me about the necessity of grace in relationships. Here's the link - copy and paste in your browser - & please read: http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/december-online-only/going-to-hell-with-ted-haggard.html


It's my personal belief that the grace of God is gritty. In other words, it doesn't mind getting it's hands dirty. When we discover the relentless pursuit of God in our lives, the unconditional love that He has displayed, and the demonstration of that love upon the Cross...how can the grace of God be any different?

There's a couple of points that came out of the article in particular that we need to give serious consideration to:

- "It's amazing how much more mercy I give to people who struggle with sins I understand. The further their sin is from my own personal struggles, the more judgmental and callous I become."

- "'Every time you talk to me about God, you explain that he will take me as I am. You say he forgives all my failures and will restore my hope, and as long as I stay outside the church, you say God wants to forgive me. But that guy failed while he was one of you, and most of you are still vicious to him.' Then he uttered words that left me reeling: 'You Christians eat your own. Always have. Always will.'"

- "It would do some Christians good to stay home one weekend and watch the entire DVD collection of HBO's Band of Brothers. Marinate in it. Take notes. Write down words like loyalty, friendship, and sacrifice. Understand the phrase: never leave a fallen man behind."

If we really believe in the grace of God it will be demonstrated in our relationship with God AS WELL AS our relationships with others. The grace of God will allow us to forgive even when we would much rather walk in offense. The grace of God will always lead us to bring about restoration rather than leave people reeling in shame and humiliation. The grace of God will empower us to demonstrate the same compassion that Jesus displayed when He said, "Neither do I condemn you."

How is it possible to sing songs like "Grace Greater Than All Our Sin" and yet not be willing to forgive the people around us? I have determined in my own life that when it comes to the grace of God: I'm ALL IN!!! Will you join me? Will you be willing to love the unlovable? Will you be willing to embrace people at their worse just to demonstrate the grace of God unto them? Will you be willing to forgive people even though their sin seems so offensive? This is the life that Jesus demonstrated to us. AND it's the life that is available to all who walk in the grace of God.

Start a Revolution!!!

During the course of ministry the Lord has allowed me to run I have encountered a lot of people who are looking for revival. Over the last few years I have come to believe that we do not need revival as much as we need a revolution. To revive something by definition means to make something alive again. We are not dead - but we do need something to happen.

A revolution, by definition, dictates a forceable overthrow, a radical change in society and social structure, and a sudden/complete/marked change in something. That "something" that needs to take place is how we operate as the Body of Christ. In particular the "something" that needs to happen is how we respond to the "one anothers" of Scripture. There are at least 54 verses in the New Testament that lead us in how we treat one another.
Love
Honor
Serve
Be at Peace
Forgive
Etc.
Regardless of the version of the Bible you read, you will find these verses from the Gospels and through the epistles. God is quite deliberate in how we live as a community of believers. The love that we display, the honor that we show, the service that we provide, the peace we live in, and the forgiveness we give matters. It's my belief that THIS is the revolution that needs to take place: Every Member of the Body of Christ sharing in the One Anothers of the Bible!

Of course, this type of revolution will require that we operate differently as it relates to structure in the church as well. No longer can we expect one person (a pastor) to fulfill all 54 one anothers. We also cannot expect a particular group (ministry leaders, teachers, deacons, etc.) to be the only ones who take care of these commands. The church as a whole needs to take part. We must recapture the New Testament understanding of the "Body" where every member does their part.

Do I think this can actually happen? Absolutely! I'm a firm believer that anything God commands us to do that He gives us the power to make it happen. Do I believe it will be easy? No. It will not be easy because the of the current structure within most churches. It won't be easy because of the cultures that we have instilled within the church. This age of consumerism within the church will war against everyone fulfilling the one anothers because it will mean that we are no longer looking at what we can get out of the church. We will have to ask "what can I give?".

Let's start a revolution!
Let's make sure that the world will see our love for one another.
Let's ensure that we serve one another.
Let's give honor where honor is due.
Let's become the most forgiving people in the world.
And by all means let us live at peace with one another.

We are the Body of Christ and as His body we re-present Him to the earth. Let's make this happen! The REVOLUTION begins with you!!!

What Gives Us The Right...?

So...this thought hit me this morning like a ton of bricks: How is it possible to have a theology to explain "sinful" behavior but no theology to explain "righteous" behavior? The answer to this question is found in our answer to another question: Does pride dominate your belief system more than truth?

My friend Thom Cooper finished a book last year titled "What's the Meaning of This? (Clarifying Christian Concepts)." The object of the book is to bring clear understanding to a lot of the common words used in the Christian community. Words like love, fear, sin, the glory of God, righteousness, confession of sin, and the new birth. Depending upon your faith background, your understanding of the Word of God, and your perception of the nature of God - your definition of these words could be quite different from mine. The question my friend often asks is "What gives us the right to believe what we believe?" The answer? Ultimately we must allow the TRUTH of God's Word to be the foundation for all that we believe and that truth is found in Christ.

Think about it. How often have we found ourselves arguing over meaningless things simply because we don't want to be wrong? We will go to great lengths to defend what we believe about a particular subject. It's like being a contestant on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" because we will even phone a friend if it means backing up what we believe. The Peanuts cartoon that I posted says it all: "Have you ever considered that you could be wrong?"

Here are just a few areas where I see the church going in circles:
- A greater awareness of the devil than the presence of God
- A greater sense of sinfulness rather than one of righteousness
- A greater belief in judgement instead of the unconditional love of God
- A greater understanding of who we were in Adam rather than who we are in Christ

How is it possible that we have come "so far" in the Christian faith and yet we have missed out on some of the greatest truths in the Bible? I personally believe fear has dominated our thinking more than faith. We have chosen to go along with the theological crowds rather than believe what the Word of God teaches us. We recognize the divisiveness that comes with conflicting beliefs and it keeps us from pursuing what we discover to be true in Christ. I realize that some of you may disagree with what I'm saying but I have seen it happen over and over again. It's much easier to tow the theological lines of the church rather than possess the mindset of God.

One of the basic concepts that Paul taught the church revolves around our identity in Christ. Jesus came as the Last Adam. He came to restore all of mankind to God's original design and intent. He accomplished that through His life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. We have been redeemed. It's a fact that is clearly outlined in the Bible. However, because of our religious background we fail to see ALL that was accomplished in Christ. Have you ever considered that there was a day that you chose to accept Christ but that Christ accepted you at the Cross? Have you ever thought about how much preaching/teaching/witnessing is done to get people "forgiven" but fail to recognize that God chose to reconcile Himself to all of mankind - "not counting their trespasses against them"? These simple questions must lead us to either embrace the truth of the Bible or to continue to accept the theology that has been handed down to us for generations.

I'm hoping that these questions will push you to look deeper. I hope they will force you to ask the Holy Spirit to open up your understanding to the Word of God. I'm praying that you will encounter the truth during this process. This (I believe) is where the Lord is taking His people in this day. It's time for a reformation! Not just a reformation of what we believe but a reformation of how we live as sons/daughters of God. Sure...it may mean moving against some long held beliefs. It may mean questioning some of the beliefs that have long been held has "core values." But what if this is exactly what God is calling us to do? What if this is how we gain the understanding of who we truly are in Christ? I believe it is. AND...I'm enjoying the journey.

Counting it ALL Joy

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." {James 1:2} The International Standard Version says to "Consider it pure joy..." While most of us typically don't enter into a trial and say "Yahoo!", I think it's high time we consider what we can carry into every situation.

This thought came into even more clarity as I watched videos concerning the persecuted church in the world. The reality is that the joy, steadfastness, and hope that they carry in their life challenges me to my core. To be quite honest...and I mean this in all sincerity...when I hear their stories - I long to possess that type of faith because I'm realizing that it is one that has been tried by fire. It's pure, it's precious, and it is real.

Growing up in a country where we are free to worship however we choose isn't a bad thing. It just changes things. The followers of Jesus understood what it meant to be a "witness" unto Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. The Greek word translated "witness" can also be translated as martyr. I am pretty sure that the disciples knew full well that the faith they were carrying could very well mean giving their lives. But they were willing to give everything.

I'm discovering more and more that the "quality" of faith we carry is different from theirs. Their faith is often forged in the fire while ours becomes a choice between so many others. Their faith becomes their life while ours becomes a part of our lives. I hope you understand that I'm grateful for the freedom we have - and I'm not trying to disregard the quality of your faith - I'm simply saying that they are challenged with dying for their faith while many of us are struggling to live out our faith.

Counting it ALL joy...
Consider the words with me. The trying of their faith produces steadfastness. Although we cringe at the thoughts of what so many of them go through, look at what they possess. They possess a mindset that says regardless of what we go through we can be joyful. Regardless of the difficulty they do not deny Christ. They own something that is real, that is valid, and that has truly changed their lives.

I was reminded of the writings of Richard Wurmbrand during this process. I was thinking about the quality of faith that he carried even though he spent 14 years in a Communist prison. Even though he endured horrible torture, humiliation, sickness, starvation, and was even left for dead - he came out victorious, steadfast in His love for God, and bold in his advancement of the Kingdom of God. It was a difficult trial. It wasn't pretty. But what was produced in his life was a precious treasure. He is quoted as saying, "I have found truly joyful Christians only in the Bible, in the Underground Church, and in prison."

What we may not realize is that the quality of faith that comes out of persecution is a result of the joy that is carried through the trials. What a word for us in the free world: "Count it all JOY..."
Count it all joy when people misunderstand you.
Count It all joy when people disregard you.
Count it All joy when people laugh at you.
Count it all Joy when people think you are foolish to believe what you believe.
Your joyfulness through these difficult experiences will produce a faith that is to be treasured above anything this world can give.

Pray for our brothers and sisters who are going through the trials of persecution. They need hope. They need encouragement. They need our intercession.
Pray for those of us who are experiencing our faith in the midst of freedom as well. Our challenges are quite different but we need to possess the same quality of faith.

I remember hearing of a pastor who was sharing with another pastor from a persecuted country. He said, "We pray for you in your persecution." The persecuted pastor said "No...you don't understand...we pray for YOU in your freedom." This man understood, as David Platt said in his book "Radical": "Wake up. Wake up and realize that there are infinitely more important things in your life than football and a 401(k). Wake up and realize there are real battles to be fought, so different from the superficial, meaningless 'battles' you focus on. Wake up to the countless multitudes who are currently destined for a Christless eternity."

Moving from Knowledge into Knowing

It's a topic that has been around since God Himself. It's debated, studied, challenged, embraced, misunderstood, and encountered. Yes...I'm talking about the love of God. It's the area where I feel the Lord constantly pursues me. The question will always be: Will I always be able to encounter the love of God?

When Paul wrote the church in Ephesus, he prayed that they would "know" the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge - filled with all the fullness of God. This isn't a new topic for this blog but I continue to be taken deeper in my understanding. The word translated as "know" is used as a Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman. The word translated as "knowledge" refers to an acquired knowledge (like science). One comes through study while the other comes through experience. Don't you know that it's one thing to study about intimate love and quite another to experience it? What Paul is telling us is that we will never fully comprehend the love of God because it surpasses anything we could ever learn. However, we can fully experience it. And as we continue to come into these intimate encounters with the love of God then we are able to step into the fullness of God.


This whole idea captures my attention because Paul is trying to move the church toward an experience rather than simply being satisfied with a head knowledge. Our churches today are filled with people who have a head knowledge of the love of God but are lacking in the intimate experiences of His love. Depending on your church background you may have been told to go after the knowledge more than the experience. According to Paul - that would be backwards. Once you come into an experiential knowledge then you will be able to come into an understanding. It is my opinion that you cannot come into a full understanding until you experience something. For example: Before I had children I never fully understood the dynamics of being a parent. The same could be said of marriage. Before I was married, all I had were theories, head knowledge, and a limited understanding of what it meant to be a husband. Now...as a husband and a father...I am coming into a greater understanding. What makes the difference? EXPERIENCE!!!

God wants you to know His love in the most intimate way. This requires more than being able to memorize Scripture or teach a lesson. It requires that I experience for myself the absolute, incredible, and unconditional love of God. It means that I come into an encounter.

It is my prayer for you that you may know the intimate and experiential love of God so that you would be filled with all the fullness of God. Remember - His fullness is discovered in the experiential knowledge of His love. Don't sell yourself short. Keep pressing in. Keep going hard after God. It's my belief that He wants you to encounter His love more than you may want to encounter it. He wants your life to be completely wrecked for anything else. He wants you to be consumed with His love for you.

Enjoy the journey!!!

Here Goes...

This blog entry should have been done an hour ago. You just wouldn't believe how difficult it was to find the material that I was looking for. So...since I didn't really find anything...you will have to sort through my rambling.

I was thinking about 1 John 2:16 today: All that is in the world - lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. John says that these things are not from the Father but of this world. Peter also encourages the church by urging them as aliens and strangers in this world to abstain from sinful desires which war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11). Jesus told His disciples that they did not belong to the world because He had called them out. What's my point? You are not of this world. And as a people who are not of this world, we need to learn how to live from a different reality.

Hebrews 5:14 talks about mature believers who have trained their senses to discern good and evil. The frustrating part of preparing for this blog was the lack of material in Christian circles regarding this very thing. There is plenty of info about training the mind and discipline for the body but very little about training the senses. I have to wonder if it's due to fear - fear that we would sound "New Age" or like "Mysticism". Regardless of the reason, for those who are mature in Christ, there is a need to recognize the spiritual reality of our lives and tap into everything that is of God.

Romans 12:2 teaches us that we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. The interesting part of the word translated "transformed" is that it's the same word that is translated "transfigured" as relating to Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. What do we know about Christ's transfiguration? We know that He was changed. What do we know about those who are in Christ? They have changed as well. The challenge is living as one who has been transformed.

Can you even imagine using your senses to discern good and evil? But this is what transformed people do.
Can you fathom the idea of living in such a way that all of your actions are based upon a spiritual reality rather than a physical one? But this is how transformed people live.
I don't think we fully realize ALL that is available to us because our minds are still grounded in this world rather than fixed upon the reality of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is within you. You continually have access to reality that is greater than the one you are experiencing. There are depths of communion with God that can literally change our lives. The reason we struggle in the areas that John lists is because we are stuck in a 1st Adam mindset rather than the last Adam. Adam & Eve fell to these things while Christ overcame them. That is why we must renew our minds!

I'm ready for a greater experience. I'm ready to live a life where every fiber of my being is in tune with God. I'm excited about the possibilities that await every believer as they step into the fullness of God. I honestly don't believe that we really believe John 4:17 "as He is so are we in this world." If we REALLY believed it then we would do everything possible to tap into that reality.

The world needs to experience Christ. But before they can every truly experience Him, we must experience Him for ourselves. We must move past the point of confession and into the experiential knowledge of Him. We are His image bearers in the earth. We have His Spirit dwelling inside of us. Is there anything that we cannot do in Him? Is there any experience in Him that we cannot obtain for ourselves? I realize that I may be pushing the envelope of your thinking but just realize that we are being pushed together. It's time!!!

Enjoy the journey.

Living With Thanksgiving

As we draw closer to my favorite holiday I'm reminded of the power of thankfulness. Being thankful allows us to focus on the positives in life. It continually brings us to a place of remembrance that creates a platform for worship. The challenge for each of us is learning how to live with thanksgiving rather than simply encountering moments of giving thanks.

Allow me to illustrate my point:
- Moments of thankfulness are typically what I term as "spark moments" - in other words, we have become reflective or something has just taken place that prompts our thankfulness to God.
- On the other hand, a lifestyle of thanksgiving creates a mindset where we are continually thankful - where we take nothing for granted - and our hearts are always in tune with the Giver of the gifts rather than the gift itself.

A lifestyle of thanksgiving reminds us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change." {James 1:17}. It allows us to be focused upon the God who always gives His children good and perfect gifts. We are aware of the fact that in His nature there is no variation or shadow of turning. A lifestyle of thanksgiving never needs reminding of the goodness of God but is always mindful of God's blessings.

While I'm appreciative of the holiday that we celebrate in America, it's just my belief that one day a year isn't enough. I'm grateful for the fellowship it creates within the family, the food that we are allowed to partake of, and the mindset that many carry into the celebration. My question is, as a follower of Christ, why is this not the norm? Are we not encouraged through Scripture to give thanks in everything? Isn't thanksgiving supposed to accompany every request and every prayer? If the answer to these questions is "Yes" then should we not understand why?

I stated earlier that I believe living with thanksgiving keeps us from focusing on the negatives in life. The reason this is true is because when your are constantly aware of the positives then you don't have time for the negatives. Thanksgiving will actually allow you to change the emotions inside of you and the atmosphere around you. If you want to give it a shot, the next time you become focused on negatives - stop and begin giving thanks for all of the good things in your life. Make it a time of worship unto God and you will discover that your heart is changed, the heaviness is lifted, and everything around you feels different.

I'm always amazed at the power of thanksgiving. I love to hear people pray from a thankful heart. While I may not be as moved as they are about the things they are thankful for, I'm always moved by their heart of gratitude. And you see...that is the key: An Attitude of Gratitude. A pre-disposition of thankfulness to our Heavenly Father. It can happen. You can be that person. It's simply a matter of the heart.

Thankful (by definition) is:
1. Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful.
2. Expressive of gratitude
Allow this word to describe you. Allow this word to represent the mindset that you carry with you every day. I realize that in this world we will encounter tribulation but Jesus says, "Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."

May the Lord continually bless you and your family. I pray that your thanksgiving holiday will be a beginning to a greater lifestyle. May you know God's love, goodness, and provision in your life. And I pray that your family experiences the blessings of God through your thankfulness.

*Talk to you again next week.

Impacting Africa

The day is finally here. I'm finally going to share with you about our experiences in South Africa. While I do not plan on giving you a detailed listing of all that we did, I do plan on stirring your heart.

Much of our South Africa trip was spent walking through Squatter Camps and encountering people. We shared with them, loved them, prayed for them, and encouraged them. I was amazed at the openness of the various people we met. They were willing to listen, to talk, to be prayed over, and to hear of God's unconditional love for them. While we may not have seen every person confess Jesus as Lord, we were able to bring them into tangible contact with His goodness.

The picture that I have shared with you today is one of my favorites from the trip. You will see my lovely wife sharing the gospel with a group of women. It was an amazing time and a great opportunity to impart life. I'm not pictured with her because I was playing with a couple of boys in the background. Laughing, having a good time, and giving her the setting she needed to communicate with these ladies. This may sound odd to some people but I believe that by playing with those boys - when they meet Jesus later in life that He will seem familiar.

Mission work isn't just about verbally sharing the gospel. It's also not just simply giving food or providing a service. Missions is about a gospel lifestyle. It's about re-presenting Christ to the world through every possible means. It's about using relationships to springboard the gospel, providing for needs with no strings attached, or just providing the encouragement someone may need to make it through another day. Wherever we are and whatever we do becomes a part of God's eternal purpose of establishing His rule and reign in the earth.

We were able to do just that:
Walking through a Hospice facility - praying for people with HIV, touching them, sharing with them, and feeding them.
Showing up at a Daycare facility - playing with the kids, washing dishes in the kitchen, taking pictures, and giving hugs.
Going to the Squatter Camps - embracing people who live in extremely poor conditions, talking with them about life, loving their kids, and telling them of God's amazing love.
Working in the medical clinics - trying to ensure people are taken care of, crying with them, praying for them, and sometimes just being there.
Ministering in the local churches - sharing from the Word of God, speaking encouragement to the believers, praying over the pastors, and worshiping together.

All of these experiences - big and small - are a part of a much larger picture. That picture of course is the one that God began painting in the garden. It's a picture of His image bearers in the earth, being fruitful, multiplying, and enlarging the borders of His government. Within this picture are individuals who were willing to sacrifice, willing to leave the comforts of this world, willing to give of themselves, and willing to love God with all of their heart. And when you and I learn to step back from the picture to get a broader view, we discover that the individuals are tied together to form a picture of Christ in the earth. This picture is realized in Ephesians 2:10, "For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago."

Did my visit to South Africa impact my life? YES!
Did my visit to South Africa impact them as well? I believe so. And it is my prayer that the impact will be much greater than what I saw with my own eyes.

It Couldn't Wait...

Devern Fromke says, "For the Father from eternity has a wonderful purpose for Himself which of course included man. Redemption is not the end, but only a recovery program. It is but a parenthesis incorporated into the main theme."

I got so stirred up within myself this morning that I just COULDN'T WAIT to share with you. The quote I just posted will be offensive to a lot of people because we tend to view everything (including redemption) from our point of view rather than God's. In our minds, redemption is the big thing. It is, in our minds, the reason we exist. However, we fail to recognize the fact that God did not create man with a need for salvation. The need for salvation came after Genesis 1 & 2. In other words, before Genesis 3, man lived in unbroken fellowship and relationship with God. Heaven continually invaded the earth. There was no sin, no sickness, and no death. Man was placed in full authority over what God created. The purpose of humanity was set forth - we were to be fruitful, multiply, and expand the borders of God's reign. What happened next has been well documented: Adam & Eve fell, man was thrust from the Garden, and humanity was placed under a curse.

INSERT REDEMPTION: Jesus came to earth as a man. He lived a perfect and sinless life. He gave His life as a ransom for all humanity. He was resurrected - received full authority in heaven and on earth - and redeemed mankind from the curse.

So where are we now? The reality of the Bible is this: God has done everything that needed to be done to restore humanity to His original design. The main theme of God's creative purpose has been re-established (not that it had ever been lost). God has a people upon the earth that are to be fruitful, multiply, and expand the borders of His reign. And God will not be satisfied until the WHOLE earth is filled with His glory.

This is where religion has dulled our understanding. As long as we see the world in need of redemption then we will never fully fulfill the purpose of God. I'm not saying that the world is not in need of salvation. I'm simply saying that redemption has been purchased. The illustration that I thought of this morning involved prisoners of war. The battle has been fought, the war is over, and yet there are still millions of people trapped in prison. As Christ's ambassadors in the world, we have the opportunity to go into these prison camps and deliver the captives. We get to walk in the same anointing, same authority, and same calling of Jesus where we say "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed..." {Luke 4:18}

Please understand that I am not belittling the redemption of man. It is a BIG DEAL. We will continually celebrate (I believe) for all of eternity what was accomplished in the life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Christ. I just want you to see things from God's perspective. God's purpose was never lost in the fall of man. Jesus' death on the Cross was not a part of some contingency plan. It was/is a part of God's purpose in creating a people for Himself that would establish His rule and reign in the earth.

Take some time to read Genesis 1 & 2. Then read Revelation 21 & 22. What do will you find? You will find that what God started in those first two chapters of the Bible come into a full realization in the last two. How is this possible? It's possible because of the eternal purpose of God. You and I get to be a part of that purpose. We get to be a part of the fulfillment of the dream of God. But the only way this will happen is when we begin to see ourselves along with the rest of humanity in Christ. We have to come to an understanding of all that was accomplished in Jesus. Then and only then will we fully realize our part in God's plan.

What an amazing God we serve! What an incredible journey that our lives become when we begin to see things from God's perspective! Oh...that the church would wake up to what God has done, is doing, and will do through us for His glory!

Resting from the Trip - Be Back Soon!!!

Happy Wednesday Everyone! It's good to be back with you. I have plans to officially return to the blog next week. I've taken a few days to rest and recuperate from the mission trip.

I pray that the remainder of your week is blessed and filled with the goodness of God.

Last Post Before South Africa...

In preparation for my upcoming trip to South Africa, I'm going to be taking the next few days off from blogging. I do ask that you pray for our team members, the people with whom we will be sharing, our family members back home, and that we will be joining God in what He is doing in country.

We have had several mission teams work in South Africa over the last few years. The stories they have shared have been remarkable: healing, deliverance, salvation, etc. This will be my first trip to the country. What excitements me the most is that I'm not taking Jesus to South Africa. He's already there!!!

Here are some of the things that I'm doing in preparation. I'm telling you because I'd like for you to join me.

Reading Scripture - But I'm not reading it the way you may think. I'm reading God's Word in such a way that I encounter Him in the process. I want to hear the heart of the Father. I want to understand the way Jesus operated in the Earth. What did He feel? How did He perceive? I'm not reading the Word to become more knowledgeable. I'm reading to become more sensitive to the Spirit of His Word.

Prayer/Soaking - I'm sure this sounds simple but if you have never soaked in the presence of God then it will be hard to grasp the idea. It's a simple process of putting on worship music, allowing the music to worship for me, and me listening for the voice of the Father. Yes...I will pray in the normal practice but, just as I'm reading Scripture to encounter the person of Christ, I'm going after the heart of God in prayer to encounter Him. Part of this process means that I am constantly saturating myself in the love of God so that I will carry His love in a greater way.

Spending Time With Family - Too often, before I leave for a trip, I get so consumed with preparation that it becomes easy to neglect time with the kids. Not this week. I'm going to enjoy every moment with them. I want them to enjoy their time with me so that while I'm away they can reflect on those moments.

Remaining Sensitive to the Spirit While I'm Home - While I'm looking forward to encountering God overseas in a way that causes me to come back with those expectations, I will be "practicing" my sensitivity to the Spirit of God here. I'm going to be asking for direction, words of knowledge, prophetic words, etc. Here's what I've discovered in the past. Being on a mission trip causes you to live with a great awareness of God's Spirit. However, not practicing His presence at home will hinder me there. I'm sharpening the tools that He has given me. I'm looking forward to what He does here before I go there. WHOA...I'm getting excited!!!

Staying Active & Resting - I've got to do both. I cannot allow myself to be confined to a desk this week. The schedule I have before me it going to be pretty intense. I'm preparing myself physically. At the same time, I'm taking time to rest. I don't want to leave tired. I want to be sharp. I'm realizing that during this process that it should be the norm for life. Looking forward to incorporating this into my schedule more after the trip.

These are just a few of the things that I'm doing before we leave. They aren't new to me but I am trying to be very intentional in the practice of them. In other words, I'm taking what is a normal course for a week and focusing in on the heart of God. I look forward to sharing with you the encounters that we have, the testimonies of His goodness, and bringing you face to face with the reality of His Kingdom. I appreciate your prayers and I appreciate you walking through this with me.

May this be a week where you encounter the Lord in amazing ways. Blessings to you all. I hope to be blogging again the week of November 12th. Talk to you soon.

Understanding the Ekklesia (aka Church)

Most of us have grown up understanding the Church in a particular context. Primarily that context involved a building, a service, certain leaders, etc. However, to truly understand God's intent for the church, we must come to grips with His definition.

The word found in Scripture that has been translated as "church" comes from the Greek word "ekklesia". Ekklesia is a compound word meaning "called out". One of the interesting things about this word is that when it's found in classical Greek it usually denotes an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier. Why is this important? It's important because we need to be able to view the Body of Christ as an assembly of the citizens of God's Kingdom that have been called out. Jesus Christ called us out so that we could be gathered together to form one Body under His reign and His headship.

What I love about the ekklesia that we see in Scripture is that there are many different expressions. You could travel to Philipi, Ephesus, Corinth, etc. and discover a variety of ekklesias. Different cultures, different personalities, and different "styles" of worship. The "church" was not a one-size fits all demonstration but rather a community that was allowed to be their own expression of Christ. Paul's letters to the believers were meant to help guide them in understanding this new community. They learned how to function together, minister to one another, tap into the life giving power of the Spirit, and be their expression of Christ.

One of the greatest dangers we face is that we tend to view Scripture from our own experience. In other words, when we read instructions to the church, it's far to easy to see them at face value rather than understand the historical and cultural context. If we do that then we will simply have a copy of an ekklesia rather than a true expression of the Body of Christ where we live today. Am I saying that Scripture doesn't guide us in our understanding? NO...what I am saying is that we learn the principles, seek the Spirit's guidance, and try to have a biblical expression where we live.

The diversity in God's Kingdom is amazing. When I travel abroad it's wonderful to see the different expressions. It's wonderful to see the communities of Christ followers as they learn to meet with one another, minister to one another, and express their heart for God. A religious mindset will never allow us to see anything outside of our own understanding/expression. We will constantly judge their actions, their worship, and the authenticity of their faith. I would encourage each of you to go back and read the book of Acts. Their was only two stipulations they placed upon the Gentile churches and they had nothing to do with being legalistic but rather they were things established for their own protection.

This understanding of the ekklesia is also important as we try to figure out who we are as a community. One of the challenges I saw when I came to PBC for instance was that we were a relatively young community of believers that had taken on a structure that was handed down to them. I often said that you could have taken that particular worship service, packaged it, and sent it to a thousand other churches and it would be acceptable. I just felt like we needed the worship service, the church structure, and the ministries that we offered to reflect who we were as a community of believers. This approach I believe is consistent with the book of Acts. It also celebrates the diversity of the Body of Christ.

When you read the book of Revelation you will discover people from every tribe, every tongue, and every nation gathered around the throne of God in worship. We need to hold that image in our hearts and recognize the validity of different churches around us. The Body of Christ is made up of many members. Those members have different expressions of Christ. They perform different functions. And the only way that we are going to be able to see Christ manifest among us is when we come together in the Unity of the Spirit.

Every follower of Christ has been called out of this world into a greater Kingdom. Jesus, as the Author & Finisher of our faith, has led us into a greater understanding of community. He has shown us the value He has placed upon His brothers and sisters. We were taught to live in community through the Apostles and early church. The ekklesia is the most beautiful expression that we can have of the diversity of God. The struggle that we must overcome is the struggle to make everyone just like us, every expression just like ours, and every function of the body just like our function. The Kingdom of God is greater than any denomination, any sect of Christianity, any worship "style", and any expression. May we learn to live as a community of believers that have been called out together.

The Kingdom Within...

I had a thought this morning that I want to share with you but before we get into it, I need to remind you of a couple of things:
1) You have the Kingdom of God within you.
2) That Kingdom is righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.

Have you ever heard the stories that came out of the time when boats filled with immigrants would come to the United States? They viewed this country as a place filled with hope, promise, and prosperity. It seems as though there were so many people who thought "If I could just get to America..." The fact of the matter is that you carry a much greater Kingdom within you. Can you imagine the people who would be willing to establish the Lord's reign over their heart if they heard about the hope, promise, and prosperity of the Kingdom of God?

Much of the evangelism that has been modeled for us is, quite simply, learning how to bring people into our faith. If we can get them to believe what we believe then everything else will be o.k. But what if we carried more of a kingdom mindset? What if what we shared had more to do with establishing God's reign over a person's life rather than just bringing them into a faith or seeing them escape hell. I realize that this could be a very hot topic for people but Jesus was all about the Kingdom of God. We, as His followers, are to continue what He started. His is a Kingdom that is already established in Heaven but then becomes established in the earth through us. The Kingdom (King's Domain) needs to be firmly established in our hearts so that we can see it established in the hearts of others.

A Kingdom of God mindset will help us get out of a denominational mindset, rid ourselves of a religious mindset, and create a culture where the Lord truly reigns in the hearts of His people. When the people of God become Kingdom-minded, it will also allow us to see one another as a part of the Kingdom rather than a particular sect of Christianity.

Establishing our hearts in the Kingdom of God isn't an easy task. As I said yesterday, it's really easy for us to be so focused on the natural that we neglect the spiritual. From the conversations that I have with many pastors, it's easy to see where we have allowed ourselves to get "off track." Talks of business meetings, budgets, ministries, denominations, etc. seem to rule our time together. If we aren't careful our focus becomes about our church, our position, our ministry, and our denomination. What if every believer was focused solely on the Kingdom of God? Can you imagine the changes that would take place?

Allow me to encourage you with those two thoughts once again. According to Jesus the Kingdom of God is within you. It's not out there somewhere waiting for you to show up. It is found within the very fiber of your being. His Kingdom within you is one that is filled with righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, to become Kingdom focused means that we must be Holy Spirit focused. We must encounter the Kingdom of God. We must allow Him to establish His righteousness, His peace, and His joy within us. THEN...when we see these things become manifest in our lives...we can begin to express the wonder of what it means to have the King's Domain established in our hearts.

I guess...depending upon your background, this could sound too simple or too complex. What I'm trying to help each of us understand is that the Gospel has always been about establishing a Kingdom and in this Kingdom we get to partake of His righteousness, His peace, and His joy. We get to share in the inheritance of the saints. We get to carry the same quality of life that our King possesses. Do you think there are people around you that would want that kind of life? Do you think there are people that have been drug down by religion, beating up by self-hatred, and sinking beneath the weight of their own choices that would love to hear there is something better available? You have the answer within you. Unlock the greatness of this Kingdom and learn to release what God has given. Enjoy the wonder of seeing His domain established in the hearts and lives of those around you. You will never be the same.

Do You Know What You Carry?

I truly believe that one of the most difficult aspects of the Christian life is understanding how to live from the spiritual to the natural. We tend to do the opposite. Coming to grips with the spiritual realities of life may seem difficult, but it's necessary if we are to follow the leadership of the Spirit of Christ.

Over the years I have seen a lot of believers stop short of experiencing all that God wanted them to experience because they could never get past what they saw in the natural. I remember in my first pastorate when God was doing some amazing things in our midst. We were finishing up a week of revival meetings, the preaching was finished, a young lady was accepting Christ, and worship broke out among the people. When I say that worship broke out among the people, I mean there was shouting, singing, dancing, crying, laughter, etc. However, this "uprising" of worship did not sit well with some in the congregation. To be quite honest with you, they totally quenched the movement of the Holy Spirit because they failed to recognize what God was doing. The next evening it was apparent that the people did not want to move any further. We finished the meetings. I soon resigned from that church. And ultimately the church faltered as they continued to do what they always did. That particular congregation no longer exists, the doors of the building were closed, and many of the people have moved on.

Why did I tell you that story? The reason is simple. If we fail to recognize what we carry in the Lord, and if we fail to discern through the spirit rather than the soul what God is doing around us, we will limit His ability in our lives. God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. The only way to enter into the reality of what God wants to do in our lives is to accept spiritual reality over the natural reality. What often looks like chaos around us in a worship service can actually be warfare in the Spirit. What seems to be bringing confusion to our natural mind can actually be bringing peace. The only way we will know the difference is by tapping into the Spirit of God.

Let me ask you some questions:
Do you believe that the Kingdom of God is within you?
Do you believe that the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you?
Do you believe that the Spirit of God makes intercession for you?
Do you believe that you have access to heavenly places?
Do you believe that with God all things are possible?

I could go on with the questions but I think you get the point. What we believe determines the reality in which we live. It determines how we worship, how we walk with the Lord in relationship, and how we interact with the people around us. Our identity in Christ is vital to seeing ourselves through a spiritual reality. Our inheritance with the saints is critical to bringing the spiritual into the natural. Knowing who we are and Whose we are will keep us from bowing down to the natural realities of life and press into the spiritual reality that is available.

The spiritual reality that I'm speaking of is available when we stop looking through our natural eyes, stop viewing things through a religious or denominational lens, and being to discern in the Spirit of God what is taking place around us. This requires training yourself, building yourself up in the faith, and learning how to distinguish the differences between your soul and your spirit. I'm not saying that your spirit and soul are at odds with one another. I'm simply saying that you cannot allow your soul to override the spiritual reality.

Personally...I have determined to live in the spiritual reality 1st. That doesn't mean that I live in denial to the natural world. It just means that I believe in a superior reality. Living from Heaven to Earth will do that to you. It will cause you to ask the questions that need to be asked, declare the things that need to be declared, and bring God's reality into the natural reality. You have got to know what you carry. You have the light of life available to you every second of every day. Enjoy the journey!!!

Loved by God...

1 John 4:18 holds a truth that each of us need to embrace: "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love." If we allow ourselves to be controlled by fear it means that we must exercise more faith in the enemy rather than God.

God has made it a point to allow you to know this incredible truth: YOU ARE LOVED!!!

God has demonstrated once and for all His unconditional and unending love for you at the Cross. He put on display - for the entire world to see - His affection for His creation. I have heard people say that "God loves me in spite of my sin"...well...I say that God loved you enough to get rid of your sin.

Why is it so important that we understand we are loved by God? It's important because our Heavenly Father wants us to learn how to live without fear. Fear dominates, controls, confuses, manipulates, and destroys. Fear will keep us from embracing God. Fear will keep us from experiencing genuine love. Fear keeps us tied to the lies of the enemy. God doesn't want that for you. He wants you to be made perfect in love. He wants His love for you to bring you into His fullness of life.

The question you need to ask yourself is whether or not you can live as someone who is outrageously loved? Can you honestly and openly believe that the God who created everything truly loves you. I believe that God's love is given to all of mankind but I also believe that God's love for us is individualistic. In other words, He displays His affection for us in such a way that we can receive it.

To quote Graham Cooke: "He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you because He loves you...."

Depending upon your church background, it may be difficult for you to embrace this fact.
Depending upon your upbringing, it may be difficult for you to receive unconditional love.
Depending upon your relationships, it may be hard for you to understand this kind of love.
Just do me a favor...don't bring God's love down to your experience. Instead learn to establish your heart is this wonderful truth. Live as one who is loved by God.

As you begin to open yourself up to the love of God, all things become possible.
You will be able to see yourself the way God sees you.
You will be able to come before Him boldly and confidently.
You will be able to walk in His power rather than shame and timidity.
You will be able to resist the temptation that allows fear to control you.
You will be able to rejoice regardless of circumstances because you are loved.

Just a reminder...
My prayer for you is that you will KNOW the LOVE of Christ practically by experience.
That you will grow in that LOVE.
That you will enter into the FULLNESS of GOD!!!

Encountering God's Love

After reading Ephesians 3:19 out of the Amplified Bible, I want to share with you a portion of Paul's prayer for the church: I pray..."[That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]". That is my heart for you.

Whenever I minister to anyone - believer or unbeliever - I want them to go away with an experience with the Lord. I want them to know practically, through experience for themselves, the love of Christ. I want to do more than just fill their mind with knowledge. I want to do more than just simply win an argument. I want them to come into an encounter.

Depending on where you are with the Lord that may sound like a strange statement. However, accepting Christ always brings people into an encounter. Discovering the love of God for yourself will bring you into an encounter. And realizing who you are in Christ will continue to deepen your encounters with the Lord. What does that mean for me? It means that I must be willing to enter into encounters with the Lord myself because it's hard to bring people to a place where I haven't walked.

There is something quite different about taking a trip to a place where you have already been versus going somewhere for the first time. My first time traveling to the beach (for instance) meant that I had to follow directions. I had to pay attention to all the details of the route. I had to make sure that I knew the direction I was heading every mile of the journey. Once I got used to the route it made traveling a lot easier and a lot more fun. I was able to enjoy the journey. I was able to pick up on things that I had never seen before. I was also able to handle the different things that come with traveling because I had been there before. When you and I learn to encounter the Lord for ourselves then it means we don't have to focus so much on the map but get to listen to the Guide (Holy Spirit). Directions are good when you don't know where you are going. But once you've been there then you get to handle any situation that comes up in the journey.

I'm always amazed at the conversation that come up with different believers. Some people are encounter oriented while others are Scripture oriented. Both groups tend to view these two thought processes in conflict with one another. In some ways that may be true. I do want to have a scriptural basis for what I encounter, but at the same time I also want to trust the Holy Spirit. How many times have we heard someone ask "where is that in the Bible?" when referring to someone's encounter with God? Can you imagine if Mary would have took that same approach: "Where's the chapter and verse that says virgins become pregnant when the Holy Spirit comes upon them?"

The point I'm trying to make is very simple - you can actually enter into a place with the Lord where you experience Him practically for yourself. You can move past the place of mere knowledge (without experience) and into a place of knowledge and experience. Which would you rather have? There are plenty of schools designed to help people increase in their knowledge of God. There are plenty of places you can go to increase in your knowledge of the Bible. Where can you go to come into an experience with the Lord? I mean...at some point all of this knowledge should lead us to an encounter. At some point, what we believe should be what we are seeing.

If you have confessed Jesus as Lord then you have entered into a relationship that you can feel, you can touch, you can see, smell, hear, and taste. You have entered into a relationship that can be just as tangible as any other relationship. I'm not saying that you will always see the Lord nor that you will always hear Him. What I am saying is that you can. There may be seasons where it seems the Lord is distant and there may be seasons where everywhere you turn you sense the presence of the Lord in one fashion or another. The key for us is that whatever season we find ourselves in is that we never stop pressing in to encounter Him.

In this journey with the Lord, I want you to know the love of Christ. I want you to move past the mere knowledge of it. I want you to move into an experience with it and with Him. You can have this. It's a part of your fellowship with the Beloved.

The Joy of Hearing from God

Saw this quote earlier today: "Stop waiting for a voice and start looking for a verse. God has already spoken." While I believe I understand the heart of the person who said it, I don't exactly agree with the statement because I think it casts a negative view upon hearing the voice of God.

Maybe it's the way I read things. Who knows...maybe I have predetermined that a lot of people simply don't embrace the reality of God's voice. I know that I was always taught to question people when they say that they heard from God. I remember hearing people say "The Lord spoke to me..." and then they would give the disclaimer "...it wasn't an audible voice." How did we get to this point? Why is it that we put so much emphasis upon the recorded Word of God but cast so much negativity upon the spoken Word of God? If the same Author is at work, shouldn't we be giving both equal importance?

I realize that there has been a lot of shameful things done by people who say they heard from God. However, responding in fear doesn't fix the problem. Responding in discernment does. The place where you and I need to get to is a place where we are sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit that we know the difference.

Now...I understand that some people will read this and think that I'm not honoring the Bible. That's not in my heart. I love the recorded Word of God. I believe it to be inerrant and infallible. I believe that it is Divinely inspired. I believe it is the truth without any mixture of error. What I do not believe is that God stopped speaking to His people because a book was put together. And I don't believe that God stopped giving us revelation about Himself because we own a Bible.

Look at it this way: We know that communication is vital to any relationship. It's important for parents to speak to children, spouses to speak to one another, etc. If this is true in every other relationship then how is it possible that we have created a belief system that doesn't embrace God speaking into our lives? Some would argue that God does speak to us - He speaks to us through the Bible. I agree. God does speak to us through the Bible. But...what if all you had from your earthly father was a series of letters? Would that be enough? Wouldn't you want to hear His voice?

The Bible is foundational to our lives. It's what we build our lives upon. I'm a firm believer that it's hard to know how God will speak to us if we don't know what He has already said. God has spoken and it's imperative that we get His Word into our lives. Jesus told the story about the foolish man who built his house upon the sand and the wise man who built his house upon the rock. The point He was making is that when we take His Word and build our lives upon it then we are like the wise man whose house endured because of the strong foundation. So...I'm not arguing the necessity of the Bible. I'm simply saying that reading His Word is not the same as hearing His voice. And hearing His voice will always trump my understanding of what He has spoken.

With all that being said, there are people who are so addicted to revelation outside of the Bible that they really don't have a foundation. I mean some people are simply moving from revelation to revelation rather than moving from glory to glory. What's the difference? The difference is what we do with what has been revealed. God wants to speak into our lives. What we have to understand is that everything God speaks has a purpose - everything that God speaks has life in it. If God is speaking to you it's because He wants to create something in you. What you and I have to discern is whether or not what we are hearing is consistent with His nature. And His nature has been revealed to us in Christ.

Here's some tips for you (because I like to be practical):
1) Read the Bible, Meditate upon it, Hide it in your heart, Build your life on it.
2) Ask God to speak to you specifically through it. Let it be alive and active.
3) Train yourself to hear the voice of God. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice."
4) Trust the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. He will always lead you in truth.
5) Allow God to confront any mindset that keeps you from hearing His voice.

Above all else...Enjoy the journey. God wants to speak into your life. It's one of the greatest joys of relationship.

The Funny Thing About Debates...

After watching last nights debates I started thinking about how many people already have their minds made up. You can tell by the political spin that neither side will concede victory or defeat. I rarely see debates as an answer. I understand why they happen in the political arena but in every day life you don't need to win a debate. You need an experience with TRUTH.

Debates are designed to be "a formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward." That's the way it works in politics. The sad part is that too much of life is handled through debate. We debate football teams, politics, peanut butter, and toilet paper. Why? Because we typically have our minds made up. It seems to me that too many people don't want to enter into an experience, they simply want to win an argument. Oh how we love to be right.

Listen to the words of Jesus: "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" {John 8:31-32}

Think about those words. Think about the impact they had upon the Jews who had believed in Him. This wasn't an issue to be debated. This wasn't an argument to be won. It's an invitation to enter into an experience. Jesus offers the same invitation to each one of us. We have been invited into an experiential relationship. The tragedy of modern Christianity is that we debate what is valid and what is not. We debate over what is available. We have taken "the truth" and turned it into an argument. Even if you win the argument...you don't step into greater freedom.

You might be wondering how I can make that statement. I'll tell you why. I was one of those people who loved to argue. I loved debating issues and topics. It really didn't matter what we were discussing because I could push my way through. However, in all of my arguing and debating of "spiritual truths" - I wasn't walking in freedom. The reason that I wasn't walking in freedom because I limited God to the box I had placed Him in. I limited God to my belief system. The more confident I became in my belief system the less I needed God to show up. It brings us to the question: "Isn't truth supposed to set us free?"

This question brings me to my conclusion. Truth is more than a certain set of principles. It is more than correct theology/doctrine. Truth is more than facts. The truth of God is truth in reality, in fact, and in any matter under consideration. What does Jesus say about truth? He says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." And what you and I have to understand is that Jesus isn't up for debate. He is THE way. He is THE truth. He is THE life. The truth that sets us free is Jesus. The truth that will forever alter our reality is Jesus. The experience of life that we need to enter into is Jesus.

What you and I need is the experiential truth that is found in Jesus Christ. God is bringing into a place where it's not about memorizing verses, fulfilling commandments, or going through rituals. He's bringing you into a relationship where you get to encounter the truth of God daily. To quote Bill Johnson, "Any revelation that does not bring us into greater encounter only trains us to be more religious." We can have a belief system that is true and still miss out on the truth. I hope that makes sense.

Ask God to allow you to encounter the truth of who He is, the truth of His Word, and the truth of His Spirit dwelling inside you. This is the only truth that will set you free. AND...this truth is not up for debate.

Thoughts from a Ragamuffin...

I'm limited in time so I have decided to share with you an excerpt from The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning. In particular I'm posting what is #3 of 19 Mercies: A Spiritual Journey. I pray that you are blessed and encouraged in your walk with the Lord.


Jesus want to enter into deep friendship with you.

If you grew up in Sunday School, you remember the story of Jesus calling a runt of a man named Zacchaeus down from a tree with the news, "Zacchaeus, I want to have dinner in your house today." In the Jewish tradition, to say, "I want to have dinner with you" means "I want to enter into friendship with you." Even today an Orthodox Jew will not invite you to his home to dinner, unless he wants to enter into friendship or deepen an already existing friendship. It's a very sacred encounter. (That's good to recall, by the way, every time you receive communion. Jesus Christ is the Host and when He invites you to come to His table, He is declaring, "I want to enter into a deeper friendship with you.")

Zacchaeus, as you also might remember, was a greedy, disrespected lowlife. He collected taxes for Rome from his own people and kept a kickback for himself. By his enthusiastic response to Jesus, we can guess he didn't get invited to "deeper friendship" very often! When Peter wrings his hands over Jesus' unfortunate social choice, Jesus reminds him - and us too - of His mission. He says, "I did not come to call the just. I came to call sinners" (see Luke 19:10).

The gospel is not for the good guys with the white hats. It's for poor, weak, sinful men and women with hereditary faoults and limited talents - people like you, people like me. And on Judgement Day, our lives will be measured soleley in terms of our personal relationship with the risen Jesus. The Lord is going to ask each of us a question that will encompass all other questions: "Did you believe that I loved you? That I desired you? That I watied for you day after day?"

Reading: Luke 19:1-10

May you alone enlighten me, You alone speak to me.
May all that I know apart from You be nothing more
than a change traveling companion
on the journey toward You. ~ Karl Rahner