Thank you TV and Hollywood

Thank you, Network television and national media

 

I genuinely want to thank network television and the national media here in the U.S. for the consistent portrayal of Christians in your television programs and movies. It is of great comfort to me to see my faith splashed across millions of screens as one which rapes, cheats, steals, lies, beats and murders. Television shows such as NCIS and Law and Order SVU do a wonderful top notch job of portraying anyone who has faith as someone who is either self centered or mentally deranged. This truly is a comfort for me.

Maybe some may ask why? The answer is simple and I draw it from my Lord himself who told the crowds, "Blessed are you when you are persecuted for my names' sake." As I stand, sit, or kneel in prayer, I get to pray blessings for you who are cursing my faith. Why do you curse my faith? I know that sometimes, it does not tell you what you want to hear and that upsets some. In fact, I remember a warning to a young pastor written nearly two thousand years ago warning that there will come a time when people begin to seek only those things which "tickle the ear" (an old expression for wanting to hear staff that makes you giggle and feel good about yourself). I realize that this time was then, and is also now.

So, I truly do thank you. As you attack my faith, portray me and those like me as the problem, I get to draw closer to my faith. You see, as you take something away from someone, it gives cause for that someone to examine the value they place on that something. I and many others who believe that Jesus (Yeshua) was born of a virgin named Mary (Miriam) sometime before you start your "Common Era" calendar, lived, was baptized by his Heavenly Father, taught about changing your heart, suffered on a cross so that the sins of any and all could be forgiven, descended to the dead, rose again to the living and ascended to Heaven to take up His seat on the right hand of the Father and is going to return someday—those of us who believe and live this, get to be reminded to not take it for granted. We get reminded that throughout time, men, women, tribes and governments have spent incredible efforts to exterminate this faith. And, we are not safe now.

Should this be read by any, I would offer to you at anytime we can sit down and discuss what this faith really is about. Feel free to contact one of us who really do believe and walk this faith out.

God's blessing be upon you, in the name of His Son, Jesus, the Messiah and may He give you His peace and shower you in His grace.

Christian Prejudice

Prejudice: oh to see the kingdom of God come in such a way as to tear down any semblance of prejudice whether it is about ethnicity, social status, language or geography. Oh, to be able to see "the poor" eating together. I noticed that during the course of reading the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus doesn't say "blessed are those who don't have any money." If memory serves me correctly, it actually says "blessed are the poor in spirit"—the ones who are humble or low in spirit, the ones who are willing to have God's spirit come into their lives. How to come to such a conclusion? If one is already 'rich' in one's own spirit, they are not in need of, or at least can't see a need for, any other spirit. Where God's spirit is there is his presence and where his presence is, there his kingdom is. When we allow our own spirits to become poor, recognize what need is there, then we make ourselves available to receive God's spirit in order to enter more fully into the kingdom.

 

Back to prejudice; when we allow anything to separate us from the love of God, we allow sin into our lives. It frames like this for me, God commands me to love my neighbor as myself and for me to love my brothers and sisters and that through this love, and others will know what my faith is. How can I love my brother if I am never willing to break bread with my brother? How do I love if I only notice the social differences between us and allow that to become a sticking point which has me paying attention to that man made silvery colored idol known as a watch? I cannot see such as truly loving.

 

I am not yet the best at this. I have work to be done in this. Given the broader definition of prejudice, there are personal prejudices that I have to allow God to move out of His way in my own heart. I've always been fascinated by other cultures, but have mostly operated from a sense of ethnocentricity that has frequently interfered in making the connection that could be made. In my trips to Africa (specifically Nigeria) this has been significantly and blessedly challenged. My last trip was with people from the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust (HART) out of England. What a difference. In what, you might ask? Well, at least two of the members are Oxford graduates. Another was a retired chaplain from Her Majesty's Royal Marines. Another, from South Africa, is both a professional photographer and musician having been known to accompany such people as Matt Redman (who, if you are unfamiliar, is a world renowned Christian Worship Leader—as in the writer of "Blessed Be Your Name.") Then there is the founder of HART, the Baroness Caroline Cox. She is a trained nurse, worked as an educator in universities in England, and was appointed to the British House of Lords and had the title of Baroness bestowed upon her at the bequest of Lady Margaret Thatcher, who was at the time the Prime Minister of England, if memory serves me correctly. The Baroness has worked all around the world as an advocate for human rights, bringing to the attention of the British Parliament and the world the stories of those who have faced tyranny, oppression and even genocide. Yet, they took me in as one of the team this past June. I had the most blessed experience of being able to meet with political leaders in Nigeria. I had the blessed experience of even getting to see the differences in the way the Baroness and her team were engaged versus the way I and those who came with me last year were engaged. There was no wall of separation between myself and the team from HART. Why would there be? I am an American firstly. Please try to understand, that around the world, Americans are not a popular people. Secondly, I do not have the documented level of education as those I was traveling with. I have college, yes. I also have very specialized training given my profession, career experience and ordination. Yet, I do not have the worldly education that those outside of the US have. We think that Lindsey's next rehab stay is headline news. There was so much of the world I had never known about. When able to admit this, it was still not held against me. Instead, I was offered time to absorb information and asked to contribute to discussions given my own opinion and interpretation of facts and evidence as well as personal opinion and "other".

 

Why does this not happen on a more regular basis? Why do we not set aside our pride and arrogance in order to gird ourselves with a towel and become the servants our own master became? Is your sensitivity to odor worth more than another person's life? These are the hard questions that I believe must be answered and the answers are to be found in our own submission to God's will for us. I have to become as my master and teacher if I am to be a true imitator. That is what becoming a disciple is about. I should be sitting at the feet of the master long enough so that when I speak, I speak as he would speak. When I act, I should act as he would act. And, when I love, I should love as he loved……willing to hear, willing to spend time, willing to teach and correct, and most importantly, ready to forgive any offense and looking forward to the time when forgiveness is asked for.

 

I pray that God's kingdom come in so much power that it tears down any prejudice in me, no matter how small. If you would, please join me in that prayer.

No Compromise

So, I have been looking through the Word. As I have, and the Lord has been whispering "commitment" as a key to actual transformation, there was something that struck me even more deeply:

 

Faith is a case of either or

 

Marginal faith fails each time it is exercised. Saul, as a king, tried having marginal faith. He "sort of" listened to God's instruction. He "kinda" obeyed. Yet, he did not fully obey when given instruction through Samuel. David, each time he sinned, was a direct result of marginal obedience. Abraham was counted as faithful. Why? He was considered faithful, because he held nothing in between him and God. He would not even hold his own son in between himself and God. Jesus speaking with the rich young man; "one thing you lack, sell all you have and give it to the poor and come follow me." That man was willing to follow any rule you gave him, but ask him to move his wealth out of the way between he and Jesus and instead, he walks away down trodden and Jesus is left grieving over the loss.

 

In Joshua, the people of Israel are admonished to make a choice: the gods of your neighbors or the God who led you out of Egypt. Joshua made his decision "as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Notice there are no other options that Joshua puts out there. He makes no provision for any other gods in his life.

 

In fact, the word even says, "take not the name of their gods on your lips." (Jos 23:7).

 

So, what would it take to get ourselves out of this compromised state? What would our churches, families and places of businesses look like if we would make a decision?

 

Think about the release of the power of God in your life once you make that choice.

Apology to our soldiers

I am a pastor of a church in New York. I ask for your forgiveness for this kind of behavior on behalf of Christians worldwide. I thank you, soldiers, for your willingness to put your lives on the line in order to protect me, my family, my church, my faith and the faiths of others. I thank you for your sacrifices and I ask that you would not hold this behavior against us who are believers and followers of Jesus Christ. We love you and pray for your protection, guidance, safe return and healing from whatever wounds, emotional or physical, that you may have met with during your time in service of this country. Please know that the attitude displayed by the one congregation is not the attitude of us all. I am not thankful that any should have to die to protect me. I pray for the day to come when war will cease and this world will know true peace. Until that day, you will remain in our prayers.

Pastor Frank Lockwood

Up on That Hill

Up on that Hill

Lord, where do I turn

Lord, where do I turn

Lord, where do I turn my eyes when I'm feeling this lost

Strugglin' in a darkness, n searchin for a light?

 

There's my hope, up on that Hill where it is you come from

There's my shield my refuge that place of safety

It's with you I dwell.

 

Lord I'm laughin with you as the world presses in

Celebrating Your Glory 'n praising the way

You walk me through these times of grey

Into fields You've set for me before time began

 

There's my hope, up on that Hill where it is you come from

There's my shield my refuge that place of safety

It's with you I dwell.

 

Come Holy Spirit, calling to me

Deep within me stirring me

To let the truth well from within

Spring Your grace to brighten

Other's darkness, hope coming

From that Hill

Holiness coming home

 

There's my hope, up on that Hill where it is you come from

There's my shield my refuge that place of safety

It's with you I dwell.

 

Bringing Your Glory, Your hope

From Your holy hill, turning my eyes

Seeing Your Glory, rolling down the sides

Of that Holy Hill

 

There's my hope, up on that Hill where it is you come from

There's my shield my refuge that place of safety

It's with you I dwell.

 

 

 

The Problem with Christianity

The problem with Christianity

There is such a challenge when it comes to being, living, teaching life as a Christian. In my youth, there was a time when I so wanted to know how to "do it right" so that my sins could be forgiven, curses broken and I could live life in something resembling a normal way. I wanted to have enough strength to be "good enough" to deserve that love I would hear about every so often. No matter how hard I tried, though, I just never could seem to get it right. Deep within my spirit, I could sense whenever I erred, even in thought, and would wait with fear as I expected God's hammer to be poised above my head waiting to fall. I expected that each time I stepped out of line, God would immediately strike me in retribution for my sins, for not being good enough for Him, and certainly not deserving of His love. These punishments would take on several different forms. I would have bad days in school, maybe get beat up, fail a test or exam, something of mine would break, I would get yelled out, chased and beaten up in school or whatever else might for my way.

Later in life, it drove me to the point of deciding that what I had been taught can't be all there is to it. I believed in God, or a god(s), but felt that it had to have something that goes well beyond "this". There had to be a truth out there someplace that I could cling to. I researched, experimented, tried out this or that. All of which never quite satisfied the hunger within. I found this uncomfortable freedom in not being bound to any rules or regulations. I no longer had to be good enough or get it right. I could make mistakes and they were my own issue to deal with rather than waiting on that hammer to fall.

Yet, I never felt all that comfortable. I used a variety of what some call coping mechanisms to try to make up for it. Ultimately, I asked for the truth regardless of what that truth may be or what it might entail. I was answered and stepped back into the Christian faith. Then the problems really began……….

I had to come to understand that there is a Father who loves me. There is a Son of that Father, who is a King, Lord, God, Heir, Judge, Redeemer, and, through the Holy Spirit, my brother. All of this He fulfills at the same time.

I am at once condemned, yet I am forgiven and I cannot do a sticking thing to earn it, justify it, or rationalize it. No matter the number or type of mistakes I make, I am not under condemnation.

Great!!! That means I can do whatever I feel like doing, right?

Wrong

Though I am forgiven and live under Grace (unearned, unmerited favor—I get what I don't deserve), I am also called to be holy, because the Lord, my God, is Holy—perfectly without sin.

So, here is where the problem lies; I live by grace and love my brothers and sisters using the same love given to me. I don't hold their sins against them. I am willing to meet them where they are at. Yet, we are not called to stay that we. We are not given license to sin based upon this grace. The grace is supposed to be able to draw us out of the sin and begin to be transformed as the Spirit bears fruit in us.

On the one hand, with the wrong emphasis, it could be taken as license to sin. On the other hand, with the wrong emphasis, it could be taken as condemnation/rules that you must conform to in order to be "good enough."

And in the middle resides Jesus. I can't help but see him shaking his head, quietly saying to his dad, "they still aren't getting it. I never, you never, we never said it was either or. We have always said it was both. Mercy and grace to draw you away from sin into relationship with us they you may be more like us ultimately leading to you pouring out more and more mercy and grace upon those around you drawing them into relationship with us who then reach out as they are transformed by being in relationship. Then they in turn doing the same and they doing the same and so on, until the time comes when there is no more time and I have to return and the world will reap what it has sown. And, I will reap what I have sown."

I guess therein lies the problem, we still don't get it.

True worship

I spent the morning at the convent with the nuns. Matins began at 6:30a followed by Eucharist at 7a. When living up in this area, it was a regular Saturday event to come down for Matins followed by Eucharist and then hit the local diner with my mentor for reflection, discussion and feedback.

This morning reminded me about how it is truly about having a genuine relationship with God, not about form and certainly not about formula. In John 4, when Jesus is speaking about worship and God seeking those who will worship in spirit and truth, I have little doubt if any that this falls into that category. As I have studied the scriptures in attempting to gain deeper understanding of worship from God's own perspective, I had been brought to a variety of different passages each one reflective of a certain expression of relationship with God in that particular moment which collectively are referred to as worship.

For example; David goes from dancing like a madman unashamed of his love for the Lord to fasting, prostrate and throwing all of his sorrow and shame at God's feet seeking forgiveness. Both, given their circumstances, are equal expressions of worship. What makes them worshipful is that they are an expression in truth and an outpouring of the spirit at that moment in David's life. Jesus himself sang, shared meals, and spent alone time with his Father. Again, all are equal expressions of worship in the moments they were occurring.

I believe that the point of the statement by Jesus in John 4 is to direct us away from following manmade rules in the moment and to instead engage in genuine relationship with God. The more genuine our relationship with Him, the more genuine our worship becomes because it flows out of that relationship. The word "worship" really means adoration, to look up with awe, to be overwhelmed by. Jesus said that the Father is seeking individuals who will allow their self to be awestruck in a genuine fashion through the spirit and then allow that to be expressed in the form that the worship takes.

This is not to exclude nor promote one style of worship over another. The Sisters of St. Mary that I spent the morning with have the most genuine relationship with our Lord. They truly love Him and express that love in the way they feel called to express it. The slow meter of their prayer of the psalms expresses an incredible beauty as you can spiritually savor each word. No movement is wasted, each moment is given to reflection in order to put all elements of chronological time in subjection to Christ. There is a softness that fills up with Holy Love in the midst of the sanctuary. It is a moment in which two lovers are resting in each other's arms on a hillside enjoying a warm yet crisp breeze savoring every butterfly, tweet of a bird and each cloud as it dances across the sky making a lunch time last a lifetime. It is worship in spirit and truth.

My spirit is one of intensity. I on a regular basis I express my worship with loud modern worship power anthems speaking out boldly about God's love and His desire to restore us into right relationship. I am not a fan of hymns. They often move too slowly for me and I have not wrestled with the flesh of my mind successfully enough yet to be able to focus my worship during most him singing. The slower the tempo the more time my mind has to begin to bring in extraneous thoughts. Does that make them un-worshipful? No, not necessarily. But it does require me to make more of an effort to dive deep into my relationship with Jesus to draw out and maintain the adoration without the flesh getting in the way. Mayhap in some ways that is a great thing as disciplining the body/mind is what we are called to do in order to bring them into the kingdom.

Whoa Frankie! Almost got caught in that slippery slope which begins to discuss worship as one type of music verses another……that is no place I really wish to go with this.

I am in a denomination that uses a Liturgy for much of its worship time. Liturgies, taken as a whole, are designed to be a structured form of worship in order to promote a focus in the direction of God. There are liturgies that have been written which reflect adoration of God's Majesty, others reflect His Love, others reflect His desire for intimacy with us, and others are designed to bring a centering solely on scripture as a means by which to begin to discipline the mind. There is beauty in each, especially when they are done in spirit and truth, absent of judgment for those who don't follow them and singularly focused on giving God the glory and drawing people's attention to Him.

Me? I am in favor of all of it. No, this is not a time when I am refusing to make a decision. It is actually quite the opposite. I am more and more convinced that God is blessed by all of it. To throw out one in favor of another based upon personal preference runs dangerously in the idolatry range. How? Simple, if you are focusing on what you prefer as worship and discounting any other of the types of worship as invalid because you don't care for them, who are you really using your worship to honor?

Please consider that for a moment.

I have been in worship services where each person was allowed to move in the spirit as they were led provided it didn't interfere with others being able to move as they were led. Upon first glance, it looks really messy. One person is over there on their knees rocking back and forth, another is up dancing like something out of the sixties, another is sitting with scripture open on their lap, another sketching, others in various positions singing. Some have their arms raised, others have their hands folded, others have their faces down and others have these super silly grins plastered across their face (which when you are in a miserable mood is very disconcerting and exceptionally uncomfortable to behold—which is actually Holy Spirit convicting the spirit of miserable on you). Yet, given a chance to see from heaven's perspective (John 3), one begins to see this incredible colorful patchwork quilt that in its complexity houses a beauty that goes beyond description.

That is the Bride.

So, take a chance. Attend a matins, noontime, vespers, evensong or compline at a convent, monastery or cathedral, especially if that is not "for you". Please don't get caught up in being fearful of getting trapped by a spirit of religion. If you are there in truth, you have nothing to fear. Then, maybe even later in the same week, find the messiest praise service you can.

And always, whatever you do in worship, do so in Spirit and Truth, for such the Father seeks to worship Him.

A Study in Psalm 91

By Reverend Frank Lockwood

For Christ Church Coxsackie begun on the 8^th of September 2010

1: He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

Where your heart is, there is your treasure, making your dwelling with God, recognizing that we may have our bodies on earth, but we are actually residing in heaven

Shadow: a glimpse of the source, able to contour to whatever it passes over, shadows are often larger than that which they are coming from

2: I will say of the LORD, [He is] my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

My: indicates ownership, defensiveness. Implies that we are laying claim to, My God, which would then say, I am His creation

Refuge: place of safety, place of refreshing, where I go to when I need to feel relief from the pressures of the world around, safety from storms, and quietude

Fortress: place of safety from enemies, protection, built in a location that provides a strategic advantage often limiting access to so that an enemy is easily spotted during the approach and able to be pushed back, within the fort is where supplies are kept—Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want—shall not be in want can/should be read as "in the Lord I have been provided everything I already need". The "shall not want" means there is no room for desire because to want would imply a lack of….therefore, within our fortress of the Lord, we are already supplied with everything we could ever/will ever need.

3: Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler, [and] from the noisome pestilence.

Deliver you:

Fowler's snare: symbolic of a hunter, lays trap for the one who is walking unsuspecting of what might befall them.

Pestilence: killing plague that attacks indiscriminately

4: He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

It is next to the body, tucked up under the inner most portions of the wings that provide the greatest protection to small birds when nesting.

The word presented here as truth, is equally translated at faithfulness. So it could read that we are trusting then in the faithfulness of God. It means then, that it is His faithfulness which flows out of His nature that provides the protection for us, therefore, it is not even dependent upon us as it is directly from God…….we can't earn it, therefore, we can't lose it

And it becomes this faithfulness of God, His truth, which then stands between us and harm, thus the shield and buckler.

5: You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day,

6: Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

Terror by night: that which lurks in the dark trying to frighten us

Arrow that flies by day: the assault thrown at us from a distance that we may not even see coming

Pestilence that walks in darkness: the plague that doesn't even specifically target, but attacks and feeds on anything in its path

Destruction that lays waste at noonday: that which attempts to topple foundations even in broad daylight, like the foundation of family or faith or home or whatever

7: A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you.

Shall not come near: in other words, not come close enough to do any harm, it may look close, even close enough that it is going to affect deeply, but, that is only an illusion, the truth is that it is not near enough to harm you as you remain entrusting in God as shield and buckler(v:4)

8: Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.

As we look with confidence in God, we are able to get a new perspective and see what the "wicked" are "rewarded" with.

9: Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place,

Here begins the promise to outline what happens to those who make God their refuge, which means that those who don't (i.e. the wicked from v8, would then receive the opposite as their reward)

10: No evil shall befall you, Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;

Evil can't get at you, uncontrolled sickness can't even come near your home, let alone harm you

11: For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways.

Angels are given assignments to guard you and keep you safe (guardian angels)

12: In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.

The words the enemy used to tempt Jesus with, yet it is also a promise to keep us safe, though, keep in mind Jesus' own response: you shall not put the Lord your God to the test

13: You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

My own interpretation on this is much more in the spiritual then the natural realm. Peter describes the enemy as a roaring lion…

Trample underfoot: a true sign of being a slave was to have your master put his foot on the back of your neck. This verse implies that we, in God's care, will then see the enemy under our own foot, the restoration of authority over the enemy

14: Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name.

God explains to the psalmist, why this is taking place: R E L A T I O N S H I P. Loving God and especially knowing His name are indications of intimate relationship with God. God lets the psalmist know that He is acting out of this relationship. Recall this, that the ancient Israelite was not allowed to speak God's name. Names are believed to contain power in that when you know the true name, you now have power within that person's life. By this, God lets us know that he expects us to have a close enough relationship with Him to know Him by name.

15: He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

God gives us permission to call upon Him. Recall from the New Testament the words of Jesus: "seek and ye shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you."

God then lets us know that in the midst of whatever is going on, He is directly there with us and not only is He with us, he is going to deliver us and not only deliver us, but is going to go so far as to provide us with honor…..the Creator of all things plans on honoring those who love him, and pester Him in times of trouble……that is a sign of a loving father—not only wants to be loved, known by name, but to be troubled and called upon when issues arise so that he can stand with us, deliver us and then give us honor.

16: With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation."

And that honoring will include the blessing of a long life (such as the eternal life promised through Jesus) and to see the salvation that He is going to bring (such as that through His son).

 

Spiritual wiring

So, I'm on my way to work and having a conversation with someone which then prompts me into meditating on some things that have been spoken of before. I pastor a church as well as work a job as an addictions counselor with brain injury survivors. I have worked with the disabled for over 19 years year (March 7^th marks my 20^th anniversary of the day I started trainings). I love seeing people move ahead in life, get through trauma, healed, restored relationships, etc. Each time I describe my work to people, they look a bit cross-eyed at me and make some comment to the effect of "better you than me." So, Why?

Seriously, that was a question, Why is it better me than someone else? Why doesn't everyone do this? Why don't more people go on mission trips? Shouldn't that be part of the qualifier to prove you are born again, that you have spent time in another country (or at least another neighborhood) bringing the love of Jesus?

Yet, if I believe we are called to a purpose, which I do, then it makes only perfect sense as to why me and not someone else. Sit down, before you continue your rant, I am by no means saying that I am better than. I am simply different than. As you are different than me and that other person over there as they are different than both of us. We are each wired a little differently according to the purposes we are called to. This actually makes total and perfect sense. If we were all wired the same, then there would be a lot of something that couldn't get done. Paul uses the 'body' when speaking about the church. That the hands aren't part of the body because they aren't the feet and the eye isn't part of the body because it is not an ear……the ear serves the purpose of hearing, the eye of sight, the hand of work and the foot of going, etc.

The next time you are having a conversation with someone, especially a non-follower of Jesus Christ, think about it. The fact that they don't have patience for dealing with the "little brat in the back row screaming his head off" makes perfect sense if you keep in mind that first we are all wired for our purpose/destiny and secondly that the great equalizer in wiring, the fruit of the spirit (Galatians chapter 5), only comes as a fruit of the Holy Spirit whom comes at the point of being born again. If someone is not born again and they weren't called to a purpose that would require, let's say six or seven extra helpings of patience, tolerance and long suffering, it makes all the sense in the world for them to respond with a short fuse and a not so friendly opinion. They are merely doing what they are wired to do. (I used a less flattering comparison earlier to a dog peeing on the rug—it's their nature, not like you can really get mad at them given a lack of doggie DNA which directs them to use a toilet.)

If we could get this, imagine the difference it would bring in being able to meet out mercy, grace, forgiveness and love? As you look at the face of the man who gets mad at his teenage son for continuously returning to the addiction, you, the born again baptized in the Holy Spirit follower of Jesus Christ who has the fruit of the spirit within you can step in, forgive the man, forgive the son, love on them both and pray for them both. What a blessing! You being able to see where they aren't wired right now, where the wires have crossed, shorted out or been corroded, you working hand in hand with Holy Spirit can become the spiritual electrician that would be able to offer them peace in the situation.

The young man who does not seem to possess the stomach to visit his elderly grandparent in a nursing home….what if he is simply responding out of the way he has been wired? Wouldn't now be the time to set aside judgment and condemnation for him not "loving his father/mother/grandma or whomever enough to visit them? Wouldn't now be the time to be the blessing to, yes, I said you be the blessings to him?

We are called to love people where they are at. That is what Jesus does. He meets us where we are at. (Like him, however, I am sticking to my guns that we are expected to stay there.)

Just imagine the difference it can make in the lives of our churches(families) if we were able to come to this understanding. Imagine sitting there and rather than judging the "jerk" who is bad mouthing ________, you instead accept that right now they are wired differently and merely acting out of their own wiring, which may be very "fleshly," as some of my Pentecostal brothers would put it. In that moment, you begin to pray for them. You begin to allow God to flow into the situation. You turn the cursing into blessing, the condemnation into mercy and allow God's grace to flow.

Sounds to me like it would move a lot of hearts and souls and would certainly show forth exactly what the love of Christ looks like.

Blessings and peace brothers and sisters.

Bible Study: Repentance

A Study on Repentance

By the Rev. Frank Lockwood II

God made a decision to select a king after he allowed Israel to select their own. He chose "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam 13:13). That man was David.

Characteristics of David:

• Naïve (the way he first approaches war)
  
• Violent (his ability in war)
  
• Indecisive (see his parenting techniques)
  
• Unfaithful (Bathsheba)
  
• Murderer (Uzzia)
  
• Repentant (Nathan, Psalm 51)
  

-Vines definition of 'repentant' as; change of mind especially born out of a dislike of current/past mindset or ways

Direct use of the word:

• Isaiah 30:15
  
• Ezekiel 18:32
  
• Matthew 3:8
  
• Matthew 4:17 (by Jesus himself)
  
• Luke 13:3 and following
  
• Acts 2:38
  
• Acts 3:19
  

-we are commanded to repent, but what motivates one or causes one to repent?

• Encounter with (conviction by) God's presence
  
  • Through Prophets: 2 Samuel 12:1-7
    
    • David's response: v13 + Psalm 51
      
  • Person of Jesus: Luke 19:1-5
    
    • Zaccheus---v7 by others sin is mentioned yet Jesus continues to ask for dinner
      
    • V8---Z over hears
      
    • V9---Z responds
      
    • V10---Jesus accepts the response---affirmation
      
  • Holy Spirit directly: Acts 2
    
    • Mighty wind, calling attention
      
  • Holy Spirit working through others: Acts 16:24ff
    
    • The jailor, knowing his fate as a result of the loss of the prisoners, is ready to respond
      
    • Sees that they did not take advantage of the opportunity instead honoring the jailor
      
    • Jailor falls under conviction through the witness
      
  • Each encounter has in common:
    
    • Presence of God
      
    • Presence penetrates the heart
      
    • Person(s) responds to that presence
      
• Acts 2:37 "When they heard this they were cut to the heart"
  
  • Heart (Strong's 2840): heart, mind (seat of thought and emotion)
    
  • Cut (Strong's 2920): to be pierced, stabbed
    
    • It is God who convicts, He calls for the change
      
• Our role?
  
  • To usher in the presence:
    
    • "Praise until the worship comes, worship until the presence comes, soak until revelation comes"
      
    • Filled with the Holy Spirit—how do you know it's full? When it runs over the sides.
      
    • Seeking, knocking, soaking and responding
      
  • Presentation of a Living Gospel
    
    • "Preach the Gospel at all times, when necessary, use words" St. Francis of Assisi
      
    • Agape: Love—that perfect love that presents God's love
      
      • Sacrificial but not foolish
        
      • Calculating the risk, willingness to pay the price
        
      • 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7 "love is….."
        

John 13:34: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."

Kickin it up a notch!

Kickin' it up a notch!

(Learning to live out our faith)

Pt I: What are we?

    Basic premise: New Creations in Christ Jesus (2 Cor 5:17) and those new creations are the "righteousness of God" 2 Cor 5:21

We have been transformed from Sin into righteousness by the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. We enter into this transformation through baptism of the Holy Spirit and Water (John 3:3 and 3:5) as evidenced by Saul transformation into Paul (Acts 9). Saul began with spiritual blindness, scales that blinded him to seeing things through God's eyes, from the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus afflicts him with physical blindness in order to call his attention to his own spiritual blindness. As Paul is baptized in the Holy Spirit by Ananias through the laying on of hands (Acts 9:17,18) "something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again." At this same time, he then receives water baptism and he begins to see Christ for who he is.

Likewise, we, prior to baptism in the Holy Spirit are spiritually blind to the truth. In order for us to know we are the righteousness of God, having been made into new creations through Jesus the Messiah and Risen Lord, we must have the scales taken from our eyes. This will open the door for us to then become Who We Are.

 

Pt II: Who are we?

Matthew 6:9: "pray like this: Our (hemon) Father (pater)….."

Jesus instructs us to take on the identity of coming from God:

Hemon: Greek for "our", possessive pronoun declarative of ownership expressed collectively

Pater: Greek for Father---"generator, male ancestor, founder of family and <metaphorically> originator and transmitter of anything"

 

Jesus instructs us to recognize that we are from God now. This links back to the new creation. We are now, due to his work on the cross and what he proclaims/instructs/commissions us, made new of God. He is now our originator, we come from him. "You ain't from 'round here, are ya?" No, I'm not. I'm from heaven; I'm from the kingdom of God. I am "of" God. He is now my originator. This is what allows me to now know who I am. I may have genetics from my physical human parents, but I have new spiritual DNA which has authority over the physical DNA, why? Because Jesus had authority over it was evidenced in his signs and wonders and he has given that authority to me.

 

This means I am a Christian. In identifying me as a Christian, it now means I identify myself as having come from God.

 

What right does Jesus have for this?

Baptism: Matthew 3:16,17 "….and a voice from heaven declared, 'This is my son in whom I am well pleased'".

Transfiguration: Matthew 17:5 "…and a voice from the cloud spoke saying 'This is my beloved son, listen to him'".

 

In the east, these passages are in accord with the culture which identifies a son as having come of age and is now authorized to act on his father's behalf and in the name of the family. These passages identify Jesus as the very son of God originating from the father, of the same substance of the father who originated him and he then takes this substance and uses it to make us the same!!!!!

 

We can also take another step in what God confirms for us through Paul's letter to the Galatians: "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, 'Abba! Father!' So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God." ( Galatians 4:4-7 <ESV>) In other words, we are no longer slaves, or gentiles or Jew or whatever. When Jesus becomes our Lord we receive the adoption of God into his family, into his relationship with us. This qualifies us as heirs, which solidifies our claims unto sonship. Without this, we would remain lost, yet we aren't. This means that, each promise that the Father has made for his son, he has made for us……think hard on this. If you have been adopted and your new Father is The Father, then each promise given throughout the entire Bible to The Father's Son is then also given to you through the same Son since his spirit now rests on you. When you pray, you are no longer praying and having God see you as Betsy or Bob or Peter or Norah. Since the Spirit of the Son is on you, God now sees you as His heir on earth, seeing you through the same spiritual eyes he sees his begotten Son.

 

No matter what the words spoken into your life may have been but whatever family you may have or not had, the Divine Ultimate Truth is that those words now cannot, I repeat: CANNOT carry the same weight as the promises spoken by your new Father. His word is eternal, everlasting, and whatever has already been written cannot be unwritten. When those other words creep up, yes, they will creep up, then turn back to the words your Father has spoken over you and remember the promises, remember His truth and allow yourself to live into that.

 

We now are:

"The living righteousness of God as children of God and therefore given authority to act on His behalf and on representing the entire authority of the kingdom of Heaven here on earth."

 

Pt III: What do I do with it?

 

Now knowing that I am a new creation who is the righteousness of God and heir to His Kingdom, what am I supposed to do with this knowledge?

 

L I V E I T!

 

How?

 

Here's five ways to get started:

1. Share the good news (Matthew 10:7)—by faith you can be a new creation
   
2. Heal the sick<raise the dead and cleans the lepers> (Matthew 10:8)—mend that which is broken
   
3. Cast out demons (Matthew 10:8)—cast away that which divides
   
4. Forgive as you are forgiven (Matthew 6:14)—forgiveness demonstrates faith
   
5. Love as you are loved (John 13:34)—loving God and others sums the law
   

 

1. Share the good news: The good news is that as many who will receive now can become this same righteousness of God, new creations who are the heirs of the kingdom and who now have the spiritually legal right to lay claim on the promises of God for their lives. Each of us has that available. Of important note, however, is that this is not ours exclusively. To truly live this out, we must also share this with all. That doesn't mean we are responsible for whether they will receive it. That is on them. You, though, just as the prophet Ezekiel, are responsible for speaking the words of life that you yourself have received. In Matthew and Luke (both located in Chapter 10 of each Gospel) Jesus commissions itinerant ministers to go before him into the towns that he will be coming to. His instructions are clear: "….and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.'" (Luke 10:8 ESV). In proclaiming the nearness of the kingdom, one is directed to share the fact that God has put forth His love. He wants people to return into relationship with Him. In truth, He wants it so bad, that He send His Son to bear the burden of everything that ever has or will spate someone from that relationship (which is what sin is) so that you and I don't have to. This simple truth contains all the weight of creation. That weight is His love having made us for himself. Not out of necessity but out of desire, out of love.
   

 

This does not necessarily mean that you have to become the next great television evangelist. I so much love how St. Francis instructed folks on how to share the kingdom, "Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words." The way we live our lives should show the world around us that God's kingdom has come near. When we extend our hands, give someone a smile in the midst of their chaotic day, hold back our tongue when we are wronged, etc, etc, we are showing them the presence of the kingdom. This is our duty, our responsibility and our privilege as heirs of the kingdom. We must demonstrate in our own lives to the world around us that the Good News is living and true. We must be the example of this. Without a witness to the transformative power of Jesus Christ working in us, our Good News is no good news at all. In fact, it is any news if there is no clear demonstration of the power of the Good News.

 

1. Heal the sick: This is both as is and also as something else, so to speak. There is an incredible amount of evidence that Jesus has full expectation that when you pray for them, they will get better. When you come across something stubborn, he even gives the means by which to raise your faith to a level to deal with it more successfully. He did not send out 70 (or 72 depending on the way the translators translate the original texts) and tell them to ask and hope and just maybe, if Father God is in just the right mood, he will grant the boon of showing up and maybe kindasorta heal them, though not necessarily all the way……Bogus! He commanded them, and then commands us (end of Mark's Gospel—and if it is such a limited text that we should be careful about using it, it never should have made it in as part of the Canon of Scripture!) to go out and heal the sick.
   

   
    

   Now, healing takes place on a multitude of levels. There is the most obvious level of actual physical healing. This is the occasions when bones knit back together, or cancer disappears or diabetes goes away or new organs or …….and the list goes on. No, not everyone I have prayed for has experienced instant and complete healing of every ailment. Sometimes the healing comes along slowly. Other times it comes quickly. Yet, there are even other times when, to my own surprise, no physical healing takes place that can be detected.
   

   
    

   (Note: medical advice should always be followed until such a time as any healing that takes place is verified by a physician. Also, please do not take this to mean that professional help/assistance should not be sought. This is not the case. Doctors and nurses are here for a purpose and we should use them also.)
   

   
    

   The next level is at the mental or emotional level. Various kinds of trauma have led to various kinds of and levels of emotional scarring. These may appear as anything from personality disorders to strained relationships to poor social skills to mental illness and all the areas in-between. Healing at this level may be instantaneous or it may come over time or it may never come. I have witnessed times when it came and then, through choices/circumstances/etc the healing left and the issue returned.
   

   
    

   Even further in understanding healing is the spiritual aspect of this. We can readily become subject to our own spiritual issues. These issues lay deep and may have been introduced by generation issues, exposure to a number of occult sources or even having dabbled in it ourselves (from tarot to horoscope to crystals). God wants us to be made whole. He desires that there should be nothing which separates us from him. If this were not so, he would not have sent his son. The greatest challenge I have witnessed to date, is denial and minimization of issues. I heard it said once (and please forgive the lack of recall regarding the source) that the devil has two ways to win; the first is that you accept him and his ways and begin to follow him. The second; pretend he doesn't exist. Either way, he can assert his influence in your life. This spills over into general spiritual issues. Pretend they do not exist and they continue to influence your life (read that as relationships, jobs, etc, etc). Even worse, maybe, is "that's just the way I am." In this way, one may actually have accepted what is going on as "normal" for them and therefore does not see any need to, nor develops a desire to, have these things change.
   

   
    

   I believe fully that this is not God's plan. In Paul's second letter to the church in Corinth, he states, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." (ESV 2Cor 5:17) The word "new" in this, coming out of the Greek, means "never was before but is now". So, this new creation that this person becomes is remade. In terms of healing, this may result in miraculous cures, being set free from spiritual oppression, transforming of behavior or any number of other changes. This is not forced upon us, we have to work with God in order for the change to take place, but it will if we subject ourselves to the leading of the Holy Spirit and cooperate with Him and His will for us. This is healing.
   

   
    

2. Cast out Demons: Okay, so again, we can look at this in two different ways, both equally true and equally necessary to understand. The first is the most obvious: if there are spiritual beings sent from God and they are good doing the will of their creator, then there is likely other spiritual beings which represent the opposing forces that interact against them. These would be considered demons. There is a plethora of material out there, both good and bad, which tackle the subjects of deliverance and exorcisms and the like. Please, with the support of spiritual mentors/pastors/etc. read carefully.
   

 

Now, the second use of this is in the metaphorical range. In this, we can look at habits, addictions, and other compulsive behaviors in much the same way as we look at spiritual oppression. Certainly there may be some element of spiritual involvement in any of these, but that does not mean there is a demon behind every drink, porno, or chocolate cake. Yet, we have been given, by the nature of who we are in Christ, the authority to cast these out. How? By putting ourselves into His, Jesus', will. We ask him before we turn on the DVD player or put in the website or reach for the cake; "Is this within your will?" Provided you are willing to receive and then act upon this word, you will keep "it" cast out. Make no mistake; it was comfortable in your house. It wants to come back to visit. It has probably even shared stories with friends about how nice it is. "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (James 4:7b) The temptation will continue to exist that prompts you to return to whatever the habit was. This must be resisted. In the resisting, we honor the change that God has effected in us. This leads us further and further into His perfecting of us, remaking us in the image of the only begotten Son.

 

1. Forgiveness as you have been forgiven: There is noted in several areas of the Gospels, that we are to forgive. This is one way that we live into the forgiveness that we have been given by God through His Son. When Jesus uses the parable of the unjust servant, the paraphrase of which is that he was shown incredible mercy by his boss in forgiving a huge debt, but wouldn't even show a small amount of mercy to a fellow slave, his forgiveness was cancelled and he instead had to serve out his sentence. Jesus closes it the statement that we should also forgive in order that we can ourselves be forgiven. What does forgiveness mean or look like? According to the way we are forgiven, as expressed through Jeremiah, it means "forgive them their transgressions and remember their sins no more." Yup, you heard it here. In stark contrast to the societal norms of today, biblical forgiveness, faith based forgiveness includes both forgiving (letting goal/cancelling a debt" and forgetting (not allowing it to be recalled to mind in order to be used again). No, this is not today's norm. But it is God's. If we then are to be imitators of Christ, then, when we pray Our Father….forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us, we best have already forgiven them. Forgetting is not always easy. Sometimes it can be downright difficult. Yet, it is ultimately necessary. Given that we are making a conscious decision to let something go, it may take a lot of practice. The enemy (or family or friends or circumstances or whatever) may bring it to mind again and again. Our response? "Resist the devil and he will flee." Make the choice to no longer hold onto these things. Ask Holy Spirit to turn your mind from dwelling on this. Seek Jesus' own heart for those circumstances you find difficult to get free from. When you find it difficult to let go, when the memory keeps coming up over and over again, repent of it, seek God's forgiveness and look to move forward.
   

   
    

   First and foremost, this forgiveness needs to take place between you and God. In your heart, you forgive whatever the debt is. This does not necessarily mean that you directly go to the person and pronounce to them your forgiveness, especially if they have never repented/acknowledged whatever the debt is. Yet, it does mean that you lose the burden of it in your own heart. Your interactions are no longer weighed by that burden and you no longer have that burden to get in the way of loving that person with God's love for them. (Please note: loving a person God's way does not necessarily equal escaping consequences for behavior. Our own debt is wiped out not because of our own works or faithfulness, but are wiped out based upon Jesus' work on the cross.)
   

   
    

   Secondly, (this is probably the trickier part of forgiveness) this forgiveness takes place face to face after repentance. When Jesus answers Peter, he tells Peter that as long as brother repeats, he should keep on forgiving him. Repentance is a whole other presentation. Until the repentance happens, you do not continue to operate as if they still owe the debt. That would not be following in our Lord's footsteps. Without announcing the forgiveness, though, you love them. Interact to whatever degree is safe (for example in cases of abuse, there would be no expectation for a person to continue to subject them to the abuse again and again in the name of forgiveness. In such cases, the forgiveness would occur between the abused and God in order to free the abused into receiving God's healing, while not having any or minimizing the amount of contact with the abuser in order to ensure that no further abuse happens. I have no expectation that anyone should continue to be abused for the sake of forgiveness or love or anything. I find it nowhere in scripture that a person should subject themselves to abuse).
   

   
    

   In this forgiveness that we practice, we find forgiveness. According to the word, God's property is always to have mercy. He does not desire to lose anyone. Yet, if we continue to hold grudges, ruminate over issues, fantasize about revenges, have we not placed ourselves in the position of judge? And, is not that position of judge reserved for the one who comes again to this world to judge one final time at the end of days? I believe his name is Jesus and is mentioned someplace in this book called the Bible. If judgment is reserved by him until the end of days, and he has been granted the power and authority to do so by his heavenly Father, could it not then be equated with idolatry if we assume the position of judge? Jesus had asked Peter who loves more and Peter responded that he believes that the one who has been forgiven more loves more. Jesus affirmed this as truth. We forgive because we are forgiven. We are forgiven because we are loved, therefore we are to love and that love includes forgiving those who "have trespassed against us."
   

   
    

2. Love: This is the commandment that Jesus gave his disciples "Love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12) How did/does Jesus love us? I used to think that it was all about the dying part. Over time, I have been shown that the dying part is only the culmination of the living part that showed the desire of that love. Jesus loved us enough to continue to teach us even when we didn't get it. He loved us even when we got it but wouldn't live it. Jesus loved us even when we denied knowing him. Jesus loved us even when we betrayed him, led others astray, did things that directly hurt God, knowing sinned, knowingly strayed, even knowingly embraced the darkness for a time. He loved us through all of that looking forward to the day that we would turn our eyes to him and he would see reflected back to him his own love for us now loving on him. Jesus not only died for our sake, but he also lived and endured torture, temptation and betrayal for us. It is this love that we are to have for one another. It is this form of love that is to compel us in all we do so that every step becomes a step in which I (we) stay in the kingdom of God and bring that kingdom and all of its love and healing and power to a people who are hurting and in desperate need of such love. This is the love of God, the love of Jesus that we are commanded to have.
   

 

This love is not a reckless love. This love is not a selfish self centered can't wait to get my own needs met love. This love is sacrificial, calculating, compelling, forgiving, healing, restoring, guiding, learning, teaching, seeing, and comforting love. In the context of this text, there is not enough room to include the necessary outlining of what this love is and what it is not. Paul's first letter to Corinth in the 13^th chapter has an outline of it. It is this same love that God Holy Spirit speaking through both Peter and Paul tells us men to have for our wives. It is a love that is not a fairy tale emotion. It is a conscious choice that even when our emotions or wants attempt to get in the way of, we still choose. As Jesus prayed in the garden on Thursday night/Friday morning, "not my will, but your will be done." It is that kind of love. It is the love that not only compelled Jesus to the cross, but it compelled him from the cross to seek His Father's forgiveness for those who put him there. It was that love which compelled him from the cross to seek to ensure his mother's safety and designate John to watch over her as his own mother now. It is that love which compelled him to take his Father's entire wrath for all sin of all time to be poured out on him so that those who believe will no longer perish, but have eternal life.

 

As followers of Jesus Christ, the only begotten son of God who lived, taught, suffered, was crucified, died, was buried, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty awaiting the time he is to return again……as followers of that Jesus, we are to love as he loves, because he loved us first.

 

 

In Conclusion

Here is a start.

 

Seek mentoring

 

Seek discipling

 

Seek training up in the way.

 

In doing so, go out into the world rejoicing in the power of Jesus Christ, bringing every person you contact that much closer to an encounter with a God who loves them.

back from africa

Hello All (however many "all" are that might catch this).

I just returned from 10 days in Africa, Nigeria to be more specific. I travelled through several States and cities, visited many villages and collected stories from those who had survived the violence of January, March and April 2010. As I attempt to slip back into life here in the U.S. I find the transition difficult. I was struck so strongly by so many different things, things which I didn't think could get any deeper since I had already been there last year.

Boy oh boy was I wrong.

I had no idea just how many levels there are nor how deep I could/need to go. This year, one of the prevailing things htat I discovered was a need for S A C R I F I C E. Here in the States, at least regarding my experience of growng up in New York State, that word has become something akin to a "dirty word".

As a Christian, it should be part of my regular vocabulary, ingrained in my belief system and part and parcel to the way I live out my life as a Christian. Shamefully, it has not always been that way and it most often is no where near what it could be. I get inward focused, drawn into my own worries about bills, labels, titles, the next gadget, finding time for 'me' and all the rest.

No, these are not necessarily bad things. In the correct perspective, they are fine and dandy to have as part of my life. Only, when in perspective, though.

Following Christ's example, he was willing to sacrifice not only his life, but his family, friends, dignity, safety, Glory, and personal will in order to do the work that the Father had given him to do. In the garden, prior to Judas showing up with the temple guards, Jesus is found praying: "if it is possible, let this cup pass from my lips, but not my will but your will be done, father." Jesus' will was not to go through the suffering, yet he sacrificed his will, effectively nailing it to the will of His Father, in order to fulfill what he had come to fulfill. Did he look forward to the torment? I doubt it. Could he see the glory on the otherside? The bible tells us he did and that is what he focused on in order to make it through the trial and crucifixion. Do not, however, lose sight of the fact that Jesus had asked to not have to drink from that cup if there were some other way to accomplish this.

This is the example that has been laid down for us to follow. This idea of taking my own will and laying it down for the will of My Father. In modern terms, I have come to refer to this as laying aside my "wants". Sometimes, that means also to lay aside my "needs" in order that another's needs may be met instead. Sometimes simple things like taking far less food in order to ensure that others have their fill first. Other times, it is going without sleep in order to spend time sitting with someone who needs some attention, needs to tell their story, to know they have been heard.

Yet, more to be done. Would that we would become a culture prone to sacrifice. When we are willing to sacrifice, we give glory to God and honor Him when we do so in His name. This was the honor and glory that Jesus allowed himself to be crowned with for a time. We, as Christians, must be willing to do the same. Lay down our personal crowns and take up the crowns given to us for the time in order to allow God to receive the glory. Only then will we learning to walk in the footsteps of Jesus. Only then will we become guilty of being followers of Christ not only in word but in deed. I pray that there come a day when I have enough witnesses in order to in a court of law be convicted of being a Christian.

more to come in the future

a rant

I know I am supposed to love my enemies, bless those who curse me and pray for those who persecute me. I get that. I am not always on target with it, but I do get it.

Yet, I can't help but have a bad taste in my mouth when dealing with politics or deception. I can't stand false pretenses. I don't care how good you think your reasons are, it always leaves a sour taste in my mouth and a worse feeling in my stomach. My heart breaks at false faces/mask wearing. I know, I know, there are times when we put on the fake smile for the "sake of others" but where does that end?

Earlier in the week, while at a class on financial ministry, I ran into some major issues with my electronics. My usual historical response would have been to trash something, grind my teeth so that I could avoid cursing and begin to slam the various pieces of equipment which were interfering with my agenda. Instead, I had a genuine response of "thank you Lord, thank you for the harassment". It wasn't faked, it was true.

Even with other issues piling on, I still have the same response.

If I should appear false, I pray for Holy Spirit to convict me right away. I so desire to live in the way of the apostles and disciples of the book of Acts. Honest, forthright, seeking God's glory in all things and loving every person I meet with the love of God. I pray that others out there somewhere will come alongside me, as I come alongside Jesus Christ.

Blessings to ST Paul's tonight. Art and Allen, I pray that God ministers powerfully through you. May you take back what the enemy has stolen. Restore those who have strayed and release the power and grace of Jesus into Greenwich tonight. May tonight be a time of Holy Fire, a spark that ignites a revolution of faith that will be a perpetual revival until our Lord returns.

Peace brothers and sisters.

lifting the fog

Last night, I was caught up in a dream. During that dream, I walked through what appeared to be intense darkness, as if I were in the middle of the night. You know that 3am darkness? That kind of dark. Yet, as I was walking, there came a certain clarity. The darkness began to lift a little more each step. As I walked, I became aware that the darkness was just a fog. It was thick, but it was only a fog. Like fog, it is short lived when exposed to the sun. It is in a fixed locale and one can walk through it and out of it as long as you stay straight and true and avoid going in circles.

As I was on my way into work this morning, it actually was foggy. Not as thick as in the dream, but thick enough. As I drive, I love to dialogue with God. In doing so, I came to see where the dream speaks of different seasons in our lives.

It is so easy to get a fog over yourself and not realize where or when it came. We mistake fog for true darkness, when it is nothing of the sort. If you expose the fog to the light, to the Son, the fog begins to burn. Ultimately, it will lift. In the mean time, keep straight and true on the path, in the Way.

I believe that we are in a time of great fog. A time when it is difficult to know what comes next and where to turn. It is a time when we can easily get confused. When clarity loses its edge. Don't be fooled. Name the fog for what it is and continue to trust in Him who can guide without roads or signs. This fog is only temporary. And it comes out of a clashing of two different times meeting in the same place. We are called to continue straight.

http://www.mypropheticword.com/

http://www.mypropheticword.com/

church

Maybe a little of a rant or may be a little of whining or maybe both or maybe some seriously difficult questions that we should examine and attempt to answer in our hearts.

What is the church? Why is it so difficult for us to be the church? Why don't we line up with it, with the word, with God's will? Are we lining up with God's will? Why does it seem so often that we inject our personal agendas so deeply into things? If I am truly surrendered to God and Jesus is my Lord and Savior, then why is it so difficult for me to put aside all that the world would teach and to sit at his feet and listen and accept and apply and change the world I live in?

According to Acts, the word "church" is derived from the Greek ekklessia. By definition, this word never references a building. It references a body of believers, those belonging together in council for the purpose of mutual oversight, protection and growth. That is the way the word is applied in Greek community living. When Luke writes Acts, under influence/guidance of Holy Spirit, he uses this word in reference to the body of believers. The place of worship is never referenced except for speaking about homes they gathered in or synagogues or in the porch of the Temple. In some cultures and denominations (I like to think of them as different counties within the same kingdom) the places of gathering are referred to as "houses of worship" leaving free the term church to reference the particular gathering of people.

Is this where the stumbling block first enters: that we don't recognize the community that we are to be? I often imagine a time when all within a church become close enough that each reaches out to the other, wants to learn how to support each other and gets together so often that the neighbors think you are somehow physically related because in "the natural" or "worldly way" of doing things, people don't get that close unless they have to based upon genetics. I love to imagine how that would affect a community/neighborhood/city/state/country (when I dream, I dream big). I love to see what people would be like if God's children started taking less ownership of their time and started giving it away to each other. My brother's habit may "drive me nuts" but I love that I have the chance to get driven nuts by him. I spend the time asking me if it is really his habit or is it something that is actually reflective of me that I really don't like.....thank you, brother for being there so that I can see this and allow God to work the change in me. I love to dream of this, imagine this, allow me to get so filled with God's love for His children that I cannot help but smile towards them no matter how far away from "what I want in a friend" they may be.....too many tattoos, too many piercings, too many facial hairs, not enough facial hairs, not enough suit and tie, not enough neat and tidy language, too much slang, etc etc. (Before you jump, I have ink myself, piercings, history, etc. so this is simply being facetious).

I long for, ache for, a church that sees the beauty in each other. That draws in together to not only mourn or celebrate with each other, but also draws together for the express purpose of sharing the mundane and boring. The everyday........that we are drawn in so tight that there, due to the love of God, there is nothing that separates us. Insult my brother and you insult me, and together we will forgive you because that is what we do as children of God. It is being so tight knit that I am upfront about my own agenda if I have one and my sister will call me out on it if I begin to act on it in such a way that it dishonors the Lord or dishonors or disrespects others.

At my current church, we are continuing to build on what was started in this way by their other Pastor (who is still thankfully intimately involved as we form a team of ministry rather than lone rangers). We continue to push, call, pray, repent, seek, find and share with each other, building relationships with each other and what it is that God wants to share with the world.

This is the ekklesia of Acts. Empowered by Holy Spirit. Led by Jesus Christ. Sanctified by the Father's grace.

Would you consider praying for this church? Would you pray with me that we begin to see the church as God's children and buildings as Houses of Worship? Would you pray that God puts His love so deep within you that it overwhelms you? That your eyes become flooded with how He sees your brothers and sisters? Would you pray this?

.......then the biggest question of all: Would you join me in acting on this? For the sake of God, His Kingdom, and the work of His Son on the cross for us, Would you join me in acting on this?

fire lesson

I felt the approval to share this with others, not just at service tonight.

Earlier today, before beginning morning prayers, I sensed it was time to burn up the old Chrism oil in the oil stock I carry. It took a lot of effort to eventually get it to catch fire, but it eventually did. Glass I had it in was designed for candles to be burned in. It was pretty and relatively thick. I placed it on the mantle and began prayers. Throughout prayers, I began to see it glow brighter and brighter. It filled the room with the aroma and the flames began to become more noticeable. As it increased and more of the oil was consumed, I could see the waves of heat at the same time get more pronounced. Then came the unpredicted: small sounds of "tink", "tink", "tinktinktink". I looked up and there were the cracks along the side of the glass. Now the glass was not a thin glass. It was quite thick, yet the heat was too much for it. The glass didn't shatter, thankfully, but it is broken, the heat finding its way out. I felt the spiritual tug: "pay attention"....so, I prayed harder. In fact, throughout the day I prayed asking the Lord what is He saying?

Tonight, He answered:

My fire is hotter than you realize. The same fire I sent to the disciples, the same fire that they passed on, this fire that is Me is hotter than you realize. It was never meant to be contained in a nice neat little "glass". Those glasses were designed to hold a fire of your own making, not of My making. My heat will build, try to contain it and it will find a way out, unless you snuff the flame. I have given you this fire, use it. I will continue to give it to you, let it flow. Don't stick Me in a small little glass, let Me flow through you and through that, let Me change you and the world around you.

Come Lord, come, bring your fire. Let it consume the sacrifices we offer, like the day in which Elijah called You down, let the sacrifices be consumed and let that stand as witness to Your greater glory.

holiness; a stab at a definition

1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal preisthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light."

So, what does it mean to be a "holy nation"? May not puzzle you much, but it did me and I had to spend sometime on it. In studying the word holy in both the Hebrew and the Greek, it literally means: to be set apart. Translating this further, in relation to God, it also means an absence of sin. Absence of sin means a lack of separation. Holiness is used in terms to mean: being set apart exclusively for the purpose of God. That word exclusive is often not mention. In so doing, the importance of it is lost.

Peter is calling the disciples (body of believers) to be Holy. That means, the expectation is that we, the body of believers, are to be (individually and corporately) set apart for the exclusive purpose of God. Does such a conclusion come out of left field? No. Check the use of the term holy throughout the Old Testament (TANAKH). Each time something is dedicated to God, set apart for his exclusive use, it is no longer considered to be "common" or "ordinary". It now has a very specific set of handling instructions, who may use it, when, where, etc. The specifics even went so far as to apply to the exact blend of certain spices for the purposes of creating a distinct aroma which would be on only certain objects that were considered most holy. So, how much more so are those holy whom he would have sent his son to die for?

Briefly, lets look also at what some of the other aspects of holiness would be: sinless and lack of distance. This is actually redundant when written this way because sin is any act which causes separation between us and God. Yet, sinless can also be referenced as "perfect". And, if we reach into Ephesians chapter 4, the word translated as both perfect and equipped is a medical term in Greek which actually is used to describe realigning of broken bones. So, when God gives "apostles, prophets, teacher, evangelists, and pastors for the equipping of the saints", that can equally be translated as perfecting of the saints and, if we apply the understanding of the term it would then be "the lining up perfectly with God of the saints."

In terms of holiness, then, we can substitute sinless above for perfectly aligned with.

Tackling the term lack of distance, in relation to holiness, we should read completeness. In other words, there is no distinguishing, because there is no distance. If we are perfectly aligned with God, we are then living in such a manner that we are now, as Jesus asks us to in John 17, one with him, he in us as we are in him and he is in the father and the father is in him, therefore the father is in us. Add to this the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and there ya' go: no distance between God and his children because of the work that Jesus perfected.

Holiness: being exclusively set aside for the purposes of God, perfectly aligned with him and having no separation nor distance.

Nation: a group of individuals sharing a common identity.

Holy Nation: a group of individuals who are set aside exclusively for the purposes of God in perfect alignment and having no separation from Him.

Come on Church, let's live it out.

Before any get too too upset, I'm not saying we can do this in our own strength. The inability of the law to perfect Israel is evidence of this. The law served as the indicator pointing in the direction of the Messiah/Savior. No, we cannot do this of our own. As Jesus himself says, for man this is impossible, but not with God. With God all things are possible. We are dependent upon his love, grace and Spirit to guide us, govern us and move us along. We have to surrender into this, allowing God to work in us and through us. Getting out of his way and allowing us to work that which is good in and through us.

Pass me by

What ya lookin at down your long nose

thinkin I ain't been there before

judgin my clothes way I dress like I failed

the test booted out of the context of normal

life in society takin the offense at my lack of defense

for havin a hand out as ya pass by

Don't need a judge, keep your verdict

If I ain't worth it pass me by.

You think this is a choice like what would you choose

Walkin this way droppin out of life letting prosperity skip

by head and eyes draggin pavement for lack of

consent to be able to engage in life as you know it

not for lack of tryin' the uphill swim against the

current of circumstance poured out my way

Don't need a judge, keep your verdict

If I ain't worth it pass me by

Ya want my story are ya kiddin me ya won't

even look at me like a cap a can dropped without

thinking by the wayside nothin inside of value

that would be worth keepin you only interferin in

your going to and fro from lunch and home lest

you look in my eyes and see the real me starin

down on you from above hanging on a tree

stretched out tight in the name of love

Don't need a judge, keep your verdict

If I ain't worth it pass me by

Careful what you look at,

Can't hide from the truth you'll see inside

You want a judge, want me to keep my verdict

If you ain't worth it, pass me by

Runnin Away

Doin' what I can to prove you wrong
rebellin and twistin, turning this and that
lookin for a way to slip and skip back into shadows
hidden under grey blendin away slippin back to where
You're not supposed to run

Why? can't say, don't know, can't see
You won't leave me
Twistin, turnin, duckin and dodgin
yet you seek me

done all I can to prove you wrong
rebelled took on what should shame you
wore it proud like a crown gleaming bright
like a prize fight 9th round kicking and screamin won't go down
can't call me out, no k o, no doubt
Yet you won't back out

Why? can't say, don't know, can't see
you won't leave me
twistin, turnin, duckin and dodgin
yet you seek me

In my filth, can't stand my stink
no shower enough no scent to cover up
being left raw, feelin the heat of the edge drawin near
won't you give up, quit chasin me, can't you see, the price you paid aint worth the weight of what I have to offer
yet you take all I can't and bear it up

Why? can't say, don't know, can't see
you won't leave me
Twistin, turnin, duckin, and dodgin
yet you seek me

Father why do you love me when I never been the son
you say you see in the end
covered in your glory livin into the next chapter of this story
that you've written for me
Even in the dark you seekin me, wrap your arms around me,
I'm crashin and done runnin
lay me out at the feet of your son

Why? can't say, don't know, can't see
you won't leave me
Twistin, turnin, duckin, and dodgin
yet you seek me
cause you love me
more than I can see, more than I'll know
thank you, Father, That I can't out run you
No more point in runnin away