Not everyone.....(a simple look at racism)

Not every white person is a racist. Not every black person is a criminal. Not every cop is bad.

In lue of all the situations going on from Missouri to New York and everything in between I thought I would share my thoughts a bit. I read this past week on Facebook by someone I know made a comment about “white privilege”. At first I got a little offended when I saw this, but in all honesty, its true. I am still looked at by my skin and judged. As a white male I am not normally looked as a criminal. Now I do have tattoo’s in view and I’m looked at differently sometimes but they were my choice. I wasn’t born this way, and I willing put them on my body.

This said, I recall my teenage years and getting into trouble. I should have done 2-5 years in prison for choices I made. As I got off with probation, I recall my lawyer telling me that I was passed over because I was a white kid. My color was taken into account for my pardon. Now granted Cleveland where I grew up is not the best city, but my past record should have been enough to say to the judge that I was going to be a repeat offender. This was all around 1998 with the Tupac and Biggie situation. I hate to say it, but my skin color kept me out of prison.

Now across the board we need to stop giving perception of the statement I made above. I’m not looking to speak directly into the choices made by the people involved in the situations in MS or NY, but I do what to say that we need to see people as they are. They are people, human beings created in God’s image and likeness and loved by God equally as they are. My faith as a Christian must be found in the simplicity that all people are created equal, but in America you’re better when born of certain decent and skin color.

In the end it starts with education. We need to educate the younger generation about equality and being mindful of the greater good. With equality as central to my faith and to the constitution we must continue to move forward. No matter, we have progressed in this, but now we need to take the next steps towards seeing everyone as bleeding red when cut. To move forward we need to educate people, specifically the kiddos about equality and not just say its written somewhere, but truly believe and live it. Its only been around 50 years since black’s haven’t had to use a segregated restroom or sit in the back of the bus and I’m excited since we have progressed, but still need to always understand that we have a long way to go in this for the greater good. 

Lets keep moving forward, as country, as a people, as a nation, as a world!

the Rabbi's yoke......

I’m not sure about you but somethings about the Church frustrate me. I’m upset to the point of discontentment that I want change. I’m warranted towards change, but a lets look at this and see what we should change. The bible teaches righteous anger. Jesus got angry when the people made the temple a market selling animals for sacrifice. He flipped tables and scattered the money changers. He said they made the temple a house of thieves when it was to be a house of prayer (Mark 11:15-19). I want to see the Church flip tables over the issue of discipleship. Until we are discontent with the way discipleship is counted as converting someone in the Church then nothing will be done. 

If you sit back and look at most churches now a days it can be frustrating in some ways to see how most have been shaped. There is a large emphasis on the building. On Sunday mornings and the flow of the service. On small groups, community groups or whatever your church calls them. On those that come Sundays. Now granted I am all for inward care of the Church and have been doing it for about 9 years now, but when that’s the main focal point of the week we’ve lost something. We’ve in a way become selfish with our faith. We’ve forgotten about those that won’t come into a building called “church”. We’ve lost the mandate to go into the world and bless people. To make disciples of the nations. 

Jesus says in Matthew 28:19-20; “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of age.”

If we really sit back and look at why Jesus says to make disciples then we must first place our understanding of modern day evangelism aside. First off the English word ‘evangelize’ comes from the Latin word ‘evangel’ meaning ‘good news”. Where we, in modern America get the word Evangelical meaning ’bringer of good news’. I love the meanings and the depth of these words, but lets place them a side real quick and dust off that joyous word ‘disciple’ mentioned in Matthew 28. The English word ‘disciple’ comes from the Latin word ‘talmadem’ meaning follower and learner (it means the same in Greek and Hebrew). It simply speaks about the one who follows, but also the teacher and leader they are following and learning from. 

Francis Chan says in his book Multiply (page 30), “”Somehow we have created a church culture where the paid ministers do the ‘ministry’ and the rest of us show up, put some money in the plate and leave feeling inspired or ‘fed’. We have moved so far away from Jesus’s command  that many Christians don’t have the frame of reference for what disciple making looks like.”

In fact all that follow Jesus saying, “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations” is the very act of following to make disciples. There is no separation in Jesus’ words. Whether its baptizing people to follow Rabbi Jesus or teaching them to obey Rabbi Jesus or trust what Rabbi Jesus is saying. These are all part of the last command we see in the gospels to make disciples. Jesus doesn’t place emphasis on conversation or saying a prayer. We must go into the world and be little Christ’s to people. The cool thing about Rabbi’s and disciples is that the disciples would not only sit at the Rabbi’s feet to learn but they would also imitate their Rabbi. They would take the Rabbi’s yoke (covering and lifestyle) as their own. They trusted the Rabbi’s teaching and lifestyle as there own. 

This mentality is to be or mentality. As hard as it might be we need to be disciples of Rabbi Jesus and nothing else. I see two simple things to walk as a disciples of Jesus. Learn from what Jesus taught and follow what Jesus did. Its just that simple. Its simple but hard. Its the gospel of out King Jesus and the Kingdom. Now “Go and make disciples”……

Keep your focus.....

        When I was kid growing up in Ohio I always looked forward to Thanksgiving. Yes for the food, but I also went with a group of men and headed to Salk Fork, OH for a week of hunting white tail deer. I really enjoyed this year in and year out. I recall the first time I ever shot a deer. It was exciting. It was hard to keep focus. It was an adeline rush. I was the most eager 12 year old in all Ohio. I shot a deer. Now it was about obtaining a goal not just shooting an animal. I wanted to eat the meat and make use of everything, but the big deal is that I kept focus and accomplished the goal. It was such a big deal that my Dad made a little certificate for me about that day. 

When you lift your gun and take aim you must be carful not to take aim to quick or pull the trigger prematurely. You must not take your eye off the deer because you could very easily lose the target. Its extremely easy to forsake the goal in the rush of it all. Not intentionally of course, but just simply not keeping focus on the target can do this. Its easy to jump the gun (pardon the pun). 

This can be likened to the Gospel. We can get caught up in all the hustle and bustle of life, the excitement of people, the false hope of a good life and the many other distractions that this world can bring to disfigure the Gospel. Sharing your faith can change things, but only done in a proper manner. I’m not talking about methods or anything like that. Just keeping the Gospel as it is. Keeping focus on the good news. We should look to what God says and not the excitement or adeline rush of someone wanting to hear about Jesus. 

I’ve been recently reading through the Gospel of Luke. The other morning something caught my eye I just don’t recall seeing before. As John the baptist preaches repentance to the people of Israel. The scripture says that this is good news (Luke 3:18). Repentance is good news?! Yes. It’s good. To turn from sin, change your mind in accordance with sin and walk towards God is good. The latin for good news is ‘evangel’; it is where were get the modern word for evangelical. Simplified meaning, bringer of good news. Thinking about the good news in line with repentance is different, but very much what the Bible teaches.

Today repentance seems to be taken one of two ways. First, its talked about in a ‘turn or burn’ mentality. And second, its downplayed to ‘you shouldn’t live that way’ mentality. Either extreme is bad. Very little is it talked about in light of being ‘good news’. Repentance is good news. We are offered by God a chance to come back to him. In the midst of God’s love he calls us to come and die. He loves you right where you are but leo won’t leave you where you are. He is righteous and must bring change (we repent) so that we live different, so we live like his Son. Hebrew culture says repentance is a change of lifestyle and Greek culture says its a change of mind. Both are biblical teaching. Both are necessary for this to remain true. 

John “proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3). What? Repentance is part of forgiveness. Repentance is an act of the grace of God. His kindness and forbearance leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). What about today’s Gospel? Saying God has a wonderful plan for your life or God wants the best for you or any man centered gospel is not God. Well, just like hunting, when the focus is lost you lose the target. We end up missing the mark of what is the good news. 

All these outside influences change things. We lose the good news of repentance. Repentance is an act towards God as is our faith to be towards Jesus as Messiah (Acts 20:21). God commands repentance but also delights when we commit this to him as we see with the prodigal son (Luke 15:17-24; Acts 17:30). Repentance is about new life. It’s meant to bring us unto life. Its resurrecting. It is filled with hope. It kills the old and brings in the new. 

“As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no lose through us. For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas wordily grief produces death.” (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)

In the verse above we see a few practical aspects to focus on in repentance…..

1) Focus on God

2) Focus on proper grieving 

3) Focus on moving past regret

4) Focus on your new life

If we build a foundation when we must have God in focus when all parts take place. First we need to reptant towards God and not man or the world. We must be broken towards God and who he is. He is Holy. There is God and everything else. God and what he created. As we see this we can see our sin in light of who God is. Having a God focus brings us closer to how God acts and moves in the world. It teaches us to live in light of who God is. 

Focusing on God’s character moves us into a proper grieving. It should push us closer into the heart and calling of God. God focused repentance brings change in us. It brings a change in our minds; “Godly sorrow produces repentance”. Being grieved into repenting brings life and change, it brings about a life in the midst of sanctification (Romans 6:20-23). Regret can kill this all. If we look over the past and only see mistakes then we never fully move past them. 

Our God redeems, even our past. Remember I said that repentance brings life and is resurrecting. It raises us from the depth of sin. It brings us past our faults into the redeeming work of God in our lives. We should no longer regret what we’ve done because God uses that to make us into who we are today in Christ. Our choices and aspects of life help shape us to live for God. To “redeem” means to “by back” in the simplest form. God bought us back to himself from the power, presence and penalty of sin. We must focus on redemption and that we belong to God alone. He is your Father, brother and friend. Redemption brings reconciliation within our own lives and the lives of others. As we repent others see our love and passion to truly follow Jesus and the work of redemption in the cross. In this the gospel is lived out in word and deed!

actively active......

       Over the past few months I have been processing my life and where God has brought me. Sitting down over coffee, my journal and bible in the moorings has at points been tough. God has made a stand. He has covered me with love. He is fully in control. But through it all I’ve had rough patches. I’ve wondered about what I am to do. I’ve wondered where I am to go. But God has over and over said just a couple of things. Trust me and rest in me. Now these are very simple yet profound words for me and the season I’ve been in, but they are very necessary words. I moved 600+ miles for a woman I loved. I was engaged and then she broke up with me. I questioned about ever doing ministry again. I wondered about my direction in life. I had many questions that I was not able to answer and neither was anyone else. I was at a standstill in my faith in ways and it sucked. 

I’m the type of guy that always likes to be on the move, so for me this situation was not easy and in some ways, it still is not. I’ve had many words spoken over me where the Father is saying ‘rest’. This has happened many times from people that know me to people that don’t know me, so I am convinced that God wants me to rest. Resting does not mean a complete stopping of life. I’ve come to see that my life is more then doing, but it is necessary to be resting even in my doing. Trusting that the good, the bad and the ugly parts of life; God is there. 

Trusting has had come from a woman breaking my heart. Having to up and move a second time 600+ miles again. Saying she loved me and wanted me to lead her, love her and care for her. Only to turn around and change her mind. That hurts my friends. In this hurt and what I thought was abandonment, I’ve learned a greater trust in my Father. His love has abounded in new ways that I now see in light of true reality. I was angry with him in this at first but found him faithfully calling me back to himself as he does with us all, even when trusting him is hard. Psalm 13 says, 

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I take counsel in my soul and have sorrow in my heart all the day? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me? Consider and answer me, O Lord my God; light up my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death, lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him,” lest my foes rejoice because I am shaken, But I have trusted in your steadfast love;  my heart shall rejoice in your salvation, I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

This is what I’ve learned. True trust out of hurt and lack of seeing God in the midst of pain. I’ve come to cry out….I trust you Lord. No mater what the situation. No matter what my lot in life. I can now more then ever cry out to my Father in the midst of my pain rather then in the midst of anger from my pain. 

I’ve also learned about resting as I do. We have a daily sabbath rest in Yeshua from our Father. A claim that not only means a daily reprieve in the midst of life but also a time to pull back and check yourself. I’ve always done. I’ve always been doing ministry. Now I’m learning that doing is possible only cause of my resting. Resting in the love of my Father. Now I know my identity and have known who I belong to but I’ve always been challenged to work form resting. I’m not good at resting so its been challenging for me to rest minute by minute, day by day, week by week. Hebrews 4:6-11 says, 

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.” For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on. So then, there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God, for whoever has entered God's rest has also rested from his works as God did from his. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience.

Now the point is just learning to rest. Not that I’ve been sinning as the text implies. I’m just learning to rest in the Father in new ways and it has been amazing. Ways that I can in my doing, rest in my being his beloved son. I’ve always separated the two for some reason. In needing to pull away from doing in order to truly be his son or so I thought. This is and was wrong. I serve God out of my being as his son, for in that I do the work of his Son. I think about the old hymn Trust and Obey by John Sammis, 

“Trust and obey, for there’s no other way. To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey. Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies, But His smile quickly drives it away; Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear, Can abide while we trust and obey. Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share, But our toil He doth richly repay; Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross, But is blessed if we trust and obey. But we never can prove the delights of His love. Until all on the altar we lay; For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows, Are for them who will trust and obey. Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet. Or we’ll walk by His side in the way. What He says we will do, where He sends we will go; Never fear, only trust and obey.”

Blessings  to you my friends……

We all have impact.....

I’ve had a word thats been going over and over in my head for a few days now. That word is Impact. This has been a necessary word for me over this season and time as I transition into new things. Things in which I have been placed into and desired for years. About 5 years to be a little more exact. As an individual who desires to see change and cause impact in this world. This word is very necessary for this day in age. Impact is a big word and has a lot of weight behind it. Webster’s Dictionary defines Impact as meaning “to press together” or “a forceful contact or collision”. Impact can be good and bad I’ve experienced. I’ve impacted communities in both ways so I feel that I can speak into both. The thing is we all have impact. Good or bad.

The questions that must be asked are: How are we impacting? Where are we impacting? And why are we impacting? All are very simple questions but necessary to review what we are about. Since we all do have impact in someway or another, I want to speak into one other question real quick. How are we impacting our community? Now before we all asses what that looks like, let me define community on my end. Community is not only about those we hang with on a regular basis (our closest friends), but also those we live around (our neighbors) and also the town/city we live in (our whistle stop). Now I want to express that its easy to pour into our close friends. Usually cause we are close to them and have common interests of some sort but what about those from the last camp; the whistle stop. 

I want to touch mainly on calling the city/town, the whistle stop. Before cars and planes there was trains and in each town or city there were stops which people called whistle stops. This was the way in and out of a city. It was the means of connection with people. Its how they got in and out. It was the means of connection with the outside world. I want to argue for our own personal whistle stops. The means on connection in our lives. I’ve forced and willing to ask a simple question in my little life as a Christian. How does my whistle stop work in my community? Why is this necessary? What makes this happen? What keeps this going? I’m not looking to answer these questions for you, but I hope and pray that you will look at how you are impacting your community; your whistle stop. 

I want to leave you with this Proverb from the Bible that says, “Where there are no oxen, the manger is clean, but the abundant of crops come by the strength of the ox.”. It will take work. It won’t be easy. It will take sacrifice, but it will be worth it! (14:4)

marriage, grieving and love.........

So there's a date that will forever be on my mind. August 16th, 2014. It is a day that I will never forget. It was the day I was to pledge my love and comment to the woman I desired to live my life for. I was supposed to get married. I have never mentioned this in social media out of respect for her and those involved, but I feel I finally must talk about it. Her name is Danielle and she was and I still believe to be an amazing women who loves Jesus above all. I know she is gonna rock this world for his kingdom.

I'm not trying to do anything other then get a few thoughts out there about grieving and love. The two seem so opposite at first glance, but when break ups happen it is part of life. I was with her for about 8 1/2 months. We were engaged for 3 1/2 of those months, did ministry and life together everyday during that time. We both were involved with a ministry called harvest home outside of Kansas City, MO. I moved from Colorado to be closer to her and prepare our life together, but in the end she didn't want to be with me. I have come to accept that and not be effected by it, cause I am loved by my Father and community unconditionally and thats all I will ever need.

I still care about her and her family. I will forever remember the Metcalf clan and love them in a special way. All 11 of them! I will forever remember Norfolk, NE in a special way. Its more then just a little town 2 hours away from Grand Island or Lincoln. Its a little town that is beautiful in its own right. The people I know through Danielle are amazing. I can and will never erase her or them from my past or heart. Its just my past. I am not defined by it but it is there and I will never forget it. I called this grieving and love cause like I said break ups hopfully bring both, for me it was death of a dream. My desire to have someone to love and come home to and raise a family with and minister to people with is dead. Well, at least for now anyways.

I changed my whole life for what I thought was God's will, but lo and behold I was wrong. I am convinced of this, but I do only see through a glass dimly. My choice is my choice. I have chosen to move on with love for what God has given me in the life I lived with Danielle and her (our) community. I no longer am sad but I do still grieve but in my grieving I love them all. All you reading this from Lincoln, NE....Holden, MO.....and Norfolk, NE; I will forever be grateful for you all and knowing you!

Through my grieving I have learned to love in a way I never thought possible. I have learned to bless a person whom I believed was wrong and selfish at the time of our break up. I am able to look and think about a woman that I was giving my life for and love her without betterment or resentment or distain but love for her which in the beginning was hard. I am forever grateful for her family and community and life that she showed me to give God your all without holding back. I have learned to grieve and love in this all.

Loving in this is to see how God is working in a situation and the greater purpose of his kingdom. It throws my box out the window and its been amazing so far. Scripture says that Gods thoughts and ways are far beyond ours (Isa. 55:8-9), that we see through a dim glass (1 Cor. 13:12). Sometimes God allows our choices to happen so that as my earthly father allowed me to learn as I make different choices so does my Father in heaven (Heb. 12:6-11). I still don't fully understand God's working in this and don't intend to "figure it out", but I have learned in new ways my identity as his beloved son, to trust him more then ever, know him to be more faithful then ever before, that I need him more then ever and how community is huge in all this.

The past 4 months have been an continual transition, but a good transition. God have never stop loving me or changing me. Grieving and love is all part of the process of living with loss and a God who's in the midst of it all.

Lost in truth.......

What does it mean to be a Christian? Does it mean you always hang with Christians? Do it mean for us stay away from those that don't have faith in Jesus? Do you abstain from what the church says is "sinful"? Do we befriend those that don't believe? Do change culture but be involved in the culture? Do we go out and share the Christian faith? Do we go out pray for healing of people we come into contact with? Do we get involved in ways to change culture and community? I raise these questions which are just a few along with many more to have a look at the contextulazition of Christianity in our cities.

What does this look like living in a foreign land? Being in the world but not of the world? I have to say that Ive been involved and seeing some amazing things happening in Colorado Springs geared towards Christians interweaving into the culture and look of the Springs. Yeshua said, "I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the word, your word is truth. As you sent me into the world, so I send them into the world. And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth." (John 17:15-19). I say this scripture is taken way to far sometime and misunderstood in ways of contextulaztion of the gospel.

I want to say a couple things in line with this passage.

1) We need to break the Christian bubble

2) We need the truth of God's word

3) We need solid Christian community

4) We need to have clear direction

I bring these up cause I believe the church is lost in truth. The church is so engulfed in truth that we lose sight of how we are to live out truth. We become blind to what truth really means. Its not just for or about Christians but for Christians to take into the world and be light. Truth is more then a mental conception but a practical application. Being light means to not cover your lamp with a basket but to put it on a lamp stand for all to see as they enter the house (Luke 11:33-36). We don't hide our light but use it to guide us to live truth in the eyes of all to see. I have the saying that we are to "create pockets of light" as God did when he created the world in Genesis 1.

How are you creating pockets of light in the world?

What is going on for you to be the lights in the world?

How is the truth being shown in you outside of your Christian bubble?

As we start breaking the bubble its about not canceling your christian friends but befriend those that don't believe, living "in the world" but not being changed by the world as Yeshua says in the passage I mentioned above. Its being in the world and changing the world/culture of where we live. Being a business owner, involved in govt. and so on. Changing the culture is really bringing the kingdom to earth as Yeshua told us to pray (Matthew 6:10). Breaking the Christian bubble means livening differently but still being with others who most would cast aside because they're not in "the bubble" other then "preaching the gospel or feeding them or praying for them, none of which are bad but its a christianize mentality not a kingdom mentality.

I don't say this to condemn but in hope that people will look deep within them selves as have I to serve the King in a world that needs him without "pushing" Christianity upon them but as Martin Luther says to "be little Jesus' to others".

I will touch on the last 3 points and the 1st one a little again but I will do so in a few days with my next blog.

Blessings to you all!

without measure......

So my past two blogs have been somewhat straight forward which is very me. I'm not a beat around the bush kinda guy but I think some solid thought and doctrine into what I've called "word and power ministry" is necessary. I hope I don't come off as having it all together but through a number of years studying scripture, teaching and even just allowing the Spirit to move in me as I personally study scripture, I'd have to say that I think I'm heading the right direction so lets get moving......

Isaiah 61:1-2 says, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who morn"

Luke 4:18-19 says, "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 sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

These verse are very close to each other in words but very different in directive. One is about Isaiah in the moment but also speaking of Messiah so the prophetic in this verse is huge because its meant to transcend time and place. Both are pointing towards redemption. Isaiah is about God bringing Israel back to her glory as Isaiah says,

              "For Zions sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not keep quite, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness and her salvation as a burning torch.The nations shall see you righteousness  and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will give." (Isa. 62:1-2)

Luke is about Messiah bring people back to God but also returning people back to that what they were originally created for as 2 Corinthians 5:17 says that we are new creations, the old is gone and the new has come. Again, both Isaiah and Luke are redemptive passages and meant to be in that bent in their own ways.

As we look a this we need to see the Church as the means that God works in this world. He gave his Spirit Yeshua says in John 14-16 (among other places in scripture) to anoint, teach, convict, counsel and guide the Church for ministry and lifestyle. John 3:34 says "he gives the Spirit without measure". With all this going on I want to ask you as well as myself a couple very simple questions....

                Do we put a measuring stick to the work and ministry of the Spirit? Or limit him working by allowing our hearts and minds to bind his working?

When we bind the Spirit not cause his inability to work outside of our ability to know and conceive God and his working, but that we can mentally constricted the moving of power in the ministry of the Holy Spirit. He is more then just a "seal for the day of redemption" (Eph. 1:13-14) or the means to stand before God (Titus 3:4-7), but a continual working out of Yeshua's ministry and the Fathers heart in this world via the Church.

It appears that American Christianity has placed such a strong emphasis on the mental (teaching mostly) and evangelism (mission) that we have deluded the gospel to a mer mental choice and cognitive action. We have simplified the gospel to the point of kicking God the Spirit out of the picture in some ways, none of which I see is good.

If the Church is to be everything she can be then we need to throw off the barriers we have in some different ways.....

1) Remember that the Holy Spirit is like the wind Yeshua says. We can't tell what He going to do but only see the results of what he's done.

2) Lose our mental conception of how God has ALWAYS done things or ALWAYS will do things.

3) Walk by faith, not by sight.

I hope and pray for this to become true for us all in greater measure......

need and placement.....

So after writing my last blog I feel necessary to say a little more on this subject I last blogged about. To have a ministry of  solid doctrinal teaching and the power of the supernatural is not just somewhat as I see happening over night. Its time consuming and careful discernment of truth as taught by God's Spirit and by God's Word. To neglect either I would say as I did in my last post is bad doctrine as is also to lift one as higher then the other.

All that said balance is good and necessary but in all honesty it will not always be there, but sometimes teaching will take the forefront and sometimes it will take the back seat to say a time of praying for healing or prophecy or serving people or feeding the needy. I don't claim to have it all figured out but I do know that if one is neglected we are either really messy or way to structured, both are hurtful for the Church and those we are wanting to know the God we worship.

I said that a ministry or life without the supernatural oriented and/or scripture oriented is like a body without bones. Its just not the way the Church is made to operate or live. Paul the apostle says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that "all scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking and training in righteousness that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good work." The word "God-breathed" is where we understand the doctrine of insperation of the scriptures. Now the thing is Paul only had the teachings of the Law and such and these are what he was pointing to as he said of Timothy that he has "known the scared writing from childhood" (2 Tim. 3:15).

All that said we then see that Peter says of him and Paul also that their words are wisdom from God (2 Peter 3:15). I say all this cause I want to argue that we has possibly lifted the scripture so high that we've lowered the purpose and gift of God's Spirit. Now again I love studying and teaching scripture and see it as highly necessary but only when done properly and carefully for James says not many should become teachers are we are under "stricter judgment" (James 3:1).

1 Cor. 12 says "Now there are a variety or gifts, but the same Spirit, and there are a varieties of services but the same Lord and there are a varieties of activities but the same God who empowers them all in everyone" (4-6)...."Now to each the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good" (7)...."All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills." (11). The Church of Corinth has issues and I see that in the manifestation and the practical we should and I hope we will heed Paul's warning of love needing to be in the midst of all we do as Christians, wether the practical or the spiritual.

We also see in Romans 12, 1 Peter 4 and Ephesians 4 that we have many other places along with John chapters 14-16 teaching about the NEED AND PLACEMENT of the Spirit of God within the Church (individually and corporately) and not just a subset within and/or to just be a seal for the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14) or the one to just inspire scripture but continually within the Church anointing, leading, empowering and illuminating people to greater depths of the gospel of God. I bring up both sides cause we need both in the Church because its for the common good; scripture and power.

All this said I hope we all look at this and seek the Lord for the glory of His name and the making of disciples.

A body without bones.....

Life without Bones. Could you imagine that if had no bones. First off you remove all the structure that is needed for the body to be just that, a body but bones do some really amazing things for us. They protect our organs and give structure to our being. I find it really cool because when you breath your ribs create a partial vacuum that helps pull air into your lungs so you can breathe properly. Without your ribs you would have no way to expand your chest and in a sense you would suffocate and die, plus we all look kinda stupid being just a pile of meat and skin.

Just imagine if this was the church. Well, it kinda is the church cause we for so long are filled with the Word of God but the Holy Spirit has been like the red headed step child of the trinity. I head someone say a few weeks back that most churches sing of the trinity as Father, Son and Holy Bible. What a heresy! Now its all fun till someone gets left out and the game is over. The one Jesus promised has bee left out of the church. I ask myself many times throughout the week a very simple question....If the holy Spirit were removed my ministry and life would I change because of this or go on like nothing happened? This is a very necessary question for all who follow Jesus and look to be Spirit-filled.

Now I love studying and reading scripture, but its only to be done in the inspiring and empowering of the the Spirit of God. When we live in obedience to Jesus and his teachings without the Spirits guidance and empowerment we get caught up in a spirit of religion and works. We end up with a Mark 7:1-12 situation with the traditions of man overruling the truth and meaning of scripture. We are lead by the Spirit into all truth (John 14:16-17, 24) and all scripture is of God's inspiration not mans for the building up of the Church (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21) and need no one to teach us but the anointing of the Spirit (1 John 2:27).

Now I'm not excluding the teachers in the church or even interrupting scripture but having a Word and Power ministry is not an either/or but a both/and approach to the work of the Holy Spirit and the need for the fully inspired Holy Scripture. Jesus said "it is necessary that I go" so that we may have his Spirit lead, empower and anoint us into kingdom work. The scripture clearly states that we are to have both/and not either/or.

Just think about the body again, that if we remove either of these we begin to suffocate and will eventually die. Not granted I don't see God as ever allowing the Church to die but we are individual believers will be dead. We will not be living the abundant life but walking around and living this life in the flesh. What I am seeing is God raising up a generation that is hungry for the supernatural, not in a wrong manner but wanting to see all scripture lived out and God's Spirit to awaken dead people to their God and Father who loves them dearly.

I'm writing this from a sprit of care and concern for the church and how she is to live. Jesus said some very specific things like being clothed from on high and having gifts of his Spirit for the building of each other and reaching the world to make disciples. I'm not looking with this blog to teach how as that would take to long, but I urge you to please ask, seek and knock of the Lord who will give the Spirit without measure (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:13; John 3:34).

Let us do this in love, for without it we are worthless and its better to not have all this (1 Cor. 13)!