After surrendering to God you hear Him talking from inside yourself, from the breeze, from the sky, from the Bible, and THROUGH people. Kinda like this commercial. Thankfully, He loves us and talks to us.
selah
“The Pharisees’ power rises from the burden they heap on the back of sincere Jews; their gratification comes out of the primitive manipulations of people’s fears of displeasing their God.” ~ Eugene Kennedy
Unfortunately many people have Stockholm Syndrome and like being oppressed by a “leader” other than Christ. It’s a good thing that God’s word and Gospel has safeguarded us from having to perpetuate that lie. “For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all.” 1 Tim 2:5
The Diamond and the Black Felt – reflections on last post…
Refer to Gospel of Love 11 of 21 to participate in this reflection…
Encountering the word of God as a hearer can be just as informative for the deliverer. I’ve felt this way about the short commentary I did on John chapter 11 last week. As I’ve been in conversations about this blog with dear friends I’ve been chewing on some of the implications and applications of these thoughts. Here are some…
During the past few years I’ve been developing my theological signature, discovering the passion I have for the body of Christ. It’s come down to two categories- 1. That they not just know about God but that they know God. And 2. That they are able to practically apply their faith in their real life situations. In my spiritual landscape, that may differ from yours, there are many folks who have a hyper awareness of spiritual things with a very underdeveloped understanding of how to live out their everyday lives successfully (i.e. keeping roofs over their heads and take care of rudimentary tasks). And as I’ve been thinking about the concept from “Gospel of Love 11 of 21″ I’ve discovered that there may be a very important thread that could help in bringing more right perspective within my passion for the body.
selah
“To the untrained eye ego-climbing and selfless climbing may appear identical. Both kind of climbers place one foot in front of the other. Both breathe in and out at the same rate. Both stop when tired. Both go forward when rested. But what a difference! The ego-climber is like an instrument that is out of adjustment. He put his foot down an instant to soon or too late. He’s likely to miss a beautiful passage of sunlight through the trees. He goes on when the sloppiness of his step shows he’s tired. He rests at odd times. He looks up the trail trying to see what’s ahead even when he knows what’s ahead because he just looked a second before. He goes too fast or too slow for the conditions and when he talks his talk is forever about somewhere else, something else. He’s here but he’s not here. He rejects the here, is unhappy with it, wants to be farther up the trail but when he gets there will be just as unhappy because then the it will be the ‘here.’ What he is looking for is all around him, but he doesn’t want that because it is all around him. Every step is an effort both physically and spiritually because he imagines his goal to be external and distant.” ~ Robert M. Pirsig
follow Jesus.
`Is your son, of whom ye say that he was born blind? how then now doth he see?’ His parents answered them and said, `We have 
known that this is our son, and that he was born blind; and how he now seeth, we have not known; or who opened his eyes, we have not known; himself is of age, ask him; he himself shall speak concerning himself.’ These things said his parents, because they were afraid of the Jews, for already had the Jews agreed together, that if any one may confess him — Christ, he may be put out of the synagogue; because of this his parents said — `He is of age, ask him.’ – John 9 YLT
Sooner or later Jesus brings about situations that challenge your obedience to religious organizations. Not because religious organizations are bad, but because He is jealous for your love and desirous for your freedom. And He is not too keen on other lovers dividing His beloved.
Follow Jesus, love God, love your neighbor, live in fellowship as Jesus directs you. But never hesitate to walk with Jesus even if that means out of what has seemed to be your security. With Jesus is your security, He has the words of life.
Get Real.
And you — being dead in the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh — He made alive together with him, having forgiven you all the trespasses, 14having blotted out the handwriting in the ordinances that is against us, that was contrary to us, and he hath taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross; 15having stripped the principalities and the authorities, he made a shew of them openly — having triumphed over them in it. 16Let no one, then, judge you in eating or in drinking, or in respect of a feast, or of a new moon, or of sabbaths, 17which are a shadow of the coming things, and the body [is] of the Christ; - Colossians 2:13-17
In Galatians chapter 3 Paul says the the law was a tutor to lead us to Christ. In the above passage Paul also speaks of the the law and the habits of old testament tradition as being a shadow of what was to come, namely the Christ.
A gigantic shift occurred from Old to New Testaments, the physical positioning of a religion took on new life from the life giving messiah, Jesus Christ. No longer having to study the shadow, the Christ has now arrived. No longer is there distance between God and man that would need men to remind themselves of who God is; God, through Christ has given Himself to the people to be in and among them. No longer is it about a single location of religion, it transitioned into an eternal multi-dimensional Kingdom being established right here and now. (Matt. 10:7)
Often times, Jesus taught of living out our love for God in the secret places. He said in Matthew 6, “When you pray, you are not to be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on the street corners so that they may be seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full. But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, close your door and pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.” Jesus was teaching that what went on in the unmentioned places of our hearts was more important that in what happened in public.
Jesus did not go to the religious and and perpetuate their religiosity. He went to the lowly and broken, the drunkard, and the slut; the sinner. One time the religious saw Jesus hanging out with these folks and they said, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?” I believe that they were really baffled by the way Jesus cared for people.
Role Reversal
And all their works they do to be seen by men, and they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the fringes of their garments, they love also the chief couches in the supper, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market-places, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi. `And ye — ye may not be called Rabbi, for one is your director — the Christ, and all ye are brethren; and ye may not call [any] your father on the earth, for one is your Father, who is in the heavens, nor may ye be called directors, for one is your director – the Christ (Matthew 23:5 – 23:10 YLT)
Jesus had to know that this was going to be a hard standard for men to keep. I mean Jesus instructed for men not to let others call them Rabbi, or Director, or even Father. I have a lot to say about the major sentiment of these passages, that I’ll save for later. But for today I want to comment on one of the surface level implications.
Jesus didn’t want His followers to hang leadership over each other’s heads. You know the feeling right? Where you’re being held under someone else’s rank. You’re limited in what is shared with you. You’re made to feel inferior and lesser than. You wish you could be more, like them…one day.
Jesus reversed that order He washed the feet of the lesser men. He laid down His life for the smelly sheep. He values us above all other things. He longs for a meeting with us, where He cares intently about every detail of our lives. And He taught His disciples to do exactly the same.
Let no one call you leader, or pastor, or father…
20
May
The Reign of Heaven
I ran into a wild eyed gentleman the other day at a religious meeting place. He was middle aged and healthy looking. After inviting him to a gathering that we have, he told me that he was involved in a 4 hour prayer meeting that day of the week and that he wasn’t sure if he could make it. It turns out that it was one of two 4 hour prayer meetings that he attends a week. He said that he spends so much time in prayer so that through his corporate devotion God was going to unleash the gifts on the earth. He began to tell me about how we needed a 24 hour prayer ministry in Charlotte. “This is what God is doing in the earth.”, he said. He spoke of the profound thing that was happening in Kansas City through IHOP, a ministry I’m familiar with.
A harmless and insightful perspective, right? A few years ago I would of been in some kind of agreement with this man’s accessment. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to bash this guy, 24-7 prayer movements, IHOP, or any of the like; but that day it occurred to me that a religious system could not replicate, replace, or contain the Kingdom of God. In other words it became obvious that the “prayer movement” was not the only thing God was “doing in the earth”.
The problem we have as humans is that we like to control wild things. We see a wild animal and we want to tame it. We see a raw untapped source of energy and we develop technology to utilize it for our best interest. There is no limit to this domineering gene in our humanness. The sea, the universe, our money, our reproductive systems… and my point is that we do the same with God and the expression of church on earth. The young monk Martin Luther had such a desire to live in relationship with God that as he discovered how to actually reach God he was willing to die at the hands of the current “church leaders” so that others might have that same access.
Martin Luther started to break through and teach others to break through in an honest desire to know God, then it became an organization and a system where others, just like the young Martin Luther, would be held captive by a system that men controlled.
And so it is today. The whole idea of “What God is doing in the earth” is simply an exchange program that happens generation after generation. The “church” that worked in the 90′s to produce satisfied religious people is exchanged for a new “church” that meets the religious needs of today’s devout. Changing the “old wine skin” with another “old wine skin” does not work (link). Jesus spoke of a new wine skin- a new place in the heavens that He was preparing for us (link), a place not built with human hands (link), for our citizenship is in the heavens (link). You know, the Kingdom, the thing that Jesus couldn’t shut up about. Not just the future reign, but the present reign.
Just in case you think I may be saying that we should quit community. All of the New Testament screams the importance of community, and no-one can ever justify independence from the family of God . It’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is that man-centric organization religion is the enemy of the Christian Church. Jesus said “I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
Plainly the New Testament is about the presence of the King in our midst. And He appoints undershepards to express His love and His care. But He does not release His government to be led and domineered by them, that is clearly Mosaic Old Testament religion, not the Kingdom of God. Jesus set in motion a Kingdom where the least is the greatest and the King Himself washes the feet of the Disciples and lays down His life so that each person can know and be in relationship with Him.
The new wineskin is the Kingdom that is landing on the earth in the bodies of those redeemed. The Church is a group of blood bought people who go throughout the earth sharing His love and His life. Factions, separations, cool-clubs, distinctions among people is not from God, but a sad attempt to bottle up what could never be bottled, the presence of The Holy Spirit wildly and effectively infiltrating this planet through those who have accepted Jesus as their King and Lord.
Thus, it’s my conclusion that man’s attempt to capture and sell the Kingdom is the biggest adversary The Church has ever faced. Thankfully what He is establishing will not be defeated, but the faux replica will.
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