If WE Stop Believing

This morning's Men's Group was a lab.  Yeah, I know, the idea of lab work in a Christian setting seems so counter-intuitive. Discovering new ideas, breaking down years of tradition, and erroneous mindsets isn't at all what Christ would do. Teachable moments can't be found in the four gospels. 

NOT!!!!!!!

In my desire to not to offend anyone who might stumble on this blog, I've purposely withheld some of the teaching we've been doing.  Yet, in this instance, I can't hold back any longer. I won't argue with non-believers, simply because it is the difference between an experiential knowledge, and a head knowledge.  You can't tell me something I've experienced isn't real.  This same argument is what I use when I'm talking with other believers about spiritual gifts.  So. . .if you have stumbled on this blog, and you don't believe in the gifts of the Spirit, you might want to stop reading, now!

Last week I asked the men to pray for 15 minutes before coming to Men's Group.  During that time, I asked them to seek a 'word' from the Lord, write that word down, and be ready to speak it prophetically over their family, their faith family, and the world. 

WOW!!!!!!!   

Talk about some exciting stuff.  You see, as priests, and kings, we must serve with wisdom, and insight. (Kings are truly servants of another KING.)  In our families, we have a responsibility to speak prophetically over our loved ones.  If we are truly 'born again,' we will speak the best things over them.  While the best may not feel good, or may even be painful, speaking it will bring it to pass.  Our relationship with Christ is strengthened when we move within the prophetic.  

Jeffrey spoke the word, Healing.  Not in the sense of physical healing, but in the sense of doing what is asked of you.  The healing that takes place when you are disciplined, and become truthful. 

Michael spoke the word, Stay.  Staying in the richness of Christ, His blessing, favor, and richness of grace.  

Stone spoke the word, Sensitive.  Being sensitive to the heart of Christ, one another, and acting upon that sensitivity

Eric spoke the word, Favor.  That we would all live in the favor of God, and bring favor to all mankind through living in the favor of God.

Caleb spoke the word Humility.  That we would all be humble, living in this life with the humility that can only come from knowing Christ

Tony F. spoke the word Truth.  This word was burning on his heart all week long.  His prayer was that we would all know the truth, speak the truth, and live the truth.  

Jeff spoke the word Display.  He spoke the desire for all of us to display the grace of God, by living lives of love.

Pastor Eric spoke the word Abide.  That we would all abide, dwell in, draw our life from, and be found in Christ.

Pastor Tony spoke the word Breathe. That we would breath in the Holy Spirit, and breath out the life of Christ.  

Colby spoke the word Victory.  That we would experience the victory of faith in our lives.  

Jeremy spoke the word Faithfully.  That we would all live faithfully for the Lord our God, serve men faithfully, and serve our families faithfully.  

Cool thing about the lab experiment, was that the song set for the praise, and worship service had every one of the words in it.  That song set was chosen earlier in the week.   

MY THOUGHTS:  My prayer for this study has been to awaken within the men, the gifts of the Spirit, and to make them an everyday occurrence in our lives. The prophetic is so critical to the advancement of the Kingdom.  I hope and pray that we are able to make it real within us. If we stop believing in a living God, that loves to speak to us daily, then we have rendered the work of the cross useless.  It was Jesus who declared in John 16:7 that it was expedient for him to go away, so that we might receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. The prophetic isn't a hokey side show act, but instead is a vibrant revelation of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.  

 

Living In The Prophetic

DISCLAIMER:  Nothing raises the hackles of people quicker than stepping into the area of the prophetic.  It is extremely misunderstood, and misrepresented in the church, while at the same time vilified in the media. The criticism from outside the church is easy to take, however, it is more difficult to swallow when those who claim to love Christ, deny the one thing he felt was our greatest need.  

I'm not trying to convince anyone of the prophetic. I don't need to .  So if a discussion of the supernatural is not your cup of tea, click off this page now.  

It was a wonderful time in our Men's group this morning, as we had Debra Summers speak with us about her experience as a prophetess.  It was awesome to hear her explain how the unction comes upon her to prophecy, as well as see how she views her responsibility as a prophet.  One thing I've noticed about true prophets; they are some of the most humble, and sensitive people around. I especially enjoyed her association of the worship music with the message being given.  She also referenced 1 Corinthians 14 as what prophecy should be like.  She shared some of her personal struggles with when, and how to give a Word.  Perhaps the most striking moment, that touched all the men, was when she posited that it was possible to make a mistake in giving a prophetic word.  The mistakes can be as simple as 'going too far,' speaking at the wrong time, and injecting your own feelings into the message.  This doesn't disqualify your message, nor the gift, but it is a learning experience.  Of course this brought to light a teaching from my earlier childhood in a Pentecostal church where you were taught that if you made a mistake in giving a prophecy, you were not a prophet.  This doesn't even jibe with the Word.  MORE ON THAT LATER!

Pastor Tony also gave his experiences in moving through the prophetic.  Pastor Tony made the point that it is important for us to seek the better gifts.  We have to want to manifest the gifts.  Pastor Tony moves freely in the gift of Knowledge, healing, and wisdom.  He often experiences empathetic pain that allows him to identify a specific healing need within the fellowship.  At the same time, he stressed that this gift is often at work outside of the 'church' environs.  The gifts of knowledge, and wisdom, assist him in doing his job.  

Pastor Eric echoed much of what was said by Debra, and Tony. His input into what it takes to be prepared for ministering the gifts of the Spirit is simply valuable for living a Christ centered life.  Having a active prayer life, being 'tuned in,' and knowing God's word, make the flow of the Holy Spirit that much easier to manifest. He shared how one word, or even a phrase will come into his mind while ministering to someone, and then the Holy Spirit will expand it as he yields himself to the flow of the Spirit.

As we ended the study, we asked for those wishing to operate in the prophetic to come forward .  Every seat was empty.    

One thing I was glad to see, was the emphasis upon the doing. It is my firm belief that our flesh doesn't like the prophetic because it reveals sin.  The Holy Spirit isn't content to let us muck around in our pig sty.  The easiest way to silence the prophetic, is to attack the messenger.  I've seen it too many times where the prophet is bashed for being harsh, or speaking an error.  "God wouldn't say that," is a phrase I've heard often.  "That's not in the bible," is another phrase.  "They didn't quote it correctly"  is the killer.  Jesus didn't quote Isaiah 65 correctly either.  He also changed up the parable of the prodigal son.  Every true prophet raises the hackles of those who base their 'religion' on the traditions of men.  

We are blessed in our fellowship to have a broad spectrum of Spirit led men, and women.  Every need in your life can be addressed by the gifts of the Spirit if you allow Him to have his way.  It's time to let Him have his way.   

SNOW DELAY

The last couple of months have been extremely trying for me on a personal level, as well as for many others in our men's group.  Between work, physical life changes, children, grand-children, and a severe winter, I've found myself slacking on the blog front.  Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth continuing. I fully intended to take time between our Church service, and doing marriage counselling for a young couple engaged to be married, to bring this up to date.  Then, SNOW!  Yep, you heard it right.  Snow on March 16th, 2014.  Not just a flurry, but a good four inches on my yard. All of this on top of about two inches of rain earlier in the morning. Needless to say, I didn't update the blog.  This morning when I left for work, the doors to my truck were frozen shut.  I hate it when that happens.  Right now it looks like a winter wonderland.  I figure it'll be gone by this afternoon.  Although, I do have to admit, this is the prettiest snow we've had all year. The trees are decked out like a winter postcard, and the streets are clear. I'll do a pic on facebook later.

In our men's group, we're still studying how to advance the Kingdom of Heaven.  Really there is no, "HOW" to it, it's more a case of listening for, seeing, and doing the things Christ did while on the earth. We've spent the last year learning what the Kingdom of Heaven is, what it looks like, and our place in it.  Now, we're going to be doing more hands on.  For over two years now, I've lived with a hunger in my soul to see the Kingdom be rightly lived out in Harrison, Arkansas. ESPECIALLY IN ME.  The Kingdom is more than salvation, more than a Pentecostal experience, and more than social awareness.  It is more than a little cabin on the back forty of glory.  It is more than 'pie in the sky' waiting to die so I can be more like Christ.  I'm often amused by those who moan, and ache for heaven, and yet spend their life's fortune trying to stay alive in these decaying tents. The Kingdom is here, now, and moving forward.

Next week, when we finish the first 'lesson sheet' I'll post it for all of our brothers spread out across the nation. Just suffice it to say, the prophetic is just the tip of the iceberg.

Well, I'm out of here, it's cold in this office, and I'm ready for some breakfast.  

Finding The Love of Christ

Writing these blogs is getting harder, and harder. The words I have cherished all my life are failing me. The desire to express myself through the power of the pen is replaced with the hunger to be love incarnate. I have no more axes to grind, no more pleas to make, no more burdens to share, and especially no desire to convince anyone of anything. It is now time to love.

It has taken me a long time to get to this point in my life where I am free to love as Christ intended me to love. His infinite patience, and desire to bring me to completeness in Him must have been tried many times over. Love has finally overcome me, subdued my fears, and broke the chains of doubt. I'm not talking about the hollow, empty lusting for another person, or the overwhelming desire to be bound to someone emotionally. There is nothing wrong with these things, but they don't even come close to the peace that comes from the love of Christ. I wish I could explain it, but even with my love of words, and the power I place in them, I can't do this justice. All I know, is that I wish everyone could know the surpassing joy of knowing Christ.

Our age of reason, knowledge, and technology isolates us from the love that could be ours. Anger, hatred, and malice marked so many of my days before I came to this love. I grasped at thin air while hoping to find happiness in things, people, and knowledge. Even while professing my love for Christ, I had no idea of what it really was. I wanted His forgiveness, and eternal life, but found myself clinging to the things of this world. What we own, what we desire to own, and what we believe will endure when we are gone, will not fit in a pine box buried beneath six feet of soil. I have no self righteous junk to hand out, nor do I desire to any more. Position, power, prestige, and control are illusions that people wave before our eyes in the hope we will give them the same gratification. These things are empty, but the love of Christ is full of glory. I stand undone, unfinished, and utterly bereft of self in the face of Christ's love.

The love of Christ has finally consumed me. Thirty eight years ago he blessed me with a wife I've failed to love as I should. Over the period of that 38 years, He blessed me with 2 lovely daughters, a splendid son, and most importantly, five beautiful grandchildren. I don't want my remaining days on this earth to be measured by a love of things, but by a love for those whom Christ has asked me to love. I am not proclaiming an end to the ministry Christ has given me, nor am I waxing morbidly melancholy. I don't feel a sense of impending doom, or lurking death. I've never felt more alive than at this very moment. What I am feeling is a release to say my heart, to embrace the grace, and to speak to love, face to face. I am satisfied to share what small goodness the Lord gives me, with the men of our fellowship, and with my loving family.

Everybody wants to feel self important, and we all do things to make ourselves feel important, but the truth is, we are important to the people who matter. Christ has placed us where we can do the greatest good, and that is the desire of my heart. In the cosmological scheme of things, we have so little time on this vale, it is terrible to waste it on things that don't matter.

To all those who may find this small corner on the internet, I speak to you a simple blessing: Let love always guide you, kindness ever keep you, joy always abound to you, mercy flow from you, and to you. Let kind and tender words be the stones beneath your feet, forgiveness, and mercy be the path you follow, and wisdom be the lover of your soul. Put away childish things, and love.

Tender thoughts always,

en' Christ

For those wishing to keep abreast of where we are, here are the last two Sunday's notes.

• Love is sincere and lives a life of integrity (Matthew 5:33-37)
  • Love doesn't lie
  • Love doesn't need to be bound by empty promises
  • Love is always there
• Love doesn't perceive injury or demand payment  (Matthew 5:38-42)
  • We possess nothing therefore can demand nothing
  • Love is its own reward, the Lord repays
  • Love gives, it doesn't loan.
    • How can you demand back what wasn't yours in the first place
    • the demand of repayment is slavery
      • God hates slavery
• Loving everyone is being perfect, not partial. (Matthew 5:43-48)
  • God loved us first, (While we were yet enemies)
  • Praying for our enemies frees us from anger and fear
    • it also releases God to pour out his love on that person
  • Kindness is love in action
    • What you would do for your friends, do for your enemies
• Love doesn't boast (Matthew 6:1-4)
  • Love doesn't have to tell anyone that it is love
    • Kindness that is touted is its own reward and that is all you'll receive.
      • Man's praise is empty, fleeting, and fickle.
    • If you consider what you are giving, you are judging the needs of the person
      • You are doubting God's provision to provide more
      • God will always provide more to give
    • If you give publicly you may insult the party you are giving to and bring injury to them

FOUNDATIONS OF LOVE, LIVES OF PRAISE

Moving through this last lesson in the “Knowing” portion of our study into the Kingdom of Heaven has taken longer than I thought it would.  We spent over fourteen weeks just on the beatitudes.  I thought we would mortally fly through this lesson, but we seem to enjoy diving to a depth I didn’t even think possible.  I’m posting the following ‘portion’ of the last lesson so our brothers in other parts of the country can know where we are in the study of the Kingdom.  On a more personal note: One of the amazing things to me, is that I began writing this study on the Kingdom of Heaven with this lesson at the beginning of the study.  While trying to lay a foundation for this lesson I kept pushing it further back in the study.  From the beginning, I’ve had an overarching theme of expecting the miraculous expressed through healing, deliverance, and salvations. Fueling that expectation was the knowledge that it is LOVE that makes the miraculous happen. I know the Holy Spirit is the one who performs miracles, but LOVE is the driving force behind everything we desire to see.  Then, six months ago, my Pastor gave me a book by Bob Goff called “Love Does.”  It inspired me to believe more than ever before, that it is love that fuels our desire to do great things for God.  Two weeks ago I was given another book called “Compelled by Love”, by Heidi Baker.  I’m still reading “Compelled by Love,” but I can tell you it made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.  It made me wonder if I missed the Holy Spirit by pushing this portion of the study to the end. 

SO, with all of that said, I’m highly recommending those two books for our men to read as a supplement to our study.  I’ve also included the portion of our lesson sheet that we’ve finished up to this point.  If you pray for anything at all for me personally, pray that our local phone company will make DSL available to us soon.  THIS OFFICE IS COLD!!!!!!!

FOUNDATIONS OF LOVE, LIVES OF PRAISE

As we move closer to the end of THE KNOWING, it is important to understand the height, the depth, and breadth of the Love of God toward us. If we don't have a genuine appreciation for the Love of God, we can't advance the Kingdom, nor can we exercise the gifts he's given us with any degree of accuracy. Everything Jesus did upon this earth was an expression of the Love of God. His first recorded 'sermon' was a treatise upon what love should look like. As he ends his sermon he makes it clear what the Kingdom will look like, by the foundation he has drawn up. It is up to us, His Church, to DO what he said, so that we may be built upon the love of God. As our lives are built upon love, we will live lives of praise that bring glory to His name. While some of you may not like what is to follow, these are not my words, but those of Christ. We’ve already discussed what kind of people are 'blessed' (happy.) He gives us their quality, and what the reward is for demonstrating that quality

If we turn to Matthew 5:13-16 we’ll learn what we should resemble

• We are salt
• we give flavor to the world, making it palatable
• We are light
• we reveal the condition of the world around us by our actions
• Our Good Deeds will give Praise to God

Love is more than what we do: (Matthew 5:17- 20) If you want to mess yourself up turn to 1 Corinthians 13 and read along. Love is a tougher LAW to keep than the ceremonial laws, because it fulfills all the Commandments.

• Love is not angry (Matthew 5:21-26)
• Love does not allow anger to fester (envy, strife, and covetousness lead to murder)
• Does not insult or injure (calling someone an idiot)
• Does not demand its own way (cursing someone)
• If you've been angry and offended someone, ask forgiveness. (BE HUMBLE)
• Settle your differences with one another quickly (forgiveness is the currency of the Kingdom)
• Love is faithful, chaste, and pure (Matthew 5:27-32)
• Fidelity in marriage is tantamount to fidelity with God
• Loyalty is unconditional love
• To be unfaithful for any other reason than unfaithfulness is to become doubly unfaithful
• Love is sincere and lives a life of integrity (Matthew 5:33-37)
• Love doesn't lie
• Love doesn't need to be bound by empty promises
• Love is always there

As a final note:  There are so many wonderful things said by the men who come here every Sunday morning.  My memory isn’t the best, and a moderator/ teacher, I don’t take the best of notes.  I should.  Just know without a doubt, that God does have a remnant of men who are sincere in their love for Him.  We are learning how to be an army of ‘lay down lovers.’   Thanks Rick Pino.