Spirit Man or Soul Man?

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Tuesday, October 8, 2019  

Exodus 33:7 Now Moses used to take [his own] tent and pitch it outside the camp, far off from the camp, and he called it the tent of meeting [of God with His own people]. And everyone who sought the Lord went out to [that temporary] tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

I love this passage of Scripture. The entire chapter is embedded with prophetic symbolism. Years ago a friend of mine said, Sometimes you have to go outside of the camp to get the camp outside of you. I didn’t understand what he said then until much later. Now it makes perfect sense. WE have to pitch our own personal tent far away from the hustle and bustle of the camp – even the priestly tabernacle. A Word of warning here. Many will use this as an argument to avoid the priestly tent of gathering with other saints. But it’s not an “either- or” scenario but “both, and “and.” 

It’s interesting that Moses pitched his tent far off from the camp. There are several things I see here. For many of us God feels far away, distant, and isolated. So what better way to get to Him than to go out of your way, traveling some distance, to isolate yourself and seek Him? To meet Him where He’s at?This isn’t a geographical journey, like I’m arguing fro some spiritual vacation. No, it’s “traveling” through the early morning hours, while everyone else is sleeping to seek to be with Him. It’s going to an isolated spot in your house like a clothes closet or even a garage or car. The lesson being that we travel out of our way, beyond the reach of our comfort, to get to where He is. 

Notice that this tent was erected only for those who were seeking God. True, born-again believers are super natural seekers. It’s in your spiritual DNA. Though there are many more parallels regarding personal, isolated time with the Lord, going the distance, and such, and so on and so forth to discover I encourage you to seek for your own revelation regarding this passage, and practice them.

One more detail. Exodus 33:11 And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Moses returned to the camp, but his minister Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the [temporary prayer] tent. The young man, not the old, remains in the tent. Romans 6:6 states: We know that our old (unrenewed) self was nailed to the cross with Him in order that [our] body [which is the instrument] of sin might be made ineffective and inactive for evil, that we might no longer be the slaves of sin. 

Our old self, is our old man, but our born-again spirit is the new man; the younger man. It is this one who seeks to remain in the tent of meeting. It is this one who goes out of his way to seek God. It is this one who goes the distance. It is this one who makes the time to isolate themselves from the distractions of the camp.

Ready, Set, Go!

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Monday, October 7, 2019 

1 Chronicles 22:19 Now set your mind and heart to seek (inquire of and require as your vital necessity) the Lord your God. Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house built to the Name and renown of the Lord.

Set your heart and mind to seek…the Lord your God. Romans 3:11 states: No one understands [no one intelligently discerns or comprehends]; no one seeks out God. The Greek meaning for the phrase, “No one,” means, “No one.” Zero, nada, zip, nil, zilch. Nobody seeks God. Which means we must get distracted by other things that we equate with God. What do we do about this dilemma?

Colossians 3:1-3 If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. 

Paul provides us with a clue: aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above. You can deduce from the same verse that the treasure that we should be seeking is Jesus. What lies beneath Him are the higher things of Heaven. 

But the 1 Chronicles passage provides us with more than a clue if you look at the passage symbolically.Arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into the house…

David believes that Solomon is to be the one who will follow through on this command because of a word given to David. He reminds Solomon of this word in verses 9-10. It states, Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of peace. I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon [peaceable], and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My Name and [the symbol of My] Presence. He shall be My son, and I will be his father; and I will establish his royal throne over Israel forever.

Now, in part Solomon did build a House for the Lord, but the Son which God referred wasn’t Solomon – but Jesus. In fact Jesus referred to Himself as the Son of David (Mark 12:35). Jesus is the One Who will build the House for the Father. But where’s this House going to be? Yes, in us. We are being built into a House for the Spirit of the Lord. 

Which leads us back to what we are to be fixing our minds on: patterning our spiritual lives after that pattern which is in Heaven. What pattern am I referring? The pattern of all the objects of the Tabernacle. In the Tabernacle pattern we see the bronze altar, bronze laver, menorah, altar of incense, table of showbread – the bread of His Face, and the Ark of the Covenant. This is what we are to be building – a sanctuary for the Lord. 

The puzzling thing is this. In Exodus 33 it states that Moses pitched his own tent far outside the camp – while they were building the priestly tabernacle. Even more puzzling is that you see this pattern repeated in David’s reign. There was a tent he pitched for just the Ark of the Covenant while the priestly tabernacle remained in Gibeon. Now that’ interesting, and used to puzzle me for years.That is until recently. In that Biblical pattern I see great revelation. For in it I believe that the Lord has revealed that one of those tents is my own personal tent of meeting with the Lord, and the other is my priestly tent. Thus I am actually building two tents. And those tents are raised through Jesus. This “building” that Jesus is working on, is where I am to be setting, or fixing my mind and heart in seeking. You could correct me here with my own teaching. You could remind me that I’ve taught if you focus on anything other than Jesus you will end up in a ditch. And that’s true. But the beauty of each one of the furnishings is that they point to the Person of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Its quite phenomenal actually. That each furnishing reveals a unique facet of Jesus and the Spirit. 

So pass me some chips and slide that bowl of salsa fire over. We got a fire to build. Set your mind on that. 

Kings Dominion

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 Sunday, October 6, 2019

John 14:21-23 The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.] Judas, not Iscariot, asked Him, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? Jesus answered, If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching]; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.

This amazing question is sandwiched between two outstanding answers. Judas asked, Lord, how is it that You will reveal Yourself [make Yourself real] to us and not to the world? This is the whole point of the “3 For 10” Fasting Menu. How can we seek God to see Him? I have had people push that question aside by stating, “No man can see God and live.” To which I reply, “Was Jesus God?” To which they retort, “Why of course He was God but He was living as a man?” Argument settled right? Not so fast. The disciples also had Jesus appear to them following HIs resurrection. Was He not in His heavenly, resurrected body? Now we’re getting somewhere. How was it that these disciples could see Jesus after His Body had been glorified? Could it be that they had met the conditions of dying to themselves? Could it be that they had finally embraced the fact that Jesus was not just an impersonal Messiah but their personal Savior? 

But back to the question. Jesus answers the question wonderfully in verse 21 and 23 when He states, The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me;…End of story, right? Again not so fast. Read the rest of the promise: I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]

In other words, if I love, I will obey. If I obey, I will see. Pretty simple, huh? What’s even more startling is verse 23: My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.

What? If I love Him through Keeping His Word aligning my life to its truths – the Godhead will come to me, and build their home in me? God’s abode, Jesus’ abode is the Kingdom of Heaven. So as I align my life with His Word in obedience God will build His kingdom in me. I always like to shake people awake at this point. For it is quite easy to smugly nod our heads and miss the point entirely. What’s in the Kingdom? The King. Kingdom is made up of two words: King and Dominion. So the Kingdom is where the KING DOMINATES. What else is in His Kingdom? Angels, Light, Glory, Love, Peace, Joy. Are there any sick, lame, blind, deaf, paralyzed, demonized, tormented, mentally deranged, diseased people…in the KINGS Kingdom? Is power and authority in His Kingdom? Then you can rest assured Jesus is building all of these things in those who love, and obey His Word. 

Is this a feast or what? I don’t know what you are feasting on but this sandwich tastes pretty good. If you haven’t taken a bite you really need to reach across the table spread for you in the presence of your enemies and feast on His Love and Presence. 

Aliens and Strangers?

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 Saturday, October 5, 2019

2 Chronicles 31:18 For in their office of trust they cleansed themselves and set themselves apart in holiness.

What an amazing passage that contains great revelation regarding holiness. For it implies that if we are truly trusting God that we are cleansing ourselves, setting ourselves apart unto holiness. Now the word holiness is often a misunderstood word. For those in the grace camp it is something the New Covenant believer has been excused from. We are under grace not the Law. On the other hand, those in the camp of law and legalism reduce holiness to outward focuses pertaining to jewelry, dresses, makeup and hair. Holiness becomes a posture, religious exercises, and do’s and don’ts. Yet, in reality God never excuses anyone from holiness. His Name alone is Holy not to mention His Person. It is foolish to mistake the grace of God for a license to sin, living as we please. Eternal life, His life that He shed His blood for, wasn’t cheap. And His Life is a call to sacrifice what pleases us for what pleases Him. It’s interesting to me that the Tabernacle of Moses had the Holy Place or the Inner Court and the Holy of Holy Place. How sad the average church goer naively believes that their attendance is enough. Many miss the analogy found in the Tabernacle of Moses. As you read the passages regarding the divisions in the Tabernacle you discover that it actually symbolized three different levels of true believers: outer court followers of Jesus, inner court followers and the rare, holy of holies citizen. Exploring the symbols of these sections reveals the different approaches to God. For the Bronze Altar is a symbol of Jesus’ cross and the Bronze Laver is a symbol of His Word and Spirit. These are only found in the outer court. Yet there are many attending church who have yet to face the cross of Christ, kneeling at His feet in sacrifice and surrender. Not to mention taking the time to wash in the water of His Word and Spirit. Heaven weeps why we pat ourselves on the backs, and wink over our ignorance of His Word, and unwillingness to die daily with Him. The average church attender hasn’t even made it through the Door of the Tabernacle, let alone the outer court. 

Scripture sounds a warning in Hebrews 12:14 Strive to live in peace with everybody and pursue that consecration and holiness without which no one will [ever] see the Lord. Some would argue that we have already been made holy, and that’s true, but it’s only half of the truth. Remember His Sword is two-edged. When Bible believing Christians focus on one truth while denying another they assure their journey will have them tumbling head first, into a ditch. To seek to see the Lord requires that you acknowledge His Holiness. You will not see Him with out it. 

For years I wrestled over a more practical definition for holiness. I discovered that it meant “set apart” but that didn’t clarify the depths of its meaning. So I prayed and meditated on its meaning. It’s my humble opinion that He gave me the following definition: Holiness is being distinctly unique, or different from all that is average, middle of the road, or ordinary. It’s abnormal compared to others normalcy. It’s pushing aside all that would distract from the prize of the pursuit. Unique implies that you have no equal, without a like, or equal. It involves being peculiar, or unusual. Now when we apply this definition to our pursuit of God, praying, worship, witnessing, ministry, fellowship, and or time spent in the Word of God with the Spirit of God – would you say, or could you say that the deck is stacked in your favor? Do you have an equal in your pursuit of God or are others passing you by in their devotion, passion and pursuit? Holiness moves us from kindergarten Christianity to Olympian Christianity. When we add to this Jesus’ exhortation of reaping and sowing you discover how little we invest into the things of the Kingdom. 

How is it that in our culture we applaud the athlete who sacrifices all to excel in sports, or the scholar who studies overcoming, and paying the price to reach Educational heights, or the artist reaching past the boundaries of expectation with it’s stifled boxes of predictability, to a place of creative achievements. Yet when it comes to spiritual achievement we place the high bar on the ground where any blind man can hop over? Holiness is a call to raise the bar high. 

Isaiah 6:1 states: In the year that King Uzziah died, [in a vision] I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and the skirts of His train filled the [most holy part of the] temple. 

The good news? Ephesians 4:8-10 Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men. [But He ascended?] Now what can this, He ascended, mean but that He had previously descended from [the heights of] heaven into [the depths], the lower parts of the earth? He Who descended is the [very] same as He Who also has ascended high above all the heavens, that He [His presence] might fill all things (the whole universe, from the lowest to the highest).

Jesus descended so that we could ascend in holiness. Seek the Lord in the beauty of holiness, and taste and see that the Lord is good. Chew on that.

Falling to Rise

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 Friday, October 4, 2019

James 4:7-10So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you. Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].[As you draw near to God] be deeply penitent and grieve, even weep [over your disloyalty]. Let your laughter be turned to grief and your mirth to dejection and heartfelt shame [for your sins]. Humble yourselves [feeling very insignificant] in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you [He will lift you up and make your lives significant].

When Jesus presented the Parable of the Wheat and Tares, He placed the people of the Last Days, in two groups. Those two groups are compared to wheat and tares. Wheat and tares look almost identical. In fact the only person who can detect the subtle differences is an expert farmer. One interesting fact about wheat and tares is that during the summer heat of dry conditions, and scarce rain the wheat begins to grow fruit. The tares remain fruitless. In fact, as the wheat ripens, in the heat of the sun, it begins to grow heavy and bows down. The tares? They simply remain upright, and fruitless. What’s really interesting is that if you were to ingest the tares you would quickly discover that they are noxious and will kill you. Isn’t that appropriate? As new, spiritual beings we are constantly being surrounded by those who are poisonous, and noxious. What does one do?

James has the answer. First be subject to God. In other words, surrender and submit to Him. This is actually the first step towards humility. The second step requires resisting the devil, followed by the third step of coming close to God to purify your heart from divided interests, and spiritual adultery. Finally, grieve over your sin, weeping over your disloyalty. These steps will insure humility and entering the Presence of the Lord. 

Isaiah 57:15 promises: For thus says the high and lofty One—He Who inhabits eternity, Whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, but with him also who is of a thoroughly penitent and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the thoroughly penitent [bruised with sorrow for sin].

The lower we go the higher He stands to stoop down to revive us. How powerful is that? The “3 For 10” Fasting Menu doesn’t include desert but may I say that encountering Him is the Desert? Psalm 17:15 As for me, I will continue beholding Your face in righteousness (rightness, justice, and right standing with You); I shall be fully satisfied, when I awake [to find myself] beholding Your form [and having sweet communion with You].

Psalm 25:14 The secret [of the sweet, satisfying companionship] of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him, and He will show them His covenant and reveal to them its [deep, inner] meaning.

Psalm 27:4 One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek, inquire for, and [insistently] require: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord [in His presence] all the days of my life, to behold and gaze upon the beauty [the sweet attractiveness and the delightful loveliness] of the Lord and to meditate, consider, and inquire in His temple.

Kiss the Son

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 Thursday, October 3, 2019

Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son [pay homage to Him in purity], lest He be angry and you perish in the way, for soon shall His wrath be kindled. O blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied) are all those who seek refuge and put their trust in Him! 

Blessed are those who seek. What are we seeking? To kiss the Son. Yet there’s a big catch: Revelation 1:16 In His right hand He held seven stars, and from His mouth there came forth a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full power at midday.

The catch is if we kiss the Son we are going to have to run into the Sword coming out of His mouth. But this Sword isn’t simply going to cut you one way its going to cut you two ways. As if this wasn’t enough, beyond the Sword is the Sun. In other words, you are going to get burned. It doesn’t bode well for those who approach the Son. But isn’t that the point? (No pun intended) After Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden of Eden two cherubim were placed at its entry. To make matters worse a flaming sword guarded this entry and blocked the way to the Tree of Life. If Adam and Eve desired to get to Life they would have to die. In Exodus 20:19 And they said to Moses, You speak to us and we will listen, but let not God speak to us, lest we die. The sentiment of the people comes into sharper focus when we hear Moses’ recollection of that day: Deuteronomy 4:12,36-39 And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice…Out of heaven He made you hear His voice, that He might correct, discipline, and admonish you; and on earth He made you see His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire. And because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them, and brought you out from Egypt with His own Presence, by His mighty power, driving out nations from before you, greater and mightier than yourselves, to bring you in, to give you their land for an inheritance, as it is this day; know, recognize, and understand therefore this day and turn your [mind and] heart to it that the Lord is God in the heavens above and upon the earth beneath; there is no other.

To hear God’s Voice, His Word, required that they face the fire of His Word. Is it possible that the reason Moses could face the Fire, venturing ascending the Mountain of God, to face a most certain death, was that he had already observed a bush ablaze but not consumed? The death Moses had to die was that of his soul which screamed at him to remain anchored firmly to the desert floor. But here’s the rub: you cannot stay where you are and go with God. For that matter you can’t stay the way you are and go to God. You – your soul has to die. 

Seeking God is not a venture for the soul. In fact the soul hates this path up. It screams a quick, and speedy retreat from the self-sacrificing fires. It makes no sense; its not logical; it doesn’t feel good; it goes against the comfort of my personality. All of these voices vie for the throne of self. But there’s only One worthy to sit upon its throne. If you are going to hear His Word, and listen for His voice, you will have to kiss the Son, face the fire, and ascend the Hill He walked before us. What is that Hill? Calvary. Yes, He’s been crucified for you and I. But He invites you and I to join Him on the same Tree. Remember the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil is what crucified the Word and it’s to this Tree you and I must die. (It’s fruit is what killed our spirits in the first place). Seek the Sword of the Lord, and the Fire of His Spirit, yielding the old man – the soul man to die. 

If the Word has skewered the “fajitas” of your flesh the Lord says that this entree’ is a sweet smelling aroma to Him. To meet with Jesus at the Tent of Meeting requires for you and I to join Him in the Fire. Through this altar we can offer up the sacrifices of praise that are worthy of the Lamb of God.

About Face

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 Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Acts 3:19 So repent (change your mind and purpose); turn around and return [to God], that your sins may be erased (blotted out, wiped clean), that times of refreshing (of recovering from the effects of heat, of reviving with fresh air) may come from the presence of the Lord;

When a person sits still, crawls, walks or runs the action to move must first pass the command center of the brain. The brain initiates the action. The thought must be wedded to the will. The will being the fuel, or energy, to put into action the command of the brain. How I sit, crawl, walk or run will be determined by how I’m feeling. How I’m feeling will be expressed uniquely through my personality. Everything initiates in the mind and is expressed through all the others. What I have just described is the soul of man. The soul of man is separated from God and is at war even with itself. Paul describes that battle in Romans 7 in which he states that the things he wants to do he doesn’t do, and the things he doesn’t want to do he ends up doing. At the end of the chapter he exclaims: O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death? O thank God! [He will!] through Jesus Christ (the Anointed One) our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin. Romans 7:24-25

It is only through Jesus that our soul can be brought to conformity to the Spirit of God. But that victorious life of victory can never be achieved until we submit to repenting. At face value repentance means, to turn around, or do an “about face,” but the true foundation of repentance is found in the changing of the mind. Without a change of mind all the other action never takes place. The real kick in the pants is that the problem is so much deeper than a change of mind. Until my spirit man comes to life I might want to change; my mind might initiate the command, but it has to pass through my will, emotions, and personality to become a reality. In fact we can all give testimony to times when our minds were willing to do stuff but we didn’t feel like doing it. The key to our repentance is found in Romans 3:19 when it states: change your mind and purpose. Until our purpose is addressed our minds will see no need for a change. Yet Romans 8:28-29 states our purpose: 

We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose. For those whom He foreknew [of whom He was aware and loved beforehand], He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness], that He might become the firstborn among many brethren.

Most claim the promise of verse 28 without asking the question, What is God’s Design and Purpose? The answer is found in verse 29: …He also destined from the beginning [foreordaining them] to be molded into the image of His Son [and share inwardly His likeness]. Another interesting detail that many ignore or fail to address is the statement: …for those who love God and are called…” Until we love God we will never hear. Because loving God is not mere sentiment but obedience. If I love Him I will do what He says. But I can love God, and hear, yet reject His call. I know, I’ve done it many times. Repentance helps us see that if I have done all of the above I will embrace God’s call to fulfill His design and purpose for my life to be a little Christ. No more excuses about being only human, but a change of thinking that declares that I have a responsibility. Responsibility is made up of two words, “response,” and “ability.” I have the ability to respond to the call to be a little Christ. Repentance states I have the power of the Anointed One. How do I know that? Because He was anointed with the Spirit to accomplish all that He did so that He could baptize me with the same anointing – empowering me to do what He did. The question is, Am I repenting? Am I receiving refreshing; recovering from the effects of sin; being revived with fresh air of His Spirit? Am I repenting coming into the presence of the Lord? If our minds are being transformed, conformed to the Spirit and the Word, then I am taking on the Mind of Christ, the thinking of Jesus. If Im thinking the thoughts of Jesus then I’m modeling what He did, and what He does. That’s repenting. It’s not a stagnant thing. It’s not a thing of the past – one time and then you’re done. No, it’s a steady ascent up the Mountain of the Lord, a narrow, harrowing path with even narrower ledges. But we serve the One Who has made the Way and is the Way to the Top.

How’s your entree’? Wash that meat down with a pure drink from the Fountain of Living Waters. Let it bubble up inside of you and aid in your digestion. Both will provide strength for the ascent.

Transformational Worship

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Tuesday, October 1, 2019 

I was part of the “worship wars” of the nineties in which well intentioned pastors, and worship leaders sought to teach their people a new song. Unfortunately for the sheep of those flocks changes were typically shoved down people’s throats as dry hay. The conflicts which resulted revealed a greater problem. In fact, the problem was symptomatic exposing a fundamental misunderstanding of worship. Obviously the responsibility should be placed squarely on the shoulders of the well intentioned, leadership that took their people through these things and I being one of them. During those wars I realized that I knew very little about true Biblical worship. At that time worship was a desire and passion, but it was very shallow in its approach. The Apostle Paul opens a few slumbering saints eyes when he defines true, Biblical worship in Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. 

To the Apostle Paul worship was more than a song, or body posture you assumed. To him worship was a sacrifice or offering presented to God. The very first sacrifice of worship was to be that of the entire being or body. Obviously this would involve first, and foremost, the sacrifice of our soul – mind, will, emotions, and personality. An interesting concept in a church culture that elevates the mind and crowns king, the personality. True worship focused on Jesus, not the self. During the worship wars one of the catch phrases was “seeker sensitive.” Are your worship services “seeker sensitive?” Is your preaching, or teaching, “seeker sensitive?” Which was another misguided, well-intentioned approach at being self-centered. Church santuaries began to swell with “seekers” during those time. Unfortunately, the findings were that more left the church, as a result. Worship according to Paul involved holiness, devotion, consecration, and a pursuit of being well pleasing to God. Worship also involved a holiness that was more than a religious list of “do’s and “don’t’s.” It was a separation from conforming to a culture that was anti-Christ, and anti-Holy Spirit. True worship was transformative in which the person’s thinking was radically changed. So much so that the the transformation was called a metamorphosis. 

Can we say that we are transformed, or meta-morphosized through worship? I can’t say that many songs of worship have transformed me. Nor could I say that a body posture achieved that goal. What did transform me was a combination of all the above. This is another reason that we seek God through worship. For in that pursuit we see how far we’ve wandered away from the narrow path which leads up to Jesus. Which brings up another point – its narrow. There aren’t many jostling each other to walk up this path. And may I add, that the higher we ascend, the narrower the ledges become? So how are those appetizers? Have you tried the “dip?” Its been my experience that the dip isn’t enough. You need the fire of the “Salsa.” All of which will make you want to plunge into the Waters of the Spirit.

Bread of Heaven

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 Monday, September 30 2019

Matthew 6:16 And whenever you are fasting, do not look gloomy and sour and dreary like the hypocrites, for they put on a dismal countenance, that their fasting may be apparent to and seen by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full already.

It’s interesting to note that in passage above Jesus stated when you give, when you pray, and when you fast. Giving, praying and fasting are three characteristics of Kingdom citizens. And notice He didn’t say, “If.” The modern, culturally approved church, often finds these things offensive providing further proof that the soul of man is often at the helm of its “leader-ship.” Spiritual men and women will seek to join the armies of Heaven enrolling in the practice of all three of these disciplines. Perusal of the Halls of Faith will reveal its heroes who would crumple in humility seeking the Lord in prayer, fasting, sackcloth and ashes. Greats such as Joseph who fasted for an interpretation to Pharaoh’s dream from prison. Moses, who not once but twice, ascended the mountain of the Lord fasting 40 days and nights at the feet of the Almighty. Daniel who often prayed and fasted seeking the Lord for the lives of others, interpretation of visions and dreams, and observing the Old Testament fasting calendar. His time in Babylon was marked by fasting as he arrived in Babylonian captivity, when he refused to eat the food of the other slaves. Instead, he chose a fast of obedience, holiness and consecration distinguishing himself as head and shoulders above all the rest. Need we mention Jesus’ fast of 40 days, or His many all night prayer vigils in which He sought the Lord for wisdom, strength, and guidance?

Many fail to notice that prayer is often accompanied by fasting. Fasting was rarely done just for fasting’s sake. It was an outward expression of the humility which accompanied prayer. Throughout Scripture the practice of humbling oneself was simply another way of expressing that this humility would be accompanied by fasting and was synonymous. 

Jesus taught that fasting would be accompanied by feeding on another kind of “meat” or “bread.” His “meat” being to do the will of the Father. His “bread” to feed off of every Word that proceeded from the Mouth of the Father was, and still is, an obvious message for those of us who live more for our bellies cravings than the Spirits’ leanings. 

Lastly, fasting was synonymous with seeking the Lord. If you were fasting you were seeking to be in the Lord’s Presence, hear His Voice, and discover His answers. True Biblical, fasting wasn’t done as an empty, religious exercise but as a portal into the Presence of God. It was an intentional act of denying your soul and empowering your spirit.

With that in mind have you chosen from the “3 For 10” Fasting Menu? What’s going to be your entree and appetizer? The very first thing a waitress would do is to take your drink order. Have you drunk in the Wine of the Spirit and Word today? I wonder what “Wine” the Holy Spirit Waiter would recommend? I wonder would there be a particular Spiritual year that He would recommend? Enjoy your meal. Oh and don’t forget to tip your Waiter.

Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Ten Days of Awe – An Introduction

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The Purpose of Seeking God Continually: A Deceitful Heart

Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and it is exceedingly perverse and corrupt and severely, mortally sick! Who can know it [perceive, understand, be acquainted with his own heart and mind]?

Since our heart, or soul, is deceitful above all things it most definitely can deceive us into believing that we are believing and trusting in Jesus – when in reality we are really trusting in ourselves. Also it has the potential to deceive us into believing that we are worshipping, serving, and obeying Jesus – when in reality we are simply serving ourselves. For this reason we seek God.

John Piper, in an article entitled, Seeking God states: Seeking the Lord means seeking his presence. “Presence” is a common translation of the Hebrew word “face.” Literally, we are to seek his “face.” But this is the Hebraic way of having access to God. To be before his face is to be in his presence.

But aren’t his children always in his presence? Yes and no. Yes in two senses: First, in the sense that God is omnipresent and therefore always near everything and everyone. He holds everything in being. His power is ever-present in sustaining and governing all things.

And second, yes, he is always present with his children in the sense of his covenant commitment to always stand by us and work for us and turn everything for our good. “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). But there is a sense in which God’s presence is not with us always. For this reason, the Bible repeatedly calls us to “seek the Lord . . . seek his presence continually” (Psalm 105:4). God’s manifest, conscious, trusted presence is not our constant experience. There are seasons when we become neglectful of God and give him no thought and do not put trust in him and we find him “unmanifested” — that is, unperceived as great and beautiful and valuable by the eyes of our hearts. His face — the brightness of his personal character — is hidden behind the curtain of our carnal desires. This condition is always ready to overtake us. That is why we are told to “seek his presence continually.”

Examples abound in Scripture of characters throughout the Bible who, though well intentioned, were missing God through their daily religious activities. Even the followers of Jesus had a tendency to wander away from pursuing Him rightly. At the beginning of the Book of Revelation John is described as worshipping the Lord in the Spirit, yet his focus is redirected as Jesus surprises him from behind. Mary Magdalene is startled when she hears her Savior’s Voice coming not from the empty tomb but from the garden behind her. Two of Jesus’ followers, walking on the road to Emmaus, find themselves consumed by the death of Jesus. That is until they are surprised from behind by the Voice which warms their hearts to the fact that He has Risen, His body broken for them. Throughout the Bible we are encouraged and called to seek the Lord to find Him. It’s interesting to note that the Spirit is compared to a river. If you seek to follow a river from its banks you will note it’s twists and turns, its rises and falls. At times you may even lose sight of the river because of the thick brush, or rising hills or mountains. The problem of seeing is remedied as the seeker moves from an observer to a participant. That initial jump lands them in experiencing the waters up close and personal as the waters carry carry them wherever it wishes. 

Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Like the river the experience of seeking God though these feasts and festivals requires some introduction to understand the two holy days that are utilized for seeking. The first feast, Rosh Hashanah, literally means the “head of the year”, being the Jewish New Year. The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah, literally means “day of shouting or blasting”. It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days specified by Leviticus 23:23–32. The two days of Rosh Hashanah (September 29 at sundown to sundown September 30) usher in the Ten Days of Repentance (Aseret Yemei Teshuvah), also known as the Days of Awe (Yamim Noraim), which culminate in the major fast day of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. The Days of Awe represent the climax of a longer process. Starting at the beginning of the previous month, called Elul, the shofar is traditionally sounded at the conclusion of the morning service. A ram’s horn that makes a trumpet-like sound, the shofar is intended as a wake-up call to prepare for the Tishrei holidays. One week before Rosh Hashanah, special petitionary prayers called Selichot are added to the ritual. Rosh Hashanah itself is also known as Yom Hadin or the Day of Judgment, on which God opens the Books of Life and Death, which are then sealed on Yom Kippur.

Rosh hashanah is accompanied by Yom Kippur which is “the tenth day of [the] seventh month”[3] (Tishrei) and is regarded as the “Sabbath of Sabbaths”.  According to Jewish tradition, God inscribes each person’s fate for the coming year into a book, the Book of Life, on Rosh Hashanah, and waits until Yom Kippur to “seal” the verdict. During the Days of Awe, a Jew tries to amend their behavior and seek forgiveness for wrongs done against God (bein adam leMakom) and against other human beings (bein adam lechavero). The evening and day of Yom Kippur are set aside for public and private petitions and confessions of guilt (Vidui). At the end of Yom Kippur, one hopes that they have been forgiven by God. The Yom Kippur prayer service includes several unique aspects. One is the actual number of prayer services. Unlike a regular day, which has three prayer services (Ma’ariv, the evening prayer; Shacharit, the morning prayer; and Mincha, the afternoon prayer), or a Shabbat or Yom Tov, which have four prayer services (Ma’ariv; Shacharit; Mussaf, the additional prayer; and Mincha), Yom Kippur has five prayer services (Ma’ariv; Shacharit; Musaf; Mincha; and Ne’ilah, the closing prayer). The prayer services also include private and public confessions of sins (Vidui) and a unique prayer dedicated to the special Yom Kippur avodah (service) of the Kohen Gadol (high priest) in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. 

Obstacles To Avoid

Choosing to jump into the river will introduce you quickly to the immediate need of navigation. For in the river you will be introduced to obstacles like buolders, fallen trees, and debris that will seek to snag, impede, or completely halt your progress. With that analogy in mind there are several obstacles to be aware as you navigate the waters of seeking God. For example when the two disciples on the Emmaus Road reached their destination it appeared as if Jesus would not continue with them. It wasn’t until they urged Him to remain that they experienced the realization of Who this stranger really was. The same principle occurs between Moses and God at the burning bush. Scripture records: And Moses said, I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burned. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him …out of the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses! And he said, Here am I. Exodus 3:3-4

Another profound Biblical example of this principle of turning aside to pursue, seek, and see God is found in the narrative of Elijahs’ prophetic mantle being handed down to Elisha. Scripture records: 

When the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were going from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel. But Elisha replied, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they went down to Bethel. The prophets’ sons who were at Bethel came to Elisha and said, Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? He said, Yes, I know it; hold your peace. Elijah said to him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho. But he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said, Do you know that the Lord will take your master away from you today? And he answered, Yes, I know it; hold your peace. Elijah said to him, Tarry here, I pray you, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan. But he said, As the Lord lives and as your soul lives, I will not leave you. And the two of them went on. Fifty men of the sons of the prophets also went and stood [to watch] afar off; and the two of them stood by the Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up and struck the waters, and they divided this way and that, so that the two of them went over on dry ground. And when they had gone over, Elijah said to Elisha, Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you. And Elisha said, I pray you, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me. He said, You have asked a hard thing. However, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you—but if not, it shall not be so. As they still went on and talked, behold, a chariot of fire and horses of fire parted the two of them, and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it and he cried, My father, my father! The chariot of Israel and its horsemen! And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

And he took the mantle that fell from Elijah and struck the waters and said, Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah? And when he had struck the waters, they parted this way and that, and Elisha went over. 2 Kings 2:1-14

Three times Elijah tests Elisha to see if he would turn back and three times Elisha passed the test. But did you notice the final exam? Elijah had told Elisha if he could keep his eyes on Elijah and not be distracted by any other thing he would receive a double portion of the Spirit that rested upon Elijah. Elisha’s final test involved the flaming chariot of angels. Had Elisha fixed his gaze on this fiery wonder he would have missed the greater prize. Beholding the sight would have been a good thing, but not the best. 

The Rock of Offense, Jesus, is that test for us. Throughout my ministry I have observed with sadness those who have flunked this test missing God’s best. It is my opinion that Jesus’ “hobby” during His earthly ministry was to offend minds in order to expose hearts. This ‘hobby” of Jesus has continued into the present. Because many in the church are controlled by their souls they will most often choose that which is sensible, logical, comfortable or reasonable. Yet a life in the Spirit, of truly knowing Jesus, is not accomplished through living according to what is comfortable, reasonable, or appealing to the soul. It is quite the opposite. Regarding these obstacles John Piper offers some final words of wisdom: 

And there are endless obstacles that we must get around in order to see him clearly, and so that we can be in the light of his presence. We must flee spiritually dulling activities. We must run from them and get around them. They are blocking our way. We know what makes us vitally sensitive to God’s appearances in the world and in the word. And we know what dulls us and blinds us and makes us not even want to seek him. These things we must move away from and go around if we would see God. That is what seeking God involves. And as we direct our minds and hearts Godward in all our experiences, we cry out to him. This too is what seeking him means. Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near. (Isaiah 55:6) If you will seek God and plead with the Almighty for mercy . . . (Job 8:5) Seeking involves calling and pleading. “O Lord, open my eyes. O Lord, pull back the curtain of my own blindness. Lord, have mercy and reveal yourself. I long to see your face.”

Thuswe are ultimatelyresponding to the call of the Lord to seek Him and not simply observe a Jewish feast. I’ve taken the liberties of seeking to be creative in our approach of pursuing the Lord, and was reminded of the “3 for $10” Special at Chili’s Restaurant. In this pursuit I want to provide you with a “menu” of options to choose from that will assist you in breaking through to His Presence.

3 for 10 “Hot and Spicy” Yom Kippur Fasting Special

(What Price Are You Willing to Pay?) 

Start with a drink of the Holy Spirit, then choose an appetizer and an entree from our “3 For 10” Fasting Menu. Entrees include Fasting, Praying, Repenting, Worshipping, and time with the “Word” in the word & more. Appetizers include selected Humility, Holiness, Obedience and Setting the Mind and Heart to focus our attention on Jesus. So many choices – all for 10 days!

Choose Your Main Entrees

Choose your Fast: 

  • food – Full Fast, Daniel Fast, or Partial Fast.
  • sleep – keep a night watch of worship and prayer. The Jews had 3: Sundown to 10 PM; 10 PM to 2 AM; and 2 AM to Sunrise.
  • time – have focused prayer morning, noon, and night; one of these, two of these or all of these.
  • media – have a time to turn off all media devices using that time to seek God.

Choose your Repentance:

  • take the soul and spirit man evaluation – take the evaluation, score and evaluate yourself to see if you are more soulish than spiritual.
  • pray – through the soul and spirit man evaluation regarding where you need to change.
  • confess your sins specifically – note the areas in the evaluation where you have been living more for your soulish desires than for the Lord. Then confess those sins to the Lord.
  • repent – this is a plan of action in response to the areas you have sinned. What actions are you going to take to overcome your soul?

Choose Your Worship:

  • Sing songs of worship to the Lord at the beginning of the day. (A Great Resource for this is the internet, especially youtube. Simply google the name of the song and push play).
  • Thanksgiving practiced at the beginning of the day and throughout the day, especially for unmet needs, and in spite of frustrating or anxious situations. Practice this rigorously for the good and in spite of the bad.
  • Use the Psalms to praise and worship Him.
  • Read Romans 12:1-2 For Paul’s definition of worship asking yourself if you are offering to the Lord true worship, or simply singing a song?

NOTE: Not all Christian music is worship. Some songs are testimonials focusing on what Jesus has done, while other songs are prayers. A true worship song is personal and directed towards the Lord.

Choose Your Word

  • daily quiet or devotional time – this begins at the first part of the day before you start your regular activities. 
  • meditating in the word – have a specific book of the Bible that you are meditating on reading slowly, one verse or paragraph at a time, inviting the Spirit to lead and teach you. (Blue Letter Online Study Bible is a great resource for this).

E.T. Phone Home

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Mirrors are marvelous contraptions. Since narcissus fell in love with his own image while gazing at his reflection in a pond, the human race has been fascinated by mirrors. Mirrors are the friends magicians, the enemies of aging movie stars. WE have round mirrors and squat mirrors; big mirrors and compact mirrors; bathroom mirrors and rearview mirrors…If a dog is man’s best friend, perhaps his worse enemy is his mirror. Well, maybe his mirror isn’t really is worst enemy; it merely reflects the image of his most formidable opponent. What opponent is more dangerous than the one ho knows our deepest, darkest secrets? What opponent is more lethal than the one who can probe our most vulnerable points? – R.C. Sproul, Man in the Mirror Introduction

In this weeks installment of blogs we will seek to look into the mirror of the lives of Biblical twins to see what it reveals. In the familiar story of Esau and Jacob we are introduced to two brothers, fraternal twins (not to be confused with identical twins) who can teach us a great deal about who and what our spirit man can become. From the beginning of their birth the elder is favored over the younger as a man’s man; a hunter, or man of the outdoors. Tim Allen would depict him as a tool man (Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor), grunts and all. Jacob on the other hand was a homebody, some might ever refer to him as a “Momma’s Boy,” not given to grunts, hairiness, or the great outdoors. Whats’s amazing about these two is how quickly they expose our own spiritual condition; the divide between soul and spirit. Naturally, or soulishly, we would most likely have chosen Esau in a game of kickball, football or baseball. Jacob on the other hand would be the one last chosen; not our first pick. In an interesting twist God actually prefers the younger, and probably the least likely to be voted home coming king, or the most popular, or class president. But why? What is it about Jacob that God loved? What did He see that his earthly Dad couldn’t see?

Jacob valued the birthright, and the patriarchal blessing so much so that he was willing to stoop to any depths to obtain them. Jacob was so hungry for any blessing that he was willing to wrestle through the night to obtain it from an angelic stranger. But what was the big deal about the birthright and blessing? The Birthright was an honor given to the firstborn, bestowing “head of household” status and the right to inherit his father’s estate. The son with the birthright would receive a double portion of whatever was passed down. It’s your inheritance. The Hebrew word for birthright means to “bear new fruit.”  The Blessing on the other hand was prophetic in nature involving the Favor or Grace of God bestowed upon an individual in every area of their lives. (See Deut. 28). Jacob valued these – and he valued them bad. So badly, that we was willing to do whatever it took to get them. There you have it: inheritance and God’s favor or grace. Hopefully you can see what God saw. For in these two values of Jacob we have a foreshadowing of those who are born from above. Those whose hearts belong to Heaven. Alien strangers visiting an even stranger land. But these extra-terrestrial’s (E.T. phone home) have a heart light that must phone home. Col. 3:1-3 states an obvious characteristic of those E.T.’s when he states: If then you have been raised with Christ [to a new life, thus sharing His resurrection from the dead], aim at and seek the [rich, eternal treasures] that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. And set your minds and keep them set on what is above (the higher things), not on the things that are on the earth. For [as far as this world is concerned] you have died, and your [new, real] life is hidden with Christ in God. I used to be puzzled, even offended by the beatitude that stated: blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth until I read Psalm 37. That blessing is repeated 5 times. I noticed a teachable moment so I asked the Lord, What’s the big deal about inheriting the land? His answer surprised me. Romans 8:16-17 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Everything that Jesus is coming back to possess belongs to His heirs. It should be of value to us because it is of value to Him. Jacob saw the value in the inheritance afforded to him through the birthright. He saw the value in God’s Grace and favor. He saw so much value in them that he was willing to do whatever it took to possess them. All children of the King should be the same way. This sounds really crazy but I long to be home with Jesus. But check this out: our heavenly home is only temporary. Why? Because Jesus is where our Home is and He is coming back to this earth to reign. Isn’t that crazy? Jesus makes Heaven – Heaven, and there’s coming a day when He will make earth like Heaven. Why do we pray, “Thy Kingdom COME!!!???? That’s so amazing. To be with Jesus – face to face; our faces looking into His Beautiful Face! Can you hear the call? E.T. Phone Home!

Frankenstein

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Frankenstein’s monster, often erroneously referred to as “Frankenstein,” is a fictional character who first appeared in Mary Shelley‘s 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus. In Shelley’s Gothic story, Victor Frankenstein builds the creature in his laboratory through a method consisting of chemistry and alchemy. Shelley describes the monster as 8-foot-tall and hideously ugly, but sensitive and emotional. The monster attempts to fit into human society but is shunned, which leads him to seek revenge against Frankenstein. During a telling of Frankenstein, Shelley referred to the creature as “Adam” as in her epigraph: Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay to mould me man? Did I solicit thee from darkness to promote me? John Milton, Paradise Lost

Although the creature would be described in later works as a composite of whole body parts grafted together from cadavers and reanimated by the use of electricity, this description is not consistent with Shelley’s work. However in the Shelley’s original work, Dr. Frankenstein spends two years painstakingly constructing the creature’s proportionally large body (one anatomical feature at a time, from raw materials supplied by “the dissecting room and the slaughter-house”), which he then brings to life. 

But how does the story of Frankenstein’s Monster fit into the blogs written previously? Centuries ago two characters, Abraham and Sarah, allowed unbelief and presumption, to lead them to take it upon themselves to assist God in creating an heir. The tremors of that fateful decision released far reaching, consequences stretching beyond the land of Canaan shaking the earth this very day. The sons of Ishmael are still persecuting the sons of Isaac. Their story has amazing parallels for us as believers today. Galatians 4:28-31 it states: But we, brethren, are children [not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise. Yet [just] as at that time the child [of ordinary birth] born according to the flesh despised and persecuted him [who was born remarkably] according to [the promise and the working of] the [Holy] Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? Cast out and send away the slave woman and her son, for never shall the son of the slave woman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. So, brethren, we [who are born again] are not children of a slave woman [the natural], but of the free [the supernatural]. 

Abraham and Sarah’s unbelief has been a topic rearing its ugly head since the Garden. On that fateful day, our ancestors Adam and Eve, chose to allow unbelief and presumption to lead them away from God’s Word. Unfortunately for us mankind and the Church has been reaping the benefits of that fateful decision. Those two sins have created more than enough history books to fill the annals of time. As in the fictional account of Frankenstein’s monster, an ancient monster has emerged. The offspring of unbelief and presumptions produced an institution called the Church. You may be tempted to say, “Robert, you are awful hard on the church.” But I remind you that as in Tuesday’s blog, God’s Garden has been dropped behind enemy lines. Jesus’ parable has the tares growing right alongside the wheat. The kick in the pants is that wheat and tares look exactly alike. That is, they are similar until the harvest draws near. As the harvest approaches the wheat becomes ripe with fruit and begins to bend, bowing low to the ground. The poisonous tares? They remain upright, proud, and unbending. And just to add one more symbol to make the case, Jesus also made reference to sheep and goats. (Similar in appearance but they are not the same animal.) In fact it was the institution of Jesus’ day that crucified Him for the good of the people. So today’s modern church finds itself sharing “raw materials” supplied by “dissecting room and the slaughter-house.” It’s interesting to note that when Israel was to collect manna for the day they weren’t to store it up for the next day. Yet the Bible records that many disobeyed God’s instructions and to their dismay awoke to discover containers full of maggots. We know from Scripture that manna is a shadow and type of God’s Word (See Matthew 4). When the dots are connected we see that if attempts are made to live off of yesterdays manna – not gathering fresh manna for the day – that manna will become rotten. Like Shelley’s monster, the 21st Century Church, and its modern day attender are in many ways controlled by that which birthed Ishmael in the first place. In the meantime, unbelief and presumption mock the Isaac’s of Christianity. Which is an interesting term in the Hebrew for it implies that mocking actually involves mimicking. And isn’t this the problem with the church? People mimicking those who really know Jesus who haven’t been born-again of the Spirit. This mimicking by the sons of Ishmael produces a hypocrisy that knows no bounds. Hypocrisy being another interesting word used to describe how Greek actors would wear masks as they portrayed various characters. Thus the word came to mean, “mask wearer.” In true, Biblical, Christ-centered, Christianity the masks are removed and the sons of Isaac – the sons of Heaven’s Joy – the Promise is revealed. To break free from the Church of Ishmael requires courage to face the Sword of the Word examining your life carefully – daily. David exhorted the worshippers of Israel to Kiss the Son lest He be angry with them. Revelation records that Jesus has a double-edged sword extending from His mouth. Implying that if we are going to draw close to Him we are going to get cut. Yet His Sword is double-edged – one side to kill you and the other to heal you. Paul himself exhorted his readers to test themselves to see if they were still in the faith. Surprisingly when he wrote that it had only taken them 20-30 years to stray from the True Gospel. How far off the path do you think we have wondered after 2000 years of Church history? Paul’s remedy for this departure was to grow in the Spirit, as seen in 1 Corinthians 2. It states in 1 Corinthians 2:14-15 But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him]. Contrary to many critics of the book of 1 Corinthians Paul was not discounting seeking to walk and move in the things of the Spirit. He was attempting to correct them. Corinthians gives us some clues as to how we are to grow: 1 Corinthians 2:2-5: For I resolved to know nothing (to be acquainted with nothing, to make a display of the knowledge of nothing, and to be conscious of nothing) among you except Jesus Christ (the Messiah) and Him crucified. And I was in (passed into a state of) weakness and fear (dread) and great trembling [after I had come] among you. And my language and my message were not set forth in persuasive (enticing and plausible) words of wisdom, but they were in demonstration of the [Holy] Spirit and power [a proof by the Spirit and power of God, operating on me and stirring in the minds of my hearers the most holy emotions and thus persuading them], so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men (human philosophy), but in the power of God.

Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].  1 Corinthians 2:12-13 

The man who was “floored” by his encounter with Jesus said all he wanted was to know Jesus. In fact Philippians records that his determined purpose was to know Jesus …MORE. “Knowing” wasn’t just mere book knowledge, for the New Testament was being written at the time of this letter. So he wasn’t equating knowing through reading about Him. Paul wasn’t referring to the afterlife when he exhorted the believers to know Jesus – for it was obvious that they would know Jesus in the afterlife. No Paul was talking about a Spirit-filled Christianity, vibrant with life, experience, and power. He continued to exhort the believers to not have their faith in human wisdom, clever speech or the words of men. Where did he want their faith? In the Holy Spirit and His Power. He wanted them to comprehend and appreciate the gifts of the Spirit. For he himself was taught by the Spirit through heavenly or spiritual communication.

This life is not for those created through laboratories on Church growth but for those born of the Spirit. Ishmael’s cannot comprehend this life. Its foolishness to them. Ultimately we have to guard our hearts from becoming monsters of soulishness who live only for their mind, will, personality and emotions. Although “Ishmaels” will mock us ruthlessly for our beliefs, and practices sons of Isaac know Jesus raised up a Bride from the dead, not a monster (and he didn’t need electricity or alchemy.) He breathed into our dead spirits the life of His Spirit. We can never be the same. How could we ever?

The Hulk

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The Hulk is a fictional superhero appearing in publications by the American publisher Marvel Comics. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in the debut issue of The Incredible Hulk (May 1962). In his comic book appearances, the character is both the Hulk, a green-skinned, hulking and muscular humanoid possessing a vast degree of physical strength, and his alter ego Dr. Robert Bruce Banner, a physically weak, socially withdrawn, and emotionally reserved physicist, the two existing as independent personalities and resenting of the other. Following his accidental exposure to gamma rays during the detonation of an experimental bomb, Banner is physically transformed into the Hulk when subjected to emotional stress, at or against his will, often leading to destructive rampages and conflicts that complicate Banner’s civilian life.

In the Biblical story of Cain and Abel it was Cains anger and rage which got the better of him. In fact, Cains assault upon his younger, twin brother, was actually an attack upon Abel’s worship. Cain wanted to control Abel; getting him to worship God his half-hearted way. The “hulk” of our soul man will seek to silence and intimidate the spirit man into submission. His bullying presence will seek to strong arm our worship into submission rendering it self-centered, and anemic. Yet the spirit man’s worship will go lower to ascend higher into the heavenly realms where they sit with Christ. You may ask, What is worship? Paul answers that question for us in Romans 12:1-2 when he states: I appeal to you therefore, brethren, and beg of you in view of [all] the mercies of God, to make a decisive dedication of your bodies [presenting all your members and faculties] as a living sacrifice, holy (devoted, consecrated) and well pleasing to God, which is your reasonable (rational, intelligent) service and spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

Paul’s definition of worship would involve a dedication of your body to the Lord, holiness, obedience, non-conformity to the world’s standards of right and wrong, spiritual transformation, and an over-haul of your thought life. In essence it echoes the greatest commandment: Love the Lord your God with ALL…your mind, heart, soul (will, emotions and personality), and strength.An all inclusive package. True Biblical worship is a whole-hearted response to the Almighty Creator of the Universe. In the New Testament true Biblical conversion was exemplified by totally surrendering the entire self: Colossians 2:6-7 So then just as you received Christ, Jesus as Lord continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught. Paul’s assumption being that when an individual truly surrendered themselves to Jesus they had received and embraced Jesus as Savior, Master and Baptizer in the Holy Spirit. Their conversion modeled their worship. Joshua encountersthe Captain of the Lord of Hosts after entering the Promised Land. Joshua’s response? He prostrated himself, burying his face in the desert sand, taking off his sandals, and worshipped. When Thomas saw the resurrected Christ he exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” Which is a phenomenal statement coming from a monotheistic Jew steeped in the Hebrew Shema. Interestingly enough many body postures that westerners struggle with today were actually commanded as part of the worship. It wasn’t optional. (that’s what a command is). For example in 1 Timothy 2:8 Paul commands the believers to raise holy hands to God. We know this is a command because of the word used at the very beginning, “Therefore…” A command always follows this part of speech. The psalmist exhorts and commands the people to clap their hands, be still, dance, shout, worship, sing, and give thanks. Our bodily posture demonstrates an “ALL” in our worship. Yet the highest reverence and worship we can give our Savior exceeds our songs and postures. What is it? Our faith-filled, surrendered obedience. It’s here that the true worshippers the Father seeks are separated from the “Bruce Banners.” From this position the threat of a hulk-like shadow, can’t impose Cain-like worship upon those who worship the Father in Spirit and Truth. These are the worshippers God the Father truly seeks.


Jeckyll or Hyde?

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What’s happening to the Church in America? Would our normal Christian experience be considered abnormal to the Apostles and the Christians of the 1st century? Why is it becoming progressively difficult to distinguish a Christian from a non-Christian? Why are Scriptural references to anything related to the Holy Spirit ignored, pushed aside, or dismissed altogether? Why are things of the Spirit stranger and stranger for a 21st century church attender to grasp?

You’ve seen the movies, possibly even read the book written by Robert Louis Stevenson, about     a Doctor Henry Jekyll. The fictional doctor who produced a serum enabling him to transform into a monster he called Mr. Hyde. In this fictional novella, Mr. Edward Hyde, the doctors alter ego, is permitted to indulge in unstated vices, evil, and self-indulgence living solely for himself. Unfortunately the ravenous appetite of the self-centered monster, Mr. Hyde, can not be slaked. Dr. Jekyll’s veneer of sophisticated, self-control is wrenched from his grasp as Mr. Hyde emerges as the stronger of the two. And Dr. Jekyll? He is seen no more. What’s startling about the 19th Century allegory is that it’s not far being an allegory of the spiritual condition of the 21st Century Western Church. But why is that? What has caused the average church attender’s disconnect? How is it that it’s becoming progressively difficult to distinguish a Christian from a non-christian?

Galatians 4 provides us with a clue: But we, brethren, are children [not by physical descent, as was Ishmael, but] like Isaac, born in virtue of promise. Yet [just] as at that time the child [of ordinary birth] born according to the flesh despised and persecuted him [who was born remarkably] according to [the promise and the working of] the [Holy] Spirit, so it is now also. But what does the Scripture say? Cast out and send away the slave woman and her son, for never shall the son of the slave woman be heir and share the inheritance with the son of the free woman. So, brethren, we [who are born again] are not children of a slave woman [the natural], but of the free [the supernatural]. Galatians 4:28-31 

In this passage, the Apostle Paul, is using Scripture as an allegory painting for us a portrait of the two sons of Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac. Christians are seen as the true sons of Isaac whereas sons of Ishmael only live to satisfy their carnal, or soulish man (composed of mind, will, emotions and personality. The disturbing truth is that the church, along with the cultural Christian, has been taught to cater to Mr. Hyde’s hunger blinding us to its horror. Like Dr. Jekyll we’ve been attempting to live a double life whose hunger knows no bound or equal. We’ve assumed with the proper “formulas” the beast within can be controlled, squelching its behavior. Unfortunately avoidance of Truth (Truth is a Person) has led us to our present condition. For years I read the Scripture, Jacob I loved but Esau I have hated, being offended by its implications. (Romans 9:13) I puzzled over Israel’s behavior as he crossed his arms to give prophetic blessings to the sons of Joseph. And I pushed aside the nudges of curiosity as to why David, the youngest of all his brothers, was ignored and left to tend sheep, as Israels’ prophet Samuel sought to discover God’s chosen one, King Sauls’ replacement. Truth had been staring me in the face all these years, that is, until now. 

1 Corinthians 15:45-48 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded).

From Paul’s writing we can deduce, First comes the physical then the spiritual. The first Adam represents or symbolizes the earthly-minded or soulish man, whose offspring find themselves  ruled from within by their souls – mind, will, emotions and personality. Yet, the Last Adam, the younger Jesus, represents those born of the Spirit and Promise. These son’s of our dread Champion, the Last Adam – Jesus, live for the things of the Spirit, being spiritually minded, inclined and focused. 

Unfortunately, as in the fictional allegory, the conclusion is that the building of God – the Church, along with its attenders have been overtaken by the sons of Cain, Ishmael, and Esau. The Good News is that Jesus’ Body, sons and daughters of the King’s Dominion, know His Garden is growing on the inside refusing to ingest self-serving formulas to live duplicitous lives. No, choosing to be crucified daily with their Savior, they have relinquished their rights for their Beloved, seeking to be filled and empowered – DAILY – with His Precious Holy Spirit. These over-comers know that it’s not by might, nor the power of carnal man that will achieve their victory. No, they know that in their weakness, and foolishness He is their strength and wisdom. They grow the Garden for their Beloved seeking for it to bear fruit for HIs Name. 

A House Divided

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On an early June morning in 1862, two brothers from Scotland were fighting for their lives and adopted homeland on a South Carolina battlefield. They had come to America less than two decades prior, and each had come to love his new homeland. Shockingly, Alexander and James Campbell, were fighting on opposite sides of the Civil War conflict. The two brothers made the transatlantic crossing together from their native Scotland to make America their new home. Yet, while Alexander remained in New York, Joseph, became a stone mason in Charleston, South Carolina. When the fighting broke out between the states, Alexander joined New York’s 79th Highlander Infantry Regiment while James enlisted into the 1st South Carolina Battalion. Each knew the other had joined the enemy cause because they corresponded with one another throughout the war. Eventually, Alex and the 79th New York landed on James Island, South Carolina, just outside of Charleston. The Union Army was attempting to make South Carolina pay for its rebellion and the attack on Fort Sumter the previous year. During this skirmish Union troops captured a Confederate soldier who told Alexander that his brother was operating in the same area with the Federal Army. It wasn’t until after the battle of Secessionville that the brothers learned the horrifying truth. Alexander wrote: “I was astonished to hear from the prisoners that you was colour Bearer of the Regmt that assaulted the Battrey at this point the other day…. I was in the Brest work during the whole engagement doing my Best to Beat you but I hope that You and I will never again meet face to face Bitter enemies on the Battlefield. But if such should be the case You have but to discharge your deauty to Your caus for I can assure you I will strive to discharge my deauty to my country & my cause.” Though the brothers were never engaged in dramatic mortal combat at Secessionville, it was the closest they would ever come. Following the battle, the Union Army returned north, in which Alexander was wounded in the Battle of Chantilly, Virginia. Brother James was captured at the 1863 Battle of Fort Wagner, South Carolina and sent to a federal prison, where he sat out the rest of the war in squalid conditions. The two continued their correspondence throughout James’ incarceration as a rebel soldier.

Scripture states in Matthew 10:21-22 that Brother will deliver up brother to death, and the father his child; and children will take a stand against their parents and will have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake, but he who perseveres and endures to the end will be saved [from spiritual disease and death in the world to come]. In this passage Jesus describes another battlefield in which He gives instructions to His 12 disciples preparing them for the adversity that they were about to encounter. What’s interesting though is that His discourse moves beyond the present and into the future as He prophesies Last Days events. Jesus prophetic vantage point saw that from the birthing of Adam and Eve’s children a battle had begun long ago between father, mother, and brothers culminating in a final, Last Days battle that revealed the true motive of their hatred. That motive begins to be unveiled in Genesis 4 as it records the birthing of twin brothers – Cain and Abel. Cain was a farmer and Abel a shepherd. Physically they were twins but spiritually they were polar opposites. Cain sought to obey God half-heartedly, offering to God something that was to be “sacrificial” – but was anything but. Abel on the other hand brought to God his “first fruits” – his very best sacrifice – and it was pleasing to God. His brother Cain was none too happy with God’s disapproval being outdone by his younger, twin brother. As the animosity seethed inside of him it quickly evolved into premeditated murder. Who knows what drove Cain to silence the testimony of truth and righteousness reflected in his sibling. Was it that Cain couldn’t stand the sight of seeing what he did not want to be? Was it that when he saw his own face reflected in his brothers that he was reminded of his failure? We will never know. Suffice it to say Abel became history’s first martyr. But is there some deeper, spiritual significance that has been hidden for the saints of God to unearth its treasure? Absolutely. Presently we are engaged, consciously or unconsciously, in a spiritual civil war that is occurring right beneath our proverbial noses. As Solomon warns us throughout Proverbs, “Get wisdom and get understanding.” Yet Paul reveals the condition of man in Romans 3:10-12 “There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. 

They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.” We live in a day and time where the Body of Christ desperately needs shepherds who are prophetic. Shepherds who will point out: This is the way; walk you in it. Yet the blind are leading the blind not recognizing their own spiritual “dis-ease.” Something is desperately wrong in the Body of Christ, and has been for centuries. Only those seekers of truth will awaken to the warning blasts of the trumpet. Question is which side of the war to end spiritual slavery will we find ourselves on: Cain’s or Abel’s?


Behind Enemy Lines

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What would it be like to be dropped behind enemy lines, fighting your way back to allied territory only to discover that the battle you fought so hard to fight only landed you in enemy territory? What does the old adage mean: “We have met the enemy and enemy is us?” and how does this apply to Christianity in the 21st Century?

In Legend, acclaimed bestselling author Eric Blehm takes as his canvas the Vietnam War, as seen through a single mission that occurred on May 2, 1968. A twelve-man Special Forces team had been covertly inserted into a small clearing in the jungles of neutral Cambodia—where U.S. forces were forbidden to operate. Their objective, just miles over the Vietnam border, was to collect evidence that proved the North Vietnamese Army was using the Cambodian sanctuary as a major conduit for supplying troops and materiel to the south via the Ho Chi Minh Trail. What the team didn’t know was that they had infiltrated a section of jungle that concealed a major enemy base. Soon they found themselves surrounded by hundreds of NVA troops, under attack, low on ammunition, and stacking the bodies of the dead as cover in a desperate attempt to survive the onslaught.

When Special Forces staff sergeant Roy Benavidez heard the distress call, he jumped aboard the next helicopter bound for the combat zone without hesitation. What followed would become legend in the Special Operations community. Flown into the foray of battle by the courageous pilots and crew of the 240th Assault Helicopter Company, Benavidez jumped from the hovering aircraft and ran nearly 100 yards through withering enemy fire. Despite being immediately and severely wounded, Benavidez reached the perimeter of the decimated team, provided medical care, and proceeded to organize an extraordinary defense and rescue. During the hours-long battle, he was bayoneted, shot, and hit by grenade shrapnel more than thirty times, yet he refused to abandon his efforts until every survivor was out of harm’s way.

1 Corinthians 3:9 states that we have been dropped behind enemy lines: For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building.

Why would I say that we have been dropped behind enemy lines? Because Romans 8:9 states: [That is] because the mind of the flesh [with its carnal thoughts and purposes] is hostile to God,..” Good News Translation states: And so people become enemies of God when they are controlled by their human nature;…”Aramaic Bible in Plain English Because the mind of the flesh is hatred toward God,…” Our carnal, fleshly, human or soulish nature is defined as our mind, will, emotions and personality. In essence, our soul is our spirit man’s evil twin. Make no mistake about it our soul hates God and is the enemy of God’s Spirit operating in our born-again spirit. This other-worldly, visitation from Heaven brings us into direct conflict with our selves seeking to see that God’s Garden takes dominion over the battlefield of our eternal destiny. Genesis 2:15 states: And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. The Hebrew word for guard or keep implies that we are to exercise great care over it. It expresses several ideas that contain parallels for our own spiritual gardens. In one instance we are to guard or keep through doing things carefully, or diligently as in Proverbs 19:8’s injunction to “Give heed to understanding” or Dt. 11:32’s injunction to “Be careful to do (i.e. perform carefully.)” Another ramification is “take care of,” “guard” as in keeping a garden or tending it, guarding it against intruders. Frequently the verb is used to speak of personal discipline, in taking heed to one’s life and actions. Lastly it conveys the idea of paying attention to, and giving reverence to God. In summary you could say that while we are behind enemy lines we are to pay attention to God, His Word, and our lives while we gain spiritual understanding and keep watch against any form of enemy intrusion. Question is are the lines of the conflict drawn clearly in the church and believers minds? My limited assessment is that the conclusion is obvious: No!! Emphatically, No! As you will see in this weeks blogs many don’t know which side to fight on, what they are fighting for, nor what they are fighting against. Even in a pick up game of basketball between the skins (interesting symbolism) and shirts we know clearly who are opponents are. But as the old adage states: “We have met the enemy and enemy is us.”

Hide and See

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Why does God take pleasure in hiding things in plain sight? How do we make walking off with Jesus into eternity a beginning instead of a final destination? How does “tending” or “dressing” God’s garden in us find it’s fulfillment in and through His Living Word?

Proverbs 25:2 states that “It is the Glory of God to conceal a matter…” revealing God takes great pleasure in hiding things in plain sight. The examples are numerous but some of the obvious ones are Jesus, Holy Spirit, revelations from the Word of God, and prophecy. Four prophecies, have been hidden or embedded in the Garden story – hidden for you and I to unearth its treasures. As I have explained in a previous blog one of those prophecies is based on my interpretation and opinion. (I’m entitled. We all have two armpits) Those prophecies are: a) The Word of God will walk through His Garden (b) A Final Day of the Spirit is Coming Soon (c) satan will bite Jesus’ heel but Jesus will crush satan’s head, culminating in satan’s final destruction (d) and lastly, God will provide a Way to the Tree of Life through His Mercy.

In yesterdays blog we discovered that Jesus’ “Middle Earth” has emerged in sons of Adam and daughters of Eve through a new birth. This new birth has caused His garden to emerge in a land hostile to God. Paul would go so far as to say that this aspect of our nature actually hates God (Romans 8:7). As followers of the Final Adam – Jesus – it is our calling to pick up where our ancestors dropped the ball (or fruit, as in the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil). Their call was short-changed through a lie that had them sacrificing God’s Word for something that tasted good. Good, especially man’s measured good, has and always will be the enemy of God’s very best. For proof of this look no farther than the story of the Prodigal Son in which the elder brother became his father’s enemy. Why? Because of the elders goodness achieved apart from a relationship with his father. In Jesus’ parable the goodness of the elder brother is just as deprived as the evil of the younger. Again we have to ask the question, Why? Because both were centered in the “core” of the fruit of the knowledge of “doing to be.” Satan’s lie was, “If you do this – you will be.” Thus reliance upon the soul held mankind firmly in its grip as spirits withered and died. This iron, grip of death has a choke hold on those who would seek to live otherwise. Through the Final Adam we are resurrected from “doing to be.” New life has been breathed into our spirits catapulting us from our carnal graves. Yet satan doesn’t give up so easy seeking to keep the shroud of death wrapped tightly around our spiritual vision. I am convinced that this shroud or veil is removed through the Word of God. But not just the black and white words that the sons of hell, the Pharisees, were masters of. But the God-breathed words of the Spirit. These are the words that emancipate. By God’s grace, Jesus, the Voice – the Word, comes to us untangling the matted root systems of generations of religion, tradition, and ancestral rebellion and sin. He frees us to walk with the Word. To hold His hand through chapters, paragraphs, and pages discovering eternal life is relational, not a final destination. Albeit, misfortune has fallen to the impoverished masses who have made reading the word their final destination overlooking the treasure buried just beneath their proverbial feet. They fail to realize that walking off with Him into eternity isn’t a destination but a beginning. But how? Where do we begin?

Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. The Living Words of God are unearthed through tending, guarding and keeping. To tend or dress in the Hebrew means to “to do, or to make; to worship, or obey; to serve.” Although the term is typically applied to agriculture, it has also been used in reference to the artisans and craftsmen throughout the Bible, and of those who labor for another as in the the priests who served God in the Tabernacle and Temple. In this case their labor or service wasn’t a burdensome one but joyous, a form of worship. Webster’ Dictionary of English Words offers uncanny nuances, and Biblical parallels between God’s garden and Word when defining the word “dress:”

dress – 1a: to make or set straight b: to arrange (troops, equipment, etc.) in a straight line and at proper intervals 2: to prepare for use or service specifically: to prepare for cooking or for the table dress a salad 3: to add decorative details or accessories to : EMBELLISH 4a: to put clothes on b: to provide with clothing  5 archaic: DRESS DOWN 6a: to apply dressings or medicaments to dress a wound b (1): to arrange by combing, brushing, or curling (2): to groom and curry c: to kill and prepare for consumption d: CULTIVATE, TEND especially: to apply manure or fertilizer to dress a field e: to put through a finishing process especially: to trim and smooth the surface of (a material, such as lumber or stone).

As you can see all of these serve to connect God’s Garden to His Word. Why wouldn’t it? His Garden exist’s because of His Word. When we “dress” or “tend” to God’s garden applying His Word we begin to set things straight; we arrange our selves for battle; we prepare ourselves for service; we add details to our lives; we clothe ourselves; we apply the medications to our wounds, sicknesses and infinities; we arrange, combing and brushing, through our knotted lives; we prepare spiritual food for our nourishment (even our death); we apply the manure and fertilizer needed for God’s Spirit and His fruits to grow in us; and lastly we trim and smooth the surface of stoney hearts causing even these to cry out in worship and praise to Him.

In next weeks blog we will seek to see how we can apply the other directives given Adam regarding God’s garden.

Middle Earth

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If we are God’s garden, yet “our earth” is under a curse, how do we address the “cursed earth” in our lives to bring it into His Garden? Is abiding in Jesus based solely on our sentiment, thoughts, and feelings or is there a deeper more profound way to abide? SOS 8:5 asks, “Who is this coming up from the wilderness leaning on her Beloved?” The question remains, in a Laodicean Church Age, Who, or more precisely, what have we been leaning, or relying?

1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building.

There’s a Biblical principle of interpretation known as the Law of First Mention. It essentially states that to understand a particular word or doctrine, we must find the first place in Scripture that word or doctrine is revealed and study that passage. The reasoning being that the Bible’s first mention of a concept is the simplest and clearest presentation; doctrines are then more fully developed on that foundation. God’s Garden of Eden is the first mention we have of any garden and from it we can draw conclusions regarding God’s purpose for our lives. How often have we forgotten that man was made from the dust of the earth and that we are sons and daughters of that earth? According to Genesis that earth, our earth, is under a curse. There are six different Hebrew words used for “curse.” Curse being defined as to bind, to snare, hem in with obstacles, and render powerless to resist. Cursing in essence immobilizes the person and are the result of violating a relationship with God. Exodus 34:7 states …Who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children, to the third and fourth generation. Dt. 27:26 states Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.‘ James 2:10-11 states For whosoever keeps the Law [as a] whole but stumbles and offends in one [single instance] has become guilty of [breaking] all of it. For He Who said, You shall not commit adultery, also said, You shall not kill. If you do not commit adultery but do kill, you have become guilty of transgressing the [whole] Law. The Bible has a great deal to say about curses mentioning, among others things, that not only is mankind under a curse but Jesus Himself became a curse for us – to redeem us from the curse.

Yet, we have to ask: If we are God’s garden yet our “earth” is under a curse how do we address the “cursed earth” in our lives to bring it into His Garden? Since we are God’s garden we have been called to produce fruit. Jesus referred to this in John 15 stating that we are not only gardens but vineyards. He continued sharing that when we abide in Him we produce the fruit of His Kingdom. This abiding is not produced from soul power – mind, will, emotions and personality. It is manufactured through a conscious and unconscious positioning of ourselves in the Son’s Power. It isn’t accomplished through sentiment. Sentiment being an attitude which is based on our thoughts and feelings. Abiding is not mere sentiment. Abiding’s Center isn’t the damnable “me” but the Person of Jesus – Who is the sum total and definition of where our center should be. Much of the music we use in our “praise and worship” is centered around the unholy trinity of me, myself and I. These songs “feel” great to sing leaving us feeling very sentimental yet remain soulish or carnal. They are built around what we think, how we feel, and our varying personality or temperament types. For Jesus’ garden to emerge we have to set aside the soul bringing it into submission to God’s Spirit in our spirits. Like solar panels have to turn to the sun daily to recharge we have to take time daily to turn our lives, our self-centeredness, towards Jesus seeking to get into His Presence. As plants and flowers turn their faces to chase the light during the day so we have to pursue and seek His Light. There are over 85 different passages on seeking God, not to mention the number of passages that exhort people to return to God. Helping us to form the conclusion that God is aware that we all have a tendency to wander away from Who He really is. The best place to begin this turning of our faces towards Him is in His Word. But be warned: even in the reading of the word our souls are inclined to push us to search for information, or to reduce the reading to just another empty exercise. Years ago I was caught up in Last Days predictions of the best selling author of The Late Great Planet Earth, Hal Lindsey. Unfortunately I was left disillusioned and disappointed by their outcome. Since, I have learned to be alert to the signs of His coming while riveting my spiritual focus on Jesus, in the Revelation of His Return. Knowing this has caused me to seek to be preoccupied with getting into His Presence and remaining. This wisdom has revealed that if we are truly occupied with Him – not the stuff that the Laodicean Church Age uses as substitutes – we will not miss a thing. As Song of Solomon records, Who is that coming out of the wilderness leaning on her beloved? In summary, we test our abiding by simply asking the question, What is our spiritual dependence based? Are we leaning on Jesus or our souls?

The Emerging Garden

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While on earth Jesus prayed in a garden, was crucified near the garden, was buried in a garden, and rose from the dead in that same garden. In fact His ascension took place near the garden and the Bible records He will return to split that garden in half. Why? Why was Jesus obsessed with the garden?

1 Corinthians 15:45-49 Thus it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring the dead to life]. But it is not the spiritual life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual. The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven. Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those] who are of heaven (heavenly-minded). And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so let us also bear the image [of the Man] of heaven.

1 Corinthians 15:46 alludes to a method that Jesus, Paul, and those reading the New Testament knew well. The method of alluding to the shadows and types of Scripture. Paul states a principal: First comes the physical, then the spiritual. Physical truth will often point to greater spiritual truth and so it is throughout Scripture. Even though the biblical narrative is historically true and accurate it has hidden behind its words a symbolic or prophetic meaning. It’s laughable to me when well intentioned believers say that they are not into the mystical stuff of Christianity when the Bible is absolutely mystical. Mystical being defined as “having a spiritual meaning or reality that is neither apparent to the senses nor obvious to the intelligence b : involving or having the nature of an individual’s direct subjective communion with God .” Thus Paul is able to allude to Jesus being the Last Adam. But the question remains unanswered: “Why was Jesus so preoccupied with the garden?” I believe that Jesus, as the Last Adam, was longing to return to the Father (just as any believer groans for their eternal home). Jesus was not simply looking for Himself but for all the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve who would be returned to the Garden of fellowship with the Father. Not being hindered by time, He saw the past, present and future in one moment anticipating our reconciliation and our manifestations as sons and daughters. Romans 8:19 For [even the whole] creation (all nature) waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known [waits for the revealing, the disclosing of their sonship]. If creation is waiting for us to be made known and revealed how much more Heaven? In Acts 2:16-17 the Apostle Peter alludes to a Last Days event that began at Pentecost and will have its final culmination before Jesus’ return:

But [instead] this is [the beginning of] what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, God declares, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all mankind, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy [telling forth the divine counsels] and your young men shall see visions (divinely granted appearances), and your old men shall dream [divinely suggested] dreams. Pentecost was a beginning but not an end. In fact Jesus refers to this event in the Wedding of Cana. The Contemporary English Translation says it best in John 2:10 “The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!” Jesus, our Bridegroom, will save the Best Wine of His Spirit, for the Last Days. In Genesis 3 there are several prophecies that were to occur in the future. Some of those “futures” were to occur quickly, but others would have a future beginning, and a future culmination. For example, Jesus, was going to be struck on the heel by satan, the serpent, and Jesus was going to crush his head. We saw this happen in part, but the fullness of that crushing will not come till the end of days. So also in this passage is another prophecy easily missed. Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: Its my opinion that the Voice is none other than the Word, and that the phrase “coolness” is actually the wrong interpretation. Most scholars are conflicted over how to interpret this passage from the original Hebrew. For the word used for “coolness” is the word from which is typically translated 2 words: wind and spirit. My personal opinion is that a possible reading of this verse should be: And they heard the Word of the Lord walking in the garden in day of the Spirit.”  I believe that it should be interpreted that way for the passage refers to a future awakening of the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve from hiding behind fig leaves from the Voice or the Word of the Lord – Jesus. When we quit hiding, drop our fig leaves, accepting His covering through His Blood (not simple animal skins), His Garden emerges in us. That emergence began with the Resurrection but its inauguration occurred at Pentecost. But their is a final days unveiling when we will rise up to His Purpose for our lives. We are not there yet but the day of His appearing is extremely close and we can only feel the tension building as the darkness increases and the Glory of the Lord rises upon His people. Maranatha Lord!

Golem

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In Jewish folklore a “Golem” is a clay creature that has been magically brought to life through the use of Jewish witchcraft, or kabbalism. The name comes from the Hebrew word “golem,” which means something incomplete or unfinished, like an embryo. The Talmud relates a tale of rabbis who grew hungry while on a journey–so they created a calf out of earth and ate it for dinner. The  rabbis did this by utilizing a formula set forth in the Sefer Yetzirah, or Book of Creation. Just as God speaks and creates, in the Genesis story, it is believed that certain rabbis can do the same. (The word Abracadabra, incidentally, derives from avra k’davra, Aramaic for “I create as I speak.”) Thus, under the rarest of circumstances, a human being may imbue lifeless matter with that intangible, but essential spark of life: the soul. This idea inspired such tales as Frankenstein and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”  Sometimes the golem saves the Jewish community from persecution or death, enacting the kind of heroism or revenge unavailable to powerless Jews. Often, however, Jewish folktales about the golem tell what happens when things go awry — when the power of life-force goes astray, often with tragic results.

It’s interesting to imagine speaking certain words in order to see a clay figure come to life. But in one sense that’s what Jesus, the Word become flesh, did for us. Hearkening back to the creation account, God formed man from the dust of the earth. But God didn’t just speak a word to have us come to life. He breathed into us His Life. In other words, He “kissed” us to life. When God brought us to life He placed us in the Garden of Eden which existed within earths’ bounds. We became sons and daughter of earth, dirt, or soil. In essence you could make a case that God’s Kingdom had come to earth. What’s really intriguing is that when you read Scripture you can make the deduction that the rest of the earth wasn’t like the Garden: Gen. 1:28 And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.  Thus you see 4 Commands regarding the earth: Be fruitful, multiply, subdue, and have dominion. But then in Gen. 2:7-8,15 it states something different in reference to the Garden: Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being. And the Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden [delight]; and there He put the man whom He had formed (framed, constituted)….And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. (If you ever want to do an interesting word study check out the Hebrew meanings for the individual commands) Thus you can draw the conclusion that Adam and Eve’s call and commission from God was to make the rest of the earth like the Garden.

Yet after the fall, and rebellion of man, we became “golems” with the condition of our earth, and its soil coming under a curse. Three dominions vied for control:

satan’s dominion = Jn. 14:30 I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.]

Man’s dominion = Rom. 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh,… 

God’s Dominion = Rom. 8:5 …but those who are according to the Spirit and are controlled by the desires of the Spirit set their minds on and seek those things which gratify the [Holy] Spirit…

Jesus, the Son of Man (Adam = dust, soil, or earth), comes to our cursed and contaminated soil now dominated by satan, his golems, and He speaks. When He speaks He addresses the condition of the soils in His Parable of the Sower or Soils. In His parable He describes 4 conditions: rocky, thorny, fertile, and crow infested. Each soil condition competes with the Word of God. We know from Scripture that Jesus is the Word of God and that the conclusion could be drawn that these soil conditions are actually competing with Jesus, the Word of God, being manifested in us. In fact we could say that what exists outside of us also exists inside of us.

Eternal life then is seeking to grow God’s Garden to overcome the crows, rocks, and thorns inside of each of us. Jesus, the Master Farmer and Gardener, has established His mission of seeing God’s Kingdom – His Eternal Life Existence – Grow, displacing the works of darkness. The question is are we going to continue to be “golems,” under the bidding of a manipulative sorcerer or are we going to receive the Word of Life in the Garden of God? It’s really about obedience and conformity to the Words of God.


Snake Oil or Elixir?

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At one time, everyone from Adam to the present, has experienced spiritual death. And just like the script from “The Sixth Sense” we see dead people and many of its actors share the fate of Bruce Willis’ character. (They haven’t figured out that they’re dead) Yet, through Christ’s resurrection all mankind has received an invitation to wake up (not from a terrified little boy – but from the Son of God) from our spiritual slumber of death into life. This is the hallmark of eternal life. Before the fall of mankind our ancestors walked in communion with God – in the Garden. Was it a coincidence that Jesus’ favorite place to pray was in a garden? Even His tomb was located in a garden where He chose to rise from the dead. The empty tomb still beckons for us to join Him – to know Him. For we can’t live until we’ve died. (One of God’s delightful paradoxes.) As God looked for our delinquent great grandparents in the Garden – He’s the One Who came calling. He’s the One who drew attention to their hiding place among the “leaves” of their own making. Good news is that Jesus says the Father is still looking: A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Himin spirit and in truth (reality). John 4:24  And that’s what eternal life is all about – relating to the Godhead on a spiritual level.

1 Corinthians 2:10-16 describes this spiritual existence: Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the [Holy] Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God [the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny]. For what person perceives (knows and understands) what passes through a man’s thoughts except the man’s own spirit within him? Just so no one discerns (comes to know and comprehend) the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have not received the spirit [that belongs to] the world, but the [Holy] Spirit Who is from God, [given to us] that we might realize and comprehend and appreciate the gifts [of divine favor and blessing so freely and lavishly] bestowed on us by God. And we are setting these truths forth in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the [Holy] Spirit, combining and interpreting spiritual truths with spiritual language [to those who possess the Holy Spirit].  But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated. But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him]. For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. 

Now that’s an amazing description of a life lived in the Spirit. Consider the following propositions: (a) we are taught by the Spirit; (b) He speaks in a spiritual language to us; (c) we are able to interpret this spiritual language; (d) we are able to grow in knowing, and understanding progressively – the Godhead; (e) we are able to accept and welcome the gifts, teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God; (f) and we now possess the Mind of Christ – knowing His thoughts and purposes. That folks is eternal life. Note that verse 14 states that the man without the Spirit, or the non-spiritual man, can’t even know these things. It says they are foolishness to him. And there in plain view is the characteristic of a symptom that’s infection has spread far and wide throughout the church. That disease, which should cause a dis-ease, has left the church goer uninitiated into the world of the Spirit. In fact I would dare say that the average church attender would find the above discussion foolish nonsense. They would be bored by the proposal. In fact it is my observation that our ancestor’s fig leaves have gotten so immense, and overgrown that they have successfully obscured the whole point of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection reducing it to a matter of sentiment. That sentiment blocks our vision making us incapable of hearing the still, small whisper of God’s Spirit inviting us to walk with Him – to know Him. Sunday, after Sunday, church attenders by the millions sit within inches of the cure for their own disease. Its Jesus’ own “elixir,” that guarantees resurrection, from the bite of the serpents’ lies. Jesus’ “elixir” isn’t the fake, snake oil sold by the box load Sunday after Sunday. It isn’t the stuff of man’s clever speech or persuasive words guaranteed to produce one more failed “do it your self” salvation project. No, it’s resurrection power unveiling the life we were meant to live – an eternal life lived walking with Jesus now; knowing Him. Question is: Why do we prefer to swallow the snake oil instead of the Elixir drawn from Immanuels’ veins? The Elixir of the Fountain of Eternal Youth?

The Investment

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Last night at Bible study we were discussing all the nuances of our salvation found in Jesus and one of the things that came up was the parable of the talents. It wasn’t a lengthy conversation, more of a passing reference, but the Spirit of God whispered some revelation regarding its meaning. Let me share with you my discovery.

Matthew 25:14-30 contains the Parable of the Talents. When I was a new believer I assumed that this parable was referring to special abilities, such as athletic, creative, or artistic aptitudes. But, this interpretation was mistaken. Jesus is actually referring to a weight used to measure money. The “master” in the parable has invested a sum of money in his servants expecting a return. Now that’s interesting for we can see the obvious parallels. The Master of the tale – obviously a picture of the Father and His Son – has invested several things. What things you may ask?

a) First and foremost, God has given to us the gift of life.

b) He has given unto all mankind, His Son, a gift of eternal life, for all who will receive Him.

c) Lastly, Jesus has deposited His Spirit and Grace into our spirits.

Near the conclusion of the parable the “master” calls his servants together to report on their investments. Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. And he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more. His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.  His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys. He who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed [the grain]. So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.  But his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather [grain] where I have not winnowed? Then you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest. So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away. Matthew 25:19-29

Obviously the master had an expectation that his servants would make investments, receiving a return. True servants see it no other way. In fact the point could be made that grateful servants work hard to see that their master gets his return. The servant, with a dim view of his master, doesn’t work at all – he hides and buries it. He obviously has no relationship with the master, projecting onto his master his personal fears, and stinginess. Interestingly enough he is still viewed as a servant by the master – although ungrateful, disobedient, and stingy.

The take away from this parable is that there will be an accounting based on what is done with the Father’s investment of life, His Son and His Spirit. Presently we find that we exist in a Laodicean Church age of cheap grace, and no expectations. Everyone receives a trophy, all are treated the same, and God is made in our image. But in this parable, each servant is not treated the same. They are rewarded differently based on what they did with the masters investment. Any human that draws breath is a servant of something or someone – whether we like it or not – as Bob Dylan observed many years ago.

Peter, the apostle, adds a reminder in 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace (undeserved favor, spiritual strength) and  recognition and knowledge and understanding of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him [be] glory (honor, majesty, and splendor) both now and to the day of eternity. Amen (so be it)! Again the Heavenly expectation is that we will grow what has been invested in us. You may ask, “How is grace invested in us?” Over the years I have learned to despise the acrostic for grace as being God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. I despise it because it doesn’t define how we are to respond to this grace. I prefer the following definition: grace = the empowerment to do the will of God; to respond to God’s riches It’s interesting that the Greek word for grace is charis. Charis is used synonymously with the Spirit of God. Grace and the Spirit go hand in hand. I know from Scripture that the Spirit has been given to us for more than just assuring our salvation. He is our Source and Supply of Supernatural Empowerment to be molded into the image of Jesus. I grow His Supernatural Unction, or Fervor as I agree and cooperate with His whispers in my Spirit. Those whispers come in the form of thoughts to be conformed to Jesus, His Word, or examples. For example I may have a sudden desire to be more loving. I’ve learned that no good thing exists in me. When these thoughts cross my “mind” (the interpreter of our spirits) it’s an invitation to grow spiritually, and come to know Jesus. I may develop a certain interest in or desire to pray, fast, evangelize, memorize Scripture, worship, fellowship, heal the sick, or prophesy. Again those thoughts are whispers from God’s Spirit to grow, an invitation to get a return on our Masters investment. That is why Paul is so adamant about not quenching the Spirit’s Fire (1 Thess. 5:19). I have personally experienced His Grace in several areas of life while my spiritual dullness dismissed the invitation. In fact many times I have taken this grace for granted only to find later that my actions, performance and behavior were not based on any good merit of my own but only by God’s Precious Grace. On one hand, I’ve known people to receive God’s grace to free them from addictions and demonic strongholds, only to turn back later spurning the gift and failing miserably. I believe that there will be weeping in Heaven over these missed opportunities. People are quick to remind me, “But Robert there is no crying in Heaven.” To which I respond by reminding them, “Then what does the Bible mean that He will wipe every tear from their eyes?”  Rev. 21:4

Our salvation is free, bought and purchased by the precious Blood of Jesus, but it will cost you your life to grow, and invest it. A master would expect nothing less from his servants, and a grateful servant would expect nothing less than to give it.

Don’t Ask the Fish

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As I mentioned in a previous blog a worldview answers four necessary questions: origins, meaning, morality and destiny. That worldview must answer individual questions in correspondence to reality, and the sum of those answers must be coherent, or in agreement. Many persons have the mistaken notion that they have reasons for their beliefs. Unfortunately after some discussion the discovery is made that those opinions are not based in fact, but hearsay. Ravi Zacharias states: “One of the most shocking lessons one learns in countries where culture is interwoven with religion is that living within a certain framework all the time is, in a sense, the surest way to be detached from it.” Hence the Chinese proverb: “If you want to know what water is, don’t ask the fish.” Ravi continues: Most Hindus know little about Hinduism’s scriptures or it’s development in dogma. Most Buddhists know little about Buddhism. Religion is much more a culture to most people than it is a carefully thought-through system of truth. Even Islam finds the same ignorance. Dare I say most Christians know very little about the teaching and history of their own beliefs …Then the conclusion is inescapable: What I now believe may be good, but it’s not good enough.”

As I grow older I have come to the realization that much of what I put my faith in was only an entry way or door into a whole other realm I never knew existed. Unfortunately for me and others, we have mistaken the door for the entire house. This is why the Lord would have His Church, His Bride to awaken to the inheritance we have in Him. Notice I did not say eternal life. Many have mistaken eternal life as a final destination when Biblically it is an ongoing, experiential relationship. Luke 17:21, alluded to in a previous blog, states that we have God’s Kingdom inside of us through our connection to Jesus. John 10:10 states eternal life has brought us to life to live for Him. John 14:30 states: I will not talk with you much more, for the prince (evil genius, ruler) of the world is coming. And he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.] Eternal Life progressively transforms us so that eventually we have nothing in common with the evil one. After our being born-again, we may have a mild distaste regarding sin, but Jesus hates it. He hates any and all things that stand between us and His love for us. That’s why Eternal Life is more than just a shadowy, dream world in the not so present future but a concrete reality in the now. And it has to be. Shallow, shadows of existence and perception can do little to transform our affections or uphold us like the concrete reality of experiential love. Love, like Eternal Life, is the personification of Jesus.

Our inheritance guarantees freedom from harassment, and oppression from the evil one. Acts 10:38 How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and,  in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him. Jesus was anointed – as God limited by humanity – to free others who were being harassed and oppressed by the power of the devil. What will a Resurrected, and Ascended Jesus do now for those He loves and adores?

As co-heirs with Christ Jesus He is saving us to break chains of slavery to sin, addictions, traumas, demonic strongholds, ungodly beliefs, cycles of sin, and all the multiple works of darkness. Romans 6:16-18 Do you not know that if you continually surrender yourselves to anyone to do his will, you are the slaves of him whom you obey, whether that be to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience which leads to righteousness (right doing and right standing with God)? But thank God, though you were once slaves of sin, you have become obedient with all your heart to the standard of teaching in which you were instructed and to which you were committed. And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).We have become inheritors of freedom and righteousness (rightly related to God and man). Hardly do we think of ourselves when mention is made of being rightly related to our fellow man. Yet, Sunday after Sunday, church attenders find themselves not rightly related to themselves (Truth be known how can they be rightly related to God and man?) The call of Jesus is a call to be rightly related to Who Jesus is within us. Rightly related to who He made us to be. Rightly related to what’s been crucified and defeated. Rightly related to the Spirit of God within our spirits. We find our “stride,” or “sweet spot,” in He Who has made, and is making His Home within us.

In conclusion don’t be asking the contented, pew sitting “fish” how the “Water” is. Instead look for those swimming in the Spirit of their inheritance through Jesus. Feel the radiant, glow from their faces as they light up talking about Him. Listen for their Jesus-centered, worship as their hearts swell, overflowing into a life-time of praises. Looking and listening carefully will lead you to a discovery that’s beyond the door; to an Ocean of endless, and eternal joy, Whose Name is Jesus. He’s our inheritance. He is eternal life. Come on, let’s jump in and learn how to swim.

Raised From Rote, Rut, and Rot

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The gift of eternal life is as multi-faceted as Jesus containing qualities that are eternal and multidimensional. Consider Paul’s words in Eph. 3:14-21 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,  to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. This passage translated in the New King James version demonstrates the multi-dimensional levels of God’s Love and eternal life found in Jesus Christ. What’s really interesting is to read the same passage in a translation of the Bible that brings out the original language nuances not found in our thought by thought translations. Here’s Pauls words again: For this reason seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  for Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name] May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].  May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love, that you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it]; [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and  become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]! Now to Him Who, by (in consequence of) the [action of His] power that is at work within us, is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly, far over and above all that we [dare] ask or think [infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, hopes, or dreams]— To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen (so be it). Can you hear the richness of these words? the Amplified Classic translation breathes life into the words calling to our dry bones to come together, standing up to become the army of Jesus’ Kingdom.

Our eternal life has the power to release in us the very power that raised Jesus from the dead. The very same power that was released when creation was set in motion by the Word of God. You are a new creation and have been born-again to experience God’s Promise of making all things new. The multi-layered, multi-faceted, multi dimensional aspect of our salvation contains more than a two dimensional quality to it. Modern Christianity has dumbed it down placing 2 -3 dimensional caps on how God’s Spirit can express Himself. (And when I say modern Christianity I am referring to the Christianity which slowly began to take the place of Biblical Christianity when the Emperor Constantine made Christianity the state religion of Rome in 320 AD.) Unfortunately for us the legacy left behind has caused us to crawl out from the rubble in the cemetery many call church or Christianity. 1700 years of religion without relationship has left us with nothing more than rote, ruts, and rot. Routine has become “lord” in the life of the church. A.W. Tozer has said, “That would be perfectly alright and proper for a cemetery. Nobody expects a cemetery to do anything but conform. The greatest conformists in the world day are those who sleep out in the community cemetery. They do not bother anyone. They just lie there, and it is perfectly alright for them to do so. You can predict what everyone will do in a cemetery from the deceased right down to the people who attend a funeral there. Everyone and everything in a cemetery has accepted the routine. Nobody expects anything out of those buried in the cemetery. But the church is not a cemetery and we should expect much from it, because what has been should not be lord to tell us what is, and what is should not be ruler to tell us what will be. God’s people are supposed to grow.”

When Scripture is read afresh we see that Jesus’ version of eternal life called for the very Kingdom of God to be released in our hearts. Luke 17:21 says it’s so. Jesus said the Kingdom wasn’t out there but in here (I’m pointing at my heart and yours). For the church to glumly pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” Sunday after Sunday like a funeral dirge has wrung the vitality out of our Lord’s declaration of war on death. Paul said that the Kingdom wasn’t a matter of talk but of explosive, dynamite power. What’s happened to the power of our salvation?

This morning I was meditating in the Word using some discipleship material called “The Disciples Prayer Life.” He posed a question regarding the Disciples Prayer in Matthew 6 asking “what kind of things are disciples to ask for?” When I read this I thought of another principle T.W. Hunt, it’s author, teaches: “Why should God answer this prayer?” Why indeed? Why should God answer the prayer if we are not willing to cooperate in the process of His grace, and Spirit exploding like dynamite in our spirits? Why should the Father trust us with the atmosphere of Heaven – His Kingdom – on earth, bringing dead things back to life; causing blind eyes to see and deaf ears to hear? Why, when we keep closing our eyes and ears to the call of His Spirit and Word?

Ultimately we are back to A.W. Tozer’s thoughts: Have we allowed the lord of routine to bury us in the cemetery of rote, rut, and rot? Don’t you think it’s time to begin praying and believing for a resurrection?

Perspective Warp

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Perspective control is a procedure for composing or editing photographs to better conform with the commonly accepted distortions in constructed perspective. The control would:

  • make all lines that are vertical in reality vertical in the image. This includes columns, vertical edges of walls and lampposts. This is a commonly accepted distortion in constructed perspective; perspective is based on the notion that more distant objects are represented as smaller on the page; however, even though the top of the cathedral tower is in reality further from the viewer than base of the tower (due to the vertical distance), constructed perspective considers only the horizontal distance and considers the top and bottom to be the same distance away;
  • make all parallel lines (such as four horizontal edges of a cubic room) cross in one point.

The Western Church’s perspective regarding our worldview is not the only thing that needs an adjustment. As the definition above states, “Perspective control is a procedure for composing or editing photographs to better conform with the commonly accepted distortions…”  Here lies the Western Church’s problem. Rather than adjusting our vertical interaction with the Spirit and the Word we have allowed the “commonly accepted distortions” to determine our perspective. Last Thursday I posted that a worldview will define and determine – origin, meaning, morality, and destiny. Without a Biblical worldview your interaction with the Vertical and horizontal will be warped and distorted at best. Consider the popular misconceptions of eternal life. Ask your average church goer their definition of eternal life and they will define it in terms of the after life. Jesus readjusted that understanding making His focus, or perspective, be about living – not dying. For example John 3:13 states: And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but He that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven. Interestingly enough when comparing this verse to other translations this passage has been distorted to match the commonly accepted distortions. But when you read it you can see that Jesus’ life lived on the horizontal plane of earth was actually lived from a much higher vertical perspective. One more example: John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. Here again Jesus reiterates that our focus isn’t to be on dying but living in knowing the Father and Jesus the Son. Jesus echoes this in Matthew 22:29-32 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”  In the Gospel of Luke the angel rebukes the women coming to Jesus tomb asking, “Why do you look for the Living among the dead?” I capitalized the “Living” to make the point that we serve the One who conquered death and is not dead but alive forevermore and gives this victory to all who would place their trust in Him.

What the western church needs more than ever is a perspective warp like the Star Trek Enterprise that will launch us in to seeing Jesus’ life – in us – from a much higher Vertical perspective. You and I were made for much more than looking at the back of someones’ head calling it worship. Can you imagine aliens visiting our planet, observing our worship, and noting how uniformly we worship the back of someone’s skull? This is why Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, the Place of the Skull, sending His cross and blood to penetrate and permeate that globular sphere of rancid fruit we call knowledge. The fruit of this tree only leaves us barren, and naked, hungering for something more that really satisfies. But those who have truly met the conditions of a Jesus-centered, Salvation, will know so much more for they have received the Mind of Christ. (1 Cor. 2:16) Now that is an alien concept to a western church that has fallen so far away from New Testament Christianity.


What’s Your Worldview?

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Sunday morning I was meditating in Psalm 37 and found an interesting parallel to one of the Beatitudes. In fact Psalm 37 mentioned this Beatitude 6 different times. Think about that. Why would the Psalmist mention this Beatitude 6 different times? It must be important. Right? Here’s what they say: 3 Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.; 9 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait and hope and look for the Lord [in the end] shall inherit the earth. 11 But the meek [in the end] shall inherit the earth and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace. 22 For such as are blessed of God shall [in the end] inherit the earth, but they that are cursed of Him shall be cut off.29 [Then] the [consistently] righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever. 34 Wait for and expect the Lord and keep and heed His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; [in the end] when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

The Beatitudes of Jesus say a similar thing: Mt. 5:5 Blessed (happy, blithesome, joyous, spiritually prosperous—with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions) are the meek (the mild, patient, long-suffering), for they shall inherit the earth!

Now I have to be honest and admit that this promise has not been a bestseller for Christian bumper stickers, or refrigerator magnets. I don’t even think it made the list. Why the neglect, or apathy regarding this promise? It’s all about your worldview. Everyone has a worldview. It applies to you whether you are smart or average, rich or poor, religious or irreligious, Canadian or Australian – we all have a worldview. World views address 4 issues: origins, meaning, morality and destiny. In other words four crucial questions are answered: Origin – Where did I come from? Meaning – Why am I here? Morality – How should I live? and Destiny – Where am I headed? A worldview destitute of meaning and destiny will lead a person to draw the conclusion that they have no purpose for their existence. They aren’t going anywhere except to the grave and thus their lives have no meaning. Now over the years I’ve been in the ministry I have had some interesting interactions with varying world views among those who call themselves believers, or followers of Jesus. And I must say that until I received some revelation from the Lord regarding this matter that my world view was similar. What was the world view I encountered? That my destiny was wrapped up in dying and going to Heaven. Now I believed in the 1000 Year Reign of Jesus and all but the impact of the Scripture mentioned above hadn’t really settled in. That is until now. When I stumbled upon this promise it caused me to ask, “What’s the big deal?” I’ll just be happy to have a resurrected body, and worship Jesus. But when I prayed about it the Lord showed me an amazing truth. It’s found in several passages but I’ll only use a few. Rom. 8:17 And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory.; Heb. 1:2 [But] in the last of these days He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time [He made, produced, built, operated, and arranged them in order].; Heb. 6:17 Accordingly God also, in His desire to show more convincingly and beyond doubt to those who were to inherit the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose and plan, intervened (mediated) with an oath.

Heirs receive inheritances. Jesus is the Heir apparent of all things. Meaning He gets to inherit all things: the worlds, outer space with its galaxies, stars, planets and moons, and the Heavens. But the mind-blower and kick in the pants is what Romans 8:17 states: And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him];…

Let that sink in. All that belongs to Jesus will also belong to us?! The eye opener? Didn’t it all belong to us in the first place, or at least to our Great Grandad and Mom: Adam and Eve? Our broken, weak, diluted, and thin world views need a Biblical upgrade. We were born-again with a purpose. In fact Heb. 6:17 states as much. This means our world view of waiting to die and go to Heaven to see loved ones, dip my toes in the crystal sea, and play a few rounds of golf, is way, way, way off. What’s really crazy is that you and I were made for more than just looking at the back of somebody in church and calling that worship. Paul gives us a hint in 1 Cor.6:1-3 Does any of you dare, when he has a matter of complaint against another [brother], to go to law before unrighteous men [men neither upright nor right with God, laying it before them] instead of before the saints (the people of God)? 2Do you not know that the saints (the believers) will [one day] judge and govern the world? And if the world [itself] is to be judged and ruled by you, are you unworthy and incompetent to try [such petty matters] of the smallest courts of justice? 3 Do you not know also that we [Christians] are to judge the [very] angels and pronounce opinion between right and wrong [for them]? How much more then [as to] matters pertaining to this world and of this life only!

Did you catch that? We will judge angels and judge and govern the world. Thus my recommendation for the Body of Christ is to get an upgrade from God’s Word and adjust our world views to match Jesus’ and His Word. Our center needs to be adjusted for it has been off for quite some time. Jesus have mercy on His Bride the Church.

Messages from God

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Sunday was a great day to be in the House of the Lord with my favorite people. I wanted to go around and “bear hug” all of you. Our trips to Indonesia and Maryland had exhausted us physically but created a greater desire to be back with our church family. What a welcome home we had with our guest Brad McClendon. I was left with the impression that no one wanted to leave church. (I believe we were here till 1:30) Many received prophetic words as tears flowed freely, and the Presence of God flooded the room. Matt Wagenmaker reported seeing the reflection of a “man” about 7′ tall standing behind Brad with his hand resting upon his shoulder. Matt rewound the video to see if the camera recorded the event but our “visitor” left no evidence of his visit. (How cool is that?) Also Brad asked at the beginning of our service if anyone was having shoulder issues to raise their hand. Several raised their hands in response. As a result, Cass Thompson reported that she had been suffering badly from a torn rotator cuff, and was having to wake up and take medication to lessen the pain. She reported that Ssnce Sunday’s meeting she has had no more pain. Praise the Lord!

After this Sunday’s service many of you received prophetic words and may be wondering, “What do I do in response?” Scripture teaches in 1 Thess. 5:20-21: Do not spurn the gifts and utterances of the prophets [do not depreciate prophetic revelations nor despise inspired instruction or exhortation or warning]. But test and prove all things [until you can recognize] what is good; [to that] hold fast. AMP Classic  Thus we are taught from Scripture to test the word from the Lord. But how do we test them?

1. A prophet must not contradict anything God has previously revealed. 

2. A prophecy must exalt Jesus Christ. 

3. A prophets life must be consistent with the prophecy he or she gives. Are they honoring Christ and bringing glory to Him, or are they bringing attention to themselves? Are they walking in humility, and does their ministry produce humility? Does their ministry produce the fruit of the Holy Spirit?

4. Because someone meets the above criteria does not necessarily mean that the message is from God. The leaders of each particular assembly should be the ones who make the determination. 

5. Prophets and prophecies should be submitted to the Shepherd or shepherds of the church. The prophet or the word should never circumvent the spiritual authority God has put in place (whether we like, or agree with that authority or not). 

6. A Prophet or prophecy should rarely give direction, or counsel. That is the job of the pastor.

7. Prophecy should meet the conditions of 1 Cor. 14:3: But [on the other hand], the one who prophesies [who [b]interprets the divine will and purpose in inspired preaching and teaching] speaks to men for their upbuilding and constructive spiritual progress and encouragement and consolation.

These are great guidelines but what if you have to wait to see if the word becomes a reality? Here are a few pointers:

  1. Some words are “destiny words” regarding your future. For example, in the book of Genesis, Joseph received dreams that he would rule over his father, and brothers. The shepherd boy David was anointed to be king by the prophet Samuel – even though Saul was still king. All destiny words are usually conditioned upon cooperating with the Lord in the process of becoming who He said you would be.
  2. Prophetic words will cause several reactions: “I can’t see it,” or “I can see it,” or “That’s confirmation regarding something I’ve had in my heart, (or were praying about.)” The prophetic word should support, confirm or clarify somethings we are already having clues about. Or they may cause you to pray about something you hadn’t even considered. (You see that in the case of Gideon).
  3. If you received a word you didn’t agree with simply release it. Those who have a prophetic ministry are simply stepping out in faith regarding what they believe is the Spirit of God. A practical reason why we are to test the words given.
  4. If you received a word that intrigued you even though you can’t see how it could ever happen. Then simply pray about it. Record the word, dating when and where it was given, and continue praying over it. The reason for doing this is because you will forget. If it’s from the Lord the enemy will try to get you to doubt it, or forget about it.
  5. The Lord does not want you to be passive regarding the word. He wants you to thank Him for it. Believe and trust that He will bring it to pass. Step out in faith positioning yourself to become a manifestation of that word. Also seek reputable resources to help educate you regarding the word, and position yourself among others who can help you grow into your word.
  6. Lastly if you have any questions regarding a word, or the gift of prophecy, please feel free to talk with me about it. I will do my best to answer any questions you may have, and provide wise counsel.

Paul exhorts us in 1 Cor. 14:1 Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire [this] love [make it your aim, your great quest]; and earnestly desire and cultivate the spiritual endowments (gifts), especially that you may prophesy…..Remember you are the Lord’s sheep and according to John 10 Jesus’ sheep hear His Voice. So pursue this gift, stepping out in faith to listen, and minister the word of the Lord. With every step you please the One Who made you to be like His Son. (Hebrews. 11:6).

Day of the Christian Martyr

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According to church tradition, June 29 is the date on which the Apostle Paul was beheaded on the Appian Way in Rome. In 2019, Christians around the world will gather on this day to honor the legacy of those who, like Paul, have sacrificed their lives for the advancement of the gospel. We invite you to be a part of this first-ever Day of the Christian Martyr. 

Learn More

Azusa Then and Now

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“Heroes will arise from the dust of obscure and despised circumstances, whose names will be in blazoned on
heaven’s eternal page of fame. The spirit is brooding over our land again as at creations dawn, and the fiat of
God goes forth. “Let there be light.”Brother, sister, if we all believed God, can you realize what would happen?
Many of us here are living for nothing else. A volume of believing prayer is this ascending to the throne night
and day. Los Angeles, Southern California, and the whole continent shall surely find itself here long in the
throes of a mighty revival by the spirit and power of God”  – November 16, 1905, Frank Bartleman
      Thirty-five years, almost exactly, have come and gone since I first read the book.  On April 4, 1984, we moved to
Pasadena, California because My pastor Che Ahn had a dream of a black man waving to him saying “Come to Los Angeles,
there’s going to be a great revival!”  At that time we were reading a book called Azusa Street by a man whose name was
Frank. Bartleman. He had moved to Los Angeles in December of 1904 and had come under a burden for revival there. He
surrendered his soul to the spirit of prayer and fasting the whole year of 1905, the year prior to the outbreak of the great
Azuza street Revival April 9, 1906.

   When I read this book in 1984 my soul was set on fire. Moses had a ‘burning bush,’ but I had a ‘burning book’ and I turned aside to see this wonderful burning vision of revival pulsing within it. What I heard was something akin to God calling my
name. Sometimes when you have a moment born of heaven you have to pause and take off your shoes, for that place is holy ground. Hungering to understand my soul’s magnetism to this man Bartleman, I entered into many days of fasting. My
prayer culminated one evening in a two-hour cry in my garage, “God, give me the mantle of Frank Bartleman! I want to
pray like that man. I don’t want to read about revival, I want to see revival!”

   I didn’t know it then, but the following morning I found out that I had touched God and he had heard my prayer. My
prophetic friend came to me that morning knowing nothing that I had prayed. He said, “last night I had a dream Lou, and in the dream, I saw a big black book and the title said “revival”. I then opened to the Inside of the cover and I saw a man’s face whose name was Frank Bartleman. His face then turned your face. I closed the book and knew I had to give it to you Lou.”  I knew at that moment that the title of the scroll that God wrote about my life before ever I was conceived was REVIVAL!
And I knew what my job description was for my time on the earth. It was to give myself to fasting and prayer, writing’ and mobilizing for revival.

After this dream of divine destiny,  I knew in the marrow of my mind it would be a kind of navigation chart for all my future course settings. I knew I had received heavens passport to walk His highway of destiny, thus assuring me, despite all
setbacks and failings, that He would be walking the revival road with me. Toward the end of this fast, I  sensed the whisper of God saying, ”What 1905 was to Frank Bartleman and the birthing of the Azusa Street Revival, so 2019 is to you Lou and
the church for the 2020 Vision move of God.”

Can I pay the price of prayer that  Bartleman did in 1905? The question haunts me but stirs me. I don’t want to be a binge
faster and return to normal or shall I say abnormal. Jesus said “ now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? “Father,
save me from this hour?” But for this purpose, I have come to this hour.”  Then He traveled the Via Dolorosa to the cross.
The highway of destiny always leads to the highway of the cross before fulfillment.

With this in mind, I feel the Lord nudging me to continue setting my face in grace-filled fasting and prayer in the seasons of his beckoning unto 2020. I believe one of The greatest ways to sustain this highway of my heart is to continue this blog,
maybe not every day, but regularly as the Spirit directs. It will be to me a kind of built-in prophetic challenge to live out this navigational chart, not just write about it. I hope you have been changed by fasting and reading this blog. It’s been a great
joy for me. Please send testimonies of how the fast changed your life. S

I would like to invite all of you who feel stirred,  to continue with me, follow the blog, and keep our fires for revival white
hot together.
 
Prayer
Father, as we come to the end of this fast, we pray for the grace of divinely sustained focus in prayer. I pray that you would
forge out of this fast a company of men and women who will cry out for the mantle of Frank Bartleman and give this year of 2019 to sustained prayer and fasting for the most outrageous outbreaks of God everywhere. We set ourselves for Now and
for 2020.

The Lost Sheep of the House of Israel

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These twelve Jesus sent out, instructing them, “Go nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.Matthew 10:5-6 
I want to comfort the heart of God
 
Yesterday, we emphasized Daniel’s fasting in the 70-year window for the great jailbreak of the Jewish people out of Babylon back to their homeland. We sense that we are in another 70 year period since Israel became a nation and the great evangelistic outpouring of the Spirit began in 1948. I believe that I and the body of Christ is in a major
transitional prayer shift and divine assignment to understand, like Daniel, if we fast and pray we will see an
outbreak of God’s wondrous grace on the Jewish people worldwide.
 
Yesterday we concentrated on Every Home for Christ, primarily targeting the gentile world. During this fast, I
have been apprehended with God’s heart for his own people. As we have been praying Ekballo, I have been deeply moved by what it would mean to Jesus when the church worldwide begins to pray Ekballo for His own people, the ones he first directed his disciples to pray for and go to.
 
When Jesus said, “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers,” He then directed those very disciples not to go to the Gentiles, but rather to go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He groaned over His own people. Now
2,000+ years later, what do you think his groan is now? I want to comfort the heart of Jesus. I have this
deep prophetic feeling that as this massive worldwide Jesus movement breaks out it’s going to break out
among the Jewish people as well and maybe first and foremost. 70 years are up. Could it be time for the
beginnings of the fulfillment of Romans 11:15 speaking concerning the Jews receiving Christ, “For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will  their acceptance mean but life from the dead?”Just the other day a young Jewish woman who has launched a movement of 40 days of fasting in Israel called me with a dream in
which I was told, “You cannot see a revival in America unless you, Lou, begin praying for the Jewish people.” I am weighing the dream very heavily. Today we begin praying at the end of this fast, that all over the world the Lord of the harvest would thrust forth laborers into the Jewish harvest field both in the land of Israel and in the diaspora worldwide.
 
Prayer
Jesus, once again we know you are looking to your own people harassed and helpless like sheep without a
shepherd. And we know your heart is broken because there are few laborers. So we take up your groan and your
prayer. We seek to align with your broken heart. We beg you to do what you have been longing to do since you
first commanded your disciples to pray this prayer, “Hurl forth laborers to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”