Expanding Our Presence

" I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

I recently heard a radio ad for "expanding your digital presence". Basically the meaning was finding innovative ways to reach people through the internet, connecting them to whatever product or service you may be providing.

In the realm of evangelism using digital formats has been taken advantage of since the advent of the internet. There are more Christian resources at our fingertips than at any time in history. However I wonder if many of us are taking advantage of God's original model for "expanding our presence".

If you've observed wild vines, whether they be grape or Virginia creeper, you'll notice that if the vine is connected to a robust root, that vine will spread and engulf anything in its path.

The kingdom of God is supposed to be like this: constantly growing & overtaking Satan's kingdom. The vine, as Jesus clearly explains, does nothing on its own, but it wholly dependent upon the root from which it springs (and "Son" light, of course). Therefore when the kingdom of God is not expanding in our personal lives and in our churches, we need look no further than our connection to the root for the reason.

Abiding in Christ may be easier said than done, as millions of saints throughout the ages have endeavored to do this but have failed to fall into God's perfect plan for their lives. However if you search there are some who found the secret to abiding, and though we do well to steer clear of formulas to finding our own way, studying the lives of saints past who found the secret is very worthwhile.

One such saint was Hudson Taylor, the great missionary who started the China Inland Mission. He was facing great struggles and doubts in his faith and ministry until the above verse unfolded to him. He did not have to do anything to be a vine, he already was a vine. It sounds simple and maybe does nothing for you or me, but this realization wrought a profound change in him, and Mr. Taylor and China were never the same.

The common denominator in my studies of saints who have found the secret of "abiding" is that breakthrough was always preceded my a season of intense struggle, motivated by a sincere desire to find God's will for their life, as well a longing for personal holiness. When the breakthrough does finally come, look out! The person is radically changed: the fruit of ministry grows, ripens, and falls to the ground and reproduces of no fleshly effort of the person, but by that intimate connection of being "in Christ".

Each of us must "work out" (Philippians 2:12) the secret of abiding in our own way and in God's own timing. This may seem discouraging at first, but what a wonderful Creator that has personalized a plan for each of us to follow, custom made not only to draw us closer to Him, but to hide us in Him forever. (cf. Colossians 3:3)

Stay Awake, Stay Alive

"And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." Mark 13:37

You may have seen the above sign on the highway lately.  A bit oversimplified, perhaps, but effective: I can remember once or twice driving to the point of my head nodding, which is not a good thing at all. My friend tells the story of himself and another awaking to the fact that they had rolled to a stop in the middle of a [thankfully deserted] highway. 

Seeing one of these recently got me thinking about our spiritual state. Some of us are awake, but not necessarily "alive", whereas others of us consider ourselves "alive", but are we awake?

John Wesley, the founder of Methodism (though really he was just an Anglican Church reformer), was keenly aware of the different spiritual states of man. The first, or natural, state of man, he believed scripture described as one of sleep: "his senses are not awake: they discern neither spiritual good nor evil" (Sermon 9).  The second state described is a man "under the law", or the "legal" state: one who is aware of his sinful state but still in bondage to it.  Between these two states, Wesley describes in other places a person who has been "awakened": that is, they become aware they are searching for something but they know not what. The class meeting, or small group of the day, was invaluable in guiding someone through this state, helping them see their need for a Saviour. 

If a person progresses and presses through the "legal" state, they reach what Wesley called the "Evangelical" state, or being "under grace". Such a state involved liberty from both guilt from sin and sin itself: a true liberation where one could truly say he or she was spiritually "alive". 

Some of us have experienced such liberation. We are freed from the guilt of past sins, and also, though occasionally stumbling, are freed from habitual sin that once bound us. We "rejoice in hope of the glory of God". (Romans 5:2) However some of us become satisfied that this is the "be all end all" of our faith, and need to ask the question again: "Are we awake?"

The painting above is called "Who Cares?" by Mauricio Palacio, and was inspired by "A Vision of Lost Souls" by Salvation Army founder General William Booth. It depicts a rocky island thrashed my waves, where some people have built a comfortable landing and are engaged in various leisurely pursuits. Below them in the waves are people drowning. I hope I don't have to explain the significance of the picture.

Have we forgotten from where we were rescued? Have we become asleep to the cries of the unsaved? Jesus' admonition above was to the disciples when he found them sleeping, to continue in prayer. What does our prayer life look like? Is it filled with cries to awaken the unsaved?

If we are comfortable in our faith and ministries, Jesus calls to us and has the same message: "Stay awake!"

Stick to the Template

"...look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged" Isaiah 51:1

Anyone familiar with basic carpentry will know that if you want to cut a series of identically lengthed pieces, instead of measuring every time you cut, you just take the first one (an exact cut of what you want), and use that as a "template" to measure successive pieces. If you were to continually take the last piece you cut to measure the new one, by the end your last piece would likely be a significant amount different than the first piece.

Our "template" for all things spiritual is contained in the Bible (anyone who does not agree with or is open to agreeing with this idea will find little benefit reading further). Specifically the template I'm thinking of is that of the church as contained in the book of Acts. Throughout the pages of that book, glimpses of the manifest power and unity of that body show us clearly and painfully how far we have gotten off the template. 

What were the characteristics of that church? One as we mentioned was unity. Another was close community. They broke bread and met much more than once a week. A third was devotion to and precise knowledge of the scriptures (which during the very early years was primarily the writings of Moses). The church was "lay led" (not even yet a concept at that time). Lastly, It was mission and spirit driven. 

There will always be those who say that that was for that specific time, and such a church is not practical today, but I respectfully disagree. All of these characteristics are essential for a church that pleases God. They are timeless, yet we have deemed ourselves smarter than God and have gotten away from them.

The first salvo lobbed at the church was the institutionalization of the church under "converted" Roman emporer Constantine*. The "Jewishness" of the church was forcibly taken out, including feast days prescribed by the law of Moses, and extemporaneous worship was replaced with dry, formal worship modes derived from Greek stoicism (mirroring emporer worship). John Wesley and others did much to recapture the movement of the early church, but Roman structures remained in place and the church for the most part relapsed into a dry institution obsessed with self-preservation. Templates were being cut that bore little resemblance to the original, and the church has drifted farther and farther off course. 

Is this a grossly simplistic representation of the church's history? Perhaps. But I strongly believe that a powerful revival is going to sweep the nation in the near future: one which will occur when we truly regain all the God-ordained elements contained in the book of Acts church. 

We need to go back to the original template. The salvation of this and future generations depends upon it.

* Constantine still worshipped the pagan sun god Mithras: he just though Christ to be a manifestation of that God. Think sun halos around artistic representations of Christ from that and succeeding periods. 

Universal Adaptor

“I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some”  1 Corinthians 9:22 
I am traveling to England right now. There’s always many things to consider while traveling to a different country. One thing I’ve learned from traveling with my wife is that you need the proper adaptor to be able to connect to electricity in the region you’ll be in. Otherwise you will have no power!
One of the complaints I’ve heard from Americans since I was little is how “snooty” people are in other parts of the world, particularly Europe (even more particularly, France!) I always just assumed this to be true (along with everything else I was told), until I actually travelled to other countries, and found out that it’s usually the Americans who are obnoxious! To be sure Europeans can be “snooty”, but it’s usually when an American makes absolutely no effort to engage or understand the culture! If there is a degree of respect and accommodation on the part of the American, the host will usually respond with kindness.
As stewards and ministers of the mystery of God (1 Corinthians 4:1), we are to be extremely adaptable in order to get God’s message across. As Paul put it, he was made “all things to all men”.
Does that mean Paul was watering down God’s truth to make it more palatable? Hardly. Read through any of his letters and you’ll find someone who was uncompromising in the truth of the gospel. We must do everything in our power, however, to “grease the skids”, so to speak. Any human element hindering communication must be removed if we are serious about spreading the gospel.
The truly successful missionaries over the centuries have been the ones who have made steps to understand the culture and adapt to it as much as possible without compromising God’s truth. I think of St. Patrick (who recent research has revealed to actually be a Messianic Jew) among the “barbaric” Celts who once enslaved him. Or Hudson Taylor, perhaps the most successful missionary ever, who adopted the dress of the Chinese (even going so far as shaving his head and sporting the traditional “queue”). These men laid down their rights and personal preference, so that men would be saved.
We should do the same, considering the lengths our Lord went to save us. 

Our Change and God's Patience

 ^"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." John 16:12

We all have those moments where we wish God would just change us already (for crying out loud). For me it's usually after a time where I've really thought myself to be obedient in all things: rising early and praying, reading the Word, serving, etc. Then I find myself in a situation I just can't overcome and lose my temper or fail in some other way, and then the inevitable angry outburst at God follows. 

It usually goes something like this: "What the %&*, God?! Are you going to help me out, or what? I'm doing all you ask, what the %&* do you want from me?"

It may surprise you to hear that I occasionally use such language toward God, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't. It's not something I'm proud of or recommend, and as I've gotten to know God better these type of outbursts have become much less frequent. But I believe that willingness to pour ourselves out emotionally to God - no matter what it looks like - is a key ingredient of having a close relationship with Him (cf. Psalm 62:8). We are in a relationship, for better or for worse. We wrestle until we are changed (Genesis 32:24-28). 

Another thing I've learned is that it's always our fault that we are not changed, not God's (imagine that!). When we are on our "best behavior" it is still to some degree in our own strength and willpower, and we are setting ourselves up for failure. God patiently watches it all happen, knowing it is for our best when we fail and the hard lessons we will (hopefully) learn.

As a father of two young boys it brings tears to my eyes to think of this from God's perspective. To have to let your children go through misery, not able to speak to them because you know what is best for them and that they are not yet in a position to receive it. They then curse you to your face and you patiently and lovingly bear it. It is only after we have exhausted ourselves as children in our tantrum that we are suddenly able to see clearly that we were in the wrong, and how patient God has been with us all along. This is called contrition (cf. Psalm 51:17).

The words Jesus spoke to the disciples at the top of this devotion were before he had died and risen, and before the Holy Spirit had been given to men. Without the indwelling Holy Spirit the disciples were short-sighted and railed against Jesus' will when they couldn't understand it (cf. Matthew 16:21-22). So it is with us when we so easily slip into the natural while trying to do God's will, rather than fully rely on His Spirit to accomplish everything in us. As Jesus very clearly put it, "without (literally "apart from") me you can do nothing." (John 15:5: the Greek word for "nothing" is very interesting: it means "nothing"!)

Full reliance on God (FROG) is a lifelong lesson, and even in the midst of our confusion and suffering, we should rejoice in the fact that the God of the Universe has deigned to teach it to us, so that one day we can be one with Him.

Keep Moving!

 

"By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." Hebrews 11:8

I have learned a lot in my spiritual walk from Oswald Chambers. He drives right to the heart of matter without sentimentality, often forcing us to forego our "pity party" and move on the task at hand. 

One of the things Chambers talks about is "drudgery".  That is, when our lives are bereft of uplifting experiences, and all that lies ahead are the daily menial tasks of "life". No credit is given to you for what you do - no one even notices. He believed that this was the true test of the saint: to shine in times like these.

We've talked about the folly of trusting emotions before on this blog. God can seem cruel at times, but our whole lives He is lovingly engaged in the most profitable things of all for us: to be stripped of everything that prevents us from fully relying on and having our every joy in Him. The scripture doesn't say in vain He is a "jealous God" (Exodus 34:14). He wants us all for Himself!

Abraham is rightly held up as an example of a faithful person in the Bible. God told him to grab everything he had and leave his home and family. To go where? Don't worry I'll show you! (Genesis 12:1) 

There is a reason we are told to "walk" by faith! (2 Corinthians 5:7) . Yes, we are also told to "rest" (Psalm 37:7) and that we are "seated" (Ephesians 2:6), but these are spiritual realities to be applied to our ever-dynamic walk. Just keep moving! Like Abraham, even if you have no idea where you're going, keep moving forward in faith! 

The reason why we falter or even go back can always be traced to doubts of God's goodness, that the place He is leading us will not be worth it in the end. Brothers and sisters, it will be worth it beyond our wildest imagination (cf. 1 Corinthians 1:9). 

Keep moving! 

Alignment

 

"If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men." Romans 12:18

The other night I gave my wife an overdue back massage (she is a pastor, after all). As I pressed and ran my thumbs up along either side of her spine we both heard a series of pops. "What was that?!" she exclaimed. I continued and the pops lessened and then stopped. We both then realized I had inadvertently aligned her spine. 

The human body is an endlessly amazing structure, paradoxically unbelievably strong and fragile at the same time. I am nowhere near the expertise of a chiropractor, but I know the smallest discord in our spine or any other part of our skeleton necessary for our movement can have a "ripple" effect on other parts. For example, a malfunction in one area can cause us to favor one side and change the way we walk or stand, causing strain in other areas and sometimes chronic issues. 

In our spiritual "walk" one of the greatest things to cause us to be "out of alignment" is our relationships with others. It doesn't take much: a forgotten "I'm sorry" or "thank you" can add up, causing us to be "off-balance" in our relationships with God and man. It's the reason Jesus laid such stress upon it: "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift." Matthew 5:23-24  God won't accept our offerings if we are living in unforgiveness! In fact the Bible even says He won't even forgive us! (Mark 11:26 - actually, the word "will" is not in the Greek text, so I believe the sense is more He can't forgive us)

Most of us have had that pricking in our conscience by the Holy Spirit when we need to apologize to someone. We ignore these prickings to our detriment, until we develop "limps" so pronounced we have no choice but to address it! Sadly, many go through their whole lives living in unforgiveness and pride, crippling themselves in the process (sometimes even physically), until it's too late. 

Let us keep short tabs with our fellow men. There is nothing too small to say "I'm sorry" or "thank you" for.* Although others may think you foolish, let God be your standard, and you will be blessed with divine "alignment". 

* The enemy will sometimes come into our minds and cause us to feel guilty and confess things we have no need to confess - this will perhaps be addressed in a future entry

A Large Space

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" I called upon the Lord in distress: the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place." Psalm 118:5

The scene pictured above is from the Lord of the Rings movie installment "Felllowship of the Ring". Our heroic band of travelers is deep in a mine created by dwarves, and has awoken from the depths the nasty creatures (orcs, mostly) that live there. They are surrounded, but guarded by the light and their swords the enemies can only advance so far so there seems to be an invisible circle drawn around them. 

As a Christian you should know you're in a daily spiritual battle. If you don't, read Ephesians 6:10-17 for starters. It still may not convince you, but even if it does this battle needs to be recognized experientially rather than mere mental assent to what the Bible says. If you put your trust in Jesus as your Savior, have faith that his blood cleansed and is cleansing you from sin (1 John 1:7), are putting to death the deeds of the body through the Spirit (Romans 8:13), and have consecrated your life to Him, the devil is after you. The rest of the world (and those professing to be Christians but don't meet the criteria above) is living in sin and the devil is quite happy with them. 

The devils' attacks can be very subtle: that's why the Bible calls them "wiles" (Ephesians 6:11). Sometimes we swear people are just "jerks" and are coming at us for that reason alone, but the devil regularly blinds us to his operations. He comes at us through people, and though he knows he can't take away our salvation, he wants to make us miserable and poor representatives of Christ. 

Have you ever felt "pressed on every side", like the onslaught was just so oppressive you couldn't possibly take any more? The apostle Paul felt like that, using those very words (2 Corinthians 4:8), so much so that he wanted to die (2 Corinthians 1:8). The word rendered "pressed" literally means that, to be pressed like a grape. However verse goes on to say "...we are pressed but not crushed" (the word "crushed" literally meaning to be in a "narrow place"). 

That's when I like to think of our image above. We may indeed be pressed, but God gives us the armor of Ephesians chapter 6 to create an invisible barrier around us through which the enemy cannot penetrate. We take up our swords (the Word of God), wielding them confidently, our shield of faith, helmets of salvation, breastplates of righteousness (i.e., the blood of the Lamb), and the belt of the truth of God's Word (represented by the light in the picture above). The enemy mortally fears all these pieces on a mature Christian, and will accordingly keep his distance.

But we are to be more than the travelers fighting for their lives above. In fact, God promises us a "large place" (Psalm 118:5 - interestingly, this verse in the Psalms carries the exact meaning of our verse from 2 Corinthians, where "distress' literally means to be "in a tight place"). In this large place there is freedom to "live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28), even living the "abundant life" (John 10:10) that Jesus promised. God has promised it: what is preventing us from living it? Let us confidently put on our armor, knowing whose the battle is (2 Chronicles 20:15).

Pulling Heaven To Earth (Message, March 3, 2018)

"...open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it." Psalm 81:10b

My job at West Point Military Academy is (as my wife will tell you) sometimes hard to define, but generally it falls under the category of management. I work for a contractor, which has its downsides when compared to working directly for the government, but one of the benefits in working for a good company is that they provide career advancement training, so when I have down time I take online courses working toward a Project Management Professional certification. 

These courses often are geared toward the manufacture and marketing of a product (which has little to do with what I do or what I'm interested in), but often there are universal principles that are interesting and applicable to not only work but other things as well. Since I've started a Christian blog my antenna is always up for a spiritual application of a particular truth or phenomenon. 

One of these principles that caught my attention while working on a course was the concept of what's called the "Kanban pull" in manufacturing. The concept was developed by the ever-efficient Japanese, at a time when the fledgling company Toyota was actually struggling in production when compared to American companies (imagine that!). A problem was surplus and waste due to overproduction, which led to re-thinking the process. 

The concept they came up with was called "Kanban (literally meaning "sign", or "billboard") Pull", and it meant that materials would be "pulled" into the manufacturing stream only when the market (i.e., the "sign") demanded it. The organization as a result became very flexible and streamlined, and the results speak for themselves: Toyota and it's sister companies such as Subaru have become prime examples of efficiency in production. 

If we look at this concept in electrical terms it would look like this: the power supply (wattage), or materials and labor, match the demand of the customer, or potential (voltage), resulting in a steady current flow, or high amperage (provided the conductor, or quality of labor and materials, is good, and there are no "resistors", or factors inhibiting flow). 

Not to get “New Age-y”, but spiritual power is a lot like electricity. If we then transfer this idea of electricity to the spiritual realm, to start, who is the power source? God. It is safe to say that through him comes unlimited reservoirs of spiritual power. When Jesus walked the earth the Bible says God gave him the "Spirit without measure" (John 3:34). As we all know and study in the healing ministry, healings followed Jesus wherever he went. Why was this? Let us look again at our principles of electricity. 

First of all, we established that God is the source of all (good) spiritual power, and that he gave that power to Jesus (without measure). But what caused that power to flow through Jesus? The first answer is the potential (Kanban pull), or in electrical terms voltage, created by the Messiah.

In the world of physics we know that nothing has more potential to be filled than an empty space, or a vacuum. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the church at Phillipi tells us that Jesus emptied himself (Philippians 2:6-7), or laid aside any rights he had as the Son of God. By voluntarily doing this it created a huge potential for God the Father to flow through him. He caused the Kanban pull to be felt, drawing power to Him, and we are to be the same, emptying ourselves of our will so we can be filled with His. So this is one part of the equation.

The second part of the equation is the people receiving the healing touch.

I think of the woman with the issue of blood touching the fringe of Jesus' garment (Luke 8:43-48), which is such an appropriate picture encapsulating what healing is about. But how did the woman create potential, or pull, to lay hold of the power that Jesus was carrying?

The answer, in short, is desperation. She was at the end of her rope, done with doctors, done with everything else, and she had put "all her eggs in one basket" so to speak on that encounter with Jesus. Enormous potential energy! It must have been like a bolt of lightning when she touched that tassel!* In fact, the Bible tells about many who touched the fringes of Jesus' garment and were healed (cf. Matthew 14:36; Mark 6:56). (Interestingly, these tassels were the ones commanded by God to be worn at the four corners of garments in the book of Numbers, chapter 15 (Numbers 15:37-39), and were believed to be receptors of spiritual power. Just more confirmation of Jesus life as an observant Jew.)

Also, the word "touch" doesn't really convey the full meaning of the Greek: the word haptomai carries the meaning to fasten or to cling to something. These people caught hold of Jesus' power. If someone desires healing,  often (but not always) they really have to want it. Jesus asked the man at the pool of Bethesda, "do you want to be healed?" (John 5:6), which seems a strange question, but the pity party the man has (John 5:7) after Jesus asks the question gives some indication why he asked it. Some people deep down don't want to be healed! They've come to some agreement with their illness, accept it as part of who they are, and can even wear it as a badge of honor. 

So when I'm praying with someone, if the Holy Spirit prompts me, I will sometimes ask the question, "Do you want to be healed?", usually prefacing it by saying "I know this may seem a strange question", or, "please don't be offended by this but..." The person has to want it to create the potential for power to flow. If the answer is "I don't know", or "I think so", healing may be hindered.

So we've covered potential, or voltage, but what about factors that affect current flow, or amperage, such as the quality of the conductor, and resistors, which slow current?

As for Jesus part in the equation, the answer is simple: he was the sinless Son of God. Since he did not sin, and the devil had no place in Him (John 14:30), there were no restrictions to the flow through him. Although obviously we are not the one Son of God, we are sons and daughters of the Almighty, and the Bible is clear that the Spirit of Jesus lives in us and can control us, and every characteristic of Jesus' earthy life can be ours as well. But we need to be living holy (or set-apart) lives, continually confessing sin, and renouncing any grip Satan has on our lives. 

As believers, we should be aware that things such as un-confessed sin and longstanding agreements we have with the enemy can have a major effect on our healing. In fact, if I'm praying with someone I know to be a believer, if prompted by the Holy Spirit I will often delicately ask the question "is there any sin in your life you haven't confessed?" The answer to this question can mean the difference between healing and not healing. 

As for unbelievers it's a whole different story. We are not to lay any of God's requirements on them before praying for healing. As in Jesus' day, healing is a free gift that is meant as a sign for people to come to God. 

We often wonder why our churches and our meetings aren't filled with the manifest power of God shown to us in the New Testament. Some people may say it's not in God's timing, and there are of course those who go to the extreme and say that healings were only meant for the apostles (even though there have been countless miraculous healings in the name of Jesus since). Others blame church leadership, or even other church goers.

First of all let us be clear and settle in our hearts that the fault is not with God. All the power in the universe is in Him. The fault isn't with the world, because the need, or potential, is there. The fault lies with us. We have not yet become the vessels for God's power to flow through. We haven't cried out to him to send revival. We are not desperate enough. Our vessels aren't clean enough. We cling to sin and idolatry, yet still desire Him to move. He will not. 

As I wrote this I want you and myself to feel convicted, not condemned. There is  a "remnant" of Christians today who have not "bowed the knee to Baal"(Romans 11:4-5), have counted the cost, and long to see God's kingdom on earth. I want to encourage you that I see revival - real revival - starting here and other places, due to the faithfulness of a few. But we need to press in. Every revival in history has been preceded by a faithful few who would press in and cry out to God day and night. We need to get desperate if it's going to come about, to create that Kanban pull that will pull the heavens down to earth. Amen.

* Some of you may have experienced being "slain in the Spirit", that is, when you were prayed for you felt something like electricity run through you which caused you gently to fall to the ground. John Arnott, lead pastor of the Toronto revival, when responding to skeptics of this phenomenon said something to the effect of "when the power of the God of the universe is flowing through your body we should be surprised that's all that happens!"