Friday, May 15, 2015
What can Christians learn from the business world?
It always fascinates me to observe mindsets that people choose to cultivate and live from, either people that know God or people that don't. Personally when I am able to see a mindset that I have that is not free or experiencing limitations in some way, common sense drives me to say, "it's time to change the way I think so my actions can follow suit." The renewed mind is a constant shift into more of heaven's way of thinking, it never stops being fine tuned and increasing.
As Christians we have become one with Jesus, we are reborn from above upon saying yes to following Him, and we have access to everything He is and has through relationship. This includes His mind, and in order to truthfully surrender to and follow Him it would make sense that we should know how He thinks and what we get to do with Him and through Him.
The mandate from Christ is to, "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ( Matthew 28:19-20) So our call is to go to people groups and share Good News and reconcile the world to Love, through the sacrifice that He made for us. By the way, the word 'nations' in the Greek does not mean foreign countries. The Greek word for 'nations' is ethnos, it means people groups that don't know Jesus. Their are countless nations in that context right here in your own city that don't know the Lord's love and goodness. Going to other countries is great fun, but you'll have more authority in other countries when you have cultivated and exercised that authority with effectiveness in your own family, workplace, city, and region.
Would it make sense then that we limit ourselves from receiving our full inheritance and the provision stored up for us when we don't walk out the call to make disciples of all nations? A lifestyle of obedience is where the favor never stops and always increases, and if we are following Him we should understand that He has already told us where He is going. He is leading people groups that don't know Him, to His abundant life. And He is leading us into being the leaders of people groups that don't know Him.
When we get our thoughts moving in the direction of Christ's thinking we are able to access more of His way of thinking. Seeing how we, collectively, have His mind (1 Cor. 2:16), it would make sense that accessing the more He has to offer (to anyone that wants it) would have to start with agreeing with the way He sees and does things.
How can we access the deep things of God, if we don't agree with His simple things? John 3:12 But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? (NLT) The truth of life in Christ and His Kingdom is that it so good it sounds almost like a fairy tale. So why are not as many people that say they follow Him experiencing this outrageously amazing way of life?
I have had the privilege lately to bring the Kingdom in realms of business and interact and observe the way success minded business people see and process things, and it is very similar to the way Jesus flows with His thinking.
Many church cultures in the western world have a church structure in place that is set up to get people to obey and agree with what the leader says and do what He says. It's a culture to create consumers, not providers. I understand and believe that so many people in these places have good hearts and intentions, but the Christian community should not be a bunch of docile consumers. The Christian community should be the vocal and effective leaders of all realms of society, by humbly and effectively serving and leading them into greater places. The main structure of church culture in our society gears Christians thinking to quiet down and obey the man in charge, even if you don't agree.
In the business world the success minded and driven people celebrate each other's diversities and that empowers what they agree upon to be that much more effective. The successful business people are all visionaries, just like Jesus was and told us to be. They are all creative and innovative as a lifestyle, just like Jesus is and has empowered us to be. They all have a bright hope filled perspective of the future, just like Jesus does and told us to have.
In the business world they don't put too much weight on someone's words that doesn't have the fruit to back up what they are talking about. It's ok for you too not pay to much attention to someone talking about divine healing that rarely ever sees anyone healed, or doesn't believe it's even God's will to heal. It's not dishonoring to not have a high value on their words, it's more wisdom then anything else. It's not dishonoring a person by not valuing their words on how to love sinner's when that person doesn't even have friends (that they love without an agenda) that are sinner's.
It's wisdom to listen to people talk about topics that actually have the fruit to back up what they are talking about. Some Christians think it is wrong or dishonoring to question any leader on anything, we are never to dishonor a person saved or unsaved. But it is more common sense to question what someone is talking about that can't back it up with the fruit of that topic in their own life.
No one is going to do it all perfectly and have the perfect perspective on everything, and we should all have people that we are committed to and in responsible relationship with. We should also all have healthy leaders around us, but just because someone is your leader doesn't mean you're being disrespectful to see things different. In the kingdom we are called to agree on the main things and let the minor differences strengthen us, not weaken us.
In the successful business world this is common sense. They have a high value for new innovation and creativity, their only concern is if it is working to produce better results. In the business world business leaders put weight on people's words that have a track record of success. They pay money to hear success tips and wisdom from people that truly have this, simply so they can receive from it and implement the strategies for positive and effective change in their own life and business. The business world has a high value for effective change and increase, just like Jesus does.
http://fortune.com/best-companies/
This is the top 100 companies to work for in 2015. If you skim through the benefits of the companies leading the charge, you'll find very similar trends. They all want their employees to be free at work. Google (who has been #1 on this list for 6yrs running) even has a free haircuts, video game rooms, a gym, pool tables, and the list could go on. They trust their employees have inherently good motives and have created an environment that empowers them to be creative and unwind in a variety of ways to provoke more rest filled creativity. They understand that when their employees want to drop what they are doing and play some games, it refreshes them to return to the task focused and joyful.
Another interesting trend among the top companies on the list is this, many of those companies have unlimited paid sick days. These companies trust the environment they have created will drive employees to want to be at work, so much so that if an employee is sick they pay them while they recover. These top companies see that people are inherently driven to be successful, good, and that all people have the full capability to be a solid contributor to the bigger vision. They see that creating an environment that provokes freedom and creativity doesn't actually have employees taking advantage of the system, it has them helping and adding to the system in very beneficial ways.
Being a successful leader in any environment is a more weighty task then many of their critics realize, but good leaders know this. Good leaders know how to let the critics weightless words role off their shoulder and be null and void in their life. And most importantly good leaders have one focus... not to create followers, but to raise up other leaders!
Friday, May 1, 2015
Speak an Army into Existence
The prophetic is vital to a healthy community of followers of Jesus. We as the body of Christ have the privilege of tapping into the lifeline of heaven, His voice. We have to have the prophetic operating from a correct perspective and in accurate power so His Kingdom can be established in unshakable ways. Ezekiel 37 reveals an amazingly clear picture of how to speak life and health to people, and it also reveals some beautiful new covenant revelation.
Ezekiel
37:1 The hand of the Lord was upon me, and He brought me out by the Spirit of
the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley; and it was full of bones.
(NASB) The hand of the Lord isn’t just upon you now, you are the hand of the
Lord. Heaven loves revealing itself through us.
If we ask "Here I am. Send Me," we shouldn't be surprised if we are set down in the middle of a valley of dry bones. The depth of this Good News is that the Jesus in you is the feast for the starving, but you can’t be His light and food for the lost and hungry until you mix and mingle with them. You are the Light for those lost in the dark, but you can’t be that Light until you post up in the darkness amongst them so the Lord can draw them to Himself through your life.
If we ask "Here I am. Send Me," we shouldn't be surprised if we are set down in the middle of a valley of dry bones. The depth of this Good News is that the Jesus in you is the feast for the starving, but you can’t be His light and food for the lost and hungry until you mix and mingle with them. You are the Light for those lost in the dark, but you can’t be that Light until you post up in the darkness amongst them so the Lord can draw them to Himself through your life.
2 Then
He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in
the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. (NKJV) “Then He caused me to
pass by them” You want to be used by the Lord? Then expect to be put in the
midst of hell itself, so you can plunder hell to populate Heaven.
On the cross Christ became what we looked like, so we could become what He looks like now. 1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (ESV) “As He is so also are we in this world,” in this world now, we are as He is. Don’t be shocked when you are in the middle of a bunch of people that look like Christ did, spiritually speaking, on the cross. That is what you once looked like before you said yes to the King of Glory and His free gift of salvation. He puts us there so people can see what it is they are supposed to look like, Jesus. Just be the new you that you are while speaking His words, and they will see Him and hear Him and His irresistible goodness.
On the cross Christ became what we looked like, so we could become what He looks like now. 1 John 4:17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. (ESV) “As He is so also are we in this world,” in this world now, we are as He is. Don’t be shocked when you are in the middle of a bunch of people that look like Christ did, spiritually speaking, on the cross. That is what you once looked like before you said yes to the King of Glory and His free gift of salvation. He puts us there so people can see what it is they are supposed to look like, Jesus. Just be the new you that you are while speaking His words, and they will see Him and hear Him and His irresistible goodness.
3 He
said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God,
You know.” (NASB) When Jesus came one of His names was, "Son of Man." The Son of Man came to an earth full of dry bones and spoke and paid for life so the sons of men could become sons of God. God is asking a rhetorical question here. He is getting you
to realize that your life and thought process is already in agreement with
heaven, just walk it out your true identity and you will see the revealing of on earth as it is in heaven through your life. Knowing God is knowing
His will, and His will is ‘on earth as it is in heaven’, and dry bones coming
to life is 'on earth as it is in heaven'. God was showing Ezekiel that he was the one that was the mouthpiece of heaven to release heavens agenda of life and life more abundantly to the world. And in the new covenant every single one of us is the mouthpiece of heaven to a valley of dry bones.
4 Then
he said to me, "Speak a prophetic message to these bones and say, 'Dry
bones, listen to the word of the LORD! (NLT) When we speak what heaven is
saying our words become His weaponry. The word for ‘listen’ in the Hebrew is
–shama- to comprehend. God desires that the world comprehends His goodness. His
goodness is not for you, and to get you to fall in line with His army and get to work. His goodness is the fuel we run on, it is the very nature of everything He is. His
goodness cannot be exaggerated. His goodness is Him living and moving and
having His being in your life. His goodness is you living in peace, joy, grace,
love, and power with such an ease that it baffles the world into His never
ending goodness. Declare His goodness to the ‘dry bones’ of this world so they
‘comprehend’ His amazingness and they join the joyous army of God.
5 Thus
says the Lord GOD to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and
you shall live. (ESV) Notice… Ezekiel is the Lord’s mouth piece, ‘as He is so
also are we in this world’. God has chosen to reveal Who He is in us and then
through us, Galatians 1: 15 But when it pleased God, Who separated me from my
mothers womb and called me through His grace, 16 to reveal His Son in me... (NKJV)
All God has to do is breath on the dead and His breath brings resurrection. So it was with Jesus giving the Holy Spirit in John 20:21-22. Notice the imagery, God breaths what is inside of Him into us and we become, “For we are parts of his body—of his flesh and of his bones,” Ephesians 5:30. You speaking His words releases His life into people so they can wake up and partake of the life they were created for, so speak to the dry bones of the lost and hurting so they too can live in the goodness of God.
All God has to do is breath on the dead and His breath brings resurrection. So it was with Jesus giving the Holy Spirit in John 20:21-22. Notice the imagery, God breaths what is inside of Him into us and we become, “For we are parts of his body—of his flesh and of his bones,” Ephesians 5:30. You speaking His words releases His life into people so they can wake up and partake of the life they were created for, so speak to the dry bones of the lost and hurting so they too can live in the goodness of God.
6 I
will put flesh and muscles on you and cover you with skin. I will put breath
into you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
(NLT) We speak His will into and upon people., and His will is life and life more
abundantly. He desires to give you His life,
Colossians 2:2-3. You are a brush stroke of His eternal
masterpiece, you are a vibrant color on the canvas of His eternal display of
never-ending grace. You are a piece of His glorious body on this earth which
finds its fullness in the mystical body of Christ Jesus. You are living and
moving and having your being in the blissful goodness of His reality.
God didn't tell Ezekiel to prophetically point out all the problems he saw, God told Him to speak their true identity to life. When a person comes to Jesus the sin nature that dwells within is cast out and the new substance that fills them is Christ. So if God sees us as filled with Him and having amazing potential and life for us, why would God have us prophecy and focus on the sin nature that He paid so much to get rid of? God always sees us through the lens of Jesus, which is an ever increasing measure of His life and a destiny that is always increasing in intimacy with love.
God didn't tell Ezekiel to prophetically point out all the problems he saw, God told Him to speak their true identity to life. When a person comes to Jesus the sin nature that dwells within is cast out and the new substance that fills them is Christ. So if God sees us as filled with Him and having amazing potential and life for us, why would God have us prophecy and focus on the sin nature that He paid so much to get rid of? God always sees us through the lens of Jesus, which is an ever increasing measure of His life and a destiny that is always increasing in intimacy with love.
7 So I
prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and
behold, a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to its bone. (NASB) As He
spoke what God was saying what God said would happen happened, it is simple. Now understand something here, the prophetic can make things messy.
Know this though His message doesn’t create a mess, His message reveals the
mess so it can be removed. His message is not what creates
the mess, His message stirs up a “noise” and a “rattling” and our mess gets
revealed in the midst of it so it can be removed so our life can sink into the
goodness of His life. Our focus is never the problems, our focus is always the solution and seeing the true heavenly identity of everyone. When the solution is revealed it can rattle things, but the rattling is the revealing that the solution is surfacing.
And the greater the prophetic word and the weight attached to it, the harder the enemy tries to thwart it. You can tell the strength of a prophetic word by the opposition that comes against it. If you receive and amazing word, and all the sudden it seems like all hell comes against it. That's hell trying to get you to shy away from it. Understanding that dynamic empowers us to know God and walk through attacks in order to step into our destiny of ever increasing glory to glory.
And the greater the prophetic word and the weight attached to it, the harder the enemy tries to thwart it. You can tell the strength of a prophetic word by the opposition that comes against it. If you receive and amazing word, and all the sudden it seems like all hell comes against it. That's hell trying to get you to shy away from it. Understanding that dynamic empowers us to know God and walk through attacks in order to step into our destiny of ever increasing glory to glory.
8
Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin
covered them over; but there was no breath in them. (NKJV) Observe the imagery
here. Ezekiel just spoke what God was saying and then he watched God do it.
Your job is simple my friends, just speak what God is saying in love and He will do it.
All Ezekiel did in this verse was say what He heard God speak, and then stand and watch God be amazing. The
lack of ‘breath’ is the Holy Spirit. The word for ‘Spirit’ in the Greek (New
Covenant) – pneuma- wind, breath, spirit. The word for ‘Spirit’ in the Hebrew
(Old Testament) – ruach- breath, wind, spirit. God was showing Ezekiel a New
Covenant reality of what happens when the breath of God, is not just upon
people, but is inside people. We get to partner with heaven and speak the full of health of life into people, when we comprehend this responsibility and privilege we begin to see how vital it is to speak life and solution at all times.
9 Then
He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to
the breath, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Come from the four winds, O breath, and
breathe on these slain, that they come to life."'" (NASB) Again God
releases His life through our words. Does He need to? Is God limited in any way
if we don’t prophesy or speak life? No. But know this, He has chosen to
continually love the hell out of people through us. It is how He likes to do
things. If we understood the authority we had we would speak more life,
prophetic words, and encouragement. God unleashed His very life into an army when
Ezekiel simply said what God was saying. God always speaks life, victory, love,
encouragement, and life more abundantly.
10 So I
prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they came to
life and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army. (NASB) Co-laboring is
a simple as just saying what He is saying, doing what He is doing. When you
begin to grow in the understanding of what Jesus did on the cross you, you grow
in learning how to do less and get more done. Because you learn and experience
how easy it is to simply let Jesus be Himself through you. The Lord picked
Ezekiel up and put Him in the dry valley and then told Him what to do and say.
Ezekiel did and said what God was doing and saying, and an exceedingly great
army “came to life and stood on their feet.” The Lord did it all, through one
yielded vessel that was willing to let God have His way in him and through
him.
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
John 2 Party time!
Ever heard, "God only gives us what we need, not what we want?" It is my pleasure to tell you that He not only gives us what we want, He gives us an abundance of it. When you delight yourself in the Lord He gives you the desires of your heart, Psalm 37:4. The basis of who He is, is that He is love and He is 100% good 100% of the time.
Picture a father of a child here on earth that only gave his kid the bare minimum, when he had the entire universe and all its riches and resources at his disposal. That doesn't sound like a father that is love and is 100% good, 100% of the time. It is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom, Luke 12:32, and the Kingdom is loaded with His unlimited goodness.
The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. (NASB) So Jesus displayed the Father in His exact nature. John 5:19 So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. (Amplified) Jesus didn't do a single thing that was not in complete alignment with the heart of God, He came to reveal the Father in perfect detail.
Lets take a look at Jesus' first public miracle. In verse 3 of John 2 it says, When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." (NASB) And this is the response from the Prince of Peace from the Message bible, Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother-yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me."
Now if the wine is gone it simply means that everyone drank it, and if they drank all the wine that was supplied for an entire wedding then let's face the facts, they were drunk. Yet Mary persisted, after waiting 30yrs for the unveiling of the Messiah (who she also carried in her belly for 9 months) you can understand how she might have been getting a little impatient.
She goes ahead and tells the disciples, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Think through this now, a want from mankind moved the ministry of the King of Glory to earlier start date. More wine once you are already drunk is a want, not a need. The persistence of a woman that was pregnant with the expectation of the presentation of heaven on earth pushed the Messiah into party pleasing, its true. Jesus had to have been given the OK from the Father, obviously, or He wouldn't have supplied the drunk wedding guests with an outrageous amount of the finest wine.
So God says, ok, you want to see my exact nature displayed here you go! Then Jesus turned 6 jars that held 20-30 gallons a piece into top shelf wine. And Jesus honored the host first, (Message bible) verse 8- "Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did. The hosts response, "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!"
The first public miracle in the ministry of Jesus supplied a want, at a party, and in fine fashion. It's as if God was making a statement about what the New Covenant is like. Jesus told us to pray, (NIV) Matthew 6:10 "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Apparently they like to party in heaven. Message bible verse 11 from John 2, "This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him." I would also believe if I was partaking in that blissful environment!
Many of us have misunderstood Philippians 4:19, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory. (NASB) Did you notice that? God supplies according to His riches in Glory, not our circumstances or needs. Here is a little context of this amazing word though. In Philippians 4:15-18 Paul shares how the Church of Phillippi was the only church that shared financial gifts with Him for his ministry and living. The book of Philippians also has a constant theme of joy and gratitude. A life of joy, thanksgiving, and generously giving compels the heart of God to supply our needs according to His riches in glory. He is so good, think of this. We give what He freely gives us towards His kingdom, and in return He rewards us? That's an amazing deal right their!
God is so pleased with us, He is so in love with us that He wants our desires on all fronts of life fulfilled. He delights in you, Proverbs 8:31...And my delight was with the sons of men. Psalm 16:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (NKJV)
Enjoy the new wine of joy that was poured out at the cross. Delight in the fact that He delights in you, and drink Him in!
Picture a father of a child here on earth that only gave his kid the bare minimum, when he had the entire universe and all its riches and resources at his disposal. That doesn't sound like a father that is love and is 100% good, 100% of the time. It is the Fathers good pleasure to give you the kingdom, Luke 12:32, and the Kingdom is loaded with His unlimited goodness.
The writer of Hebrews says in Hebrews 1:3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the majesty on high. (NASB) So Jesus displayed the Father in His exact nature. John 5:19 So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. (Amplified) Jesus didn't do a single thing that was not in complete alignment with the heart of God, He came to reveal the Father in perfect detail.
Lets take a look at Jesus' first public miracle. In verse 3 of John 2 it says, When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." (NASB) And this is the response from the Prince of Peace from the Message bible, Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother-yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me."
Now if the wine is gone it simply means that everyone drank it, and if they drank all the wine that was supplied for an entire wedding then let's face the facts, they were drunk. Yet Mary persisted, after waiting 30yrs for the unveiling of the Messiah (who she also carried in her belly for 9 months) you can understand how she might have been getting a little impatient.
She goes ahead and tells the disciples, "Whatever He says to you, do it." Think through this now, a want from mankind moved the ministry of the King of Glory to earlier start date. More wine once you are already drunk is a want, not a need. The persistence of a woman that was pregnant with the expectation of the presentation of heaven on earth pushed the Messiah into party pleasing, its true. Jesus had to have been given the OK from the Father, obviously, or He wouldn't have supplied the drunk wedding guests with an outrageous amount of the finest wine.
So God says, ok, you want to see my exact nature displayed here you go! Then Jesus turned 6 jars that held 20-30 gallons a piece into top shelf wine. And Jesus honored the host first, (Message bible) verse 8- "Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did. The hosts response, "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!"
The first public miracle in the ministry of Jesus supplied a want, at a party, and in fine fashion. It's as if God was making a statement about what the New Covenant is like. Jesus told us to pray, (NIV) Matthew 6:10 "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Apparently they like to party in heaven. Message bible verse 11 from John 2, "This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him." I would also believe if I was partaking in that blissful environment!
Many of us have misunderstood Philippians 4:19, And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in Glory. (NASB) Did you notice that? God supplies according to His riches in Glory, not our circumstances or needs. Here is a little context of this amazing word though. In Philippians 4:15-18 Paul shares how the Church of Phillippi was the only church that shared financial gifts with Him for his ministry and living. The book of Philippians also has a constant theme of joy and gratitude. A life of joy, thanksgiving, and generously giving compels the heart of God to supply our needs according to His riches in glory. He is so good, think of this. We give what He freely gives us towards His kingdom, and in return He rewards us? That's an amazing deal right their!
God is so pleased with us, He is so in love with us that He wants our desires on all fronts of life fulfilled. He delights in you, Proverbs 8:31...And my delight was with the sons of men. Psalm 16:3 As for the saints who are on the earth, "They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." 11 You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (NKJV)
Enjoy the new wine of joy that was poured out at the cross. Delight in the fact that He delights in you, and drink Him in!
Secular and Sanctified
Our ability to effectively allow Jesus to expand His kingdom through us is fully dependent upon our perception of who He is, what He accomplished on behalf the entire world, and what His kingdom truly is. Our ability to turn earth into heaven rests in how well we know Him, not what gifting or calling we have. The gifts and callings take flight when we allow His wind to fuel them.
Categorizing everything when it comes to following Jesus hasn't helped us as much as we think it has. When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit and the Five Fold ministry, many seek what their role and gifting is and settle into that identity. But we are called settle into the identity of a Son or Daughter of the King that is fully equipped to re-present Him and His kingdom with any gifting or role that the situation presents. Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (NLT)
It's how we see Him and who He is that fuels us. The bible never says to behold ourselves, it says behold Him. Because we become what we focus on, so we behold Him and we become like Him in our everyday life.
Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (NASB) Your ability to transform the sphere of influence He has put you in to look like heaven, fully revolves around how you see Him, not how you see your gifting or calling. In Matthew 6:22 notice how it says, "eye" not eyes. Jesus is talking about your perception or spiritual vision. The literally meaning of the word in the Greek means, your minds eye.
When your at work and a coworker is in need of healing, your vision of whether you think Jesus is capable of healing is the question, not whether or not your have the gift of healing. Or say your children or a family member are in need of a hope filled prophetic word. Do you really think Jesus doesn't want to speak through you to the children He bleed for because you don't have a certain gift?
Your workplace has just as much God in it as anywhere. Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (ESV) His glory is everywhere, us not knowing it is what limits us. His glory is already at your workplace, our mind being renewed so we can percieve this Truth is the issue. God already has an authority resting on you to have your work be your ministry, and He wants to turn our workplace into heaven on earth far more then we want Him to. The line of secular and sanctified was erased when we became sanctified in Him, not by our doing but by the grace to see the Truth that existed long before we had the ability to see it.
In Matthew 6:22 the word for "clear" in the Greek means this, without folds, referring to a single (undivided) focus without a secret double agenda which prevents an over-complicated life. When our vision is that His kingdom is everywhere we are (because His kingdom is within me), and His purpose through my life is my reason to live, my vision becomes clear and the line so many have created between secular and sanctified evaporates in His glory being revealed through us as a life style.
His perfect Kingdom is just as Holy and perfect in the sin riddled Red Light District of Tijuana, where I have seen Jesus regularly heal, save, and deliver His beloved children in abundant fashion, as it is in the church you attend on Sunday morning. Psalm 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (NASB) The issue is our perception of who we think Jesus really is, and our understanding of what was actually accomplished on that lovely cross of Calvary.
Jesus lived this lifestyle of extending God's Kingdom as He was reclining at a pharisee's table and a prostitute broke a expensive alabaster vial of perfume and wiped His feet with Her tears as she kissed His them. He was living the same way as He made a spectle of healing the man with the withered hand in front of the phairsees that were trying to trick Him in the synagogue in Mark 3:1-6. He never saw a difference in what was holy and what wasn't because of His enviroment or circumstances, His vision was Holy and He knew His identity so it made the situation Holy.
We carry the authority and empowering presence of Christ Himself, therefore we have the green light to turn any where our foot steps into heaven on earth. In the realm of business, education, religion, enteratainment, and the list could go on. If you are a school teacher you have been placed in an amazing place to release His power and love, God knows we need it there. The school teacher or business man, etc, is just as much if not more important to His Kingdom as any of us. One of us can't get into all the places where Jesus desires to dwell, but as Living Stones that embody Him we can invade all spheres of society with His power and love when we know who He is in us and who we are in Him.
Categorizing everything when it comes to following Jesus hasn't helped us as much as we think it has. When it comes to the gifts of the Spirit and the Five Fold ministry, many seek what their role and gifting is and settle into that identity. But we are called settle into the identity of a Son or Daughter of the King that is fully equipped to re-present Him and His kingdom with any gifting or role that the situation presents. Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. (NLT)
It's how we see Him and who He is that fuels us. The bible never says to behold ourselves, it says behold Him. Because we become what we focus on, so we behold Him and we become like Him in our everyday life.
Matthew 6:22 The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. (NASB) Your ability to transform the sphere of influence He has put you in to look like heaven, fully revolves around how you see Him, not how you see your gifting or calling. In Matthew 6:22 notice how it says, "eye" not eyes. Jesus is talking about your perception or spiritual vision. The literally meaning of the word in the Greek means, your minds eye.
When your at work and a coworker is in need of healing, your vision of whether you think Jesus is capable of healing is the question, not whether or not your have the gift of healing. Or say your children or a family member are in need of a hope filled prophetic word. Do you really think Jesus doesn't want to speak through you to the children He bleed for because you don't have a certain gift?
Your workplace has just as much God in it as anywhere. Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (ESV) His glory is everywhere, us not knowing it is what limits us. His glory is already at your workplace, our mind being renewed so we can percieve this Truth is the issue. God already has an authority resting on you to have your work be your ministry, and He wants to turn our workplace into heaven on earth far more then we want Him to. The line of secular and sanctified was erased when we became sanctified in Him, not by our doing but by the grace to see the Truth that existed long before we had the ability to see it.
In Matthew 6:22 the word for "clear" in the Greek means this, without folds, referring to a single (undivided) focus without a secret double agenda which prevents an over-complicated life. When our vision is that His kingdom is everywhere we are (because His kingdom is within me), and His purpose through my life is my reason to live, my vision becomes clear and the line so many have created between secular and sanctified evaporates in His glory being revealed through us as a life style.
His perfect Kingdom is just as Holy and perfect in the sin riddled Red Light District of Tijuana, where I have seen Jesus regularly heal, save, and deliver His beloved children in abundant fashion, as it is in the church you attend on Sunday morning. Psalm 139:12 Even the darkness is not dark to You, And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You. (NASB) The issue is our perception of who we think Jesus really is, and our understanding of what was actually accomplished on that lovely cross of Calvary.
Jesus lived this lifestyle of extending God's Kingdom as He was reclining at a pharisee's table and a prostitute broke a expensive alabaster vial of perfume and wiped His feet with Her tears as she kissed His them. He was living the same way as He made a spectle of healing the man with the withered hand in front of the phairsees that were trying to trick Him in the synagogue in Mark 3:1-6. He never saw a difference in what was holy and what wasn't because of His enviroment or circumstances, His vision was Holy and He knew His identity so it made the situation Holy.
We carry the authority and empowering presence of Christ Himself, therefore we have the green light to turn any where our foot steps into heaven on earth. In the realm of business, education, religion, enteratainment, and the list could go on. If you are a school teacher you have been placed in an amazing place to release His power and love, God knows we need it there. The school teacher or business man, etc, is just as much if not more important to His Kingdom as any of us. One of us can't get into all the places where Jesus desires to dwell, but as Living Stones that embody Him we can invade all spheres of society with His power and love when we know who He is in us and who we are in Him.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
God wants your junk!
The world has sadly distorted what and who Love truly is. It seems that when many think of love they have to navigate the idea of love having to be romantic and or sexual in some way. Since that view of love has been so twisted, what happens to so many is that they unravel how to do relationship through a lens of what the world screams that love is and then filter it through a misunderstood biblical lens. Love is always God and His unselfish goodness flowing through us, the worlds view of what they think love is only has able to effect how we interact with people if we let it.
When we fall in love romance and sex are definitely good, but that's for a covenant relationship of marriage and another topic for another day. Feel free to read the exact definition of love in my blog, Be Perfected in Love, where I elaborate on the Greek definitions of the entire passage of 1 Cor. 13 and the second half of Romans 12. Love is always pure, glorious, and life changing for all who encounter Him.
But what does love look like in the sense of laying down your life for the sake of the world? Think of what Jesus did. Jesus literally paid the price for all your junk. All you issues, all your sin no matter how big or small, all your sickness, all your guilt and shame, all your depression and everything negative and dogmatic. He went through the worst torture the world has ever seen, and paid to take all of your issues away for good.
Who do you know that would even pay money for all your junk, or even take it off your hands for for free? Let alone endure the most torturous process the world has ever unleashed on a human (Isaiah 52:14). He endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), the joy set before Him was living inside you. We are His reward, and He is so pleased with us! Not only did God forgive us for everything, which if that was it that would be amazing, but it goes way further than that. He not only paid for and forgave us of everything, but He took it and gave His life and His stuff in exchange.
All of the benefits of walking in perfection and provision are our inheritance through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Once you give your life to Jesus in exchange for His, you don't have the right to carry all your junk around anymore. It's His, He paid for it because He loves us and our true identity is His identity. He knew your true destiny, identity, and purpose when you only knew depression and lies about your worth and value. He knows who He created you to be, and then He paid to take any and all hurtful things away from you so you could live in that place of your true identity and purpose.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (NASB) The Greek word for 'lay down' is tithémi - set, fix, or establish. Love allows it's life to be established on behalf of benefiting and blessing others as the message of their life. Jesus did the hard part, take all the trash of the world and in exchange freely gave us all His treasure. Our joyous task is to establish our lives in a way that shows people this way to life (Ephesians 3:16-17).
We get to use our gifts and talents to introduce people to the Author of Life (1 Peter 4:10). We model the Truth of real life in love and it ushers people into the Divine exchange (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our lives get used to reveal how Jesus has taken all of our junk that isn't our true identity anyways, in exchange for all His treasure and benefits (Psalm 103:2-4). We are heavenly ambassadors that have the privilege of being the living epistle of the King and a Kingdom that is so out of this world glorious that it almost seems like a fairy tale!
When we fall in love romance and sex are definitely good, but that's for a covenant relationship of marriage and another topic for another day. Feel free to read the exact definition of love in my blog, Be Perfected in Love, where I elaborate on the Greek definitions of the entire passage of 1 Cor. 13 and the second half of Romans 12. Love is always pure, glorious, and life changing for all who encounter Him.
But what does love look like in the sense of laying down your life for the sake of the world? Think of what Jesus did. Jesus literally paid the price for all your junk. All you issues, all your sin no matter how big or small, all your sickness, all your guilt and shame, all your depression and everything negative and dogmatic. He went through the worst torture the world has ever seen, and paid to take all of your issues away for good.
Who do you know that would even pay money for all your junk, or even take it off your hands for for free? Let alone endure the most torturous process the world has ever unleashed on a human (Isaiah 52:14). He endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2), the joy set before Him was living inside you. We are His reward, and He is so pleased with us! Not only did God forgive us for everything, which if that was it that would be amazing, but it goes way further than that. He not only paid for and forgave us of everything, but He took it and gave His life and His stuff in exchange.
All of the benefits of walking in perfection and provision are our inheritance through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Once you give your life to Jesus in exchange for His, you don't have the right to carry all your junk around anymore. It's His, He paid for it because He loves us and our true identity is His identity. He knew your true destiny, identity, and purpose when you only knew depression and lies about your worth and value. He knows who He created you to be, and then He paid to take any and all hurtful things away from you so you could live in that place of your true identity and purpose.
John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." (NASB) The Greek word for 'lay down' is tithémi - set, fix, or establish. Love allows it's life to be established on behalf of benefiting and blessing others as the message of their life. Jesus did the hard part, take all the trash of the world and in exchange freely gave us all His treasure. Our joyous task is to establish our lives in a way that shows people this way to life (Ephesians 3:16-17).
We get to use our gifts and talents to introduce people to the Author of Life (1 Peter 4:10). We model the Truth of real life in love and it ushers people into the Divine exchange (2 Corinthians 5:20). Our lives get used to reveal how Jesus has taken all of our junk that isn't our true identity anyways, in exchange for all His treasure and benefits (Psalm 103:2-4). We are heavenly ambassadors that have the privilege of being the living epistle of the King and a Kingdom that is so out of this world glorious that it almost seems like a fairy tale!
Friday, March 27, 2015
Relevance - Part 2
As the world continues to shift and change, our values and truth don't need to change to remain effective. In order to have affect in implementing our values and Truth into culture at large, we do need to learn to shift with the changing culture. People are desperate for the fruit of living in the lifestyle of knowing love, but sadly some of the world has been shown a wrong presentation of who Love is. It's unfortunately true to one extent or another, but this presents a beautiful opportunity for us to be a generation that rises up and taps into the divine wisdom of how to be relevant in the current culture without compromising Truth.
Coca Cola has done this in excellence for over 120 years now. Coca Cola's original logo from 1886, is almost identical to the logo they have today. The taste has changed so little during Coca Cola's consistent relevance that you'd hardly be able to tell the difference between the original taste and today's. Atlanta pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton launched the world's most popular soft drink in 1886, and Coca Cola has stayed right at the forefront of a now booming industry the entire time. "Did you know? The first servings of Coca‑Cola were sold for 5 cents per glass. During the first year, sales averaged a modest nine servings per day in Atlanta. Today, daily servings of Coca‑Cola beverages are estimated at 1.9 billion globally." These facts were all lifted from Coca Cola's website. This growth didn't come from expecting the world to meet Coca Cola where they are at, this growth came through staying relevant in culture as it changed and grew. The original logo and flavor has never changed, how they have invaded culture and stayed a top the game has always changed.
In the 1920's Coca Cola noticed people buying multiple bottles at time, thus they invented the six pack. Their sales immediately went up, and we all know the six pack is used by every single beverage company their is now a days. They marketed with military advertisements in times of war, Olympic advertising during the Olympics, and always played into the cultural shifts as they unveiled. All the while the logo and taste stayed the same.
Interestingly enough in the early 60's Coca Cola saw the need for a soda with less calories as everyone began watching their calories. They launched a soda called TAB that had less calories. TAB was a hit, but not on the scale they saw was possible. But in the early 80's Coca Cola say the need for a Diet Coke. They deemed it a "high risk-high reward" venture. It was introduced in 1983, and in 2010 the top two selling soft drinks in the world were Coca Cola and Diet Coke.
Steve Jobs almost immediately shut down record stores when Apple launched iTunes, including all the other inventions he spear headed that revolutionized this planet. Netflix and RedBox eventually put Blockbuster and Hollywood video out of business, as they saw a more effective way to bring people what they were searching for. The same thing is happening right now with Ubercab, which is a taxi cab business that creates opportunities for people to make money in their spare time and also makes it far more convenient for the population needing taxi's. Ubercab is putting many taxi cab companies out of business. These companies are seeing the demand and flow of culture and thinking new and creatively with the service or product they have to present.
We have the Almighty Creator and brilliant Source of energy and Life living in us. He did after all create the world that inspires our creativity, He created being creative. He is the Creator of everything that inspires creativity. Our Truth and values (like Coca Cola's logo and flavor) never need to change, they can't or it wouldn't be the pure substance of Christ. But our mind should always be in the constant upgrade of renewal so we can be in the world while being, "The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it," Isaiah 2:2.
We have full access to unlimited and brilliant business opportunities and ideas, ideas that empower and bless people, political solutions, medical breakthroughs coupled with the supernatural healing power of Jesus, movies and music, and the list could go on and on. We have the privilege of bringing the original flavor and substance of Christ, coupled with His brilliance to change culture into the resemblance of heaven on earth.
So many followers of Jesus are flowing in this river of grace that is influencing and invading the cultures of this world with real relevance and solutions, but their is still an army of us sleeping while the Creator desires for us all to be fully alive. We are all fully equipped to bring His influencing Love and power into the sphere of influence He has given us. We were born for such a time and task as this, and we have only seen the beginning stages of this being unveiled in massive and brilliant ways.
Coca Cola has done this in excellence for over 120 years now. Coca Cola's original logo from 1886, is almost identical to the logo they have today. The taste has changed so little during Coca Cola's consistent relevance that you'd hardly be able to tell the difference between the original taste and today's. Atlanta pharmacist Dr. John S. Pemberton launched the world's most popular soft drink in 1886, and Coca Cola has stayed right at the forefront of a now booming industry the entire time. "Did you know? The first servings of Coca‑Cola were sold for 5 cents per glass. During the first year, sales averaged a modest nine servings per day in Atlanta. Today, daily servings of Coca‑Cola beverages are estimated at 1.9 billion globally." These facts were all lifted from Coca Cola's website. This growth didn't come from expecting the world to meet Coca Cola where they are at, this growth came through staying relevant in culture as it changed and grew. The original logo and flavor has never changed, how they have invaded culture and stayed a top the game has always changed.
In the 1920's Coca Cola noticed people buying multiple bottles at time, thus they invented the six pack. Their sales immediately went up, and we all know the six pack is used by every single beverage company their is now a days. They marketed with military advertisements in times of war, Olympic advertising during the Olympics, and always played into the cultural shifts as they unveiled. All the while the logo and taste stayed the same.
Interestingly enough in the early 60's Coca Cola saw the need for a soda with less calories as everyone began watching their calories. They launched a soda called TAB that had less calories. TAB was a hit, but not on the scale they saw was possible. But in the early 80's Coca Cola say the need for a Diet Coke. They deemed it a "high risk-high reward" venture. It was introduced in 1983, and in 2010 the top two selling soft drinks in the world were Coca Cola and Diet Coke.
Steve Jobs almost immediately shut down record stores when Apple launched iTunes, including all the other inventions he spear headed that revolutionized this planet. Netflix and RedBox eventually put Blockbuster and Hollywood video out of business, as they saw a more effective way to bring people what they were searching for. The same thing is happening right now with Ubercab, which is a taxi cab business that creates opportunities for people to make money in their spare time and also makes it far more convenient for the population needing taxi's. Ubercab is putting many taxi cab companies out of business. These companies are seeing the demand and flow of culture and thinking new and creatively with the service or product they have to present.
We have the Almighty Creator and brilliant Source of energy and Life living in us. He did after all create the world that inspires our creativity, He created being creative. He is the Creator of everything that inspires creativity. Our Truth and values (like Coca Cola's logo and flavor) never need to change, they can't or it wouldn't be the pure substance of Christ. But our mind should always be in the constant upgrade of renewal so we can be in the world while being, "The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it," Isaiah 2:2.
We have full access to unlimited and brilliant business opportunities and ideas, ideas that empower and bless people, political solutions, medical breakthroughs coupled with the supernatural healing power of Jesus, movies and music, and the list could go on and on. We have the privilege of bringing the original flavor and substance of Christ, coupled with His brilliance to change culture into the resemblance of heaven on earth.
So many followers of Jesus are flowing in this river of grace that is influencing and invading the cultures of this world with real relevance and solutions, but their is still an army of us sleeping while the Creator desires for us all to be fully alive. We are all fully equipped to bring His influencing Love and power into the sphere of influence He has given us. We were born for such a time and task as this, and we have only seen the beginning stages of this being unveiled in massive and brilliant ways.
Relevance - Part 1
The moment of favor, or window of opportunity for followers of Jesus to influence the world and lead nations, is always at hand. "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand," Matthew 4:17. Our mind get renewed into knowing the reality of heaven here and now, and God's desire to invade earth with His goodness. The harvest is ready right now, "Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest," is what Jesus declared in John 4.
I have had the privilege of seeing Jesus transform culture in seemingly strange places. It's all grace and it has been and continues to be great fun. Sometimes we can think that their is one way to share Jesus, and if people don't recieve the message it's because their hearts are hard. I have found this to rarely be true. The world is looking for Jesus in all their seeking, so as we partner with Holy Spirit and His ability to be relevant and helpful in any and all places hearts are opened for the Love of God to invade.
I lived in a very New Age city in Southern California for over 2yrs. This particular city had been avoided and cursed by Christians for a long time, all the spiritual activity that was taking place in this city was deemed dark and demonic and so most Christians simply avoided that community of spiritual seeking people all together. Jesus and us had a different idea. My dear friend had begun renting a room in a coffee shop just blocks from the New Age Temple that is in this town. Instead of hiding from darkness, we invaded it being "wise as a serpents and innocent as a doves."
He rented a little room in a coffee shop with a window facing the busy street and we hung a sign that said "free spiritual readings and healing" and this community of spiritual hungry people flocked to us. We were there 4 days a week for 3-5 hours at a time each day for over 2yrs. Another psychic in town had to shut down because we were better and free. We saw countless people, that God absolutely loves, in the New Age community get healed, saved, and delivered. They would get so impacted by Holy Spirit in this coffee shop that they'd send all their friends in.
The owner of the store was a gay man, we loved him, and he loved us! He knew exactly who we were and that we followed Jesus and he trusted us, so much so that he would confide in us for prayer for serious life issues. We never compromised Truth while doing this ministry, we simply spoke their language and loved them and constantly flowed in God's power. Countless doors opened through this. We did this at colleges, health fairs, private parties, and we even did it at a private high school prom two years in a row. During this time revival ignited at a church in this city, this church continues to go after the presence and power of God and are good friends of ours.
Now this approach is not going to work in the Red Light District of the run down and extremely dark (spiritually speaking) neighborhood of Tijuana, Mx. We have been going to Tijuana for about two years consistently. The need in this area is obvious, they need clothes, food, and a place to sleep. They need the power of God to heal them and set them free from intense bondage, and God is doing this in extreme measure. Holy Spirit is relevant and fits into any culture in a way that meets the needs and mindsets of people where they are at.
I have also had the privilege of seeing God begin to move powerfully in the Mormon community in Utah. The spiritual reading, or showing up with food and clothes approach, is not going to be the key to their hearts necessarily. They need patience and truth revealed to them as they are ready for it. They seek a deeper intimacy then they have experienced. They want to see the power of God, and they are beginning to. They have been taught to theorize everything, so simplifying Truth and showing them God and His extravagant love for them cuts right to the heart.
It's all the same Truth, the same God, the same power, and the same person of Christ Jesus. Truth is not compromised in these different areas, but the approach and revealing of Him meets them where the people are at. "For to long the church as been answering questions that the world is not asking," Bill Johnson.
When we show up in love and power with our sole intention being that we desire to serve and bless people. We show up with the answers to the questions the world is asking, and naturally what happens next is that the world begins asking the right questions.
Isaiah 2:2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. (NASB) I refuse to hold on to any belief in an end times view that harbors or entertains fear of any sort. This is a powerful prophetic word about the significance of God and His people in the "last days".
We will be established, cemented, in a place of honor from the worlds perspective. We "will be established as the chief of the mountains," this is a glorious position, "And all the nations will stream to it." This place of outrageous favor and influence is going to happen, their is no stopping it. But it won't come through trying to take the seat of honor and point at people telling them what they need to do, it will come through service, love, and being a company of people that can bring significant solutions that change the areas of society that truly need it. We should always be a people of extravagant hope and solutions that bring actual change, our God is able.
The world looks long and hard for people that have answers to the serious issues of our time. Our answers must be both practical and supernatural, both bringing about God's plans of goodness for the person or situation. We have the creative Source of Life that wants so badly to give us the insight into how to serve and bless the world in power and love. The way you get established as the chief of the mountains that the nations stream to is this, you use your gifts and talents to love and come under people and serve them into the place of their dreams.
In this place of service and love for others God opens an unthinkable favor that allows Him to work through us to love the world into His glorious plans of goodness.
I have had the privilege of seeing Jesus transform culture in seemingly strange places. It's all grace and it has been and continues to be great fun. Sometimes we can think that their is one way to share Jesus, and if people don't recieve the message it's because their hearts are hard. I have found this to rarely be true. The world is looking for Jesus in all their seeking, so as we partner with Holy Spirit and His ability to be relevant and helpful in any and all places hearts are opened for the Love of God to invade.
I lived in a very New Age city in Southern California for over 2yrs. This particular city had been avoided and cursed by Christians for a long time, all the spiritual activity that was taking place in this city was deemed dark and demonic and so most Christians simply avoided that community of spiritual seeking people all together. Jesus and us had a different idea. My dear friend had begun renting a room in a coffee shop just blocks from the New Age Temple that is in this town. Instead of hiding from darkness, we invaded it being "wise as a serpents and innocent as a doves."
He rented a little room in a coffee shop with a window facing the busy street and we hung a sign that said "free spiritual readings and healing" and this community of spiritual hungry people flocked to us. We were there 4 days a week for 3-5 hours at a time each day for over 2yrs. Another psychic in town had to shut down because we were better and free. We saw countless people, that God absolutely loves, in the New Age community get healed, saved, and delivered. They would get so impacted by Holy Spirit in this coffee shop that they'd send all their friends in.
The owner of the store was a gay man, we loved him, and he loved us! He knew exactly who we were and that we followed Jesus and he trusted us, so much so that he would confide in us for prayer for serious life issues. We never compromised Truth while doing this ministry, we simply spoke their language and loved them and constantly flowed in God's power. Countless doors opened through this. We did this at colleges, health fairs, private parties, and we even did it at a private high school prom two years in a row. During this time revival ignited at a church in this city, this church continues to go after the presence and power of God and are good friends of ours.
Now this approach is not going to work in the Red Light District of the run down and extremely dark (spiritually speaking) neighborhood of Tijuana, Mx. We have been going to Tijuana for about two years consistently. The need in this area is obvious, they need clothes, food, and a place to sleep. They need the power of God to heal them and set them free from intense bondage, and God is doing this in extreme measure. Holy Spirit is relevant and fits into any culture in a way that meets the needs and mindsets of people where they are at.
I have also had the privilege of seeing God begin to move powerfully in the Mormon community in Utah. The spiritual reading, or showing up with food and clothes approach, is not going to be the key to their hearts necessarily. They need patience and truth revealed to them as they are ready for it. They seek a deeper intimacy then they have experienced. They want to see the power of God, and they are beginning to. They have been taught to theorize everything, so simplifying Truth and showing them God and His extravagant love for them cuts right to the heart.
It's all the same Truth, the same God, the same power, and the same person of Christ Jesus. Truth is not compromised in these different areas, but the approach and revealing of Him meets them where the people are at. "For to long the church as been answering questions that the world is not asking," Bill Johnson.
When we show up in love and power with our sole intention being that we desire to serve and bless people. We show up with the answers to the questions the world is asking, and naturally what happens next is that the world begins asking the right questions.
Isaiah 2:2 Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. (NASB) I refuse to hold on to any belief in an end times view that harbors or entertains fear of any sort. This is a powerful prophetic word about the significance of God and His people in the "last days".
We will be established, cemented, in a place of honor from the worlds perspective. We "will be established as the chief of the mountains," this is a glorious position, "And all the nations will stream to it." This place of outrageous favor and influence is going to happen, their is no stopping it. But it won't come through trying to take the seat of honor and point at people telling them what they need to do, it will come through service, love, and being a company of people that can bring significant solutions that change the areas of society that truly need it. We should always be a people of extravagant hope and solutions that bring actual change, our God is able.
The world looks long and hard for people that have answers to the serious issues of our time. Our answers must be both practical and supernatural, both bringing about God's plans of goodness for the person or situation. We have the creative Source of Life that wants so badly to give us the insight into how to serve and bless the world in power and love. The way you get established as the chief of the mountains that the nations stream to is this, you use your gifts and talents to love and come under people and serve them into the place of their dreams.
In this place of service and love for others God opens an unthinkable favor that allows Him to work through us to love the world into His glorious plans of goodness.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)