"You can not change your heart and God will not change your mind. But, if you will change your mind, God will change your heart."
Unknown
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Political Power
"It has never been about the size or volume of our political views...it has always been about the height, depth, width and sweeping scope of our hearts in love with HIM. The world will not read our protest signs because we've shown them little, if any, sign of the Presence of God profoundly, WITH US. (Zechariah 8:23)"
Pastor Randy Dean
Pastor Randy Dean
Destiny
"If we will learn to welcome God's Presence into our lives in a revelation of Who He always was, we will finally become the people we were always destined to be!"
Pastor Randy Dean
Pastor Randy Dean
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Momentum
"I am determined to live a courageous covenant of honest and transparent hunger for revelation that truly feeds people into a momentum of positive and powerful action."
Pastor Randy Dean
Pastor Randy Dean
Monday, July 06, 2009
Psychedelic Jesus
I’m currently immersed in a series of messages I have affectionately titled, “Psychedelic Jesus”. I am a child of the ‘60’s. I still love the music and the memories (although someone once said that if you can remember the ‘60’s you weren’t there). I believe Janis Joplin was born to lead worship and simply couldn’t find a church door open to her or an authentic Christian near enough to pull her into her destiny.
My generation coined the word “psychedelic” and it that defined a large chunk of our search for meaning. I have found a definition from a medical research point of view that strikes at why I like this word; “Commonly known for perceptions of aspects of one’s mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from ordinary fetters”.
Last week I blogged the quote of President Eisenhower, “…without the yeast of pioneers every human endeavor eventually degenerates into a worship of the status quo”… I’ve gone from “IKE” to “PSYCH” in one week and both terms mean the same thing.
In Ephesians the Apostle Paul calls for us to have “the eyes of (our) heart” enlightened. It’s the only way to ever come to any productive adventure in this life we call Christian. Simply stated I’ve found that far too much of western Christianity has sanitized the faith down to a roll call of good boys and girls when it ought to be a dare to ride the wild side and “kiss the sky”!
Where would John be invited to preach after publically stating that he was, “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day and I heard behind me a loud voice…”? Where would Isaiah hold his next great crusade or festival after walking around naked for three years as an illustration of how arrogance will bring you to shame? Would your church ask David to lead worship after his wardrobe malfunction? Has anyone noticed that Moses was a fugitive murderer who came down from a mountain of thunder and lightening with the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”?
I want to propose to you that an enormous plot of spiritual real estate is waiting for our discovery! I am personally in a full pursuit of the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from ordinary fetters! I think the children of the ‘60’s had it right when they longed for a psychedelic experience but they had it wrong to think it was only available through dropping acid. I think Jesus was the Original Psychedelic and He beckons any eager pilgrim to climb a Mount of Transfiguration that they might become significant vessels of Transfiguration for the World HE SO LOVED!
I love Job 26:14, “Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?” Whole communities of faith are camped out on the “fringes of His ways…” and piously nod at every “faint a word”. Like Israel responding to the thunder and lightening on the mountain, we have accepted a suburban view.
I’m sick of the spiritual suburbs! Take me to the Inner City! Revelation 10 says that Seven Thunders have spoken and someone is destined to understand and LIVE what they’ve said. “EXCUSE ME, WHILE I KISS THE SKY” (Jimi Hendrix from the song, “Purple Haze”)
My generation coined the word “psychedelic” and it that defined a large chunk of our search for meaning. I have found a definition from a medical research point of view that strikes at why I like this word; “Commonly known for perceptions of aspects of one’s mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from ordinary fetters”.
Last week I blogged the quote of President Eisenhower, “…without the yeast of pioneers every human endeavor eventually degenerates into a worship of the status quo”… I’ve gone from “IKE” to “PSYCH” in one week and both terms mean the same thing.
In Ephesians the Apostle Paul calls for us to have “the eyes of (our) heart” enlightened. It’s the only way to ever come to any productive adventure in this life we call Christian. Simply stated I’ve found that far too much of western Christianity has sanitized the faith down to a roll call of good boys and girls when it ought to be a dare to ride the wild side and “kiss the sky”!
Where would John be invited to preach after publically stating that he was, “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day and I heard behind me a loud voice…”? Where would Isaiah hold his next great crusade or festival after walking around naked for three years as an illustration of how arrogance will bring you to shame? Would your church ask David to lead worship after his wardrobe malfunction? Has anyone noticed that Moses was a fugitive murderer who came down from a mountain of thunder and lightening with the commandment, “Thou shalt not kill”?
I want to propose to you that an enormous plot of spiritual real estate is waiting for our discovery! I am personally in a full pursuit of the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from ordinary fetters! I think the children of the ‘60’s had it right when they longed for a psychedelic experience but they had it wrong to think it was only available through dropping acid. I think Jesus was the Original Psychedelic and He beckons any eager pilgrim to climb a Mount of Transfiguration that they might become significant vessels of Transfiguration for the World HE SO LOVED!
I love Job 26:14, “Behold, these are the fringes of His ways; how faint a word we hear of Him! But His mighty thunder, who can understand?” Whole communities of faith are camped out on the “fringes of His ways…” and piously nod at every “faint a word”. Like Israel responding to the thunder and lightening on the mountain, we have accepted a suburban view.
I’m sick of the spiritual suburbs! Take me to the Inner City! Revelation 10 says that Seven Thunders have spoken and someone is destined to understand and LIVE what they’ve said. “EXCUSE ME, WHILE I KISS THE SKY” (Jimi Hendrix from the song, “Purple Haze”)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
The Yeast of Pioneers
Recently, my wife and I enjoyed a trip to West Point Military Acadamy where we joined the graduation celebration of one of our church’s young men. A year ago, when he invited us to be two of his ten available “tickets”, we were stunned. Having been there, now we are overwhelmingly stunned and honored.
The commencement speaker was Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. The full text of his speech is available on-line, and it is saved in my laptop…it was powerful. For my purposes here, I won’t go into much detail (it may become a class in our school of ministry, however!). I simply want to use a quote he used from President and General, Dwight Eisenhower; “Without the yeast of pioneers, the United States Army, or any other organization of men” – and today we would add women – “cannot escape degeneration into a ritualistic worship of the status quo.”
The church of America is in desperate need of “the yeast of pioneers”. Far too many of our practices and culture have been allowed a, “degeneration into a ritualistic worship of the status quo”. Status quo is most often welcomed and embraced when pain meets progress.
The spiritual pioneers we need today will have to speak and teach things that will invite the use of the H word….heresy. I’m not suggesting a sloppy foray into pop-theology or a reckless and lazy attack dog style of preaching. I’m talking about a courageous covenant of honest and transparent hunger for revelation that truly feeds people into a momentum of positive and powerful action.
I won’t take too much time here to tell you (again!) how I believe that most “end-times” popular theology has unplugged the passion and soul of far too much of western Christianity. A casual review of my blog site will do plenty of that. But I do need to relate it to the need for “the yeast of pioneers”. Here’s what I mean…
An enormous chunk of the Evangelical/Holy Spirit Renewal Church is either promoting the catastrophic, rapture end-times at worst, or at best, they are “letting a sleeping dog lay”. If this dog was sleeping, I’d leave it alone too. But the problem is, this dog bites and it is blockading an entry into the Kingdom of God. Simply put, when you believe that everything just gets blown up in the end, you will be minimally motivated to be a person of faith who believes for the healing of the nations.
The yeast of THIS pioneer believes for the leavening of the Bread of Life in Micah 4:1-7, “It will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it….they will hammer their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks: Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.”
Crazy stuff, huh? The church will have such influence, such power, such intrinsic Spirit value that our salt and light ends human conflict. But you know what? This isn’t as crazy as wolves and bears grazing with sheep and cows. Or lions eating straw, or infants playing by cobra and viper’s holes. Oh, it’s all in the Book (Isaiah 11) waiting for yeasty pioneers to believe that we truly are people of significance and that God has placed an enormous value in the sacrifice of His Son for the healing of the nations!
Some worshippers of the status quo will tell you that no such dreams are allowed for us mere mortals. They will be quick to note that Jesus must come again to finish these deeds. The problem with worshipping the status quo is that you will always become what you worship. I’ve always said that Satan doesn’t care what you believe about yesterday or the far flung future…he only cares when somebody pulls the scroll off a dusty shelf, reads the passage and says, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!” (Luke 4:21)
That is why I’ve come to tell you is that only dreamers dare pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Only dreamers look beyond wooden theology and reach for signs that will make the world wonder. Only dreamers think of every page of the Bible as a dare from God to live TODAY! Only dreamers have their gaze on Jesus walking on the water and shout to Him, “LET ME COME TO YOU AND JOIN YOUR SUPERNATURAL STROLL!!”
C’mon yeast……let’s do our job!
The commencement speaker was Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. The full text of his speech is available on-line, and it is saved in my laptop…it was powerful. For my purposes here, I won’t go into much detail (it may become a class in our school of ministry, however!). I simply want to use a quote he used from President and General, Dwight Eisenhower; “Without the yeast of pioneers, the United States Army, or any other organization of men” – and today we would add women – “cannot escape degeneration into a ritualistic worship of the status quo.”
The church of America is in desperate need of “the yeast of pioneers”. Far too many of our practices and culture have been allowed a, “degeneration into a ritualistic worship of the status quo”. Status quo is most often welcomed and embraced when pain meets progress.
The spiritual pioneers we need today will have to speak and teach things that will invite the use of the H word….heresy. I’m not suggesting a sloppy foray into pop-theology or a reckless and lazy attack dog style of preaching. I’m talking about a courageous covenant of honest and transparent hunger for revelation that truly feeds people into a momentum of positive and powerful action.
I won’t take too much time here to tell you (again!) how I believe that most “end-times” popular theology has unplugged the passion and soul of far too much of western Christianity. A casual review of my blog site will do plenty of that. But I do need to relate it to the need for “the yeast of pioneers”. Here’s what I mean…
An enormous chunk of the Evangelical/Holy Spirit Renewal Church is either promoting the catastrophic, rapture end-times at worst, or at best, they are “letting a sleeping dog lay”. If this dog was sleeping, I’d leave it alone too. But the problem is, this dog bites and it is blockading an entry into the Kingdom of God. Simply put, when you believe that everything just gets blown up in the end, you will be minimally motivated to be a person of faith who believes for the healing of the nations.
The yeast of THIS pioneer believes for the leavening of the Bread of Life in Micah 4:1-7, “It will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, and the peoples will stream to it….they will hammer their swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks: Nation will not lift up sword against nation, and never again will they train for war.”
Crazy stuff, huh? The church will have such influence, such power, such intrinsic Spirit value that our salt and light ends human conflict. But you know what? This isn’t as crazy as wolves and bears grazing with sheep and cows. Or lions eating straw, or infants playing by cobra and viper’s holes. Oh, it’s all in the Book (Isaiah 11) waiting for yeasty pioneers to believe that we truly are people of significance and that God has placed an enormous value in the sacrifice of His Son for the healing of the nations!
Some worshippers of the status quo will tell you that no such dreams are allowed for us mere mortals. They will be quick to note that Jesus must come again to finish these deeds. The problem with worshipping the status quo is that you will always become what you worship. I’ve always said that Satan doesn’t care what you believe about yesterday or the far flung future…he only cares when somebody pulls the scroll off a dusty shelf, reads the passage and says, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing!” (Luke 4:21)
That is why I’ve come to tell you is that only dreamers dare pray, “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Only dreamers look beyond wooden theology and reach for signs that will make the world wonder. Only dreamers think of every page of the Bible as a dare from God to live TODAY! Only dreamers have their gaze on Jesus walking on the water and shout to Him, “LET ME COME TO YOU AND JOIN YOUR SUPERNATURAL STROLL!!”
C’mon yeast……let’s do our job!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Randy Dean Ministries
April 27, 2009
“The Kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power”. (I Corinthians 4:20). This is the passion of my life; the radiant outworking of the reality of Heaven’s Domain….the Kingdom of God hits earth with the factual, tangible influence of renewal!
The past several months of my life have been packed with this kind of Kingdom pressure. Dreams are coming true which in turn inspire visions yet to be fulfilled. Since last May:
• We started a school of ministry with 7 student interns.
• I finished the rough draft of my first book, “Radiance; the Transcendent Nature of the Kingdom of God”.
• Ginger and I were called by God to move our ordination to the apostolic covering associated with Bethel Church Redding, California and Bill Johnson. Ginger is now officially, “Pastor Mom”- a title she adores.
• Our church, Living Word Chapel, has caught a momentum of the Spirit that is beyond words or easy definitions. Our services are an adventure, but that is only the opening line of the story.
• Ministries under us for covering and care are growing in both depth and width. I am so proud of my spiritual sons and daughters.
Three years ago, when I started Randy Dean Ministries, I knew that God was putting me on track to form a vehicle to carry the work He was ramping up at that time. I am now seeing that picture more fully. The more I minister here at home and the more I travel to other places, I am more and more convinced that a historic renewal has fallen upon the United States and the world.
Contrary to the gloomy prognostications of some folk trapped in end times hysteria, I say we are under the influence of the open windows in heaven. The only “sign” that is worth our attention is The Sign of the Kingdom; “heal the sick and say, ‘the Kingdom of God has come near to you’”. The transcendent supremacy of God’s incredible sphere of influence is healing any and all interested parties.
Now, more than ever in my life, I have a profound sense of my calling and the epic season in which I am alive. Some quiver, some coast, some make silly cynical prophesies about the end and others are just M.I.A. But I have never felt so alive and eager to serve my King. I was born for such a time as this.
I am posting this letter as a means of enlisting your covenant of prayer and support. Everything R.D.M. is doing has been largely self-supporting. No complaints, however, I simply want to expand my reach:
• My book, whether self-published or otherwise, will be a costly enterprise. I believe this book will be a contribution to a tipping point for a much needed reformation of the church in America.
• Our school is currently taught and administrated by 6 volunteers. I am daily stunned as I watch the level of labor and love that is being freely invested in this adventure. This first year of Firebrand School of Ministry has far exceeded my wildest expectations. I can hardly wait to see what the next school year holds! We need more underwriting for books, materials and staff reimbursement.
• The outside ministry I am invited to participate in is, for the most part, self-sufficient but, needs to grow and evolve in a variety of ways. It has been an amazing honor to be invited to minister in diverse venues, both small and great. However, in order to freely accept more invitations I need a stronger financial base for R.D.M.
• My blog continues to be a site visited by friends and foes alike. I want to enhance and expand the blog for an ever growing audience. (If you are reading this on the internet you already know how to find me. If not, go to www.randydeanministries.blogspot.com
Help me get the Word out that God is satisfied (Isaiah 53:11) and feeling good about Himself. Humanity need no longer cower for fear of random acts of violence and pestilence from the Hand of God. When evil strikes, God is at the ready to overcome evil with His massive good. The Kingdom of God is AT YOUR HAND!
Your financial support would be joyfully received and jubilantly put to work! Our mailing address is 2694 200th Ave Emerald, WI 54013. Checks can be made out to Randy Dean Ministries and are tax deductible. In advance of your prayers and support, I thank you all.
Our God Reigns,
Pastor Randy Dean
“The Kingdom of God does not consist in words, but in power”. (I Corinthians 4:20). This is the passion of my life; the radiant outworking of the reality of Heaven’s Domain….the Kingdom of God hits earth with the factual, tangible influence of renewal!
The past several months of my life have been packed with this kind of Kingdom pressure. Dreams are coming true which in turn inspire visions yet to be fulfilled. Since last May:
• We started a school of ministry with 7 student interns.
• I finished the rough draft of my first book, “Radiance; the Transcendent Nature of the Kingdom of God”.
• Ginger and I were called by God to move our ordination to the apostolic covering associated with Bethel Church Redding, California and Bill Johnson. Ginger is now officially, “Pastor Mom”- a title she adores.
• Our church, Living Word Chapel, has caught a momentum of the Spirit that is beyond words or easy definitions. Our services are an adventure, but that is only the opening line of the story.
• Ministries under us for covering and care are growing in both depth and width. I am so proud of my spiritual sons and daughters.
Three years ago, when I started Randy Dean Ministries, I knew that God was putting me on track to form a vehicle to carry the work He was ramping up at that time. I am now seeing that picture more fully. The more I minister here at home and the more I travel to other places, I am more and more convinced that a historic renewal has fallen upon the United States and the world.
Contrary to the gloomy prognostications of some folk trapped in end times hysteria, I say we are under the influence of the open windows in heaven. The only “sign” that is worth our attention is The Sign of the Kingdom; “heal the sick and say, ‘the Kingdom of God has come near to you’”. The transcendent supremacy of God’s incredible sphere of influence is healing any and all interested parties.
Now, more than ever in my life, I have a profound sense of my calling and the epic season in which I am alive. Some quiver, some coast, some make silly cynical prophesies about the end and others are just M.I.A. But I have never felt so alive and eager to serve my King. I was born for such a time as this.
I am posting this letter as a means of enlisting your covenant of prayer and support. Everything R.D.M. is doing has been largely self-supporting. No complaints, however, I simply want to expand my reach:
• My book, whether self-published or otherwise, will be a costly enterprise. I believe this book will be a contribution to a tipping point for a much needed reformation of the church in America.
• Our school is currently taught and administrated by 6 volunteers. I am daily stunned as I watch the level of labor and love that is being freely invested in this adventure. This first year of Firebrand School of Ministry has far exceeded my wildest expectations. I can hardly wait to see what the next school year holds! We need more underwriting for books, materials and staff reimbursement.
• The outside ministry I am invited to participate in is, for the most part, self-sufficient but, needs to grow and evolve in a variety of ways. It has been an amazing honor to be invited to minister in diverse venues, both small and great. However, in order to freely accept more invitations I need a stronger financial base for R.D.M.
• My blog continues to be a site visited by friends and foes alike. I want to enhance and expand the blog for an ever growing audience. (If you are reading this on the internet you already know how to find me. If not, go to www.randydeanministries.blogspot.com
Help me get the Word out that God is satisfied (Isaiah 53:11) and feeling good about Himself. Humanity need no longer cower for fear of random acts of violence and pestilence from the Hand of God. When evil strikes, God is at the ready to overcome evil with His massive good. The Kingdom of God is AT YOUR HAND!
Your financial support would be joyfully received and jubilantly put to work! Our mailing address is 2694 200th Ave Emerald, WI 54013. Checks can be made out to Randy Dean Ministries and are tax deductible. In advance of your prayers and support, I thank you all.
Our God Reigns,
Pastor Randy Dean
Monday, April 20, 2009
Here's a News Flash: President Obama is Not the Anti-Christ
One of the few perks of flying these days is the off-hand chance that you can score a seat in the exit row. This means that there is a good chance that you will have feeling in your legs and feet by flight’s end. I scored just such a blessing a couple of weeks ago. An added touch was that my 2 row partners were 16 year old twin sisters whose combined size and weight were smaller than me. Ahhhhh….I immediately planned a nap.
The Holy Spirit had other plans. He downloaded a wide variety of insight to the treasure of the hearts of these two young ladies. I know better than to pretend to be asleep when the Spirit has other plans. But before I could start a conversation, the girls introduced themselves to me and a two hour verbal flurry began.
Everything I had heard the Spirit speak in my heart, these twins told me on their own…thus eliminating any opportunity on my part to catch their attention with any revealed information. So I listened to their stories, which were very interesting. They were traveling to Europe, had deep interests in art, music, photography, poetry and had aspirations to star in Broadway productions. “So, Mr. Dean….what do you do?”
I’ve answered that question thousands of times over the past 35 years. The answer will either propel the conversation forward or kill it dead. For a few years in my 30’s I tried answering that by dodging it all together. Until one day at a high school when a group of students started to think I was a “narc” (an undercover drug cop). Anyway, back to the flight….
I told them that I was a pastor and that I was on my way to Mexico to lead a pastor’s conference. Both of these teens immediately looked puzzled. “What do you teach?” one asked. “Christianity ”, I answered. “Oh…so you believe that Obama is the Anti-Christ?” Note: this was their first and immediate reflection of what it means to be a Christian in 2009.
The remainder of that exchange was dominated by my apology to them for the loud failure of high profile teachers in the church who routinely mangle scriptures and the character of God to fit their prejudices and cynicism. I told them that the Jesus I know is in a far better mood than that.
These young ladies confided to me that they were a mixture of Buddhism and atheism. Some might wonder if I took the time to lead them into the “Four Spiritual Laws” or if I asked them to pray the sinner’s prayer or if I warned them about hell. I did none of that. My witness to them was one of repentance on behalf of the Body of Christ for whatever it is we’ve done to give two very intelligent and gifted teenagers the distinct impression that Christians everywhere believe that our president is the Anti-Christ.
What I did “win” in that flight was two new friends. I even had the chance to be a comforting grandfather figure when the air got choppy! I told them, “God isn’t finished with me and that makes this a safe airplane!” When we landed the twin nearest me asked, “Can I give you a hug?”
Please read my previous blog entries about ending the end-times hysteria. Go to www.ibethel.org and order Kris Vallotton’s message, “Apostolic Eschatology”. Read “Paradise Restored” by David Chilton. What ever you do, please keep fresh air flowing through your heart and mind. Let’s RE-present Jesus to world, all over again.
For too long there has been a perverted pleasure for some in the church over the real or perceived bad news of our times. Do you know why? Because it takes no effort and no faith to predict bad things and, you can come off as looking spiritually profound when you point out all the bad things as being a fulfillment of your astonishing insight. Remember Jed Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies? I loved his summation of ignorant people, “Pity-full….just pity-full…”
The narrative of I John 2:1824 describes the antichrist. Interestingly, part of the greek definition for “anti” is to be a contrast. THE Christ went about “doing good and healing all” (Acts 10:38). You see, “doing good and healing all” is hard work. It requires a massive challenge to your faith value system. It demands action in the face of any and all bad news.
The contrast to “doing good and healing all” is doing nothing. Nothing, that is, except to chalk up the bad news to being a “sign of the times”. I John says that “many antichrists have arisen” and that, “they went out from us”. I hope you are following me at this point.
The contrast to THE Christ who went about, “doing good and healing all” are those who go out “from us” doing nothing and healing none. Hmmm…
Thirty some odd years ago, when it was popular in Christian circles to hate Henry Kissinger, he was the anti-christ. The numerology of his name even confirmed it. Now, in some Christian circles, it is popular to hate President Obama. I’m sure the numerology will be distorted to underline the ignorance. That’s just pity-full.
I did not vote for Barack Obama, but I like him, nevertheless. I despise his pro-choice practices, but I love his pro-active mentality. His philosophy of governing is different than my own but the fact that I can put my disagreement in print makes me proud to be a citizen of the United States. I am honored to be alive with the first African American in the White House and I honor him for the guts and the grit it took to get there.
If honoring him puts me at odds with a noisy segment of the church, I will happily accept their disdain. It’s time for the courageous among us to admit that most end-times teaching has done nothing but embarrass us over the past century. Once again, it has raised its ugly head and the Name of Christ is suffering abuse due to our neglect. Half measures to silence this nonsense will avail us nothing.
Its time to own it and apologize for it, and then, move onward and upward toward, “doing good and healing all”….that’s the fruit of THE Christ.
The Holy Spirit had other plans. He downloaded a wide variety of insight to the treasure of the hearts of these two young ladies. I know better than to pretend to be asleep when the Spirit has other plans. But before I could start a conversation, the girls introduced themselves to me and a two hour verbal flurry began.
Everything I had heard the Spirit speak in my heart, these twins told me on their own…thus eliminating any opportunity on my part to catch their attention with any revealed information. So I listened to their stories, which were very interesting. They were traveling to Europe, had deep interests in art, music, photography, poetry and had aspirations to star in Broadway productions. “So, Mr. Dean….what do you do?”
I’ve answered that question thousands of times over the past 35 years. The answer will either propel the conversation forward or kill it dead. For a few years in my 30’s I tried answering that by dodging it all together. Until one day at a high school when a group of students started to think I was a “narc” (an undercover drug cop). Anyway, back to the flight….
I told them that I was a pastor and that I was on my way to Mexico to lead a pastor’s conference. Both of these teens immediately looked puzzled. “What do you teach?” one asked. “Christianity ”, I answered. “Oh…so you believe that Obama is the Anti-Christ?” Note: this was their first and immediate reflection of what it means to be a Christian in 2009.
The remainder of that exchange was dominated by my apology to them for the loud failure of high profile teachers in the church who routinely mangle scriptures and the character of God to fit their prejudices and cynicism. I told them that the Jesus I know is in a far better mood than that.
These young ladies confided to me that they were a mixture of Buddhism and atheism. Some might wonder if I took the time to lead them into the “Four Spiritual Laws” or if I asked them to pray the sinner’s prayer or if I warned them about hell. I did none of that. My witness to them was one of repentance on behalf of the Body of Christ for whatever it is we’ve done to give two very intelligent and gifted teenagers the distinct impression that Christians everywhere believe that our president is the Anti-Christ.
What I did “win” in that flight was two new friends. I even had the chance to be a comforting grandfather figure when the air got choppy! I told them, “God isn’t finished with me and that makes this a safe airplane!” When we landed the twin nearest me asked, “Can I give you a hug?”
Please read my previous blog entries about ending the end-times hysteria. Go to www.ibethel.org and order Kris Vallotton’s message, “Apostolic Eschatology”. Read “Paradise Restored” by David Chilton. What ever you do, please keep fresh air flowing through your heart and mind. Let’s RE-present Jesus to world, all over again.
For too long there has been a perverted pleasure for some in the church over the real or perceived bad news of our times. Do you know why? Because it takes no effort and no faith to predict bad things and, you can come off as looking spiritually profound when you point out all the bad things as being a fulfillment of your astonishing insight. Remember Jed Clampett of the Beverly Hillbillies? I loved his summation of ignorant people, “Pity-full….just pity-full…”
The narrative of I John 2:1824 describes the antichrist. Interestingly, part of the greek definition for “anti” is to be a contrast. THE Christ went about “doing good and healing all” (Acts 10:38). You see, “doing good and healing all” is hard work. It requires a massive challenge to your faith value system. It demands action in the face of any and all bad news.
The contrast to “doing good and healing all” is doing nothing. Nothing, that is, except to chalk up the bad news to being a “sign of the times”. I John says that “many antichrists have arisen” and that, “they went out from us”. I hope you are following me at this point.
The contrast to THE Christ who went about, “doing good and healing all” are those who go out “from us” doing nothing and healing none. Hmmm…
Thirty some odd years ago, when it was popular in Christian circles to hate Henry Kissinger, he was the anti-christ. The numerology of his name even confirmed it. Now, in some Christian circles, it is popular to hate President Obama. I’m sure the numerology will be distorted to underline the ignorance. That’s just pity-full.
I did not vote for Barack Obama, but I like him, nevertheless. I despise his pro-choice practices, but I love his pro-active mentality. His philosophy of governing is different than my own but the fact that I can put my disagreement in print makes me proud to be a citizen of the United States. I am honored to be alive with the first African American in the White House and I honor him for the guts and the grit it took to get there.
If honoring him puts me at odds with a noisy segment of the church, I will happily accept their disdain. It’s time for the courageous among us to admit that most end-times teaching has done nothing but embarrass us over the past century. Once again, it has raised its ugly head and the Name of Christ is suffering abuse due to our neglect. Half measures to silence this nonsense will avail us nothing.
Its time to own it and apologize for it, and then, move onward and upward toward, “doing good and healing all”….that’s the fruit of THE Christ.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Emotional Recession
Have you noticed how many economists use emotional words to describe the current state of our economy? Investors are worried, families are fearful, businesses are anxious, banks are uneasy, the stock market is troubled and the nation is distressed. We even call one of the worst periods of our economic history, “The Great Depression”.
It seems to me that FDR’s rally cry in the midst of that period of history still holds true; “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”. I’ve learned in my 56 years of life that I can get by without an income, but I can’t live without hope and courage.
My mother and father spent most of 1959 in a hospital. As a result, our family lost everything. House, car, furniture, business….everything but the clothes on our backs. We moved from a home we owned into a $90 a month apartment on the north side of Milwaukee. We furnished that tiny place with used chairs and tables. I slept on an army cot. My mother had a nervous breakdown.
But, the one thing I remember hating, more than anything else, was the palpable fear that things were just going to get worse. I didn’t mind the government issued “Surplus Food”…in fact, I loved the peanut butter. I didn’t mind the small apartment. The old building it was in provided me with hours of entertainment, hiding places and a make-shift pretend fortress in the attic. I didn’t even care that I slept on a used army cot! I could go to sleep at night pretending to be the hero of a thousand battles.
What I despised was that dreaded misery of fear that ultimately lead to my mother’s nervous breakdown. As a little boy, I did everything I could to avoid that feeling, because I instinctively knew that “fear itself” was the real enemy stalking my family.
The most often repeated commandment of the Bible is, “Fear not!”. The will of God for every living creature is to live free of fear. The Bible even predicts the day when, “…the wolf will dwell with the lamb…” (Isaiah 11:6) because God’s intention is for His creation to be fear free!
We will prevail through this economic downturn when we embrace 2 simple words from God; FEAR NOT.
It seems to me that FDR’s rally cry in the midst of that period of history still holds true; “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself”. I’ve learned in my 56 years of life that I can get by without an income, but I can’t live without hope and courage.
My mother and father spent most of 1959 in a hospital. As a result, our family lost everything. House, car, furniture, business….everything but the clothes on our backs. We moved from a home we owned into a $90 a month apartment on the north side of Milwaukee. We furnished that tiny place with used chairs and tables. I slept on an army cot. My mother had a nervous breakdown.
But, the one thing I remember hating, more than anything else, was the palpable fear that things were just going to get worse. I didn’t mind the government issued “Surplus Food”…in fact, I loved the peanut butter. I didn’t mind the small apartment. The old building it was in provided me with hours of entertainment, hiding places and a make-shift pretend fortress in the attic. I didn’t even care that I slept on a used army cot! I could go to sleep at night pretending to be the hero of a thousand battles.
What I despised was that dreaded misery of fear that ultimately lead to my mother’s nervous breakdown. As a little boy, I did everything I could to avoid that feeling, because I instinctively knew that “fear itself” was the real enemy stalking my family.
The most often repeated commandment of the Bible is, “Fear not!”. The will of God for every living creature is to live free of fear. The Bible even predicts the day when, “…the wolf will dwell with the lamb…” (Isaiah 11:6) because God’s intention is for His creation to be fear free!
We will prevail through this economic downturn when we embrace 2 simple words from God; FEAR NOT.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
(Read the previous post before proceeding to this one!)
This is Part 2 from my last blog; "Unlimitied Abundant Life; A Proclamation of Freedom from the End Times Marginalization of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ"
My “word-y” title says so much of my heart and passion as a Christian and a pastor. While we are being offered unlimited abundant life as God’s Kingdom family, we don’t have time to waste on even the most subtle marginalizing of Christ’s finished redemption. “End times” fantasies (a.k.a. dispensational theology) are among the most prevalent and virulent culprits of limiting faith and vision.
This school of thought has fostered a perverse delight that is gift wrapped with the bad news of our world. When terrorists attack, or hurricanes and earthquakes strike, or the economy is sinking, or the “wrong” political party wins an election promoters of this fixation are quick to note how these are “signs of the times”, and “if you think that was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”
This cynical vision seizes every season of pain, misery and perceived political “wrongs” on the world scene as an opportunity for proof-texting their prophesies and ramping up the possibility of, “the worst is yet to come”. If you have the stomach for it, randomly tune in to Christian television programming to sample this neurotic fixation, especially right now with the world wide economy suffering as it is. The conspiracy theorists are having a field day, and, I’m sorry to say, they are doing it in the Name of Jesus.
I have stood by and watched this cycle too many times in my 55 years of life and 36 years of being a pastor. It has been successful at derailing far too many people who are otherwise good hearted. I can not respond with silence, nor will I, on the other hand, become only a reactionary, obsessed with fighting error. I will simply and with as much anointed clarity as I know to seize, speak the Word that has been burning in me for the past 25 years.
Through good times and bad, war and peace, the Middle-east not withstanding, Democratic power or Republican bluster, my message is this, “Everything is fulfilled, the Transcendent Supremacy of God’s Kingdom is at your hand! Change your mind! Arrange your life around the Kingdom’s Dominating influence!”
I would rather risk the enormity of Kingdom faith than a lazy slide on the grease of a gravity fed decline. As 17th century English author and poet John Milton said, “By winning words to conquer willing hearts, and make persuasion do the work of fear.”
“…make persuasion do the work of fear…” is a mighty tall order. Fear is an easy work. You’ll get immediate results, especially when a spirit of fear is already in the air. Have you ever been to a “haunted house” in the dark? With absolutely no effort, the suggestion that “something” is about to happen creates the stage and tension. Just add a sudden “boo!” from an unseen corner….viola….results! This is the recipe of most end times formulas.
If you haven’t already noticed, my approach to this subject is not largely based on the categories of doctrinal labels; pre-millennial, post-millennial, a-millennial. I will recommend some excellent books at the conclusion of this blog by some folks who can do a far better job of explaining these designations than I can. My gift as a pastor/teacher/apostle is to feed the sheep with as much wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ as I can. This is my work of “persuasion”. So here’s another shot at some revealed persuasion…
All truth must ultimately find its revealed nature and character in the Face of Jesus Christ. HE is the only reliable translation of the Word, because HE is the Word. This means we must have a Life with HIM before we can have any reliable teaching about Him.
For example, all too often when end times teachers quote Jesus’ Words from Matthew 24:29, 30 they are unwittingly quoting the sheer opposite of what they intend. “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”
The sun, moon and stars for the Jewish mind-set that Jesus was speaking to at that time representing the family of Israel and its religious roots. When a young lad named Joseph (Genesis 37) related his dream about the sun, moon and the stars bowing to him his family immediately knew he was talking about them. This family is the root system of Israel.
So, in Matthew 24 Jesus is talking about the end of the world for the people of the Old Testament covenant and the beginning of the New Testament world of the rule and reign of Christ in the Heavenlies! He is prophesying the soon coming day of His Kingdom established in Heaven among the cloud of witnesses, which in turn, begins the destiny of an ever increasing Coming of the Kingdom through the New Jerusalem, the Church (Hebrews 12:22-24).
Now, there is no Jew or Gentile, for we are all ONE in Christ! (The Books of Galatians and Ephesians). Indeed now, “he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter…” (Romans 2:28,29) WE are now the truly circumcised, who worship in the Spirit and relish in Christ Jesus with no confidence in mere religious practice (Philippians 3:1-3).
Once I have a full revelation of Who Jesus is and He takes up a living residence in me I am raptured into a heavenly delight of being, once and for all, a member of a new generation and race of people put on this earth for the healing of the nations! There is no plan B. There are no conspiracies that will last for long. Christ Jesus IS reigning and ruling in the Heavens and His Kingdom is hard-wired for a final and ultimate healing domination.
When I am a covenant partner to that, I have a dream and a destiny written in my DNA that is driving my lifestyle and priorities toward that end.
Here is a teaser quote from my soon to be released book, “Radiance; the Transcendent Nature of the Kingdom of God”; “We cannot journey into any significant portion of the Father’s nature until and unless we pass through Jesus. Go through Him and God’s character becomes an open book. Step around Him and hundreds of passages in the Bible look like mysterious spooky eyes leering at you from a dark forest on a scary howling autumn night.
As surely as the ubiquitous (airport) metal detector will find that gun in your pocket, so Jesus’ final sacrifice will detect any and all leftover need in our hearts for that one last blast of God’s wrath on earth.
I have sat through more than a few prophecy meetings with that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong. Scriptures were racing up and down the concourses but I routinely found myself wishing for that transcendent metal detector. It sure looked like too many weapons (one is enough!) had made their way to the gate and I simply let those flights of fancy leave the airport without me.”
We simply must stop all interpretations of Scripture by the measure of news headlines and social studies! Jesus Christ IS the Word made flesh. Don’t understand a passage you are reading? Lay yourself and that passage into a full-on encounter with the Living Christ until He unpacks that truth into the deep end of YOU.
In Luke 9 we are told how Jesus was intent on going to Jerusalem, but also how He wanted to visit some villages in Samaria along the way. He sent messengers ahead who discovered that these villages were not inclined to have Jesus stop in on His way to Jerusalem. James and John, indignant at this news said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
(On a side note: I love how James and John are talking smack about calling fire down out of heaven when, at this stage of their faith development, they couldn’t light a gas soaked rag with a blow torch!)
Later in Luke 12:49,50 Jesus says, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!” Soak in the very Presence of Christ and catch the spirit of these Words! HIS fire is a saving, healing, delivering, freeing ignition of LOVE to consume a world in pain clearly in contrast to a different kind of spirit that seeks obliteration!
Here’s a powerful teaching moment: the conspiracy theorists and end times aficionados are having a field day in this time of economic and political intrigue. Their “spirit” is loosing the thief whose only goal is to steal, kill and destroy. I say unequivocally that Jesus is the exact opposite of that misery and that He has ONLY come to loose LIFE more abundantly.
These are not just words for simple daily devotion. These Words reveal His overarching dominant character. If He rebukes the slightest notion that fire from heaven to destroy is of a wrong spirit then that must be a final filter for us today! If He achingly proclaims a desire to loose a fire that gives LIFE then that must be a final filter for every other theory we are tempted to believe for the collapse of our world.
Dispensational, end times theology has opened a door of ultimate despair, especially in times of instability and pain. This is completely out of step with the character of the Father as revealed in the Life of Jesus. Half measures to close this door will avail us nothing. Either the door is open or closed and I am taking this time of my life and ministry to risk slamming it completely shut.
Why? Because, sadly, as I write these words, a local community is currently suffering the acting out of hopelessness by teenagers with suicides and threats of violence. I don’t believe for a split second that the Body of Christ gets a free pass on these matters when our message is polluted with judgment, wrath, conspiracy and end times scenarios that serve a wrong spirit! That might sound like I am over reaching, but I don’t believe I am. When our light becomes darkness, how great is that darkness.
I understand dispensational theology because my bachelor’s degree was rooted in it. Though it never truly fed me and it always left me with a sense that something was amiss, I loyally defended it. But by the early 80’s I was desperate for truth.
What I discovered then was that dispensational theology was an anomaly on the historic church view of the end times. It had it roots in the mid 1800’s, which for church history sake, is a newcomer. But, being a newcomer alone wasn’t the issue for me. What pressed me deeply was the fruit of this “tree” and the subtle challenges it presented to the Character of God and the Face of Jesus.
As I have been saying all along here, it presumes that God has a deeply troubling nasty side. The “Great Tribulation” locked God into a 7 year need for extreme judgment by binding Him into partnership with our ability to destroy creation. Additionally, it proposes that creation itself will come off the hinges.
Dispensational theology is also founded on the idea that God has two people groups which He considers “chosen”. The earthly, which is national Israel, can only be redeemed through the processes of the “Great Tribulation”. And the heavenly people, which is the church, who are in a parenthetical dispensation now awaiting the rapture.
This is why a well known teacher from this view once said that when Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in Luke 4, He did not read beyond verse 2 of that passage because those promises were for the millennium and Jewish believers at that time. Go ahead and read Isaiah 61:2-11 for yourself. Ask yourself which of these promised beauties you would like to leave on the table of unbelief? I’ll pick just one, “and they will repair the ruined cities”, and tell you that it is no wonder the enemy of our soul wants us to believe that this is for another, unreachable time!
Once my heart was raptured (I love using this word correctly) by the revelation that ALL of the promises of God are potentially MINE, I could not be stopped. When I read in I Peter 2:9,10, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God….”, I have realized that God has ONE new people with ONE new plan for ONE new victory…. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”
There is NO other view of His character than this from which my spiritual roots will draw strength.
Here’s that list of books I recommend for a more a technical and doctrinal discussion:
1. “The Seventy Weeks and the Great Tribulation” by Philip Mauro
2. “Paradise Restored” and “Days of Vengeance” by David Chilton
3. “The Rapture Exposed” by Barbara Rossing
4. “An Eschatology of Victory” by J. Marcellus Kik
5. “Victorious Eschatology” by Harold Eberle and Martin Trench
6. “The Sign of the Kingdom” by George Kouri and Richard Hogue
7. “Reinventing Your Church” by Brian McLaren (special attention to chapter 11 and the challenge to explore a “new eschatology” and why it is so important)
8. “Apocalypse WOW!” by James Finn Garner. Be warned; this book is by an unbeliever. His approach is strictly humorous but profoundly reflective of what the church becomes when we allow the voices of the “left behind” culture to define us all. It’s like looking in the mirror and discovering that you’ve been walking around all day with your zipper down and realizing why people haven’t been taking you seriously.
9. Any Bible Commentary that does not solely privilege dispensational theology like it’s the only way to see scriptures. For instance; New Bible Commentary; 21st Century Edition by InterVarsity Press or “Pulpit Commentary”
10. Use all Scofield Reference Bibles…..as coffee table decoration and never for an understanding of the “end times”.
My “word-y” title says so much of my heart and passion as a Christian and a pastor. While we are being offered unlimited abundant life as God’s Kingdom family, we don’t have time to waste on even the most subtle marginalizing of Christ’s finished redemption. “End times” fantasies (a.k.a. dispensational theology) are among the most prevalent and virulent culprits of limiting faith and vision.
This school of thought has fostered a perverse delight that is gift wrapped with the bad news of our world. When terrorists attack, or hurricanes and earthquakes strike, or the economy is sinking, or the “wrong” political party wins an election promoters of this fixation are quick to note how these are “signs of the times”, and “if you think that was bad, you ain’t seen nothing yet!”
This cynical vision seizes every season of pain, misery and perceived political “wrongs” on the world scene as an opportunity for proof-texting their prophesies and ramping up the possibility of, “the worst is yet to come”. If you have the stomach for it, randomly tune in to Christian television programming to sample this neurotic fixation, especially right now with the world wide economy suffering as it is. The conspiracy theorists are having a field day, and, I’m sorry to say, they are doing it in the Name of Jesus.
I have stood by and watched this cycle too many times in my 55 years of life and 36 years of being a pastor. It has been successful at derailing far too many people who are otherwise good hearted. I can not respond with silence, nor will I, on the other hand, become only a reactionary, obsessed with fighting error. I will simply and with as much anointed clarity as I know to seize, speak the Word that has been burning in me for the past 25 years.
Through good times and bad, war and peace, the Middle-east not withstanding, Democratic power or Republican bluster, my message is this, “Everything is fulfilled, the Transcendent Supremacy of God’s Kingdom is at your hand! Change your mind! Arrange your life around the Kingdom’s Dominating influence!”
I would rather risk the enormity of Kingdom faith than a lazy slide on the grease of a gravity fed decline. As 17th century English author and poet John Milton said, “By winning words to conquer willing hearts, and make persuasion do the work of fear.”
“…make persuasion do the work of fear…” is a mighty tall order. Fear is an easy work. You’ll get immediate results, especially when a spirit of fear is already in the air. Have you ever been to a “haunted house” in the dark? With absolutely no effort, the suggestion that “something” is about to happen creates the stage and tension. Just add a sudden “boo!” from an unseen corner….viola….results! This is the recipe of most end times formulas.
If you haven’t already noticed, my approach to this subject is not largely based on the categories of doctrinal labels; pre-millennial, post-millennial, a-millennial. I will recommend some excellent books at the conclusion of this blog by some folks who can do a far better job of explaining these designations than I can. My gift as a pastor/teacher/apostle is to feed the sheep with as much wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Christ as I can. This is my work of “persuasion”. So here’s another shot at some revealed persuasion…
All truth must ultimately find its revealed nature and character in the Face of Jesus Christ. HE is the only reliable translation of the Word, because HE is the Word. This means we must have a Life with HIM before we can have any reliable teaching about Him.
For example, all too often when end times teachers quote Jesus’ Words from Matthew 24:29, 30 they are unwittingly quoting the sheer opposite of what they intend. “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.”
The sun, moon and stars for the Jewish mind-set that Jesus was speaking to at that time representing the family of Israel and its religious roots. When a young lad named Joseph (Genesis 37) related his dream about the sun, moon and the stars bowing to him his family immediately knew he was talking about them. This family is the root system of Israel.
So, in Matthew 24 Jesus is talking about the end of the world for the people of the Old Testament covenant and the beginning of the New Testament world of the rule and reign of Christ in the Heavenlies! He is prophesying the soon coming day of His Kingdom established in Heaven among the cloud of witnesses, which in turn, begins the destiny of an ever increasing Coming of the Kingdom through the New Jerusalem, the Church (Hebrews 12:22-24).
Now, there is no Jew or Gentile, for we are all ONE in Christ! (The Books of Galatians and Ephesians). Indeed now, “he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter…” (Romans 2:28,29) WE are now the truly circumcised, who worship in the Spirit and relish in Christ Jesus with no confidence in mere religious practice (Philippians 3:1-3).
Once I have a full revelation of Who Jesus is and He takes up a living residence in me I am raptured into a heavenly delight of being, once and for all, a member of a new generation and race of people put on this earth for the healing of the nations! There is no plan B. There are no conspiracies that will last for long. Christ Jesus IS reigning and ruling in the Heavens and His Kingdom is hard-wired for a final and ultimate healing domination.
When I am a covenant partner to that, I have a dream and a destiny written in my DNA that is driving my lifestyle and priorities toward that end.
Here is a teaser quote from my soon to be released book, “Radiance; the Transcendent Nature of the Kingdom of God”; “We cannot journey into any significant portion of the Father’s nature until and unless we pass through Jesus. Go through Him and God’s character becomes an open book. Step around Him and hundreds of passages in the Bible look like mysterious spooky eyes leering at you from a dark forest on a scary howling autumn night.
As surely as the ubiquitous (airport) metal detector will find that gun in your pocket, so Jesus’ final sacrifice will detect any and all leftover need in our hearts for that one last blast of God’s wrath on earth.
I have sat through more than a few prophecy meetings with that uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong. Scriptures were racing up and down the concourses but I routinely found myself wishing for that transcendent metal detector. It sure looked like too many weapons (one is enough!) had made their way to the gate and I simply let those flights of fancy leave the airport without me.”
We simply must stop all interpretations of Scripture by the measure of news headlines and social studies! Jesus Christ IS the Word made flesh. Don’t understand a passage you are reading? Lay yourself and that passage into a full-on encounter with the Living Christ until He unpacks that truth into the deep end of YOU.
In Luke 9 we are told how Jesus was intent on going to Jerusalem, but also how He wanted to visit some villages in Samaria along the way. He sent messengers ahead who discovered that these villages were not inclined to have Jesus stop in on His way to Jerusalem. James and John, indignant at this news said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them? But He turned and rebuked them, and said, ‘You do not know what kind of spirit you are of; for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.”
(On a side note: I love how James and John are talking smack about calling fire down out of heaven when, at this stage of their faith development, they couldn’t light a gas soaked rag with a blow torch!)
Later in Luke 12:49,50 Jesus says, “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; and how I wish it were already kindled!” Soak in the very Presence of Christ and catch the spirit of these Words! HIS fire is a saving, healing, delivering, freeing ignition of LOVE to consume a world in pain clearly in contrast to a different kind of spirit that seeks obliteration!
Here’s a powerful teaching moment: the conspiracy theorists and end times aficionados are having a field day in this time of economic and political intrigue. Their “spirit” is loosing the thief whose only goal is to steal, kill and destroy. I say unequivocally that Jesus is the exact opposite of that misery and that He has ONLY come to loose LIFE more abundantly.
These are not just words for simple daily devotion. These Words reveal His overarching dominant character. If He rebukes the slightest notion that fire from heaven to destroy is of a wrong spirit then that must be a final filter for us today! If He achingly proclaims a desire to loose a fire that gives LIFE then that must be a final filter for every other theory we are tempted to believe for the collapse of our world.
Dispensational, end times theology has opened a door of ultimate despair, especially in times of instability and pain. This is completely out of step with the character of the Father as revealed in the Life of Jesus. Half measures to close this door will avail us nothing. Either the door is open or closed and I am taking this time of my life and ministry to risk slamming it completely shut.
Why? Because, sadly, as I write these words, a local community is currently suffering the acting out of hopelessness by teenagers with suicides and threats of violence. I don’t believe for a split second that the Body of Christ gets a free pass on these matters when our message is polluted with judgment, wrath, conspiracy and end times scenarios that serve a wrong spirit! That might sound like I am over reaching, but I don’t believe I am. When our light becomes darkness, how great is that darkness.
I understand dispensational theology because my bachelor’s degree was rooted in it. Though it never truly fed me and it always left me with a sense that something was amiss, I loyally defended it. But by the early 80’s I was desperate for truth.
What I discovered then was that dispensational theology was an anomaly on the historic church view of the end times. It had it roots in the mid 1800’s, which for church history sake, is a newcomer. But, being a newcomer alone wasn’t the issue for me. What pressed me deeply was the fruit of this “tree” and the subtle challenges it presented to the Character of God and the Face of Jesus.
As I have been saying all along here, it presumes that God has a deeply troubling nasty side. The “Great Tribulation” locked God into a 7 year need for extreme judgment by binding Him into partnership with our ability to destroy creation. Additionally, it proposes that creation itself will come off the hinges.
Dispensational theology is also founded on the idea that God has two people groups which He considers “chosen”. The earthly, which is national Israel, can only be redeemed through the processes of the “Great Tribulation”. And the heavenly people, which is the church, who are in a parenthetical dispensation now awaiting the rapture.
This is why a well known teacher from this view once said that when Jesus read from Isaiah 61:1-2 in Luke 4, He did not read beyond verse 2 of that passage because those promises were for the millennium and Jewish believers at that time. Go ahead and read Isaiah 61:2-11 for yourself. Ask yourself which of these promised beauties you would like to leave on the table of unbelief? I’ll pick just one, “and they will repair the ruined cities”, and tell you that it is no wonder the enemy of our soul wants us to believe that this is for another, unreachable time!
Once my heart was raptured (I love using this word correctly) by the revelation that ALL of the promises of God are potentially MINE, I could not be stopped. When I read in I Peter 2:9,10, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellences of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God….”, I have realized that God has ONE new people with ONE new plan for ONE new victory…. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…”
There is NO other view of His character than this from which my spiritual roots will draw strength.
Here’s that list of books I recommend for a more a technical and doctrinal discussion:
1. “The Seventy Weeks and the Great Tribulation” by Philip Mauro
2. “Paradise Restored” and “Days of Vengeance” by David Chilton
3. “The Rapture Exposed” by Barbara Rossing
4. “An Eschatology of Victory” by J. Marcellus Kik
5. “Victorious Eschatology” by Harold Eberle and Martin Trench
6. “The Sign of the Kingdom” by George Kouri and Richard Hogue
7. “Reinventing Your Church” by Brian McLaren (special attention to chapter 11 and the challenge to explore a “new eschatology” and why it is so important)
8. “Apocalypse WOW!” by James Finn Garner. Be warned; this book is by an unbeliever. His approach is strictly humorous but profoundly reflective of what the church becomes when we allow the voices of the “left behind” culture to define us all. It’s like looking in the mirror and discovering that you’ve been walking around all day with your zipper down and realizing why people haven’t been taking you seriously.
9. Any Bible Commentary that does not solely privilege dispensational theology like it’s the only way to see scriptures. For instance; New Bible Commentary; 21st Century Edition by InterVarsity Press or “Pulpit Commentary”
10. Use all Scofield Reference Bibles…..as coffee table decoration and never for an understanding of the “end times”.
Thursday, March 05, 2009
Unlimited Abundant Life; A Proclamation of Freedom from End Times Marginalization of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ
Let me start by saying I don’t entirely like my title! It sounds more formal than I am typically comfortable with, however, I simply could not reduce my thoughts to anything more concise.
Here’s what is at stake: the completed redemption of Jesus Christ by His once and for all sacrifice on the cross and His fulfillment of all the Pleasure of the Father in His Resurrection. See why my title is a bit word-y?
I Corinthians 2:1-5 suggests that Paul would walk into a gathering and take a reading-- is there a revelation of Christ crucified in this bunch? Is Jesus Christ crucified their final satisfaction for all wrath and judgment? Or does their God need anger management courses? Is their God as satisfied as Isaiah 53:11 predicted He would be when He looked on His Son's anguish in order to justify the many? Are these people freed by the crucified Christ from any further "need" for wrath? Because if they are, there will be a demonstration of the Spirit and of power and their faith will be in the power of God and not the wisdom of people. This is a place and a people where the Kingdom of God and revival will break out!
We are certainly discovering that to be true out here in Forest, Wisconsin. We are delighting in an atmospheric shift with the fresh air of a satisfied Father who loves to heal and deliver all kinds of messed up humanity.
We are in a covenant with permission granted to just BE in revival because all the price for admission has been paid for by the Crucified Christ. Judgment is satisfied...its time to seize and release the full benefits of Kingdom come….will of God be done….on earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
But, make no mistake about it; this kind of faith and declaration cannot be made without an emancipation from the profound, albeit subterranean marginalizing effect of End Times hyperbole. Here’s why that’s true…
For the sake of simplicity I will need to use the most recognizable “handle” of what I believe has caused a spiritual anemia in the Church, not only today, but for many decades. Currently it is best recognized as “left behind”. While this genre has made for fascinating, high end book sales, it draws its nourishment from the soil of a dispensational theology that unwittingly demands 2 tragic and soul draining belief systems:
1. That God needs a 7 year Great Tribulation to finish His wrath.
2. That the entirety of the bursting benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection are not fully available until a time reserved away from today.
If it were not for these 2 demands, I could remain somewhat detached from a need to address this on this level. I would still see the treasury of God’s Word in a far more enriching manner, but I would hesitate from the possibility of entering yet another doctrinal debate where few win anything.
But those who know me best know that I take Isaiah 53:11 as a history shattering revelation for human kind; “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He (God) will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge (Christ) the Righteous One, My servant, will justify the many as He will bear their iniquities.” The context of this verse makes it clear that the prophet Isaiah was carried by the Holy Spirit to see how Christ was injected with all the evil, sinful nature of humankind and how it contorted and devastated even His physical visage. Any further need for God’s wrath upon humans based on the absolute justice of the Law was once and for all SATISFIED IN CHRIST!
To insert a specific 7 year period of wrath and give it a credibility even remotely close to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy is to diminish Jesus Christ and I refuse to allow that thinking anywhere near my thought life, much less, my spiritual nourishment.
This 7 year period, taught by some as the 70th week of Daniel, is an essential component of the “left behind” mentality. According to this theory, God’s wrath will be so complete that He will need to rapture the church out of harm’s way.
Here are my questions; what if God’s satisfaction is complete? What if the notion of a 7 year Great Tribulation has actually been accomplished in the perfect 7 of Jesus Christ and Him crucified? What if our western, rational, linear thinking has reduced the revelation of scripture to charts and time-lines? What if end times fear based teaching has robbed Jesus of the reward of His suffering?
To suggest that God needs to impose more suffering on humankind in order to complete His “plan” is to imply that Jesus did not complete the work of redemption. I agree with Jesus when He said from the cross, “It is finished”, and I also agree with Jesus when He said, “If I be lifted up (on the cross) I will draw ALL men to myself”.(John 12:32)
Let’s move on to #2 from above; that the “bursting benefits” of Christ are not fully available until another time, far removed from our faith.
Dispensational, “left behind”, end times thinking has dark lines drawn around multiple promises throughout scripture. I don’t have time or space to list the promises in this space, but here’s a rule of thumb to find those promises in the Bible; if it’s outrageously good, culture reforming and nation healing, it is for the millennium and not for now. Here again, I refuse to plant my faith anywhere near this kind of irresponsible, convenient detachment from my accountability to be a man of faith.
Even the Lord’s prayer can not be answered on this side of the millennium according to this theory, “Thy Kingdom come…” is primarily for future reference, at best, because, only when Christ returns, after the 7 years of Great Tribulation, will the Kingdom come.
I will write more again next week. To conclude my thoughts today I want to be quick to note that my Bachelor’s degree program was deeply entrenched in this school of dread. I understand its nuances, its Bible proof-texts and its history. I spent an inordinate of amount of my early years of ministry trying to believe it and defend it. In 1983 I was exhausted by the bankruptcy of the lack of its spiritual dynamic.
When I came to believe that God was ready, willing and able to make good on any promise of His Word, my exhaustion was turned to exhilaration! To believe that I could participate in the healing of the nations drew me out of the malaise of a truncated view of a world about to “end”. Micah 4 was no longer locked away in the millennium…it became a faith dare to be a participant in the exaltation of a glorious church that would attract the nations of the world to come and see our Glorious God!
To all the fans of “left behind” I urge you to read Psalm 37, Proverbs 2:21,22; 10:30 and then look at Matthew 24:36-41. In the light of God’s promises that, “the meek will inherit the earth” and “the righteous will remain and the wicked removed”….how can we any longer read that the coming of the Son of Man will be as it was in the days of Noah without seeing that the wicked were removed and the righteous (Noah) was, “left behind”?
Think about it and come back next week for more, “Unlimited Abundant Life; A Proclamation of Freedom from the “End Times” Marginalization of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ”.
Here’s what is at stake: the completed redemption of Jesus Christ by His once and for all sacrifice on the cross and His fulfillment of all the Pleasure of the Father in His Resurrection. See why my title is a bit word-y?
I Corinthians 2:1-5 suggests that Paul would walk into a gathering and take a reading-- is there a revelation of Christ crucified in this bunch? Is Jesus Christ crucified their final satisfaction for all wrath and judgment? Or does their God need anger management courses? Is their God as satisfied as Isaiah 53:11 predicted He would be when He looked on His Son's anguish in order to justify the many? Are these people freed by the crucified Christ from any further "need" for wrath? Because if they are, there will be a demonstration of the Spirit and of power and their faith will be in the power of God and not the wisdom of people. This is a place and a people where the Kingdom of God and revival will break out!
We are certainly discovering that to be true out here in Forest, Wisconsin. We are delighting in an atmospheric shift with the fresh air of a satisfied Father who loves to heal and deliver all kinds of messed up humanity.
We are in a covenant with permission granted to just BE in revival because all the price for admission has been paid for by the Crucified Christ. Judgment is satisfied...its time to seize and release the full benefits of Kingdom come….will of God be done….on earth AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.
But, make no mistake about it; this kind of faith and declaration cannot be made without an emancipation from the profound, albeit subterranean marginalizing effect of End Times hyperbole. Here’s why that’s true…
For the sake of simplicity I will need to use the most recognizable “handle” of what I believe has caused a spiritual anemia in the Church, not only today, but for many decades. Currently it is best recognized as “left behind”. While this genre has made for fascinating, high end book sales, it draws its nourishment from the soil of a dispensational theology that unwittingly demands 2 tragic and soul draining belief systems:
1. That God needs a 7 year Great Tribulation to finish His wrath.
2. That the entirety of the bursting benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection are not fully available until a time reserved away from today.
If it were not for these 2 demands, I could remain somewhat detached from a need to address this on this level. I would still see the treasury of God’s Word in a far more enriching manner, but I would hesitate from the possibility of entering yet another doctrinal debate where few win anything.
But those who know me best know that I take Isaiah 53:11 as a history shattering revelation for human kind; “As a result of the anguish of His soul, He (God) will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge (Christ) the Righteous One, My servant, will justify the many as He will bear their iniquities.” The context of this verse makes it clear that the prophet Isaiah was carried by the Holy Spirit to see how Christ was injected with all the evil, sinful nature of humankind and how it contorted and devastated even His physical visage. Any further need for God’s wrath upon humans based on the absolute justice of the Law was once and for all SATISFIED IN CHRIST!
To insert a specific 7 year period of wrath and give it a credibility even remotely close to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah’s prophecy is to diminish Jesus Christ and I refuse to allow that thinking anywhere near my thought life, much less, my spiritual nourishment.
This 7 year period, taught by some as the 70th week of Daniel, is an essential component of the “left behind” mentality. According to this theory, God’s wrath will be so complete that He will need to rapture the church out of harm’s way.
Here are my questions; what if God’s satisfaction is complete? What if the notion of a 7 year Great Tribulation has actually been accomplished in the perfect 7 of Jesus Christ and Him crucified? What if our western, rational, linear thinking has reduced the revelation of scripture to charts and time-lines? What if end times fear based teaching has robbed Jesus of the reward of His suffering?
To suggest that God needs to impose more suffering on humankind in order to complete His “plan” is to imply that Jesus did not complete the work of redemption. I agree with Jesus when He said from the cross, “It is finished”, and I also agree with Jesus when He said, “If I be lifted up (on the cross) I will draw ALL men to myself”.(John 12:32)
Let’s move on to #2 from above; that the “bursting benefits” of Christ are not fully available until another time, far removed from our faith.
Dispensational, “left behind”, end times thinking has dark lines drawn around multiple promises throughout scripture. I don’t have time or space to list the promises in this space, but here’s a rule of thumb to find those promises in the Bible; if it’s outrageously good, culture reforming and nation healing, it is for the millennium and not for now. Here again, I refuse to plant my faith anywhere near this kind of irresponsible, convenient detachment from my accountability to be a man of faith.
Even the Lord’s prayer can not be answered on this side of the millennium according to this theory, “Thy Kingdom come…” is primarily for future reference, at best, because, only when Christ returns, after the 7 years of Great Tribulation, will the Kingdom come.
I will write more again next week. To conclude my thoughts today I want to be quick to note that my Bachelor’s degree program was deeply entrenched in this school of dread. I understand its nuances, its Bible proof-texts and its history. I spent an inordinate of amount of my early years of ministry trying to believe it and defend it. In 1983 I was exhausted by the bankruptcy of the lack of its spiritual dynamic.
When I came to believe that God was ready, willing and able to make good on any promise of His Word, my exhaustion was turned to exhilaration! To believe that I could participate in the healing of the nations drew me out of the malaise of a truncated view of a world about to “end”. Micah 4 was no longer locked away in the millennium…it became a faith dare to be a participant in the exaltation of a glorious church that would attract the nations of the world to come and see our Glorious God!
To all the fans of “left behind” I urge you to read Psalm 37, Proverbs 2:21,22; 10:30 and then look at Matthew 24:36-41. In the light of God’s promises that, “the meek will inherit the earth” and “the righteous will remain and the wicked removed”….how can we any longer read that the coming of the Son of Man will be as it was in the days of Noah without seeing that the wicked were removed and the righteous (Noah) was, “left behind”?
Think about it and come back next week for more, “Unlimited Abundant Life; A Proclamation of Freedom from the “End Times” Marginalization of the Finished Work of Jesus Christ”.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
From Blog to Book
Attention, all my loyal blog fans...I have recently completed writing my first book! For Christmas I asked my family for the gift of 2 weeks of isolation. My amazing wife, Ginger came through with a 12 day seclusion at a nearby lake side cabin.
I could not have finished this book without that gift! I have been working on this project for the better part of 3 years. For the past year I have been agonizingly close to being done, but massively stuck at a couple of key points. Sitting in a recliner, the winter sun burning in my face, looking out over a frozen lake with the temperatures no higher than zero most days was just the ticket I needed to complete this book.
The title, right now, is "Radiance; The Transcendent Nature of the Kingdom of God". It is a call to be radiant with God's Flames from another world. To set this world on fire with the radiance of the Transcendent Supremacy of the Kingdom of God.
Five people are proof reading, even as I type these words. I hope to have a final manuscript to the publisher by early March. Please pray. I have a prophetic word from Alice Sharping that says, "You will be amazed at how easily your book is published. It will be a supernatural work. It is much bigger than you think..."
Thank you for your patience in my absence from the blog. I have heard, loud and clear, from some of you that you miss me....it's nice to know.
Stay tuned; I will update you when there is news to tell....
~prd~
I could not have finished this book without that gift! I have been working on this project for the better part of 3 years. For the past year I have been agonizingly close to being done, but massively stuck at a couple of key points. Sitting in a recliner, the winter sun burning in my face, looking out over a frozen lake with the temperatures no higher than zero most days was just the ticket I needed to complete this book.
The title, right now, is "Radiance; The Transcendent Nature of the Kingdom of God". It is a call to be radiant with God's Flames from another world. To set this world on fire with the radiance of the Transcendent Supremacy of the Kingdom of God.
Five people are proof reading, even as I type these words. I hope to have a final manuscript to the publisher by early March. Please pray. I have a prophetic word from Alice Sharping that says, "You will be amazed at how easily your book is published. It will be a supernatural work. It is much bigger than you think..."
Thank you for your patience in my absence from the blog. I have heard, loud and clear, from some of you that you miss me....it's nice to know.
Stay tuned; I will update you when there is news to tell....
~prd~
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
3 New Age Mystics From Iraq
Matthew 2:1-15 Boldly records events that, if they happened today, what would likely be roundly criticized in many Christian circles. In this ages old color commentary of the birth of Christ, Bible knowledge is sharply contrasted with 3 eastern mystical Kings in eager pursuit of a revelation of KINGDOM NOW through visions, dreams and signs. These events beg the question:How long will we substitute reading, hearing and even knowing the scriptures for the precious reality of living in the transcendent supremacy of the KINGDOM NOW?
The Matthew 2 passage is renowned for reading in children’s Christmas plays. The truth is that if these same easterners showed up in some of our church services we’d have ushers, prayer warriors, deliverance team members and a 9 and a 1 dialed to protect our children from them!
“Pastor! Those guys that just came in are saying that they’ve been ‘reading’ the stars and that one star in particular told them to come HERE….from, brace yourself pastor….from IRAQ!” (It is a historic fact that “We 3 Kings” probably came from modern day Iraq)
Furthermore, the Matthew passage tells us that Herod called in his best Bible teachers of the day (Chief priests and Scribes) to learn more about where the Christ was to be born. Astonishingly enough, they read Micah 5 to him and he, in turn uses that information in an attempt to turn the 3 Kings into unwitting snitches who will come back to him and reveal the exact location of Jesus so Herod can have him killed!
Wait a minute….are these Bible teachers and Herod using the Bible for something other than reaching into the Heavens for a revelation of signs that make you wonder? Are they using the scriptures for information instead of transformation? Could it be that they are so cold hearted as to miss the possibility of the KINGDOM NOW even as they take their stand upon chapter and verse? Does any of this sound familiar?
You can read, hear and “know” the scriptures apart from the Holy Spirit and be just as dead as never having opened a Bible. But if you can read, hear or know any Word in the Book, you have an opportunity to reach into to it by the Spirit and make it your own personal sign and wonder. It is the Holy Spirit’s personal assignment to make these stories and Words WONDER-FULL. When once you ever dare to pull a Word into your experience you will find that the same Word will pull you UP into the heavenlies and out of your mere material subsistence.
I know this blog is a bit scattered and maybe even a tad bit disjointed. Perhaps just a reflection of me these days. If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure you can bear with me to the following conclusion. In John 5:37-42 Jesus said to a group of upstanding Bible “knowers” that for all their searching the scriptures, they were not entering the very Life of those same verses. Readers, its time for a new breed of mystics whose faith is deeply rooted in Love for the Bible, not as a portable Museum…but as a Map for amazing discovery through visions, dreams and signs, O MY!
The Matthew 2 passage is renowned for reading in children’s Christmas plays. The truth is that if these same easterners showed up in some of our church services we’d have ushers, prayer warriors, deliverance team members and a 9 and a 1 dialed to protect our children from them!
“Pastor! Those guys that just came in are saying that they’ve been ‘reading’ the stars and that one star in particular told them to come HERE….from, brace yourself pastor….from IRAQ!” (It is a historic fact that “We 3 Kings” probably came from modern day Iraq)
Furthermore, the Matthew passage tells us that Herod called in his best Bible teachers of the day (Chief priests and Scribes) to learn more about where the Christ was to be born. Astonishingly enough, they read Micah 5 to him and he, in turn uses that information in an attempt to turn the 3 Kings into unwitting snitches who will come back to him and reveal the exact location of Jesus so Herod can have him killed!
Wait a minute….are these Bible teachers and Herod using the Bible for something other than reaching into the Heavens for a revelation of signs that make you wonder? Are they using the scriptures for information instead of transformation? Could it be that they are so cold hearted as to miss the possibility of the KINGDOM NOW even as they take their stand upon chapter and verse? Does any of this sound familiar?
You can read, hear and “know” the scriptures apart from the Holy Spirit and be just as dead as never having opened a Bible. But if you can read, hear or know any Word in the Book, you have an opportunity to reach into to it by the Spirit and make it your own personal sign and wonder. It is the Holy Spirit’s personal assignment to make these stories and Words WONDER-FULL. When once you ever dare to pull a Word into your experience you will find that the same Word will pull you UP into the heavenlies and out of your mere material subsistence.
I know this blog is a bit scattered and maybe even a tad bit disjointed. Perhaps just a reflection of me these days. If you’ve made it this far, I’m sure you can bear with me to the following conclusion. In John 5:37-42 Jesus said to a group of upstanding Bible “knowers” that for all their searching the scriptures, they were not entering the very Life of those same verses. Readers, its time for a new breed of mystics whose faith is deeply rooted in Love for the Bible, not as a portable Museum…but as a Map for amazing discovery through visions, dreams and signs, O MY!
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Bondslave of the Impossible
Those who know me well know that I adore the story of mother Mary with a towering honor for her spirit. To me she embodies every quality which ought to typify all of Christianity. While Catholicism worships her as a deity and Protestants run the other way, both extremes are sadly in error. For the Catholic to make this beautiful lady a god is to miss the raw power of her humanity. For the Protestant to lightly pay her “honorable mention” pitifully misses the dare of God’s call to us to become as she was; a bondslave of the Lord and His impossible offer.
Luke 1:37,38 Records the summary of Mary and the angel Gabriel’s conversation, “(Gabriel) For nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.’” Does that do to you what it does to me? Let me see if I can unpack this adequately….
Mary is, at most, 16. There is absolutely no precedent for what she is hearing. The closest thing that might have crossed her mind was that of much older, married women of the Old Testament who were given children of promise….along with their husbands!
Mary is on an island in this category. There is no other way to describe this encounter other than astonishing in its reach and stunning in its ramifications. Yet, something in the transcendence of the moment pushes Mary to the conclusion that she must become a bondslave to this impossibility! Hear that again; she happily surrendered herself as a SLAVE of the Lord and His offer of doing the impossible.
My apostolic father, Bill Johnson says it this way, “Our debt to the world is an encounter with God”. To that end, we must become bondslaves of doing the impossible. A people of a covenant to live beyond our means! To do works that transcend my limited abilities to show the world a God of unlimited abilities. If all the church is offering is clean living born out of good doctrine then we have certainly become what Paul warned us about, “…holding a form of godliness although they have denied its power…avoid such men as these.”
We owe our culture a living, visible demonstration of the Kingdom of another world. Jesus told His disciples to heal the sick and define that moment of healing as the Kingdom’s appearance on earth. I’m not batting a thousand on that command, YET….
But all around me are the evidences of the Kingdom’s transcendent supremacy. Just to name a few: A premature baby alive and well. A case of vertigo, gone in an instant. A life time of back pain smashed by Kingdom come. Cancer….GONE. A multiple year stomach ailment removed overnight. Ten new clients in a budding new ministry for the eradication of addictions…delivered by the power of the Kingdom and a Kingdom warrior named Steve. A marriage dragged back from the abyss into abundant living. Mental illnesses erased. An ocean that could not break my son-in-law’s neck. A unbeliever who walks into our gathering and hears the prophetic reading of their heart. Story after story of recent conversions into an irresistible Kingdom that draws humans into an encounter with God not because they were threatened with hell to come but because they tasted Heaven on earth in the Kingdom NOW!
I’m a happy slave of conquering the impossible. I’ve discovered the true nature of Christianity is the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. I’ve heard it said that when we get to heaven “some day” that we’re in for a lot of surprises. While I’m sure that’s true, I’ve decided to take a different path of life that minimizes my surprises tomorrow through discovery TODAY.
Just prior to World War II amphibious landings were deemed impossible due to notable failures in World War I. MacArthur, Eisenhower and other heroes of that day never got their boots wet in basic training for an amphibious assault. A lesser known military officer nicknamed, “Mad (as in mad-man) Smith advised the strategists of his day that the war could not be won without large scale amphibious assaults. “Mad” was told that such an idea was impossible. His answer? “Well, then we are going to do the impossible and we are going to do the impossible WELL.” Mr. Mad was a bondslave to the impossible. World War II was won by heroes who did the impossible.
Mad, Mary, Randy…..any more bondslaves out there?
Luke 1:37,38 Records the summary of Mary and the angel Gabriel’s conversation, “(Gabriel) For nothing will be impossible with God. And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.’” Does that do to you what it does to me? Let me see if I can unpack this adequately….
Mary is, at most, 16. There is absolutely no precedent for what she is hearing. The closest thing that might have crossed her mind was that of much older, married women of the Old Testament who were given children of promise….along with their husbands!
Mary is on an island in this category. There is no other way to describe this encounter other than astonishing in its reach and stunning in its ramifications. Yet, something in the transcendence of the moment pushes Mary to the conclusion that she must become a bondslave to this impossibility! Hear that again; she happily surrendered herself as a SLAVE of the Lord and His offer of doing the impossible.
My apostolic father, Bill Johnson says it this way, “Our debt to the world is an encounter with God”. To that end, we must become bondslaves of doing the impossible. A people of a covenant to live beyond our means! To do works that transcend my limited abilities to show the world a God of unlimited abilities. If all the church is offering is clean living born out of good doctrine then we have certainly become what Paul warned us about, “…holding a form of godliness although they have denied its power…avoid such men as these.”
We owe our culture a living, visible demonstration of the Kingdom of another world. Jesus told His disciples to heal the sick and define that moment of healing as the Kingdom’s appearance on earth. I’m not batting a thousand on that command, YET….
But all around me are the evidences of the Kingdom’s transcendent supremacy. Just to name a few: A premature baby alive and well. A case of vertigo, gone in an instant. A life time of back pain smashed by Kingdom come. Cancer….GONE. A multiple year stomach ailment removed overnight. Ten new clients in a budding new ministry for the eradication of addictions…delivered by the power of the Kingdom and a Kingdom warrior named Steve. A marriage dragged back from the abyss into abundant living. Mental illnesses erased. An ocean that could not break my son-in-law’s neck. A unbeliever who walks into our gathering and hears the prophetic reading of their heart. Story after story of recent conversions into an irresistible Kingdom that draws humans into an encounter with God not because they were threatened with hell to come but because they tasted Heaven on earth in the Kingdom NOW!
I’m a happy slave of conquering the impossible. I’ve discovered the true nature of Christianity is the presence of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. I’ve heard it said that when we get to heaven “some day” that we’re in for a lot of surprises. While I’m sure that’s true, I’ve decided to take a different path of life that minimizes my surprises tomorrow through discovery TODAY.
Just prior to World War II amphibious landings were deemed impossible due to notable failures in World War I. MacArthur, Eisenhower and other heroes of that day never got their boots wet in basic training for an amphibious assault. A lesser known military officer nicknamed, “Mad (as in mad-man) Smith advised the strategists of his day that the war could not be won without large scale amphibious assaults. “Mad” was told that such an idea was impossible. His answer? “Well, then we are going to do the impossible and we are going to do the impossible WELL.” Mr. Mad was a bondslave to the impossible. World War II was won by heroes who did the impossible.
Mad, Mary, Randy…..any more bondslaves out there?
Monday, December 08, 2008
Quick Update on Darren
As some of you may already know, my son-in-law Darren Hose was badly injured in a freak accident in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico last Wednesday. He, along with my daughter Libby and our 2 grand-daughters were given a condo for a week and they were having the time of their lives enjoying the sun, the ocean and boogie boarding. Darren had befriended a policeman from Canada and the two of them were hitting some unusual waves that had churned up. Suddenly one of those waves crested and simply dropped in a rogue fashion that literally threw Darren to the ocean floor like a cannon ball….face first.
When he hit the floor his neck must have bent at a 90 degree angle. His doctor here said Friday that the spinal cord was stretched as far as it could be without snapping. Darren told us that he immediately knew that he had no use of his legs and arms. His mouth was jammed full of sand. When he finally floated to the surface he forced the sand out and screamed for help. The Canadian cop sprang into action and saved Darren’s life.
Without going into the frightening hours that followed, suffice it to say that Libby was gathering and wrangling her 3 year old and 8 month old daughters into a nightmare experience at a foreign hospital. She called me and sent out the immediate cry for prayer. The following day, with help from the Red Cross and 2 or 3 maxed credit cards we got Darren on a plane home. (Note to all travelers: never, NEVER, NEVER travel without trip insurance! The Hoses are kicking themselves that they did not take out the $37 per person insurance that would have paid for everything, including a trip home for the girls WITH Darren, instead of the trip they had to make alone on their regular tickets 2 days later).
We praise God that today Darren is walking and at home! He is not out of the woods as to the extreme pain in his arms which is the result of the spinal cord trauma. Darren describes it as having been skinned alive. His doctor says that this is a typical reaction when a patient is recovering from near paralysis.
A benefit account has been established at Anchor Bank PO Box 475 New Richmond, WI 54017-9935 in the name of “Darren Hose Benefit”. Check our church web site at www.lwc1.com for ongoing updates.
When he hit the floor his neck must have bent at a 90 degree angle. His doctor here said Friday that the spinal cord was stretched as far as it could be without snapping. Darren told us that he immediately knew that he had no use of his legs and arms. His mouth was jammed full of sand. When he finally floated to the surface he forced the sand out and screamed for help. The Canadian cop sprang into action and saved Darren’s life.
Without going into the frightening hours that followed, suffice it to say that Libby was gathering and wrangling her 3 year old and 8 month old daughters into a nightmare experience at a foreign hospital. She called me and sent out the immediate cry for prayer. The following day, with help from the Red Cross and 2 or 3 maxed credit cards we got Darren on a plane home. (Note to all travelers: never, NEVER, NEVER travel without trip insurance! The Hoses are kicking themselves that they did not take out the $37 per person insurance that would have paid for everything, including a trip home for the girls WITH Darren, instead of the trip they had to make alone on their regular tickets 2 days later).
We praise God that today Darren is walking and at home! He is not out of the woods as to the extreme pain in his arms which is the result of the spinal cord trauma. Darren describes it as having been skinned alive. His doctor says that this is a typical reaction when a patient is recovering from near paralysis.
A benefit account has been established at Anchor Bank PO Box 475 New Richmond, WI 54017-9935 in the name of “Darren Hose Benefit”. Check our church web site at www.lwc1.com for ongoing updates.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Heavenly Knighthood (Christmas Blog Reissue)
One of the great classic scriptures describing the Christmas story is found in Luke 2:8-20. The problem with such passages is that they take on such a legendary and mythical status that they can cease to be present day truth that can kick our butts out of bed and light fires of destiny. Let’s spend a few moments and challenge that notion…
Angels catch shepherds in the graveyard shift and stun them with a rock opera blast in the heavens. The original language strikes a chord in me on several levels here; “…the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them and they were terribly frightened”. “Frightened” in the “check your shorts” category of screaming, “mommy!!!!” Then the town-crier angel attempts to correct the problem he caused by saying, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all people. For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord!”
This next account has always been a favorite of mine. It has always brought a passionate and vibrant sense of heaven’s dynamic expectation of what God is about to do on earth. I have such a holy ache for us to be like this heavenly blast of excitement; “And suddenly, there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven- a heavenly knighthood- praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace’”
A HEAVENLY KNIGHTHOOD crashed through the night skies. Imagine with me the closing scene of the movie, “Braveheart” where warrior poets run to the battle field with reckless abandonment. A HEAVENLY KNIGHTHOOD ripped the curtain off the threshold between that world and this and in essence said, “God be PRAISED! LOOK OUT earth, here we come with Heaven’s Messiah King in tow. The final invasion begins NOW and everyone who receives this is about to have their world rocked. The earth is about to be repossessed by its rightful Owner and there is no turning back”.
The Christmas story tells me that I will never understand or even begin to appreciate the Second Coming of Christ if I have not become a full partner in and an active participant with the First Coming of Christ. A Heavenly Knighthood preceded His First Coming and they are still here to this day to pick a fight for peace on earth with any interloper or intruder who opposes Christ’s rightful claim to the planet for which He died.
His Second Coming will not be announced by the whimper of a Church clutching to our memories of Christmas Past when we could say, “Merry Christmas” without signing petitions. His Glorious Return will be attended by the same Knighthood of Heaven who will be savoring the Marriage of the Messiah King to a Glorious Bride whose brilliance will be comparable to His own. “On earth, peace!” is not just a song to be sung but a war to be won!
Angels catch shepherds in the graveyard shift and stun them with a rock opera blast in the heavens. The original language strikes a chord in me on several levels here; “…the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them and they were terribly frightened”. “Frightened” in the “check your shorts” category of screaming, “mommy!!!!” Then the town-crier angel attempts to correct the problem he caused by saying, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all people. For to you is born this day in the town of David a Savior, Who is Christ, the Messiah, the Lord!”
This next account has always been a favorite of mine. It has always brought a passionate and vibrant sense of heaven’s dynamic expectation of what God is about to do on earth. I have such a holy ache for us to be like this heavenly blast of excitement; “And suddenly, there appeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven- a heavenly knighthood- praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace’”
A HEAVENLY KNIGHTHOOD crashed through the night skies. Imagine with me the closing scene of the movie, “Braveheart” where warrior poets run to the battle field with reckless abandonment. A HEAVENLY KNIGHTHOOD ripped the curtain off the threshold between that world and this and in essence said, “God be PRAISED! LOOK OUT earth, here we come with Heaven’s Messiah King in tow. The final invasion begins NOW and everyone who receives this is about to have their world rocked. The earth is about to be repossessed by its rightful Owner and there is no turning back”.
The Christmas story tells me that I will never understand or even begin to appreciate the Second Coming of Christ if I have not become a full partner in and an active participant with the First Coming of Christ. A Heavenly Knighthood preceded His First Coming and they are still here to this day to pick a fight for peace on earth with any interloper or intruder who opposes Christ’s rightful claim to the planet for which He died.
His Second Coming will not be announced by the whimper of a Church clutching to our memories of Christmas Past when we could say, “Merry Christmas” without signing petitions. His Glorious Return will be attended by the same Knighthood of Heaven who will be savoring the Marriage of the Messiah King to a Glorious Bride whose brilliance will be comparable to His own. “On earth, peace!” is not just a song to be sung but a war to be won!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
God is in a Good Mood
I was visiting with a local radio and newspaper reporter this morning and he and I were reflecting on the “mood” of people. Our conclusion (and it’s always nice to find somebody who agrees with me implicitly) was this: the information age has created a monster! Four major news networks pump the airwaves full of every infinitesimal detail of every possible story on the planet 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The old adage used to be, “stay tuned for film at 10pm.” FORGET THAT! Now, film can be instantly viewed by satellite, youtube, cable and even on our cell phones (!) at the very instant the event is happening. The result is that if there is something to scare you, worry you, intimidate you, give you pause, terrify you and generally make you want to run to your basement, bomb shelter or local law enforcement officer, a billion people (give or take a million here or there) know about it and are spreading the word before one scintilla of fact can be confirmed.
As if that isn’t enough, then a few voices of the church join the fray. I stumbled onto a late night TV “evangelist” the other day as he gleefully quoted scriptures faster than a speeding bullet and sprayed the background with news clips full of misery. The only thing missing was the Twilight Zone theme music. His program ended with an invitation to, “come to Jesus”. Am I missing something here? If God is somehow at the root of all the crazy bad stuff, how am I supposed to want to come to Jesus?
This year, Christmas can’t come a minute too soon, as far as I’m concerned. Luke’s gospel heralds, “…there were shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. (I know the feeling!) and an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them….and said, ‘I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all people’…” Paraphrased it means, “Hey, everybody on earth; God is in a really good mood! He would really like for you to join Him.”
This isn’t to say that we should pretend that bad stuff isn’t happening. It IS to say that the only productive way THROUGH bad stuff is to wrap your arms around a God who is in a good mood. He’s not angry. Jesus satisfied the wrath of God (Isaiah 53:11). He’s not the cause of our calamity, He isn’t in need of anger management counseling, He’s not running out of patience and He is most certainly NOT looking for new and creative ways to roast His creation! Nice and slow, read the Luke passage again, “GOOD news….GREAT joy…. for ALL people…”. God IS in a good mood; join Him.
Turn off the bad news and go do some holy rockin’ around the Christmas tree. That’s where you’ll find me and my house this year.
As if that isn’t enough, then a few voices of the church join the fray. I stumbled onto a late night TV “evangelist” the other day as he gleefully quoted scriptures faster than a speeding bullet and sprayed the background with news clips full of misery. The only thing missing was the Twilight Zone theme music. His program ended with an invitation to, “come to Jesus”. Am I missing something here? If God is somehow at the root of all the crazy bad stuff, how am I supposed to want to come to Jesus?
This year, Christmas can’t come a minute too soon, as far as I’m concerned. Luke’s gospel heralds, “…there were shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. (I know the feeling!) and an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them….and said, ‘I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all people’…” Paraphrased it means, “Hey, everybody on earth; God is in a really good mood! He would really like for you to join Him.”
This isn’t to say that we should pretend that bad stuff isn’t happening. It IS to say that the only productive way THROUGH bad stuff is to wrap your arms around a God who is in a good mood. He’s not angry. Jesus satisfied the wrath of God (Isaiah 53:11). He’s not the cause of our calamity, He isn’t in need of anger management counseling, He’s not running out of patience and He is most certainly NOT looking for new and creative ways to roast His creation! Nice and slow, read the Luke passage again, “GOOD news….GREAT joy…. for ALL people…”. God IS in a good mood; join Him.
Turn off the bad news and go do some holy rockin’ around the Christmas tree. That’s where you’ll find me and my house this year.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Kingdom NOW!
(The following is a transcript of my teaching at Living Word Chapel, Wednesday November 19, 2008)
Our goal, our command, our mission is nothing less than the Kingdom of Heaven explosively expressed, demonstrated, witnessed and enjoyed on the earth. We are not here to provide the church as a hiding place from the world. It is a sin to seek refuge from a storm over which we have been given authority. We are here to equip and ignite the church as platoons of infiltration, saturation and permeation throughout all of society for nothing less than the eventual healing of the nations through the triumphant resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. My passion is to ignite you in each and every service with the flames of another world so that you leave here smoldering to overcome the lesser realities of the world you will walk through all week long.
It has been said that America’s last and best hope is revival. While I am sympathetic to the notion, and on many levels cooperative with the concept, it is my personal belief that Jesus proclaimed an even greater and more superior transcendence through His delivery of the very real and raw power appearance of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Upon launching His ministry He unapologetically proclaimed that everything from Him forward had the intrinsic potential of being transformed into outrageously good news.
Without so much as a hint of marginalization He shouted, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15) Allow me to pastorally paraphrase; “The wait is over. God has drawn a dark line in eternal sand. God’s total dominion expressed through human beings is presently fully available and simply at the disposal of your own hand. God is far better, bigger, presently available and massively potent than you think so change the way you think. Everything from here forward can be shockingly and fundamentally radicalized into good news.”
And then, as if to offer a sample of the raw power and simplicity of His “revival” Jesus journeys to the Sea of Galilee, sees Simon and his brother Andrew doing their work, steps into their space and seizes control of the atmosphere around them. Without a word of explanation other than the plain announcement, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men. And they immediately left the nets and followed Him.” (Mark 1:16-18)
Herein, Jesus straight away demonstrates the ascendancy of His domain. Again, please allow me the indulgence of a paraphrase; “Hello fishermen. You are clearly familiar with the tactile pleasure of fish weighing in against your nets as an immediate reward for your craft and knowledge of placing those nets in strategic places and proportions so that the fish don’t know they’ve been caught until it is too late. Their instincts are no match for your clever ability to make a living at the expense of their self-indulgent swimming freedom. Hey; here’s a thought. Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of humans. Upon hearing these Words somewhere more deeply than they had ever heard a word in their lives, their hands obeyed a signal from a different source than merely the brain and they dropped their nets in order to make room to grab the insuperable domain, which, quite honestly had already grabbed them.”
To further underline these remarkable (pun intended….re-Mark-able) events Jesus takes His new human catch to the Synagogue and teaches. As He speaks, authoritative dominion power (with real effect being put into the atmosphere) is being released in His Words. (Mark 1:-22) Suddenly, a man with an unclean spirit cries out THE REALITY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE SPIRIT REALM! (Mark 1:24) But Jesus would rather speak for Himself, thank you very much, and so He did and cleaned “house” in front of the entire synagogue.
If you continue to follow Mark’s account you read with utter amazement at the sheer power of the raw appearance of the Kingdom of God in, around and through Jesus. Two different homes are physically over-run by the crowds. One of those homes has its roof torn open in order to lower a lame man. In one place Mark says, “the whole city had gathered at the door”. In another place Jesus’ new “catch of the day” disciples searched everywhere to find Him (because He was out banking into Himself more of the Presence of God and the Kingdom) and when they found Him they excitedly kept telling him that, “everyone is looking for You.” (Mark 1:37)
So what’s my point? Our goal, our command, our mission is nothing less than the Kingdom of Heaven explosively expressed, demonstrated, witnessed and enjoyed on the earth. We are not here to provide the church as a hiding place from the world. It is a sin to seek refuge from a storm over which we have been given authority. We are here to equip and ignite the church as platoons of infiltration, saturation and permeation throughout all of society for nothing less than the eventual healing of the nations through the triumphant resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. My passion is to ignite you in each and every service with the flames of another world so that you leave here smoldering to overcome the lesser realities of the world you will walk through all week long.
KINGDOM, COME, NOW!
Our goal, our command, our mission is nothing less than the Kingdom of Heaven explosively expressed, demonstrated, witnessed and enjoyed on the earth. We are not here to provide the church as a hiding place from the world. It is a sin to seek refuge from a storm over which we have been given authority. We are here to equip and ignite the church as platoons of infiltration, saturation and permeation throughout all of society for nothing less than the eventual healing of the nations through the triumphant resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. My passion is to ignite you in each and every service with the flames of another world so that you leave here smoldering to overcome the lesser realities of the world you will walk through all week long.
It has been said that America’s last and best hope is revival. While I am sympathetic to the notion, and on many levels cooperative with the concept, it is my personal belief that Jesus proclaimed an even greater and more superior transcendence through His delivery of the very real and raw power appearance of the Kingdom of God on the earth. Upon launching His ministry He unapologetically proclaimed that everything from Him forward had the intrinsic potential of being transformed into outrageously good news.
Without so much as a hint of marginalization He shouted, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:14-15) Allow me to pastorally paraphrase; “The wait is over. God has drawn a dark line in eternal sand. God’s total dominion expressed through human beings is presently fully available and simply at the disposal of your own hand. God is far better, bigger, presently available and massively potent than you think so change the way you think. Everything from here forward can be shockingly and fundamentally radicalized into good news.”
And then, as if to offer a sample of the raw power and simplicity of His “revival” Jesus journeys to the Sea of Galilee, sees Simon and his brother Andrew doing their work, steps into their space and seizes control of the atmosphere around them. Without a word of explanation other than the plain announcement, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men. And they immediately left the nets and followed Him.” (Mark 1:16-18)
Herein, Jesus straight away demonstrates the ascendancy of His domain. Again, please allow me the indulgence of a paraphrase; “Hello fishermen. You are clearly familiar with the tactile pleasure of fish weighing in against your nets as an immediate reward for your craft and knowledge of placing those nets in strategic places and proportions so that the fish don’t know they’ve been caught until it is too late. Their instincts are no match for your clever ability to make a living at the expense of their self-indulgent swimming freedom. Hey; here’s a thought. Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of humans. Upon hearing these Words somewhere more deeply than they had ever heard a word in their lives, their hands obeyed a signal from a different source than merely the brain and they dropped their nets in order to make room to grab the insuperable domain, which, quite honestly had already grabbed them.”
To further underline these remarkable (pun intended….re-Mark-able) events Jesus takes His new human catch to the Synagogue and teaches. As He speaks, authoritative dominion power (with real effect being put into the atmosphere) is being released in His Words. (Mark 1:-22) Suddenly, a man with an unclean spirit cries out THE REALITY OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE SPIRIT REALM! (Mark 1:24) But Jesus would rather speak for Himself, thank you very much, and so He did and cleaned “house” in front of the entire synagogue.
If you continue to follow Mark’s account you read with utter amazement at the sheer power of the raw appearance of the Kingdom of God in, around and through Jesus. Two different homes are physically over-run by the crowds. One of those homes has its roof torn open in order to lower a lame man. In one place Mark says, “the whole city had gathered at the door”. In another place Jesus’ new “catch of the day” disciples searched everywhere to find Him (because He was out banking into Himself more of the Presence of God and the Kingdom) and when they found Him they excitedly kept telling him that, “everyone is looking for You.” (Mark 1:37)
So what’s my point? Our goal, our command, our mission is nothing less than the Kingdom of Heaven explosively expressed, demonstrated, witnessed and enjoyed on the earth. We are not here to provide the church as a hiding place from the world. It is a sin to seek refuge from a storm over which we have been given authority. We are here to equip and ignite the church as platoons of infiltration, saturation and permeation throughout all of society for nothing less than the eventual healing of the nations through the triumphant resurrection power of the Lord Jesus Christ. My passion is to ignite you in each and every service with the flames of another world so that you leave here smoldering to overcome the lesser realities of the world you will walk through all week long.
KINGDOM, COME, NOW!
Monday, November 17, 2008
An Open Letter
Note the date posted just below. I have held this letter since that time as one among many writings I have filed through the years. Most are still filed, a few I have mailed, emailed or blogged. This is one of the few I am putting to my blog. I struggled with the contrast in content in view of my later blog, “A Culture of Honor” but I have decided to post this as well. I am still thoroughly committed to the content of “A Culture of Honor” as I view this newest post as a plea to the “handlers” and offered with no disrespect to our current new slate of leaders.
Feel free to send this along to any political party leaders you know, local or otherwise. I am committed to the idea of putting this in as many hands as I can.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 28, 2008
To the Winners and the Losers of the Political Parties,
Congratulations and condolences. Both wishes are offered equally and without obvious application. The winners have lost more than what seems obvious and the losers might still win if the slogans of both sides of the campaigns can be changed from a cheer leading promise to living truth: CHANGE!
I am writing this letter exactly one week before the November general election. It is based on a wide variety of ponderings as a rural pastor/shepherd keeping watch over his flock by night. I’d like to say that a host of angels burst out in the dark sky announcing the arrival of peace, good will for all. It is quite the contrary. While I am elated that such an event is already etched in history and perfectly confident that its transcendent supremacy can not be reversed, I am also deeply troubled by the dreadful darkness that your campaign trails have plowed through the soul of this nation.
At a time of grave and real anxiety both major political parties gleefully seized the moment with barrels of salt to discharge into the nation’s wounds. At the risk of dragging the minutia of yet another poll into this mix, I do want to refer to the general conclusions of one poll (Associated Press-Yahoo News Poll conducted by Knowledge Networks conducted in early October) that reflected that the majority of Americans of all political stripes are “worried, unhappy, fatigued and frightened”. Yet both party’s political aspirations fueled an emotional feeding frenzy at the scent of our blood in the waters of your grabbing and grasping for political power. This is nothing less than shameful behavior easily comparable to a raging alcoholic parent threatening a family with further harm if they don’t unconditionally cede control.
One candidate for a national office completely fit the profile of this picture saying, “Once this campaign is over, the nation must be healed! We’ve been through a terrible time.” Hmmm….I’ve counseled a few people down through the years who have related how a rage-oholic adult would ravage a home and then sit down with the family later in tears to talk about how much they care and only desire to heal the bruises. It’s like a hospital posting snipers on the roof and simultaneously advertising discounted deals on treatments for gunshot wounds.
The following paragraph is now being written almost 2 weeks after the election.
Please end this vicious cycle. Please spend the next gap in time between campaigns in a search for the high road. Please read the other postings of this blog, “A Culture of Honor” and “Is it November 5th Yet?” Please fire the political gun slingers and hire some spiritual advisors. Please tell us what your core values truly are instead of spending millions to vomit in our living rooms. The mess is real, the stench is overwhelming and Republicans, Democrats and Independents are responsible. Please STOP IT!
I told my congregation this week to rise above the rancor and learn to be better and bigger people. I said this, “There will be those who feel that their cause is so just, so right that it grants them the right to be disrespectful and dishonoring. I say we should ennoble our cause by honoring those in authority who represent the contrary. Shine the light of honor on all your opinions, political or otherwise, so that those on the contrary side might better see what truth lies within.”
Peace,
Pastor Randy Dean
Feel free to send this along to any political party leaders you know, local or otherwise. I am committed to the idea of putting this in as many hands as I can.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
October 28, 2008
To the Winners and the Losers of the Political Parties,
Congratulations and condolences. Both wishes are offered equally and without obvious application. The winners have lost more than what seems obvious and the losers might still win if the slogans of both sides of the campaigns can be changed from a cheer leading promise to living truth: CHANGE!
I am writing this letter exactly one week before the November general election. It is based on a wide variety of ponderings as a rural pastor/shepherd keeping watch over his flock by night. I’d like to say that a host of angels burst out in the dark sky announcing the arrival of peace, good will for all. It is quite the contrary. While I am elated that such an event is already etched in history and perfectly confident that its transcendent supremacy can not be reversed, I am also deeply troubled by the dreadful darkness that your campaign trails have plowed through the soul of this nation.
At a time of grave and real anxiety both major political parties gleefully seized the moment with barrels of salt to discharge into the nation’s wounds. At the risk of dragging the minutia of yet another poll into this mix, I do want to refer to the general conclusions of one poll (Associated Press-Yahoo News Poll conducted by Knowledge Networks conducted in early October) that reflected that the majority of Americans of all political stripes are “worried, unhappy, fatigued and frightened”. Yet both party’s political aspirations fueled an emotional feeding frenzy at the scent of our blood in the waters of your grabbing and grasping for political power. This is nothing less than shameful behavior easily comparable to a raging alcoholic parent threatening a family with further harm if they don’t unconditionally cede control.
One candidate for a national office completely fit the profile of this picture saying, “Once this campaign is over, the nation must be healed! We’ve been through a terrible time.” Hmmm….I’ve counseled a few people down through the years who have related how a rage-oholic adult would ravage a home and then sit down with the family later in tears to talk about how much they care and only desire to heal the bruises. It’s like a hospital posting snipers on the roof and simultaneously advertising discounted deals on treatments for gunshot wounds.
The following paragraph is now being written almost 2 weeks after the election.
Please end this vicious cycle. Please spend the next gap in time between campaigns in a search for the high road. Please read the other postings of this blog, “A Culture of Honor” and “Is it November 5th Yet?” Please fire the political gun slingers and hire some spiritual advisors. Please tell us what your core values truly are instead of spending millions to vomit in our living rooms. The mess is real, the stench is overwhelming and Republicans, Democrats and Independents are responsible. Please STOP IT!
I told my congregation this week to rise above the rancor and learn to be better and bigger people. I said this, “There will be those who feel that their cause is so just, so right that it grants them the right to be disrespectful and dishonoring. I say we should ennoble our cause by honoring those in authority who represent the contrary. Shine the light of honor on all your opinions, political or otherwise, so that those on the contrary side might better see what truth lies within.”
Peace,
Pastor Randy Dean
Thursday, November 06, 2008
A Culture of Honor
(The bulk of the following has been brewing in my spirit for many days leading up to the national general election of 2008. As you can tell, the first paragraph is specific to the very day of the election, but beyond that, these are words that the Holy Spirit has been perfecting within me).
I am writing this on the morning of November 4, 2008. There are no election returns in yet but I am thrilled to see lines all over the country as voter turn out is literally off the charts. Some of the pundits say that this bodes well for one party over the other but I say, regardless, this bodes well for our nation! I have longed to see this kind of involvement since the day I cast my first vote in 1972.
Whoever the new president is, I honor him now. I am personally committed to making a break with the past extreme partisan nastiness that has soiled the American soul for at least the past 16 years. I’m starting my own campaign, beginning now, for a national healing renewal that begins and ends in the Church (which, by the way, should have always been in the Church) as it relates to our relationship to governing authorities and beyond.
My apostolic father, Bill Johnson, when pondering the formation of a network of churches and ministries, wondered aloud several months ago, “How far could we go in a culture of honor?” He voiced this as others around him were pressing for a more formalized and legislated mechanism of relationship. That simple revelation of honor is now becoming a thriving spiritual family spreading the revival dynamics of the Kingdom of God internationally.
I Peter 2:17 says, “Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the King.” The first mention in that verse of honor is the greek word “tee-may-o” which means to prize, fix a valuation on and value with reverence. The second word is “tim-may” which actually ratchets up the stakes of the word to mean pay a price for value, to have esteem and dignity and to view as precious. Have you discovered that people will generally live up (or down, as the case may be) to the value you genuinely place in them? In our society’s full court press to teach “self-esteem” to our children, have we inadvertently omitted the possibility that esteem for self may be best built and expressed in a healthy and holy esteem for others?
Our current political climate has pretty much created a national sport of blasting the esteem out of others in a naked attempt to achieve our ambitions. Then when the elections are over we reap what we’ve sown as we go after the folks at the top until we can successfully blast them out of any esteem or value and this cycle goes on and on, and worse and worse.
My goal today is to be one person in my place of influence to put an end to that cycle. We can no longer wait for someone else to do this. We can no longer wait for “our” person to win an office before we decide to do the honor thing. In fact, the purest honor, the most tested and reliable honor is honor placed somewhere and in someone where it has cost you something to give it! I would go so far as to suggest that honor isn’t honor UNTIL it costs you something.
I admire the skills of a good comedian. Dennis Miller is a good comedian, not my favorite comedian, but a very skilled one. Recently, on a late night show he was in rare form lampooning Senator Obama. Suddenly, he reined in his monologue and took a serious turn. In a rare move for any comedian he apologized for a part of his verbal run that made fun of the Obama family. And then he said, “Listen, whoever wins this election…could we all agree now to avoid making the new president yet another anti-Christ?” The crowd cheered. This resonates with what I’m sharing here.
What would it look like if people of faith bestowed an outrageous spirit of blessing and honor, even on those we might deem had nothing intrinsically deserving of the same? What would it look like for us to be genuinely and profoundly thankful as we prayed for those in authority? (I Timothy 2:1-3) What would it look like for a body of believers to be an army unarmed by human resources yet heavily armed by Kingdom Resources who determine ALWAYS and in ALL THINGS to overcome evil (real or perceived) WITH GOOD? (Romans 12)
In Isaiah 44 and 45 the prophet speaks a Kingdom declaration on the pagan king of Persia and calls him “My Shepherd” (44:28) and “anointed” (45:1) Ezra 1 says that the expenses for Judah’s return to her land and the restoration of the temple came “by the hand” of that pagan government. If God can call Cyrus anointed, who am I to think that God could not do the same with someone elected to such an influencial position as the presidency?
Did you know that in his run for the presidency Abraham Lincoln promised to uphold State’s Rights in slavery and yet he is best known now for the Emancipation Proclamation (which overturned the State's rights with federal power)? What’s the greater miracle? That a pro-life president get elected? Or that a pro-choice president might have a change of heart?
What deeply concerns me in today's Christian "world-view" is that far too much of it is fear based and enslaved to the narrow view that our highest and best exercise of "power" is political. What political power did Jesus wield? How often did Jesus preach political activism against the raging vicious power of Rome? Never! And yet, where is the center of the world's largest Christian denomination today? ROME! How was Rome defeated? By the subtle servant King who healed the sick and made broken hearts whole again.
I am certainly not suggesting that we should take some lazy approach of political nuetrality....a snoozy "whatever" approach. On the contrary, I believe that the passage I referenced above (I Peter 2) demands of us in verse 12 "good works". Works so incredibly excellent and self-less that the world observing us sees them and shouts, "GLORY TO GOD!" It's one thing for us to sing "glory to God" in the comfort of our worship services....it is quite another thing to do something so God glorifying that a watching world can not hold back their praise to God because of what they see in us!
I am writing this on the morning of November 4, 2008. There are no election returns in yet but I am thrilled to see lines all over the country as voter turn out is literally off the charts. Some of the pundits say that this bodes well for one party over the other but I say, regardless, this bodes well for our nation! I have longed to see this kind of involvement since the day I cast my first vote in 1972.
Whoever the new president is, I honor him now. I am personally committed to making a break with the past extreme partisan nastiness that has soiled the American soul for at least the past 16 years. I’m starting my own campaign, beginning now, for a national healing renewal that begins and ends in the Church (which, by the way, should have always been in the Church) as it relates to our relationship to governing authorities and beyond.
My apostolic father, Bill Johnson, when pondering the formation of a network of churches and ministries, wondered aloud several months ago, “How far could we go in a culture of honor?” He voiced this as others around him were pressing for a more formalized and legislated mechanism of relationship. That simple revelation of honor is now becoming a thriving spiritual family spreading the revival dynamics of the Kingdom of God internationally.
I Peter 2:17 says, “Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the King.” The first mention in that verse of honor is the greek word “tee-may-o” which means to prize, fix a valuation on and value with reverence. The second word is “tim-may” which actually ratchets up the stakes of the word to mean pay a price for value, to have esteem and dignity and to view as precious. Have you discovered that people will generally live up (or down, as the case may be) to the value you genuinely place in them? In our society’s full court press to teach “self-esteem” to our children, have we inadvertently omitted the possibility that esteem for self may be best built and expressed in a healthy and holy esteem for others?
Our current political climate has pretty much created a national sport of blasting the esteem out of others in a naked attempt to achieve our ambitions. Then when the elections are over we reap what we’ve sown as we go after the folks at the top until we can successfully blast them out of any esteem or value and this cycle goes on and on, and worse and worse.
My goal today is to be one person in my place of influence to put an end to that cycle. We can no longer wait for someone else to do this. We can no longer wait for “our” person to win an office before we decide to do the honor thing. In fact, the purest honor, the most tested and reliable honor is honor placed somewhere and in someone where it has cost you something to give it! I would go so far as to suggest that honor isn’t honor UNTIL it costs you something.
I admire the skills of a good comedian. Dennis Miller is a good comedian, not my favorite comedian, but a very skilled one. Recently, on a late night show he was in rare form lampooning Senator Obama. Suddenly, he reined in his monologue and took a serious turn. In a rare move for any comedian he apologized for a part of his verbal run that made fun of the Obama family. And then he said, “Listen, whoever wins this election…could we all agree now to avoid making the new president yet another anti-Christ?” The crowd cheered. This resonates with what I’m sharing here.
What would it look like if people of faith bestowed an outrageous spirit of blessing and honor, even on those we might deem had nothing intrinsically deserving of the same? What would it look like for us to be genuinely and profoundly thankful as we prayed for those in authority? (I Timothy 2:1-3) What would it look like for a body of believers to be an army unarmed by human resources yet heavily armed by Kingdom Resources who determine ALWAYS and in ALL THINGS to overcome evil (real or perceived) WITH GOOD? (Romans 12)
In Isaiah 44 and 45 the prophet speaks a Kingdom declaration on the pagan king of Persia and calls him “My Shepherd” (44:28) and “anointed” (45:1) Ezra 1 says that the expenses for Judah’s return to her land and the restoration of the temple came “by the hand” of that pagan government. If God can call Cyrus anointed, who am I to think that God could not do the same with someone elected to such an influencial position as the presidency?
Did you know that in his run for the presidency Abraham Lincoln promised to uphold State’s Rights in slavery and yet he is best known now for the Emancipation Proclamation (which overturned the State's rights with federal power)? What’s the greater miracle? That a pro-life president get elected? Or that a pro-choice president might have a change of heart?
What deeply concerns me in today's Christian "world-view" is that far too much of it is fear based and enslaved to the narrow view that our highest and best exercise of "power" is political. What political power did Jesus wield? How often did Jesus preach political activism against the raging vicious power of Rome? Never! And yet, where is the center of the world's largest Christian denomination today? ROME! How was Rome defeated? By the subtle servant King who healed the sick and made broken hearts whole again.
I am certainly not suggesting that we should take some lazy approach of political nuetrality....a snoozy "whatever" approach. On the contrary, I believe that the passage I referenced above (I Peter 2) demands of us in verse 12 "good works". Works so incredibly excellent and self-less that the world observing us sees them and shouts, "GLORY TO GOD!" It's one thing for us to sing "glory to God" in the comfort of our worship services....it is quite another thing to do something so God glorifying that a watching world can not hold back their praise to God because of what they see in us!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)