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10 Thoughts for the “Kingdom Minded”

Posted in Commentaries, Lists on October 15, 2010| 1 Comment »

In recent years I’ve heard a lot of talk about the “Kingdom of God” and of the need to be “Kingdom Minded”.  As I’ve prayed and meditated on these things, I’ve sensed the Lord speaking.  I’ve included some of those thoughts below:

1.      If we are truly becoming more “Kingdom Minded”, our hearts will be increasingly focused on “The King”.

2.      If our priority is truly the “Eternal Kingdom”, our focus will be shifting from what is seen to what is unseen.

3.      The Lord will continue to grant the peoples wish for an earthly king, but “His Kingdom” will come through those who yearn for “His Lordship”.

4.      Revival is birthed in the hearts of God’s people.  It is the rekindling of the “Brides” passion for the “Bridegroom”.  The outward manifestations that we’ve come to associate with revival only follow this inner stirring.  The church’s inability to sustain these outward manifestations is rooted in the absence of this internal work.

5.      The work that God has called us to is to believe in the One who He sent (John 6:29).  While this belief will ultimately compel us to further action, all of our “work” for the Kingdom must be rooted in this.

6.      We are not Kingdom Builders.  There is a big difference between building a house and moving a house.  When we build a house, we choose a site, make our plans and build to suit our desires; but when the house already exists, we must go to where it is and study its design, if it is to arrive intact at it’s new location.  The Kingdom of God already exists and God Himself was the Architect and Builder (Heb. 11:10).  God is not interested in some earthly replica of His Kingdom, He means for His Kingdom to come to earth as it already exists in the heavenly realm.

7.      We must discern the difference between imagination, inspiration and revelation.  Though there is a place for all of these things, the distinction between them is critical.

8.      It’s all about relationship.  We must understand the difference between associates and friends, business partners and brothers, networks and families, collaboration and covenant, and ultimately between ambition (i.e. personal) and passion (i.e. for the Lord).  If we have not love, we have “nothing”.

9.      Don’t be impressed by anyone’s resume, because God isn’t.  Few could boast an earthly resume as impressive as King Solomon’s; his reign is viewed by many as a pinnacle in Jewish History and yet he was ultimately deemed a failure by God’s standard.  His life stands as an example of the dramatic contrast between what the world considers success and what is valuable to God.

10.   Beware of those who call themselves Shepherds and yet view sheep as the obstacle to their destiny.  Beware of those who claim to be a covering and yet accept no responsibility in the day of trouble.  Beware of those who invoke the name of Jesus, but bear no resemblance to Him.  The Bible contains numerous warnings pertaining to false teachers (e.g. 2 Peter 2:1), false prophets (e.g. Matt. 24:11), false apostles (Rev. 2:2); and it speaks of our need to discern between those who are serving the Lord and those who are not (Mal. 3:18).

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The Senseless Death of Tyler Clementi

Posted in Commentaries, Opinions, Social / Political on September 30, 2010| 1 Comment »

As is often the case when I tune into the news, I was sickened by the report of the senseless death of Tyler Clementi; a freshman at New Jersey’s Rutgers University.  According to sources, Tyler jumped to his death, after a video of his intimate encounter with another man, which had been secretly recorded by his room-mate, was posted on the internet.

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While the despicable act of the room-mate has been universally condemned, much of the reaction to this tragedy seems to be focused on the homosexual aspect of the story.  And while I do understand why homosexual activists would want to use this as an example, I believe that the implications of this act extend beyond the issue of sexuality.  From my perspective, it points to a fundamental lack of respect for the privacy and dignity of all human beings.

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Though nothing excuses this heinous invasion, it seems to be in keeping with the increasingly voyeuristic nature our society.  Advances in technology and the popularity of outlets like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and You-Tube, have given us unprecedented access into even the most private aspects of each others lives; and by all indications, we as a society can’t get enough of it.  The entertainment industry continues to feed this frenzy with increasingly raw reality shows and artful explorations of the most twisted components of the human psyche.  At some level, the general public seems to feel as though it is entitled to this unfettered access.  For example, it’s not good enough that Tiger Woods would admit to cheating on his wife, we want to know the details and if someone has video, we want that too.  But if we as a society demand that kind of access, aren’t we implicitly commissioning acts like that of the room-mate in this case.  At 18 years of age, this young man has grown up in a time when little, if anything, has been off limits; and so what should we as a society have expected to stop him in this case?  Someone of my generation may answer, “Common decency”, but is there a commonly held standard for decency anymore.  Not surprisingly, lawyers for this young man simply describe him as “confused”.

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While many will point to this story as an example of why we need to be more “tolerant” of homosexuals; I think we’d be better to use it as an example of why we need to “respect” the dignity and privacy of all of our fellow human beings, regardless of their sexuality.  As near as I can tell, Tyler was a fine young man and my heart breaks at the thought that he is gone.

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God Said

Posted in Commentaries on September 1, 2010| 3 Comments »

            As I have endeavored to share the things I’ve discovered along my spiritual journey, perhaps nothing has stirred up more resistance than the use of phrases like, “I feel like God told me” or “I feel like God said”.  It seems as though the concept of direct communication from God tends to make people uncomfortable; even Christian people.  To some extent, I understand their concern.  When I first became serious about a life of faith, I began to hear people using this kind of terminology and I remember thinking, “You hear God speak?”  Though I’d grown up with the idea of praying, I’d not run into many people who claimed to have heard something back.  My initial reaction to such people included a healthy dose of cynicism; but as I began to read the scripture, I was confronted about my unbelief.  Despite the fact that I’d heard some doctrinal teaching that seemed to want to make a case that God doesn’t communicate directly anymore, I found the written evidence in the Bible compelling in its case that He does.  This was a difficult conclusion to draw, since as far as I knew, I’d never experienced it myself.  Once I resolved that God does in fact “speak” directly to His children, I began to pray that I would hear from Him.  Though it took some time, I slowly became aware that God was in fact communicating with me and came to the realization that He had been for quite some time.  I guess I expected a booming voice from heaven, not a still small voice from within.  It was confusing because His voice filtered through my spirit sounded an awful lot like a thought in my head.  I guess it shouldn’t have been all that surprising since that’s how the voice of the enemy works.  Its taken years, but I’ve learned (and am still learning) to differentiate between His voice, my voice and the voice of the enemy.  Since they’re all filtered through my soul, they all sound like me, but I’ve come to understand that His voice is very distinct in how things are expressed; there is a perfection and a resonance that my own thoughts and expressions lack.  His voice always substantiates the things He’s said in His word and they always move me closer to Him.

            There are those who would rightfully point out the danger in this.  I remember some years ago, hearing an internationally known Pastor say that he wasn’t comfortable with “God said this” or “God told me that”.  He shared stories of the outrageous things that people had claimed to have heard from God.  His conclusion was that the whole idea that we’d act based on something we thought God told us was too dangerous and that we just needed to make our decisions based on scripture.  While I certainly wouldn’t argue the application of scripture, I found myself somewhat appalled by the idea that we’d ignore the voice of God.  One need only watch the nightly news to hear stories of people who claim that God told them to shoot an abortion doctor or to drown their children; but are we to live our lives in fear of this, or by what the word of God says.  Jesus said that His sheep know “His voice”, that they listen to that voice and that they follow it.  He says that “He who belongs to God, hears what God says”.  He goes on to say that, “The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God”.  These are pretty strong statements, but they’re right there in the Gospel.  Sure there is a danger that we may wrongly discern what God is saying, but it is no greater than the danger that we will wrongly interpret His written word.  There are whole main-line denominations making a mockery of His written word and yet we’re not tempted to discount personal Bible reading in response to that problem.  While I have no trouble in acknowledging the danger of misinterpretation or manipulation of Gods words, I would submit that there is even greater peril if we don’t hear His voice.  In the book of Revelation, we see God confront the end time churches, as He repeatedly says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches”.  In one of his letters to Timothy, Paul warns that in the end times people will have a form of godliness, but that they will deny the true power of God.  It would seem in these perilous times, we need to hear His tangible voice more than ever.

            It is amazing to ponder what happens when God does speak.  In Genesis we see Him speak the world and mankind into existence.  When the Father sent His Son, He said that He was the embodiment of the “Word” of God.  While on earth we see Jesus speak healing to the sick, peace to the raging storm and life into His dead friend.  When Jesus left this earth, He promised that the Holy Spirit would be our Comforter, our Counselor and teach us all things.  When we allow the Holy Spirit to lead us through the scripture, it once again becomes the “Living Word” of God.  It seems that across time God has continually endeavored to communicate with His people and He never changes.  He says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…”.  John the Baptist used a parable of a bride and a bridegroom; he said that the friend of the bridegroom listens for Him and is filled with joy at the sound of His voice.  If we are the Bride, then how much more joy should there be for us at the sound of His voice.  Let us remember that, “Today if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts”.

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Charismania

Posted in Commentaries on August 11, 2010| 4 Comments »

I have been involved with the Charismatic movement for over a dozen years now and to be sure, those years have been the most fruitful of my Christian walk. It was in the midst of a Charismatic service that I first became tangibly aware of the Holy Spirit and that experience revolutionized my relationship with God. It transformed what had been a distant relationship (i.e. with the God of heaven) into a personal one; it changed my conception of the Bible from that of an ancient text to the “Living Word” of God; and it brought what had been an historical God (i.e. Jesus, who lived 2000 years ago) into the present tense. In the years since then, I have come to rely on the daily interaction of the Holy Spirit for even the most basic of things and that change has made all of the difference. In light of this transformation, I can testify to the many worthwhile aspects of the Charismatic movement and even endorse it to those seeking a more personal walk with the Lord. Unfortunately, within those same years, I have also witnessed first-hand several troubling trends, many of which seem to threaten its ongoing viability. For the purposes of this piece, I’ve dubbed these disturbing patterns “Charismania”, which is not a term that I coined, but one that seems to fit.

What tends to distinguish the Charismatic movement from other faith paradigms is its focus on the power of the Holy Spirit. While many traditionalists see that power as potentially dangerous, Charismatic’s view it as life-giving. I would submit that they are both right to some extent. Of course the problem isn’t with the Holy Spirit; it is with our motivations for and our responses to, His power. It has been said that “power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely”. We may rationalize that the pursuit of Gods power is somehow different, but the Bible contains numerous stories of people who experienced manifestations of Gods power and still went on to fall to their own corrupt nature (e.g. King Saul, King Solomon, Caiaphas, Judas Iscariot…). Sadly, many within the Charismatic movement have met the same fate, as they have mistaken God’s willingness to act powerfully in and through their lives for His approval of their (often bad) choices. Like the Prophet Nathan did with King David, they assume that because God is with them, they have Carte Blanche to do whatever seems right to them. Ultimately many confuse the pursuit of God’s power with the pursuit of God Himself.

Throughout my years of involvement with this movement, the Lord has consistently spoken to me about the pitfalls that we so easily step into. He’s shown me that the frivolous nature of many of our gatherings essentially turns the upper room into little more that a night club (i.e. a place to go get a good buzz with our friends); that we are prone to treat the Holy Spirit like an amusement park attraction (i.e. just a vehicle for an exhilarating ride); and that we frequently use His grace like a stolen credit card (i.e. obtaining things we were never meant to have, with resources that don’t belong to us). Often, as the power of God begins to consistently manifest in a ministry, its leaders achieve celebrity status, easily becoming idols for throngs of followers who covet their giftings and/or experience. Such ministries frequently erode into little more than monuments to their founders and lucrative social networks. Instead of being transformed into the image of Christ, people are transformed into the image of the leadership, regardless of whether those leaders bear any resemblance to Jesus. Often these ministries are shamelessly marketed in the name of evangelism and services are tailored to engage an earthly audience as opposed to a heavenly one. In these atmospheres, Jesus becomes little more than a corporate sponsor, who donates His name appeal to a program that’s really aimed at attracting a crowd and cultivating return business.

The scripture teaches that what is pleasing to the flesh is not pleasing to the spirit; and that what is pleasing to the spirit is not pleasing to the flesh. Despite that scriptural distinction, western Christianity (as a whole) seems to want to use the spiritual power of God as a tool to satisfy our most natural (i.e. carnal) desires. We want to feel good and empowered and loved and secure. We want our enemies to be kept at bay and to have a sense of our own righteousness. And most of all, we don’t want it to cost anything or to have to wait for it. This makes stories of revival titillating, as we love the idea of a place we can go where God comes suddenly and miraculously deliverers us from all our troubles. But my experience is that seasons of “suddenly” are generally preceded by longer seasons requiring faithfulness and perseverance. It is my belief that many of us haven’t experienced that sudden move of God, because we haven’t been willing to endure the seasons that come before it. Sadly, there are many in the Charismatic movement who go from ministry to ministry (and/or minister to minister), looking for that one who can deliver all the experiences they’ve heard so much about. Often, these folks seem more interested in finding the place where God might be doing something spectacular than in finding the place He’s called them to be. This insatiable hunger for some sort of extraordinary event drives ministers and ministries to gravitate toward creating a spectacle, instead of simply being who they were made to be. It also creates the temptation to hype every little thing as “life changing” and “earth shaking”, which only serves to perpetuate the stereotype that this movement is little more than an elaborate form of emotionalism.

The prophet Isaiah said that to prepare the way of the Lord, we need to make straight pathways; bringing the valleys up and the mountains low. This is a picture of the steadiness that comes from having a singular reference point as we take the journey of faith. While I too have enjoyed my “mountain top” experiences with the Lord, I’ve come to realize that we don’t live on the mountain top and neither do the lost. Our constant pursuit of those kinds of experiences creates the anti-thesis of what Isaiah was talking about. What happens on the mountain needs to transform our time in the valley, which is where the light of God’s love needs to be shown. Even if we could somehow live on the mountain top, it would be the equivalent of the disciples deciding not to leave the upper room on Pentecost. The power of God has been made manifest on the earth to do the work of God and to bring Him glory. It is not simply meant for the edification of those who already believe.

While I don’t believe the things that I’ve described necessary represent the whole of the Charismatic movement, I do believe that they have become increasingly prevalent as the movement has gone on. I am blessed to attend a “Charismatic” church, where the Pastor preaches Christ and Him crucified; where character is valued above giftings; and where people are generally more concerned about how God is using them (outside the walls of church) during the week than about how He will interact with them (within the walls of the church) on a Sunday morning. Our church is by no means the exception, as we have many friends who are a part of ministries with this same kind of heart. I’m not advocating throwing the baby out with the bath water, but I do believe those of us within this movement need to take a hard look at ourselves. Are we really seeking a deeper relationship with the Lord or do we just want what we’ve been told is our inheritance? Do we really want to see God glorified or are we simply after our own blessing and prosperity? Are we really seeking to be transformed or do we just want our situations to change? In the end, there is nothing holy about the pursuit of God’s power apart from a genuine desire to fulfill His purposes.

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The Path of Least Resistance

Posted in Commentaries, Opinions, tagged , , , , , , , on July 30, 2010| Leave a Comment »

When I first made the decision to try to live my life for the Lord, I didn’t immediately commit myself to reading the Bible.  But I soon realized that if I was going to have a “personal relationship”, I was going to have to find out for myself what the scripture said.  Like most novices, I started at the beginning, which isn’t wrong, but which ultimately makes for a difficult maiden voyage.

I was doing fine as I worked my way through the book of Genesis, until I came to the story of Jacob and Esau.  As I read about these twin brothers, I got confused.  From the beginning Esau seemed like a decent guy, but Jacob (which literally means heel grabber) seemed like a lying, manipulating, con-man.

I understood that Esau definitely made a bad decision in trading his birthright for a bowl of stew, but I was shocked when I read that God loved Jacob and he “hated” Esau.  How could God approve of a liar like Jacob, and hate a regular guy like Esau?

I was afraid to ask much about this scripture for fear that it was something really obvious that I’d missed, or that maybe sometime later in the scripture I’d find out what terrible thing Esau did.  I decided to pray that God would help me to understand this, and not long after that I realized that He did.

The first thing I had to realize was that the Bible didn’t tell me all about Esau, just what God wanted me to know.  The incident where he decides that he is so hungry that he trades in his birthright is a “defining moment” in Esau’s life, and Gods way of telling me about his character.  If this were an isolated incident then God’s grace would undoubtedly have been sufficient; but it is very likely that there were many other incidents God could have shared, and that this story exemplifies what He hated in Esau’s character.

As I pondered what this incident told me about Esau, I sensed that he was a man of appetites, and that those appetites were most often what ruled him.  That he was one who most often traveled the path of least resistance, who would take what was expedient over what was sacred, and who would trade that which is unseen & ordained by God for what is seen & satisfying to the flesh.  Since God hates anything that hurts His children, He hates these attitudes, which keep us bound to our situation, and away from His divine provision.

It is certainly the nature of man to be attracted to the path of least resistance, and we live in a culture which has little tolerance for anything that isn’t immediately satisfying.  These are two significant strikes against us as we endeavor to live a life for the Lord.  Jesus told His disciples that no servant is greater than their Master, that they hated Him first, and that they would undoubtedly hate them as well.  He also said that if anyone was going to follow Him, that they must take up their cross daily.

The word also clearly calls us to a life of holiness, which means being separated unto God, and His purposes.  All of these things (and many more) tell us that the Christian life is one that is filled with resistance; from our flesh, from the world, and from the enemy of our souls.  While it is our natural reflex to want to keep our flesh satisfied, the word tells us that what is satisfying to our flesh is contrary to the Spirit.  Similarly, it is a very natural tendency to get focused on what is happening around us, while God says that we need to focus on the unseen, eternal things.  In our natural state we tend to be very reactive and impatient, while the Lord exhorts us to live a life by His Spirit, which includes manifestations of self-control, and patience.

Without making a conscious commitment to move in a different direction, we will all tend to default to Esau’s lifestyle; just trying to get our perceived needs met, living by our instincts and trading our eternal inheritance for a bowl of dead flesh.

In the end, the path of least resistance proves to be the way of death.  The scripture says that broad is the road that leads to destruction, and that narrow is the road that leads to life.  It goes on to say that “few find” that narrow path.

We live in a culture which strives to live a pain free existence, in which all our desires are instantly gratified.  Heaven help us if we find success in that endeavor, because one day our well fed flesh is going to perish, and we may find that there is nothing to sustain our immortal soul.

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Freedom and Sacrifice

Posted in Commentaries, Opinions, Social / Political, tagged , , on July 9, 2010| 1 Comment »

Last Sunday (i.e. July 4th), as I prayed for this country (i.e. the USA), I began to see the undeniable bond between freedom and sacrifice.  I thought of our forefathers, most of whom sacrificed their fortunes, reputations and comfort to forge a new republic.  I thought of those who sacrificed their lives in the revolutionary war, in the hope that their brethren could attain some new level of freedom.  I thought of how democracy hinges on a people’s willingness to sacrifice a certain amount of their personal autonomy for the greater good of the group.  And I thought of all those who’ve sacrificed their lives in order to preserve this wonderful freedom that we’ve inherited.

But as I pondered this connection between freedom and sacrifice, in light of where our society is today, I had to wonder what will be left of it for our children.  We seem to live in a time when people are increasingly unwilling to sacrifice anything.  The collective cultural psyche seems to be that we can somehow “have it all”, which is essentially the anti-thesis of sacrifice.  When we reach the place that we are unwilling to yield our personal position for the greater good of the whole, we create a situation where it’s every man for himself and ultimately, survival of the fittest.  One of the great dangers in becoming the most powerful nation in the world is that it can cause a people to believe that the days of sacrifice have ended; but without sacrifice, the freedom will not stand.

For those of us who count ourselves as Christians, this connection between freedom and sacrifice ought to be abundantly clear; as it was Jesus’ sacrifice that attained eternal freedom for us.  But despite the perfection of His sacrifice, we too must be willing to partake of the crucifixion of our flesh in order to walk in the genuine freedom He attained for us.  Unfortunately, just as in the culture, the American version of Christianity seems to be increasingly predicated on the idea that we can (and even should) “have it all”.  But as the concept of sacrifice diminishes in our churches, it is hard to deny that it seems to be taking the freedom with it.

If Jesus (i.e. the Son of God, a man of perfect faith) learned obedience from the things He suffered, how can we expect any less?

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10 Things We Mistakenly Invest Our Identity In

Posted in Commentaries, Lists on June 23, 2010| 3 Comments »

I believe that despite the common patterns that can be observed throughout mankind, each person is to some extent a unique creation; and as such, that each has been endowed with their own specific identity. The longer I live, the more convinced I become that the only way to really find that identity is through interaction with the One who created us. But I’ve noticed that even amongst those who would claim such interaction, there seems to be a real crisis of identity. To some degree, I believe that is because we invest our sense of identity in the wrong things. Here’s a list of some of those things:

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1. Appearance:  With the trillions of dollars that westerners spend every year on cosmetic surgery, weight loss programs, tanning beds, acrylic nails, piercing, tattoos, hair, makeup… it seems undeniable that we are heavily invested in the idea that if we look a certain way, we will feel better about ourselves and that people will ultimately find us more desirable. But I’d submit that if I placed a beautifully wrapped box of Styrofoam peanuts next to a “Wii” game system, wrapped in newspaper, it would only take my kids a few minutes to discover which one they wanted to keep. While the attractive exterior may cause them to open the Styrofoam first, the illusion would literally be paper thin. I believe that the same holds true for people; and that both our feelings about ourselves and other people’s feelings about us, are truly driven by what is in our hearts. If you’ve got a favorite old grandma, ask yourself if you are repulsed by her wrinkled exterior or warmed by her loving heart. On our deathbeds, will the value of any person we care about be based on how they looked in a bathing suit?

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2. Talents/Abilities:  While I believe that each person comes equipped with their own special combination of gifts and that those gifts ultimately compliment who they were created to be, I don’t believe that the gifts themselves actually define the person. What is in a person’s heart will drive how they choose to use their gifts and that will be the thing that defines their relationships. Those who simply use their talents/abilities to glorify themselves and to manipulate others are generally remembered less for their talent and more for their lack of character.

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3. Reputation:  Reputation is generally rooted in how we are perceived outside our most intimate circle and while there is certainly some value in having a “good reputation”, I would submit that value is very limited. What is at the core of our being will be reflected in our closest relationships (e.g. spouse, children…) and if those relationships are poisoned, a “good reputation” becomes little more than an illusion. Our identity is not as much defined by what others think about us, as it is by what we think about ourselves.

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4. Affiliations/Hobbies:  In America we tend to take our hobbies and affiliations very seriously. We spend an incredible amount of our time and resources pursuing things like hunting, fishing, NASCAR, crafting, politics, our favorite sports teams, our favorite music groups, collecting things… and we love to affiliate with groups like the Republicans, the Democrats, the NRA, the Sierra Club, the fantasy ball leagues, our favorite Christian denomination, the local biker club, the VFW, the Elks Club… The problem is that we often lose our own identity somewhere in that process. We think of ourselves as Veterans or Buckeye fans or bikers or liberals or Christians, and we begin to mimic what other people in those groups do, instead of discovering the unique aspects of who we were made to be. Having hobbies and/or affiliations isn’t necessarily a problem, as long as who we are informs them more than they inform who we are.

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5. Possessions/Social Status:  The United States is undoubtedly the land of the great middle class; and while bygone empires may have reached higher levels of affluence, never has the average person in a society lived so well. Yet for most of us, that material wealth and comfortable lifestyle hasn’t really translated into what we’d call happiness. You’d think by now that we’d understand that more possessions aren’t the key to unlock a brighter future and yet, what a person has and/or their social status, is still the measuring stick we generally use to gauge the success of their life. It is not what we have, but what we choose to do with it, that ultimately points to our true identity.

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6. Career/Vocation:  Having a sense of purpose and feeling as though our efforts make a difference, are undoubtedly vital parts of living a meaningful life; and our job/vocation/career can play an important part in that fulfillment. But frequently we begin to mistake what we do for who we are. To be sure, what we do and how we do it, are a reflection of who we are, but they cannot become a substitute for it. Years ago, I read an interesting statistic that said most men die within five years of retiring, regardless of their age; and though I’m sure that there are many factors that drive that statistic, I’d submit that the investment of our identity in what we do is one of them.

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7. Pain/Tragedy:  It is an unsavory fact of life that pain and even tragedy are an inherent part of the journey. While that reality is largely unavoidable, we can resist the urge to allow those things to define us. When we choose to identify ourselves as a victim, we unwittingly cause the pain of the past to infect our future.

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8. Achievements:  While who we are is undoubtedly an ingredient of the fuel for achievement, those achievements are wholly inadequate to fully encompass who we are. Though we might cover our walls with awards, they only represent moments in time; mere glimpses of a much bigger picture. At the end of our life, it is doubtful that any of those accolades will be of much consolation. Inevitably it will be our relationships with those who knew us best that will matter the most in that moment.

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9. Parenthood:  In my own experience, there has been nothing that has touched the deepest recesses of my heart like becoming a parent. While it caused me to discover unseen depths of love and strength, it has also revealed unexpected levels of impatience, frustration and fear. For me, taking parenting seriously has never been an issue; my problem has been maintaining a healthy perspective on my role in our children’s lives. God was too wise to hinge their destiny on my perfection and He is unwilling to take away their free will (even though at times I’ve tried to). I know that I’ve lost my perspective when I fall into despair and condemnation because of their struggles. Though I need to invest myself in the parenting, I cannot allow being a parent to engulf who I am. If that were to happen, I would begin to live for and through my children, which would ultimately be oppressive and destructive, both to them and to me.

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10. Marriage:  Like parenthood, marriage is something we definitely need to invest ourselves in; but I would submit that giving our all in a relationship is not the same thing as forfeiting our individual identity. A healthy marriage will ultimately build up both individuals and allow each partner to more fully realize their God given potential. If one spouse completely defers to the other, the power of the union is greatly diminished and neither partner truly benefits.

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In the end, I believe that our identities need to be wholly invested in being a child of the living God. If that were the case, we could draw all of the love, inspiration, affirmation, encouragement, security and hope that we need from Him and simply be a conduit for Him in our relationships with our spouses, kids, family, friends, neighbors and the ultimately the world.

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A Father’s Day

Posted in Commentaries, Heart of "The Father", Parenting / Family on June 21, 2010| 1 Comment »

As I celebrate another Father’s Day, I am reminded that God’s plan for my life is much bigger than I ever imagined and it causes me to reflect on the tremendous blessings He has bestowed upon my life.  This Sunday, as I was worshipping the Lord, I began to recognize just how significantly He has used revelations about fatherhood along the way.

Undoubtedly my first understanding of God was as a father.  In my formative days I tended to view Jesus as somewhat of a historical figure, while the Holy Spirit was simply a mystery to me; but I knew what a father was and I had some idea of what that relationship should look like.

I was blessed to have had a father who loved my mother, who provided for our family, who expressed his love for me and who never left us, nor forsook us.  I didn’t realize at the time what a rare and precious thing that was.  It made the concept of God much easier to grasp and put my heart in a position to receive even greater revelation about who He really is.

As a kid who struggled with just about every aspect of growing up, I know that at times I baffled and frustrated my earthly father; yet somehow he never made me feel as though he was ashamed of me or that I couldn’t come to him.  That aspect of a father’s character became a critical factor for me when I decided that my life needed to change, after thirty plus years of living by my own standards for righteousness.

As God rebuilt my crumbled life, He blessed me with a new marriage, which included a five year old step-daughter.  I remember feeling humbled (and somewhat ill-equipped) to be included amongst the men that are known as “father”; but I was also aware that my new daughter already had a father, whom she loved very much.  I purposed in my heart that I wouldn’t do anything to get in the way of their relationship and the Lord began to show me that all fathers are a type of “step-father”.

This is because, before our children were in their mother’s womb, He knew them and before they were our children, they were His.  While He may have used our DNA as the thread to knit them together, they are ultimately made in His image and by His hand.

Even as God blessed us with three more children, I realized that while He had given me an honored position in their lives, they would never truly be mine; and that my role was to point the way back to Him.  Years later, the Lord reminded me of this when my earthy father passed away.  He said very plainly to me, “I am your Father; I have always been your Father.”

Because of these revelations, I’ve taken fatherhood very seriously and I’ve often fallen into condemnation at my failures.  In those times, “The Comforter” and “The Counselor” has come and ministered to my heart.  I remember Him giving me a vision of one of my little boys and asking me “what do you expect of him?”  As I stared at the image of my five year old son, all I could think of was – “nothing, he’s just a little boy.”  To which the Lord replied, “That’s all you are to me.”

He showed me that He wasn’t asking me to do the impossible or calling me to accomplish something He didn’t equip me for.  Another time He said, “What kind of God would I be if I hinged your children’s destiny on your perfection?”  While these revelations didn’t relieve me of the responsibility to be the best father that I can be, they helped me to understand that God didn’t put these children in my hands because He never intended for them to leave His.

As we’ve ministered to adults who never knew their father or who had a father that crushed their heart, we’ve found many who believe that they can never be whole because of it.  But the revelation that I got when my father died was that the greatest thing an earthly father can accomplish is to help his children find their Heavenly Father.  Once that eternal relationship is established, the role of an earthly father becomes largely symbolic (i.e. when that which is perfect comes, that which is imperfect passes away).

As a father, there is nothing more gratifying than seeing my children go directly to God and hearing from Him themselves.  I can’t help them like He can, I can’t always be with them, I can’t go before them and I can’t really show them who they were made to be.  Regardless of what kind of father we’ve had on earth, only our Heavenly Father has the ability to make us whole and no amount of failure on the part of a human father has the ability to take that from us.

As I labored to hear the voice of my heavenly Father, I often became anxious that I might miss what He was trying to tell me; but once again the Lord gave me a vision of my little boy.  Within the vision I’d told him to go clean up his room, but I somehow realized that I had given that direction in French.  As my little boy blinked at me in confusion, the Lord said, “Whose fault is it that he’s not cleaning his room?”  To which I responded, “It’s my fault because I spoke to him in French.”  To which the Lord said, “That’s right, it is the father’s responsibility to speak in a way that his children can understand.”

I understood that this was God’s way of telling me to stop worrying about whether I could hear His voice and to trust that He knew how to get through to me.  As I’ve let go of that fear, I’ve noticed that His voice has become much clearer to me.

When our children were very young, I could see how important it was for them to receive validation from me and I realized that I felt the same way about my heavenly Father.  I remembered thinking of how God had called David “A man after my own heart” and I wanted for Him to be able to say the same of me.

As I read about David’s life, I came to the story of him dancing before the Lord in the linen garment, which has been likened (rightly or wrongly) to dancing in his underwear.  As I read the part where his wife (Saul’s daughter) chastens him for this act, which she viewed as unfitting for a king, the Lord began to speak to me.  He said, “This is what made David a man after my own heart; He understood that in my presence he wasn’t the king and that while this may not have been an appropriate way for a king to act in front of his subjects, it was a perfectly normal way for a child to act before his Father.”

These words reminded of when Jesus said that unless we come as little children, we will not receive the Kingdom.  Though we are “joint heirs with Christ”, and He calls us “friend” and He is closer than a brother; I have learned that if I hope to receive anything from Him, I must come as a little child.

To fully grasp the revelation of fatherhood, one must also have some understanding of what it means to be a son or daughter.  Often during times of worship I see an image of a young child crawling into their father’s lap and laying their head upon his chest.  I remember a time when my children would do this and what a wonderful feeling it was as they would relax and essentially melt into my arms.

When I see that picture I feel as though it is an invitation for me to do the same with my heavenly Father.  To enter into that kind of rest I have to lay down the burdens that I bear as a grown man (e.g. father, husband, bread winner, employee…) and become as a little child again.  In those moments I hear the loving voice of my Father say, “Come up here; lay down those burdens and I will give you rest; come recline beside the still waters so that I might restore your soul; come up here, come.”

Those moments are the profoundest sense of His presence that I have ever known and they give me a sense of what heaven will be like.  Even if you never experienced such a thing with your earthly father, know that your heavenly Father yearns to have that experience with you.  Hear Him calling today, “This is the day I have made and I want you to find the joy in it; and behold I have brought fresh mercies for you today, because I knew that you would need them; and I’ve come with a new song for your heart.  Come child and rest your head on my chest, so that you might hear my heart beat for you; come dine with me, that I might feed you with spiritual food; come, because I yearn to teach you all things.”

I pray that all of His children would hear Him calling and that everyday would become “The Father’s” day.

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Successful Ministry

Posted in Commentaries, tagged , on June 16, 2010| Leave a Comment »

Over the course of several months the Lord spoke to me about what it means to be “successful” in ministry.  During that period of time I was exposed to many types of ministry, in a variety of settings, and with numerous different ministers.  While my initial impression was that defining what is successful ought to be fairly simple, my journey to a conclusion proved to be more involved than I imagined.

The Lord first challenged me on this subject at a large, conference type, event.  A tremendous amount of prayer, and preparation, had gone into this event; and numerous individuals had indicated that they would take part in it.  But when the day arrived, almost no one showed up.  Understandably, the sense of disappointment was tangible, but in the midst of it I heard the Lord say, “I’m not disappointed”, as He directed my attention toward the small group of attendee’s.  He reminded me of how all of heaven rejoices at the repentance of a single sinner, and He seemed to be challenging us to pour into these few souls with the same zeal we had for ministering to a crowd.

I realized that our unfulfilled expectations had caused us to feel as though everything had changed, but that God’s expectations for us hadn’t changed at all.  I concluded that, to God’s way of thinking, the chance to touch even one heart warranted all of the effort that had gone into the event.  This seemed to birth the question within me of what God views as “successful” ministry.

As with all things, Jesus is our model for ministry.  But as I meditated on that I gained an interesting perspective.  While the eternal ramifications of what Jesus accomplished through His death and resurrection are undeniable to a Believer, would any modern Pastor aspire to the kind of credentials that Jesus could have claimed for His earthly ministry.

After all, He started with a dozen men that no self respecting church was likely to pursue; He traveled constantly, never really establishing any set location; His followers rarely seemed to grasp the things He said; other Ministers constantly talked about Him behind His back, and though He had a couple of well attended (revival) meetings, by the time His three year run was up, He could only claim a congregation of about 120; none of whom was willing to be seen with Him in town.  Is this what God would hold up to us as the picture of success in ministry?

As I looked for an example of a “successful ministry”, my mind was quite naturally drawn to large, and well known, ministries.  While we all know that it isn’t the numbers that really matter, it’s hard to deny that we tend to view “big” ministries as being “successful”.  While having people positively respond to ministry is an obvious goal, ultimately the content of what is being ministered determines the eternal value of that kind of response (e.g. positively responding to a false prophet can result in many being deceived…).

On the other hand, if a minister faithfully executes the ministry that God gives him, and it is rejected by the people, does that make it unsuccessful?  I would guess that in the eyes of most men such a ministry would be viewed as a failure; but in the eyes of God I believe that such a minister would likely be seen as a faithful servant.  The scripture says that we are the “aroma of Christ”, which will smell like life to some, and like death to others, which would seem to indicate that how people respond to us is largely out of our control.

Would the Lord intentionally lead a faithful servant to a people that He knew would reject the message?  I would submit that the scripture unequivocally supports that He would (see the Prophets, John the Baptist, Jesus, Stephen, John, Paul…).  Thus, the manner in which people respond to ministry cannot be the measuring stick that ultimately determines it’s success, or failure.  While we can plant, and water seeds, only God can bring the increase.  As such, the “results” belong to Him.  This conclusion is supported by Jesus ministry, which couldn’t boast widespread support from the people, and yet pleased His Father.

As I returned to the idea of Jesus’ pastoral resume, the one credential that every Minister would likely covet is the supernatural acts (i.e. the miracles) that accompanied His ministry.  And while I believe that this is a feature that the Lord means to be an integral part of all that is done in His name, the question is whether tapping into supernatural power is necessarily indicative of “success” in ministry.  While my unconscious impulse would have been to think that it is, I was quickly reminded of Jesus’ words for those who claimed to have prophesied, cast out demons, and to have performed “many miracles” in His name (Matthew 7:21-23).  Though He didn’t refute their claims, He nevertheless rejected them based on the fact that He “never knew” them.

I was also reminded that Judas had been sent out with the other disciples, and that he’d undoubtedly been a part of the healings, and deliverances, that were accomplished in that period.  Yet Jesus said that he was “doomed to destruction”.  Jesus also warned of false prophets, performing great signs, and miracles at the end of the age.  Cumulatively, these scriptures would seem to indicate that the manifestation of supernatural power is not necessarily a validation of the quality of the ministry, or even of the minister.

The Lord also reminded me that despite the incredible signs of Moses’ ministry, the people wanted to go back to Egypt; and that despite the amazing wonders of Elijah’s ministry, he did not see the nation turn back to God; and that despite the miraculous nature of Jesus ministry, the people rejected and crucified Him. While I believe that the Lord desires His children to walk in the supernatural power of God, it would seem that even this would not necessarily ensure our “success” in ministry.

As I continued to query the Lord on what was valuable to Him, He gave me a vision of Moses striking the rock in anger (Num 20:1-13).  And He said that in that moment Moses had “misrepresented His heart to the people”.  I could sense what a serious issue this was to the Lord, and a wave of conviction swept over me as I considered how often I’ve been guilty of this same thing.

He reminded me that Jesus said that He didn’t do anything that He didn’t see the Father do first, and I realized that what made Jesus the model for all ministry is that He walked in perfect fellowship with the Father.  Always accurately conveying the Father’s heart to the people.  By that standard, Jesus was the most successful minister that ever was, or ever could be.

As I pondered the spectrum of “ministry” that I have witnessed, I wondered at how much of it really met this standard.  I thought of how many gifted ministers I’ve encountered, who bear little or no resemblance to Jesus, and of how many times I’ve heard such ministers use their “anointing”, or their “calling”, as their excuse for lacking in patience, kindness, gentleness, compassion, self-control…  The Lord impressed upon me how ridiculous it is for someone to claim that the manifestation of “His” Holy Spirit within them (e.g. the anointing) is what keeps them from acting like “His” Son, or from displaying the fruit of a life submitted to “His” Spirit.

I was reminded that Moses was a man of power, position, influence, and calling, who had a long history of faithful and fruitful service to the Lord; yet this failure was serious enough to God to keep Moses from entering the Promised Land.  While we can have the gift of prophecy, have all knowledge, fathom all mysteries, have faith to move mountains, give all that we have to the poor and even be martyred, if these things don’t come through a heart of love, they amount to “nothing”.

As if to bring it all together, I felt like the Lord said that anytime we accurately reflect His heart, regardless of whether it is received, understood, accepted…, we’ve been successful in His eyes.  Conversely, anything that doesn’t accurately reflect His heart doesn’t actually qualify as “ministry” to Him.

As I’ve continued to pray and meditate on these words, it occurred to me that Jesus’ strong connection to the Father was the thing that distinguished His earthly ministry from all others, and that ultimately it is the key for us.  In Paul’s letter to the Colossians he speaks of a man who has lost his connection to the “Head”, which supplies the whole body, causing it to grow; and it is difficult not to see a parallel with the current state of the Body of Christ in America.  If a once robust human body continued to grow weaker, with its parts seemingly operating independently of each other, and with erratic function, the connection between the body and the head would be the area of prime concern.  Yet somehow the Body of Christ seems to be looking elsewhere.

Ultimately, without that strong connection, we have little hope of accurately reflecting God’s heart to a lost and dying world.  Isn’t that what the Lord was calling the nation to (2 Chronicles 7:14) when he said, “if My people, who are called by My name” (i.e. the Church), “will humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways” (i.e. reconnect with God), “then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” (i.e. supplying the body and making it strong again).  The eyes of the Lord continue to range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are “fully committed” to Him (i.e. connected to His).  If we look, we may find that the problem is simply a loose connection.

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Growing Up

Posted in Commentaries on May 27, 2010| 1 Comment »

There is probably very little in this life that can change your perspective more than having children.  It not only changes how you view yourself, but how you view the world and what life is really all about. 

Our oldest daughter will be a Senior next year and her teen years have been an eye opening experience for us.  With three other kids just reaching adolescence, I shudder at the thought of what the next 5-7 years might bring our way.  God help us!

It’s funny how your kids start out believing that you know everything and how quickly they come to decide that you really don’t know anything.  They become convinced that you’ve never faced what they’re facing or that you’ve forgotten what it was like; but the truth is that more often it’s that we remember just how it was and that’s what worries us. 

In watching and listening to teens I sense that most feel as though their parents are against them having any fun and that adults enjoy messing up their kids’ plans.  I believe the fact of the matter is that most parents want their kids to enjoy themselves, but that they can see what their kids are often blind to.  Kids tend to think in the short term, while parents are more tuned to the long term. 

As I pondered what my kids might be like when they’re “grown up”, I had to ask myself exactly when that will be; is it when they’re 18, or 21, or is it even age dependent?  I immediately thought of some folks who are in their 50’s and 60’s, who I don’t think have quite reached “grown up” status yet; so I bagged the notion that this happens at a certain age. 

As I tried to pin down the defining characteristics of being “grown up”, there were three that stuck out.

One of the most prevalent characteristics of children is their self-centeredness.  As cute and lovable as they are, in their minds everyone and everything is meant to be about them.  A baby doesn’t care if you haven’t slept or that you have to get up early or that you’re sick; all it knows is that it is hungry or cold or afraid or uncomfortable… 

Unfortunately this self centeredness is a part of our nature and none of us completely conquer it, but hopefully as we mature we learn to consider the needs of others and begin to enjoy serving as much as being served.

As we get older sometimes this selfishness becomes a little more covert.  We may not throw ourselves on the floor and cry, but we may frequently find ourselves offended, as though everything that is being said or done is specifically aimed at us. 

Through my experience I’ve come to believe that most of the people who’ve hurt me didn’t necessarily set out to do so, they just didn’t consider how I might be effected by their actions (i.e. inconsiderate or thoughtless as opposed to malicious or mean); this tends to make forgiveness a lot easier. 

People who are self centered often struggle to forgive, because they’ll generally believe that people went way out of their way to hurt them.  I believe that this is rarely as true as we believe.  One of the most liberating discoveries of my life has been the understanding that it is not all about me.

Another important aspect of maturing is taking responsibility for our life.  Often when you try to hold a child accountable, they’ll have a million excuses and none of them will be “It was my fault” or “I made a bad choice”.  Bad grades are undoubtedly because the teacher doesn’t like me; bad play will likely be because of a bad coach or bad teammates; messy rooms will probably be because of friends or little brothers or sisters. 

A milestone in anyone’s life is gaining the understanding that while you may not be able to control other people and/or situations, you can control how you respond; that what “they did” has no power over me as long as I choose to let it go.  Once you have that revelation, you never have to feel powerless again. 

As long as we blame others for our problems and/or unhappiness, they will remain a powerful influence over our lives.  This is often seen in adult relationships.  When two people divorce they often blame each other and fail to take responsibility for the role they played in that failure. 

When that happens, you’ll see those people struggling with these same issues years after the fact and often they’ll walk right back into the same type of bad situation.  Sometimes you’ll see people with three or four marriages play out the identical scenario over and over again.  The only responsibility that they’ll accept is that they’re bad at picking mates. 

Even when we’ve been terribly wronged, if we will accept responsibility for the role that we played in a situation, it frees us from carrying that damage on and from repeating that destructive cycle.

Another significant step is the understanding that boundaries are meant for our protection and well being.  Children resent boundaries and teens often disdain them even more.  They generally don’t understand that these things are bore out of love and concern for them; in fact they’ll generally believe quite the opposite. 

This is also a strong part of our nature and simply put it is rebellion.  As with these other characteristics, we can see this plainly in adults as well.  We all know people who disdain the government, paying taxes, following speed limits, the boss who expects them to be at work on time, the Pastor who doesn’t do it the way they want it, the Ref who makes a call against their team… 

As we mature, hopefully we come to the realization that all these things were put in place to help and in some cases protect us.  With that understanding, it is not a burden to comply.

I guess the reason to ponder all of this is that these principles work the same way in our relationship to God.  He says that we need to esteem others higher than ourselves, that it is better to give than to receive, that we ought to serve others instead of seeking to be served and that we shouldn’t try to gain our life. 

If making ourselves comfortable and happy is our top priority, we are really little more than selfish children; who will likely require more goodwill than we’ll ever dispense. 

Taking responsibility is also a big step in our relationship with God, because without it we cannot reach forgiveness.  The way we are forgiven of sins is through repentance and if we are unwilling to acknowledge our failures, there can be no repentance.  Repentance is not being sorry; it is changing our mind and our direction.  Unless we’ve taken responsibility for where we’re at, we will likely just wait for somebody or something else to change. 

Finally, part of “growing up” in the Lord is when we begin to follow His guidance not out of fear of His judgment, but out of the understanding that His view is much bigger than ours and that He’s got our best interest in mind.  When we grasp that truth, the walk of faith isn’t drudgery and we don’t sit around feeling as though we’re missing the “good stuff”.  

We live in a culture that idolizes youth and in which “growing up” is not necessarily esteemed; but as Christians we cannot choose to live in “Neverland”.  God has destined us to be conformed to the image of Christ and His character demands that we put our childish ways behind us.  It is only God’s divine nature that will allow us to overcome the folly of our human nature.

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