"Unceasing prayer is a cultivated attentiveness to the God who is always and everywhere with us. Speaking all of our words, thinking all of our thoughts, taking all our actions, in the mindfulness that God hears, knows, sees. Praying without ceasing, then, is not so much something we do. It is a way we are, the way we inhabit our skin, move in the world. It is simply being awake to the reality that, though we can't see it all we know by faith it is there . . . It is a constant awareness. It is a continual, though usually silent, dialogue. It is a fixed habit of mind, a conscious and deliberate gesturing toward and response to God that after long practice becomes unconscious and instinctive." Mark Buchanan Your God is Too Safe.
"Prayer is not a way of making use of God; prayer is a way of offering ourselves to God in order that He should be able to make use of us. It may be that one of our great faults in prayer is that we talk too much and listen too little. When prayer is at its highest we wait in silence for God's voice to us; we linger in His presence for His peace and His power to flow over us and around us; we lean back in His everlasting arms and feel the serenity of perfect security in Him." William Barclay
"True, whole prayer is nothing but love." St. Augustine
"Make me what Thou wouldst have me be. I bargain for nothing. I make no terms. I seek for no previous information whither Thou art taking me. I will be what Thou wilt make me, and all that Thou wilt make me. I say not, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest, for I am weak, but I give myself to Thee, to lead me anywhither." John Henry Newman
"Teach me. O God, to use all the circumstances of my life today that they may bring forth in me the fruits of holiness rather than the fruits of sin.
Let me use disappointment as material for patience:
Let me use success as material for thankfulness:
Let me use suspense as material for perseverance:
Let me use danger as material for courage:
Let me use reproach as material for longsuffering:
Let me use praise as material for humility:
Let me use pleasures as material for temperance:
Let me use pains as material for endurance." John Baillie
"Prayer is ruin's remedy, doubt's destroyer, the cure of all cares, the antidote to all anxieties, the grand panacea for all pains, and the golden key that can open the gate of mercy!" Charles Spurgeon
"Prayer is the lifting of an eye, the falling of a tear, the outdarting of an arm as if it would snatch a blessing from on high. You do not need long sentences, intricate expressions, elaborate and innumerable phrases; a look may be a battle half won. You may pray now or in the crowded street or in the busiest scene—you can always have a word with God—you can always wing a whisper to the skies. Pray without ceasing. Live in the spirit of prayer. Let your life be one grand desire, Godward and heavenward. Then use as many words or as few as you please. Your heart is itself a prayer, and your look a holy expectation." Joseph Parker
"Prayer need not be upbeat and optimistic. The true believer does not always rise from his knees full of encouragement and fresh hope. There are times when one may remain down in the dumps and yet still have prayed well. For what God wants from us is not the observance of a religious protocol, but just that we be real with Him. What He wants is our heart." Mike Mason from The Gospel of Job
"Prayer and waiting are intrinsically linked, joined at the hip. Prayer makes no sense apart from waiting. Prayer is about being made in the likeness of Christ. Conformed, reformed, transformed. If prayer was only about getting things—getting even, getting rich, getting well, getting justice—then we would call it something else. We have lots of names to describe the quest and method for getting those things: magic, medicine, capitalism, lobbying. But prayer is not about bartering and bargaining with God, haggling for the best deal; a pound of piety for remission of sickness. Prayer, at its heart, is about becoming like the crucified and risen Christ. And that is a work like wind carving stone. It is slow, painful, toiling work, rarely swift or easy. It is riddled with wrenching setbacks, and its break- throughs are more serendipitous than calculated. There are disciplines for prayer, to be sure, but no mechanisms. Gimmicks and panaceas—like glittery gimcrack lures for fishermen—are widely available and equally useless. There is simply no substitute for becoming like Christ other than being with Christ, and especially with Him in solitude and suffering and sorrow. And so prayer, like fishing, is about waiting. Prayer is the poetry of waiting. It is the language of those who know that what is now is not what should be and not what will be, if we wait." Mark Buchanan, from Your God is Too Safe
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
The River of God - Dutch Sheets
"We cannot clone revival,church growth or any otherform of ministry. Revival is notproduced, it is born. The river is not
just about God, it flows from Him.Lives and ministries can be plannedfrom a 'boardroom mentality' or in
the 'prayer room'. The first
produces the works of man,
the second births a move of God."
Say To Archippus..."
"And say to Archippus, 'Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it… remember my bonds'" (Colossians 4:17,18ff).
This personal footnote at the closing of Paul's letter to the Colossians deserves a closer look. Perhaps in this word of exhortation to Archippus someone may see an application to their situation today. The ministry (as Scripture intends it) was not, and is not, a position of privilege or class distinction. It was never intended to be a professional office for someone to aspire to, the way one might train to be a doctor or a lawyer. But our situation today is very different from Paul's time.
Today, ministry is often equated to position, influence, title, rank, special privileges, and the most coveted of all prizes: financial remuneration. Unfortunately this mindset is not a 20th century phenomenon. By the middle of the second century the post-apostolic church was already beginning to divide itself along the lines of the "ministers" and the "regular people". Less than 100 years after the last apostle died, after only one or two generations, the priesthood of believers began to be eclipsed by a clergy/laity distinction that continues unabated to this day. The message to the masses is that ministers are special and to be treated differently from the laity. Depending upon the organizational hierarchy, some ministers are even more special than others. Because we have permitted ministers to receive special treatment, people who crave special treatment are all the more attracted to the ministry of Organized Religion.
The situation in the Early Church was quite different. In those days, answering the call to ministry was to accept suffering, hardship, and possible death. Their example was Jesus, the Suffering Servant, and realizing that the disciple is not above His Master, they counted the cost and did not seek the ministry for self-serving purposes. Someone like Archippus had to be encouraged to fulfill the ministry God had given him. Why? Because it was not something anyone would pursue on their own accord. People did not pursue ministry in the Early Church; ministry pursued them.
Ministry was not organized into a hierarchy, and it offered them little or nothing in terms of financial or material reward. It promised little or nothing in the way of fame, recognition, or privilege.
For Archippus, it was not a matter of trying to make something happen, or create a ministry where none existed, or start a new church, or anoint himself to do something he wanted to do. He had already received a ministry from the Lord. The precise nature of this ministry, and what he was called to do, we have no way of knowing. It may have been something that, to our eyes, was grand and noble. More than likely, it was something small and seemingly insignificant. All we know for sure is that Archippus had received a ministry from the Lord, and he had not, as of yet, fulfilled it. Archippus knew it, and Paul knew it, and now everyone in Colossae knew it. He was called to something, and had received something from the Lord, but it was dormant, stagnant, inert, still waiting to be put to use.
Moses certainly knew something of that reluctance to go forth. The work of the Cross was so thorough in him that he begged God to send someone else. This kind of humility and self-abasement is admirable, and to be preferred over a self-confident swagger; but if we persist beyond a certain point then our protests become false expressions of humility and real disobedience.
Timothy had to be encouraged by Paul. "Stir up the gift that is within you by the laying on of my hands... for God has not given us the spirit of fear… be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord" (II Timothy 1:6-8ff). Paul does not tell Timothy to pray for a better opportunity, or passively wait for God to rise up within him and overwhelm him. Timothy needed to exercise the gift. He needed to stir it up. He had something to offer, something to contribute. Paul's exhortation was not to persist in false humility or passive waiting, but to be proactive, to stir it up, and serve the Body of Christ as a faithful steward. According to Paul's assessment, it was not a spirit of humility that held Timothy back, it was a spirit of fear.
Archippus, like Moses and Timothy, needed some prodding and pushing. Archippus knew there was a calling on his life, and he knew he had received a ministry from the Lord. As content as he may have been to live life in the shadows, Paul would not allow him to continue to ignore that calling from God without some word of reminder, of correction, of encouragement to pay attention to it and see that it was completed.
There are some who, far from the extreme of seeking out ministry for their own ambitious ends, are content to passively wait for God to fulfill everything in His own time. They will do nothing to hinder it, but they will do nothing to help it, either. While this is commendable to a certain extent when compared to the compulsive hast of the ambitious, it is probably motivated more by timidity and fear.
Once a person has received their ministry from the Lord, the humble and patient waiting for it is finished. There was a time when Paul could resort to the desert of Arabia to be alone with the Scriptures and humbly wait for further direction, but when the Spirit finally did send him forth, he went without hesitation, without reservation. Now Paul says to his fellow laborer Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received from the Lord that you may fulfill it."
Like Frodo who was charged with taking the ring of power to Mount Mordor, the responsibility for the stewardship cannot be shrugged off or left to others. If every brother and sister in Christ would take heed to the ministry they have received of the Lord, and fulfill it, we would have no need of a professional clergy at all. May it never be so with the Lord's Ekklesia.
For those who have a heart along the lines of Archippus, Paul's final admonition is: "Remember my chains." And this last word, immediately following the exhortation to fulfill what God has called you to do, is a very potent reminder of what Paul suffered on behalf of his ministry. Following his own advice cost him his life. He was not afflicted with Italian suits, Rolex watches, facelifts, cars, jets, and homes; but like his Master, he embraced the Cross and died daily so that others could live. His ministry was characterized by self-denial, not self-indulgence.
Archippus is mentioned only once more in Scripture. A few years later, when writing to Philemon, Paul sends his greetings to "Archippus, our fellow soldier" (Philemon 2). If Paul greets him as a fellow soldier then Archippus must have certainly followed Paul's exhortation to fulfill the work God had called him to. He was fighting in the trenches, not criticizing from the sidelines of the battle. I pray that all those who have received something from the Lord will take heed to it, and fulfill the work of the Lord in a manner that brings glory, not shame, to the Lord of the Work.
This personal footnote at the closing of Paul's letter to the Colossians deserves a closer look. Perhaps in this word of exhortation to Archippus someone may see an application to their situation today. The ministry (as Scripture intends it) was not, and is not, a position of privilege or class distinction. It was never intended to be a professional office for someone to aspire to, the way one might train to be a doctor or a lawyer. But our situation today is very different from Paul's time.
Today, ministry is often equated to position, influence, title, rank, special privileges, and the most coveted of all prizes: financial remuneration. Unfortunately this mindset is not a 20th century phenomenon. By the middle of the second century the post-apostolic church was already beginning to divide itself along the lines of the "ministers" and the "regular people". Less than 100 years after the last apostle died, after only one or two generations, the priesthood of believers began to be eclipsed by a clergy/laity distinction that continues unabated to this day. The message to the masses is that ministers are special and to be treated differently from the laity. Depending upon the organizational hierarchy, some ministers are even more special than others. Because we have permitted ministers to receive special treatment, people who crave special treatment are all the more attracted to the ministry of Organized Religion.
The situation in the Early Church was quite different. In those days, answering the call to ministry was to accept suffering, hardship, and possible death. Their example was Jesus, the Suffering Servant, and realizing that the disciple is not above His Master, they counted the cost and did not seek the ministry for self-serving purposes. Someone like Archippus had to be encouraged to fulfill the ministry God had given him. Why? Because it was not something anyone would pursue on their own accord. People did not pursue ministry in the Early Church; ministry pursued them.
Ministry was not organized into a hierarchy, and it offered them little or nothing in terms of financial or material reward. It promised little or nothing in the way of fame, recognition, or privilege.
For Archippus, it was not a matter of trying to make something happen, or create a ministry where none existed, or start a new church, or anoint himself to do something he wanted to do. He had already received a ministry from the Lord. The precise nature of this ministry, and what he was called to do, we have no way of knowing. It may have been something that, to our eyes, was grand and noble. More than likely, it was something small and seemingly insignificant. All we know for sure is that Archippus had received a ministry from the Lord, and he had not, as of yet, fulfilled it. Archippus knew it, and Paul knew it, and now everyone in Colossae knew it. He was called to something, and had received something from the Lord, but it was dormant, stagnant, inert, still waiting to be put to use.
Moses certainly knew something of that reluctance to go forth. The work of the Cross was so thorough in him that he begged God to send someone else. This kind of humility and self-abasement is admirable, and to be preferred over a self-confident swagger; but if we persist beyond a certain point then our protests become false expressions of humility and real disobedience.
Timothy had to be encouraged by Paul. "Stir up the gift that is within you by the laying on of my hands... for God has not given us the spirit of fear… be not ashamed of the testimony of the Lord" (II Timothy 1:6-8ff). Paul does not tell Timothy to pray for a better opportunity, or passively wait for God to rise up within him and overwhelm him. Timothy needed to exercise the gift. He needed to stir it up. He had something to offer, something to contribute. Paul's exhortation was not to persist in false humility or passive waiting, but to be proactive, to stir it up, and serve the Body of Christ as a faithful steward. According to Paul's assessment, it was not a spirit of humility that held Timothy back, it was a spirit of fear.
Archippus, like Moses and Timothy, needed some prodding and pushing. Archippus knew there was a calling on his life, and he knew he had received a ministry from the Lord. As content as he may have been to live life in the shadows, Paul would not allow him to continue to ignore that calling from God without some word of reminder, of correction, of encouragement to pay attention to it and see that it was completed.
There are some who, far from the extreme of seeking out ministry for their own ambitious ends, are content to passively wait for God to fulfill everything in His own time. They will do nothing to hinder it, but they will do nothing to help it, either. While this is commendable to a certain extent when compared to the compulsive hast of the ambitious, it is probably motivated more by timidity and fear.
Once a person has received their ministry from the Lord, the humble and patient waiting for it is finished. There was a time when Paul could resort to the desert of Arabia to be alone with the Scriptures and humbly wait for further direction, but when the Spirit finally did send him forth, he went without hesitation, without reservation. Now Paul says to his fellow laborer Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which you have received from the Lord that you may fulfill it."
Like Frodo who was charged with taking the ring of power to Mount Mordor, the responsibility for the stewardship cannot be shrugged off or left to others. If every brother and sister in Christ would take heed to the ministry they have received of the Lord, and fulfill it, we would have no need of a professional clergy at all. May it never be so with the Lord's Ekklesia.
For those who have a heart along the lines of Archippus, Paul's final admonition is: "Remember my chains." And this last word, immediately following the exhortation to fulfill what God has called you to do, is a very potent reminder of what Paul suffered on behalf of his ministry. Following his own advice cost him his life. He was not afflicted with Italian suits, Rolex watches, facelifts, cars, jets, and homes; but like his Master, he embraced the Cross and died daily so that others could live. His ministry was characterized by self-denial, not self-indulgence.
Archippus is mentioned only once more in Scripture. A few years later, when writing to Philemon, Paul sends his greetings to "Archippus, our fellow soldier" (Philemon 2). If Paul greets him as a fellow soldier then Archippus must have certainly followed Paul's exhortation to fulfill the work God had called him to. He was fighting in the trenches, not criticizing from the sidelines of the battle. I pray that all those who have received something from the Lord will take heed to it, and fulfill the work of the Lord in a manner that brings glory, not shame, to the Lord of the Work.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
God Took You Seriously by Francis Frangipane
People give their lives to Jesus Christ for many reasons. Some need physical or emotional healing; others are in search of peace and forgiveness. Whatever our condition, God meets us in the valley of our need. Indeed, the Lord reveals Himself to man as heaven's answer for our needs. He is a "father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows." He even makes "a home for the lonely" and leads "out the prisoners into prosperity" (Ps. 68:5-6).
God uses our need to draw us to Christ. Yet, the consciousness of our need narrows our revelation of God, limiting His activity in our lives to the boundaries of our struggles. Thus, many Christians never awakened spiritually to the deeper call of God, which is to attain the likeness of Christ. We are forgiven, healed and blessed, but we experience a ceiling on our spiritual growth.Regardless, the Spirit of God remains committed to our personal transformation. If we should awakened spiritually to the vision of Christlikeness, the attention of God will approach us in a unique and powerful way. Indeed, two things will occur: one, we will read the Scriptures with revelation; God's word will speak to us in a much deeper way as we discover the reason why we exist.The second reality that will unfold is this: our lives will begin to progressively face greater challenges. You see, we think that just having a sincere desire to be like Jesus is itself an attainment, and it is. But it is only a beginning.
If we are serious about our transformation, God becomes serious in fulfilling our quest. He will place us in situations that are designed to kill our old nature, often compelling us to Christlikeness just to survive the battle.
Consider the heroes you have studied in the Bible: each faced great conflicts before they reached certain spiritual levels, and they often experienced greater conflicts after they enjoyed important breakthroughs. Look at what Joseph experienced before he attained his destiny. Or consider what David had to conquer before he became king. God is not squeamish about testing our character. His goal is to create in us the very life of Jesus.Consider what Jesus faced at the Jordan River. First, He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. We would think this Spirit-empowering would launch Christ into His public ministry, but instead He is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness. Why? The Bible says, "to be tempted [or tested] by the devil." For forty days Jesus fasted and prayed. At the end of this time, we might expect a great spiritual breakthrough, but the opposite actually occurred. In fact, the first supernatural being who appeared to Jesus after His fast was not God, but the devil.
Three times the character of Jesus was tested by Satan himself. Most of us are familiar with the story of Christ in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), but remember: Jesus faced all three of these temptations without having eaten for forty days. In weakness, the tests grew more intense. And here is my point. If we are serious about personal transformation, we will soon realize that when we pass a test, life does not necessarily become easier. In fact, what occurs is that we soon graduate into something more difficult. And it is here, in the more difficult test, that our quest for Christlikeness is being answered.
Perhaps you are facing conflict that seems beyond your understanding. You ask, "Why am I in this battle? What did I do to deserve this conflict?" It is possible that the whole reason for your increased warfare is that you prayed, sincerely, "Father, I want to be like Jesus." God took you seriously.
God uses our need to draw us to Christ. Yet, the consciousness of our need narrows our revelation of God, limiting His activity in our lives to the boundaries of our struggles. Thus, many Christians never awakened spiritually to the deeper call of God, which is to attain the likeness of Christ. We are forgiven, healed and blessed, but we experience a ceiling on our spiritual growth.Regardless, the Spirit of God remains committed to our personal transformation. If we should awakened spiritually to the vision of Christlikeness, the attention of God will approach us in a unique and powerful way. Indeed, two things will occur: one, we will read the Scriptures with revelation; God's word will speak to us in a much deeper way as we discover the reason why we exist.The second reality that will unfold is this: our lives will begin to progressively face greater challenges. You see, we think that just having a sincere desire to be like Jesus is itself an attainment, and it is. But it is only a beginning.
If we are serious about our transformation, God becomes serious in fulfilling our quest. He will place us in situations that are designed to kill our old nature, often compelling us to Christlikeness just to survive the battle.
Consider the heroes you have studied in the Bible: each faced great conflicts before they reached certain spiritual levels, and they often experienced greater conflicts after they enjoyed important breakthroughs. Look at what Joseph experienced before he attained his destiny. Or consider what David had to conquer before he became king. God is not squeamish about testing our character. His goal is to create in us the very life of Jesus.Consider what Jesus faced at the Jordan River. First, He was empowered by the Holy Spirit. We would think this Spirit-empowering would launch Christ into His public ministry, but instead He is driven by the Spirit into the wilderness. Why? The Bible says, "to be tempted [or tested] by the devil." For forty days Jesus fasted and prayed. At the end of this time, we might expect a great spiritual breakthrough, but the opposite actually occurred. In fact, the first supernatural being who appeared to Jesus after His fast was not God, but the devil.
Three times the character of Jesus was tested by Satan himself. Most of us are familiar with the story of Christ in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), but remember: Jesus faced all three of these temptations without having eaten for forty days. In weakness, the tests grew more intense. And here is my point. If we are serious about personal transformation, we will soon realize that when we pass a test, life does not necessarily become easier. In fact, what occurs is that we soon graduate into something more difficult. And it is here, in the more difficult test, that our quest for Christlikeness is being answered.
Perhaps you are facing conflict that seems beyond your understanding. You ask, "Why am I in this battle? What did I do to deserve this conflict?" It is possible that the whole reason for your increased warfare is that you prayed, sincerely, "Father, I want to be like Jesus." God took you seriously.
Friday, February 22, 2008
IN THE MIDST OF ABOUNDING LAWLESSNESS
One feature of the close of the present age that Jesus warned His disciples about was an upsurge of lawlessness.
Matt 24:12
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Jesus indicated that many Christians would be infected by this prevailing lawlessness and as a result their love for God and His people would grow cold.
The essence of lawlessness is a rejection of authority. This has become an obvious feature of our contemporary culture. There is a widespread contempt for any rules or regulations that interfere with each person’s individual liberty. People are very forceful in asserting their "rights”, yet very reluctant to acknowledge their corresponding responsibilities. At times, the consequence is a condition bordering on anarchy. As Christians, we have to guard ourselves against this kind of attitude. We are required to show our respect for legitimate secular authority .
But first and foremost, we must cultivate and maintain an attitude of respect and obedience toward God our Father and toward Jesus our Saviour. This will be expressed in a corresponding attitude of respect and obedience towards God’s Word, the Scriptures.
John 14:23-24
Jesus says, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word … He who does not love Me does not keep My words.
We may claim to love God and we may even pray long and eloquent prayers or preach long and eloquent sermons. However, we do not honour and obey God by going through religious actions without having a lifestyle of holiness. In the midst of prevailing lawlessness it would be appropriate for each of us to make a fresh affirmation of our unreserved and total submission to the authority of Scripture.
2 Tim 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
One main area in which our submission to God and His Word will be tested is that of our personal relationships. Jesus laid down some very strict rules. For instance, He says concerning forgiving other people:
Mark 11:25-26
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Again, at the end of the pattern prayer which Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13, He added only one comment: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”.
We always need to remember that forgiving another person is not an expression of emotion but an act of self -discipline. For this we can depend upon the Holy Spirit, who is a Spirit “of power, of love and self -discipline” (2 Tim 1:7). Self-discipline is also required to produce the kind of attitude Paul describes in Ephesians 5:21: “submitting to one another in the fear of God”. This attitude of mutual submission is the key to right relationships both in the home and in the church.
Christians who refuse to forgive others or to submit to one another are in defiance of Scripture. Their root problem is lawlessness. They have opened themselves up to the spirit prevailing in the world around them. It will inevitably make them vulnerable to the evil angels who are their relentless enemies in the heavenly places.
THREE UNCOMPROMISING DEMANDS
We are confronted with three areas in which Scripture reveals clear, uncompromising demands of God, that apply to all Christians.
1. Respect for Christ’s authority operating in and through each local congregation.
2. Unqualified forgiveness for all who have wronged us or harmed us.
3. An attitude of submissiveness toward all our fellow Christians.
Obedience in these three areas provides Christians with a covering of scriptural authority that protects them from the attacks of satanic forces/demons in the heavenly places. Conversely, disobedience inevitably makes Christians vulnerable to such attacks. Clearly one needs to understand that attacks could also arise from:
a) Involvement in wilful, unrepented sin
b) A trial or tribulation set by God (Job)
On the basis of many years of experience in the Body of Christ, we as prayer leaders are convinced that the consequences of disobeying these three requirements of Scripture can be tragic in the extreme. We believe that it is one main reason why many fine, dedicated servants of the Lord have become casualties. We pray that God may grant us all a new respect for the authority of Christ vested in His Church and that He may renew in each of us an attitude of forgiveness and submissiveness.
Matt 24:12
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. Jesus indicated that many Christians would be infected by this prevailing lawlessness and as a result their love for God and His people would grow cold.
The essence of lawlessness is a rejection of authority. This has become an obvious feature of our contemporary culture. There is a widespread contempt for any rules or regulations that interfere with each person’s individual liberty. People are very forceful in asserting their "rights”, yet very reluctant to acknowledge their corresponding responsibilities. At times, the consequence is a condition bordering on anarchy. As Christians, we have to guard ourselves against this kind of attitude. We are required to show our respect for legitimate secular authority .
But first and foremost, we must cultivate and maintain an attitude of respect and obedience toward God our Father and toward Jesus our Saviour. This will be expressed in a corresponding attitude of respect and obedience towards God’s Word, the Scriptures.
John 14:23-24
Jesus says, If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word … He who does not love Me does not keep My words.
We may claim to love God and we may even pray long and eloquent prayers or preach long and eloquent sermons. However, we do not honour and obey God by going through religious actions without having a lifestyle of holiness. In the midst of prevailing lawlessness it would be appropriate for each of us to make a fresh affirmation of our unreserved and total submission to the authority of Scripture.
2 Tim 3:16
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God.
OUR PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS
One main area in which our submission to God and His Word will be tested is that of our personal relationships. Jesus laid down some very strict rules. For instance, He says concerning forgiving other people:
Mark 11:25-26
And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.
Again, at the end of the pattern prayer which Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 6:9-13, He added only one comment: “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses”.
We always need to remember that forgiving another person is not an expression of emotion but an act of self -discipline. For this we can depend upon the Holy Spirit, who is a Spirit “of power, of love and self -discipline” (2 Tim 1:7). Self-discipline is also required to produce the kind of attitude Paul describes in Ephesians 5:21: “submitting to one another in the fear of God”. This attitude of mutual submission is the key to right relationships both in the home and in the church.
Christians who refuse to forgive others or to submit to one another are in defiance of Scripture. Their root problem is lawlessness. They have opened themselves up to the spirit prevailing in the world around them. It will inevitably make them vulnerable to the evil angels who are their relentless enemies in the heavenly places.
THREE UNCOMPROMISING DEMANDS
We are confronted with three areas in which Scripture reveals clear, uncompromising demands of God, that apply to all Christians.
1. Respect for Christ’s authority operating in and through each local congregation.
2. Unqualified forgiveness for all who have wronged us or harmed us.
3. An attitude of submissiveness toward all our fellow Christians.
Obedience in these three areas provides Christians with a covering of scriptural authority that protects them from the attacks of satanic forces/demons in the heavenly places. Conversely, disobedience inevitably makes Christians vulnerable to such attacks. Clearly one needs to understand that attacks could also arise from:
a) Involvement in wilful, unrepented sin
b) A trial or tribulation set by God (Job)
On the basis of many years of experience in the Body of Christ, we as prayer leaders are convinced that the consequences of disobeying these three requirements of Scripture can be tragic in the extreme. We believe that it is one main reason why many fine, dedicated servants of the Lord have become casualties. We pray that God may grant us all a new respect for the authority of Christ vested in His Church and that He may renew in each of us an attitude of forgiveness and submissiveness.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
The Weakness and Foolishness of God
- From The Hyssop that Springeth Out of the Wall
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:23, 24).
So He is to them that believe. But to those who believe not, God seems to do some very foolish things, and to manifest a lot of weakness for One who is supposed to have made a whole Universe. However, it is in these very things that God is pleased to reveal His glory and His wisdom: to baffle the wisdom of the wise, and to bring to nought the counsels of men. Therefore, in the midst of the apostasy of modern day Christianity, and the hypocrisy and artificiality of modern day religion, we who know somewhat of God's ways can rejoice in the fact that it is just like God, in times like these, to rend the heavens and come down in power and great glory... and yet in ways that will seem strange and foolish in the eyes of the world. We are confident that the darkness and the gloom about us will once again become the fitting background for the display of the gems of His glory. Some good Christian people are trying to set the stage for God to work, but God always has to bypass these efforts, for He has prepared the stage upon which He will reveal His sons who are moving in Harmony with His will. For it is consistent with God's character and way, and with the Jealousy of His Glory, that the greater the work He will perform in the earth--the greater will be the measure of weakness and foolishness that He will cause an unbelieving world to behold.
"But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God" (1 Corinthians 1:23, 24).
So He is to them that believe. But to those who believe not, God seems to do some very foolish things, and to manifest a lot of weakness for One who is supposed to have made a whole Universe. However, it is in these very things that God is pleased to reveal His glory and His wisdom: to baffle the wisdom of the wise, and to bring to nought the counsels of men. Therefore, in the midst of the apostasy of modern day Christianity, and the hypocrisy and artificiality of modern day religion, we who know somewhat of God's ways can rejoice in the fact that it is just like God, in times like these, to rend the heavens and come down in power and great glory... and yet in ways that will seem strange and foolish in the eyes of the world. We are confident that the darkness and the gloom about us will once again become the fitting background for the display of the gems of His glory. Some good Christian people are trying to set the stage for God to work, but God always has to bypass these efforts, for He has prepared the stage upon which He will reveal His sons who are moving in Harmony with His will. For it is consistent with God's character and way, and with the Jealousy of His Glory, that the greater the work He will perform in the earth--the greater will be the measure of weakness and foolishness that He will cause an unbelieving world to behold.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Be on your guard against sin...
There is nothing innocent about sin. But often it seems to begin with innocent things.
For example, we may like to joke around with our friends, and that seems like perfectly normal behavior. But the apostle Paul warns us in the New Testament to be careful of the kinds of things we say.
"But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness." (2 Timothy 2:16)
The key word here is "profane." And as sincere Christians we need to watch out for profane talk (see Webster's definition), which may seem harmless, because it leads to profane thinking, which leads to ungodly choices and behavior. What we allow ourselves to joke about influences what we think about — what we allow into our hearts and minds. And what we dwell on in our thoughts affects what we want, and choose, to do in daily life.
And along with idle talk among our friends that turns in the wrong direction, we should also be careful of what we watch on TV and in movies, what we read in books and magazines, the kinds of games we play, and the kinds of jokes we listen to.
Here's the problem: Sin is never passive. It leads to more sin, prompting us to self delusions and even outward deception. It will also lead us to try and justify our wrong behavior. Sin is all about doing what pleases self at the expense of others.
Even actual sin itself may seem harmless, since many sins do not involve anyone else. But the time we spend with sin is time and imagination and creativity lost to us forever. Had we spent that time and effort doing good instead of evil, we may have accomplished real good for someone else. We may have even changed the world we live in. But we will never know how God might have used us if we make room for sin instead of right thinking and acting.
Learn to discern (recognize) what is off color, less than worthy, or even evil, and why it is wrong. Discipline your mind by God's Word, training your self to think according to God's truth and righteousness.
None of us are ever perfectly pure in our motives or thinking. Not naturally, anyway. But God will help us if we are willing to spend time in His Presence, reading the Scriptures, praying in the Spirit, and listening to His good Spirit.
The Lord Jesus is our way out of the trouble sin brings. Jesus is the life and power we need for godly living. And He alone is the light we need in a world oversaturated with darkness, deception and confusion. By hanging close with Jesus, we can learn God's way of victory.
For example, we may like to joke around with our friends, and that seems like perfectly normal behavior. But the apostle Paul warns us in the New Testament to be careful of the kinds of things we say.
"But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness." (2 Timothy 2:16)
The key word here is "profane." And as sincere Christians we need to watch out for profane talk (see Webster's definition), which may seem harmless, because it leads to profane thinking, which leads to ungodly choices and behavior. What we allow ourselves to joke about influences what we think about — what we allow into our hearts and minds. And what we dwell on in our thoughts affects what we want, and choose, to do in daily life.
And along with idle talk among our friends that turns in the wrong direction, we should also be careful of what we watch on TV and in movies, what we read in books and magazines, the kinds of games we play, and the kinds of jokes we listen to.
Here's the problem: Sin is never passive. It leads to more sin, prompting us to self delusions and even outward deception. It will also lead us to try and justify our wrong behavior. Sin is all about doing what pleases self at the expense of others.
Even actual sin itself may seem harmless, since many sins do not involve anyone else. But the time we spend with sin is time and imagination and creativity lost to us forever. Had we spent that time and effort doing good instead of evil, we may have accomplished real good for someone else. We may have even changed the world we live in. But we will never know how God might have used us if we make room for sin instead of right thinking and acting.
Learn to discern (recognize) what is off color, less than worthy, or even evil, and why it is wrong. Discipline your mind by God's Word, training your self to think according to God's truth and righteousness.
None of us are ever perfectly pure in our motives or thinking. Not naturally, anyway. But God will help us if we are willing to spend time in His Presence, reading the Scriptures, praying in the Spirit, and listening to His good Spirit.
The Lord Jesus is our way out of the trouble sin brings. Jesus is the life and power we need for godly living. And He alone is the light we need in a world oversaturated with darkness, deception and confusion. By hanging close with Jesus, we can learn God's way of victory.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Starfield - My Generation
There is something more
Hello, We're going down the hallway to the door
We know there's something more.
Our soul has got a hole, we know, but what's it waiting for?
Scattered in the streets like dreams and gasoline
The things we wanna be, are scattered in the streets
And if we're coming clean, we seem to know we're incomplete
How do we feel?
How do we feel?
My Generation is aching for real
Dying for love, crying for truth
My Generation is aching for You
A country of our own, is all we're asking for
A place to call our home, a country of our own
We know it must be close, our souls are searching
through the cold, the cold, the cold...
Monday, February 11, 2008
THE TREE OF LIFE
"To him that overcomes will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (Revelation 2:7b).
I have called these "promises", but a better word might be "evidences". We tend to see a promise as a future thing, something we have to wait for. I like evidences better, because if something is evident in my life then it is the demonstration of something which is mine already. The Lord says when we live as overcomers our lives will be characterized by certain evidences. By these we know who the Overcomers are, and we know if we are indeed living the normal Christian life - which is a life of overcoming.
The first evidence is that the Overcomers eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Immediately we go back to the Book of Genesis and see that Adam was originally driven out of the paradise of God, Eden, and no longer had access to the tree of life. The tree of life was blocked by angels and a flaming sword (Genesis 3:24). Because Adam ate from the tree of knowledge, he was prohibited from eating from the tree of life.
We should see that Christ does more than restore what Adam lost. He goes beyond Adam, offering the Overcomers fruit from the tree of life, fruit Adam knows nothing about. Obviously this is symbolic language, but what does it mean? The tree of life represents the Cross, for from that Tree the Lord yielded up His Life for us all. Those who overcome have learned that fruitfulness and life come from death to Self, and that is what the Cross means. The Cross is a tree of life to those who embrace it.
Like Adam, we can choose to eat from either tree, but we cannot eat from both. Adam sinned when he fell into the flesh and yielded to his Self-life. He rejected the tree of life in favor of something that was "good... pleasant... and desirable" (Genesis 3:6ff). The Cross does not look like a tree of life at all. It is neither good, nor pleasant, nor desirable. It looks like death. Perhaps this is why Adam did not eat from it first. But God's End is not death, regardless of appearances: God's End is life out of death, which is resurrection. To eat of the fruit of the tree of life is to glory in the Cross of Jesus Christ and find life out of death. It is becoming popular to preach and teach about the Cross these days, but how many are eating of its fruit? Can we really see the Cross as the TREE OF LIFE, and are we eating of its fruit? We will know a true disciple of the Lord, not by words, but by fruit (Matthew 7:20), and the Cross is the tree of life from which this fruit comes.
Friday, February 08, 2008
Vision of a Train Yard
Im reposting this from Brian Hume's blog - its excellent:
February 05, 2005
I saw a massive train yard. In the middle of the train yard was a turntable that re-directed locomotives and boxcars. Surrounding the turntable were many different tracks—leading in every direction. Many locomotives would pull an enormous train of boxcars to the turntable, detach from the cars, drive onto the turntable, turn in a completely different direction, and then re-attach to a new trail of boxcars (train).
Some distance from the turntable, I saw many locomotives and boxcars that had sat stationary for some time. Though they had collected dust, they were very sound mechanically, as they were regularly serviced as they sat, that they would be ready at a moments’ notice to be dispatched to any of the countless tracks heading in every direction.
Toward the end of the vision, I could hardly believe my eyes at the enormity of the train yard, as the expanse was beyond what the eyes and mind could fully comprehend.
It was during the vision that I realized the completed trains were churches and ministries. The turntable represented new relationships, new associations, new directions and new partnerships unfolding in the Body of Christ abroad.
I also understood the stationary or inactive locomotives and boxcars to represent Saints who had been placed in “service bays,” to be re-tuned as the result of long-overdue rest, restoration and healing. Many of these had, over time, very subtly drifted into nearly unshakable postures of sadness and despair, as they had faced many fiery trials in their previous courses. They had witnessed and experienced measures of warfare that left them deeply wounded, numb and despondent. For they had encountered false brethren, tares among the wheat, and wolves among sheep. They were disillusioned, as they had come to realize that the worst warfare they had faced to date was that within the Body of Christ. They had begun to doubt that they would ever again wish to re-engage their gifts and ministries. They had begun to doubt that they would ever see the truly Glorified Church, moving in authentic power and transforming entire cities and nations. However, these saints were rapidly approaching re-deployment. In fact, most of these “resting and healing” boxcars and locomotives were surprised and caught off-guard, as they were unexpectedly called upon to deploy—suddenly. Though caught off-guard, they were yet ready for service, more ready than they realized, and they moved toward the turntable with strength, resolve and confidence—beyond any measure that they had walked in previously. As I looked toward the skyline in the closing moments of this vision, I saw a massive calendar. The heading of the calendar read, “8 – August” (or, “8-8”).
As I have prayed about this vision over a long period, I have come to believe that as 08-08-08 unfolds, the Holy Spirit will be imparting specific direction, confirmation and affirmation to the steps of many of His Saints, with respect to critical and vital relationships, partnerships and directions in ministry.
To those that are in a place where they are to plant-roots and delve deeper into the ministry or church in which they find themselves presently, deeper relationships will occur. As well, new relationships will be birthed. New levels in gifting and anointing will be poured-out. Restructuring and repositioning of members of given ministries and churches will be quick, decisive and will be carried out with precision.
To those who have felt an impending change on the geographic horizon, vivid dreams will occur. Signs will be given; relationships will be birthed suddenly and unexpectedly, and will represent links to entirely new directions toward ministries and churches in different locales.
I was strongly impressed with Ephesians 4:16(b), “…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body…”
I believe the heightened activity level within this context, is that in preparation for the times that are quickly unfolding before us. I believe that events will unfold in 2008 that will require the Body of Christ to be planted decisively, and with unyielding resolve, in places and positions of service that are tailor-made for our individual gifts and callings. I believe that the key to seeing the signs and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit in this hour, and specifically with respect the approach of 08-08-08, will be that found within the practical and prayerful application of John 5:19 and John 5:30. In John 5:19, Jesus declared that He only did what He saw the Father doing. In John 5:30, Jesus declared that He only did what He heard the Father saying. In this context, I believe it is critical in this hour, and at this very moment, to adopt the prayer that asks for “the eyes to see” and “the ears to hear” what the Father is doing and saying to each of us, with respect to the massive turntable that many of us are rapidly approaching as we move into 2008.
I have prayed that all who find receipt of this word would be quickened with a call to discern the rapid changes approaching each of us as 2008 unfolds.
David Davenport
February 05, 2005
I saw a massive train yard. In the middle of the train yard was a turntable that re-directed locomotives and boxcars. Surrounding the turntable were many different tracks—leading in every direction. Many locomotives would pull an enormous train of boxcars to the turntable, detach from the cars, drive onto the turntable, turn in a completely different direction, and then re-attach to a new trail of boxcars (train).
Some distance from the turntable, I saw many locomotives and boxcars that had sat stationary for some time. Though they had collected dust, they were very sound mechanically, as they were regularly serviced as they sat, that they would be ready at a moments’ notice to be dispatched to any of the countless tracks heading in every direction.
Toward the end of the vision, I could hardly believe my eyes at the enormity of the train yard, as the expanse was beyond what the eyes and mind could fully comprehend.
It was during the vision that I realized the completed trains were churches and ministries. The turntable represented new relationships, new associations, new directions and new partnerships unfolding in the Body of Christ abroad.
I also understood the stationary or inactive locomotives and boxcars to represent Saints who had been placed in “service bays,” to be re-tuned as the result of long-overdue rest, restoration and healing. Many of these had, over time, very subtly drifted into nearly unshakable postures of sadness and despair, as they had faced many fiery trials in their previous courses. They had witnessed and experienced measures of warfare that left them deeply wounded, numb and despondent. For they had encountered false brethren, tares among the wheat, and wolves among sheep. They were disillusioned, as they had come to realize that the worst warfare they had faced to date was that within the Body of Christ. They had begun to doubt that they would ever again wish to re-engage their gifts and ministries. They had begun to doubt that they would ever see the truly Glorified Church, moving in authentic power and transforming entire cities and nations. However, these saints were rapidly approaching re-deployment. In fact, most of these “resting and healing” boxcars and locomotives were surprised and caught off-guard, as they were unexpectedly called upon to deploy—suddenly. Though caught off-guard, they were yet ready for service, more ready than they realized, and they moved toward the turntable with strength, resolve and confidence—beyond any measure that they had walked in previously. As I looked toward the skyline in the closing moments of this vision, I saw a massive calendar. The heading of the calendar read, “8 – August” (or, “8-8”).
As I have prayed about this vision over a long period, I have come to believe that as 08-08-08 unfolds, the Holy Spirit will be imparting specific direction, confirmation and affirmation to the steps of many of His Saints, with respect to critical and vital relationships, partnerships and directions in ministry.
To those that are in a place where they are to plant-roots and delve deeper into the ministry or church in which they find themselves presently, deeper relationships will occur. As well, new relationships will be birthed. New levels in gifting and anointing will be poured-out. Restructuring and repositioning of members of given ministries and churches will be quick, decisive and will be carried out with precision.
To those who have felt an impending change on the geographic horizon, vivid dreams will occur. Signs will be given; relationships will be birthed suddenly and unexpectedly, and will represent links to entirely new directions toward ministries and churches in different locales.
I was strongly impressed with Ephesians 4:16(b), “…the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body…”
I believe the heightened activity level within this context, is that in preparation for the times that are quickly unfolding before us. I believe that events will unfold in 2008 that will require the Body of Christ to be planted decisively, and with unyielding resolve, in places and positions of service that are tailor-made for our individual gifts and callings. I believe that the key to seeing the signs and hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit in this hour, and specifically with respect the approach of 08-08-08, will be that found within the practical and prayerful application of John 5:19 and John 5:30. In John 5:19, Jesus declared that He only did what He saw the Father doing. In John 5:30, Jesus declared that He only did what He heard the Father saying. In this context, I believe it is critical in this hour, and at this very moment, to adopt the prayer that asks for “the eyes to see” and “the ears to hear” what the Father is doing and saying to each of us, with respect to the massive turntable that many of us are rapidly approaching as we move into 2008.
I have prayed that all who find receipt of this word would be quickened with a call to discern the rapid changes approaching each of us as 2008 unfolds.
David Davenport
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Our Bridegroom is Waiting..
This is such an amazing song! It speaks to me of the Father, giving his blessing and our hand in marriage to Jesus, our Bridegroom. It speaks of blessing, excitment, anticipation and true love. It also reminded me of this scripture:
2 Corinthians 11:1-13 (The Message)
Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ.
2 Corinthians 11:1-13 (The Message)
Will you put up with a little foolish aside from me? Please, just for a moment. The thing that has me so upset is that I care about you so much—this is the passion of God burning inside me! I promised your hand in marriage to Christ, presented you as a pure virgin to her husband. And now I'm afraid that exactly as the Snake seduced Eve with his smooth patter, you are being lured away from the simple purity of your love for Christ.
Monday, February 04, 2008
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)