Oh How We COULD Harmonize!

For years I have preached, taught and stressed the need for and importance of unity.  While I still adhere to those convictions I have come to realize that we often have a misconstrued understanding of unity.

In many ways we wrongfully assume that in order for there to be unity among a group of people, it means they all must be doing the same thing.  It feeds an idea that any level of disagreement to the established “way” is discord and division, and the person responsible must acquiesce or be shot.  Well maybe not that extreme – but close.

How effective, however, is a unity that is forced?  In what way does that genuinely benefit anyone?  Unity from a standpoint of harmony has become my focus, drive and desire.  Before going any further let me define both words.

Unity can be defined as “a condition of harmony.”  It can also be defined as “the quality or state of being made one,” otherwise known as unification. [1]

Harmony for our purposes is best defined as a “pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.” [2]

What I believe is often called unity is actually a desire for unification.  While I agree that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, we also must realize that without the parts there would be no whole.  The whole is made better by the characteristics of the parts.  Therefore, genuine unity is a condition based upon a pleasing or congruent arrangement of parts.

In Acts 2 we are told that when the Day of Pentecost came the believers were “with one accord” (2:1).  A look into the Greek of this word “accord” brings this important nugget to light.

A unique Greek word, used 10 of its 12 New Testament occurrences in the Book of Acts, helps us understand the uniqueness of the Christian community.  Homothumadon is a compound of two words meaning to “rush along” and “in unison.”  The image is almost musical; a number of notes are sounded which, while different, harmonize in pitch and tone.  As the instruments of a great concert under the direction of a concert master, so the Holy Spirit blends together the lives of members of Christ’s church. [3]

This is harmony.  This does not speak of unification or unity that is forced or fabricated.  This is what we as the church are called to by God.  The intent of unity is to meld together the various passions and gifts of each person into a common passion and goal.

---

[1] Merriam-Webster

[2] Merriam-Webster

[3] www.blueletterbible.org

I WILL or I AM?

Have you ever noticed the contrast?  On one hand you have Lucifer making these declarations:

^12 12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Lucifer, son of the morning!
How you are cut down to the ground,
You who weakened the nations!
¹³ For you have said in your heart:
‘I will ascend into heaven,
I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;
I will also sit on the mount of the congregation
On the farthest sides of the north;
¹⁴ I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,
I will be like the Most High.’
¹⁵ Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,
To the lowest depths of the Pit.
Isaiah 14:12-15

And on the other hand, Jesus makes these statements:

“I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." John 6:35

“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”  John 8:12

“Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep." John 10:7

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." John 10:11

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live." John 11:25

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." John 15:5

The contrast here is quite sharp.  Whereas Lucifer was discontent within himself and was left making declarations of aspiration; Jesus was fully confident and comfortable in Who He was and made definitive statements.

So which are you?  Which am I?  Do we walk in uncertainty, making declarations of aspiration because we do not have the first clue who we truly are in Christ?  Or, do we walk in confidence and comfort in who we are in Christ?  

There is something supernatural that takes place in a person when they come to terms with themselves as they have been created and designed by God.  Rather than making aspiring statements of grandeur and selfishness, they simply walk in the authority and position as given to them by Christ.  

Today's question, then, is are you an I WILL or an I AM?  

What is Your Bread of Choice?

Do you remember the story of Jesus feeding 5,000 with just 5 loaves and 2 fish?  Following the account in John 6, we read about Jesus walking on the water to catch up to His disciples as they were on their way to the other side of the lake.   That is where the story begins to get interesting to me. Yes, the miracle feeding and water walking are interesting. But, I mean interesting in what Jesus does next in teaching the people an important principle. 

Those who had enjoyed the miracle feeding and experienced a supernatural encounter return to the place where the encounter had taken place. Much to their surprise Jesus was no longer there. Oftentimes we too can find ourselves going back to where we encountered Jesus, expecting Him to still be in the same place ready for us to experience Him again. Yet, Christ will often move on to a new place; many times in a manner we would not expect. In this case, the Guy walked on water. Pretty sure nobody saw that coming. 

We discover in this story that like many of us the people were expecting to find Jesus in the way they remembered Him and encounter Him as they had before. When something works for us the first time we cannot imagine it would change. But, perhaps God is wanting to stretch us beyond our box or ideology and cause us to see what is the real point. So, what is the real point you ask? 

The point is to know Jesus in a real way and not just experience Him for what He can do. 

I must give props to the people in our story for we find they went looking for Jesus. Many simply give up and turn away when they don't find Jesus as they remember or expect. Yet, notice what Jesus says when they find Him. 

And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” Jesus answered them and said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw the signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life, which the Son of Man will give you, because God the Father has set His seal on Him.” Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.” (John 6:25-29 NKJV)

Jesus drives home a valuable lesson. The point in seeking or pursuing Him is never to be about what He has done or can do. The point is to pursue Him for Him - to have relationship. 

We labor for or pursue the benefits or blessings of God which perish or fade. What is real life is laboring for and pursuing that which is eternal - a relationship with Jesus Christ. While the people were rightfully excited for partaking in the miracle meal; it is almost as if they were ready to plant 5 & 2 Assembly to commemorate what had taken place. 

Jesus goes on in John 6 to declare Himself to be the Bread of Life. Life that is eternal is found in consuming Him and in turn being consumed by Him. As much as anyone I thoroughly enjoy the experiences of and in God's presence. However, no blessing or experience is the destination. It is all part of the journey in pursuit of Christ. 

Anointing, Gifting, and The Presence of God

Following is an outline of a teaching I shared during a special Saturday night service at our church. Many copies of the CD have been distributed and I thought this would be a way to share the information. 

Calvary Church

THE PURSUIT – Saturday, May 25, 2013

Pursuing His Presence

You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

ANOINTING

-The anointing of God is God’s mark or setting apart of someone or something for His use.

-Anointing can literally mean to besmear.  It is to be smeared or covered with God’s Hand and God’s ability.

-A danger within charismatic circles is that we can easily confuse anointing and adrenaline.

-We place a high level of importance on God’s anointing.  That is not a problem, but we must be cautious that we properly understand, value and handle God’s anointing.

The anointing comes from God.

Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, 2 Corinthians 1:21

But of the Son He says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and the righteous scepter is the scepter of His kingdom.  “You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness above Your companions.”  Hebrews 1:8-9

God Anoints to set apart and consecrate.

Moses then took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was in it, and consecrated them. He sprinkled some of it on the altar seven times and anointed the altar and all its utensils, and the basin and its stand, to consecrate them. Then he poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head and anointed him, to consecrate him.  Leviticus 8:10-12

God’s Spirit accompanies His anointing.

Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. 1 Samuel 16:13

“I have found David My servant; with My holy oil I have anointed him, with whom My hand will be established; My arm also will strengthen him.  Psalm 89:20-21

God’s anointing is for the purpose of ministering to those who are hurting or in need.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.  Isaiah 61:1-3

You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.  Acts 10:38

If misused the anointing can be destructive to many.

 “You were the anointed cherub who covers, and I placed you there. You were on the holy mountain of God; you walked in the midst of the stones of fire.  Ezekiel 28:14

GIFTING

-To be gifted by God is to have His Spiritual endowment at work in and through your life.

-We need to caution ourselves that we do not become more enamored with the gifts of God than we are with the God of the gifts.

A gifted person need not promote their gifting.  God will take care of the process.

A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.  Proverb 18:16

Like clouds and wind without rain is a man who boasts of his gifts falsely. Proverb 25:14

God is the giver of the gifts.  While man may appoint, it is God who anoints.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.  You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led.  Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit.  And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons.  But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.  For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues.  But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! Matthew 7:11

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

For I long to see you so that I may impart some spiritual gift to you, that you may be established; Romans 1:11

God’s gifts are not something that we can earn or purchase.

Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!  You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.  Acts 8:18-21

God’s gifts do not come with a time limit, but they must be put to use.  

-Many times people allow the gifts of God in their lives to become dormant and unused.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  Romans 11:29

Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.  Romans 12:6-13

For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6

Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. 1 Timothy 4:14

God’s gifts are for the service to and edification of others.  

As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.  1 Peter 4:10

So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church.  1 Corinthians 14:12

GOD’S PRESENCE

-Anointing and gifting may go hand in hand, but that does not guarantee God’s presence.

However, in God’s Presence is going to be anointing and gifting.

- Ihave come to the place in my life where I find myself pursuing and hungering for His Presence more than His gifting and anointing.

God’s Presence is the Distinguishing Mark of God's People.

Then Moses said to the Lord, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people!' But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, 'I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.' Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people." And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?" The Lord said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name." Exodus 33:12-17

God’s Presence Overpowers ALL THINGS, and brings joy to His People.  

-God’s presence works like a judgment of joy.  It is as once a judgement on the enemy and even the earth, while bringing joy to the people of God.

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. Psalms 68:1-9

Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence- As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. Isaiah 64:1-4

The primary response to God’s Presence is to Honor and Worship Him.

-This is accompanied by listening to His voice – hearing and obeying that which He is speaking to your heart and life.

O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. "Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest." Psalms 95:1-11

Repentance and Turning to God keeps His presence and refreshing near.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;  Acts 3:19

God’s presence will not share the stage.  

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. James 4:7-10

In His presence we are changed and set free.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 2 Corinthians 3:17

In His presence is joy and pleasures from Him.  His blessing is found in His presence. 

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. Psalms 16:11

In His presence is Protection.

How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. Psalms 31:19-20

We can Dwell in and Enjoy His Presence at all times.

Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence. Psalms 140:13

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord;  Acts 3:19

-God’s Presence represents God Himself being involved in our lives which is the total point and key to our spiritual life.

-Gifting and anointing may come, but if void of God’s Presence we have missed the mark and lost everything of real value.

Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’  And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’  Matthew 7:22-23

In Heaven we will not lay hands on the sick.

In Heaven we will not have tongues and interpretation and prophecy spoken.

In Heaven we will not sense or experience moments of anointing. 

All of these things are fine but not the point. 

In Heaven we will dwell in Gods presence. I am after a little bit of Heaven here on earth.

What's the Secret?

Have you ever felt out of the loop?  Has it ever seemed as though you were the last one to know anything?  Have you ever felt prompted to ask what someone about whatever it is that seems to be so secretive?  

The reality is that many if not all of us have been there.  By nature, we like to know what is going on and feel as though we are a part of the "inner circle."  But, how often do we assume there is some secret or that we are missing something when in reality we are not missing anything at all?  I experienced this today in prayer.

This afternoon I laid on my face in our church sanctuary in prayer to the Lord and began to tell Him that I felt stuck and that I was certain i was missing something.  I found myself asking Him over and over what it was that I was missing.  In that moment, I was fully expecting some fabulous and fresh new revelation from Him allowing me to realize something that nobody had ever known or seen.  Yes, I know . . . just a bit dramatic.

However, let me tell you what happened.  I rose from the floor hearing or sensing nothing from the Lord.  As I sat on the front row of chairs, I heard that familiar voice/prompting from God speak to me one verse of Scripture.  I didn't necessarily want to turn there, because it was a Scripture I know and one I have used many times with people.  Yet, being on the receiving end from God didn't seem or feel so wonderful.  I am not saying that God was drilling or heavily rebuking me.  But, what happened to me today was that God offered me an all important reminder.

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.  Deuteronomy 29:29

I realized in that moment that so often we spend our prayers and our time trying to discover the latest and greatest from God, all the while forgetting that HE IS THE LATEST AND THE GREATEST.

The Lord reminded me that instead of looking for and hoping for something new and fresh, I need to be mindful of and obedient to the things He has already shown and given to me.  The things which have been revealed to my heart by God already are plenty to keep me occupied until He comes.  I don't need to be caught up looking for something else.  

I used to say often that we need to walk in the light in which we have.  That rings true in my heart again today.  God has revealed so much to me in my life through His Word and through my relationship with Him.  He does not need to share a secret with me.  He needs me to be obedient to what He has already made plain to me.  

Now, I am not saying there aren't other things from or about God that He won't reveal to me in His time.  What I realized today is that I don't need to get so caught up pursuing the new things, but rather embrace and obey what He has revealed to me already so that I will position myself to receive from Him when He is ready to impart to me something fresh and new.

Earlier today I thought I was stuck and needing to wait to hear from God.  The reality, however, is that I simply need to move forward in obedience and with resolve in light of what He has already spoken to me.

The Presence of God

This is a short, non-exhaustive walk through Scripture concerning the presence of God.

Why Do We Need His Presence?

God’s Presence is the Distinguishing Mark of God's People.

Then Moses said to the Lord, "See, You say to me, 'Bring up this people!' But You Yourself have not let me know whom You will send with me. Moreover, You have said, 'I have known you by name, and you have also found favor in My sight.' Now therefore, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your sight, let me know Your ways that I may know You, so that I may find favor in Your sight. Consider too, that this nation is Your people." And He said, "My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest." Then he said to Him, "If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here. For how then can it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not by Your going with us, so that we, I and Your people, may be distinguished from all the other people who are upon the face of the earth?" The Lord said to Moses, "I will also do this thing of which you have spoken; for you have found favor in My sight and I have known you by name." (Exodus 33:12-17 NASB)

- A primary reason God manifests Himself to and upon us is so that we might learn His ways and therefore know Him. Many today do not recognize, receive or understand Gods ways because they have never been exposed to them. Yet, here, in His Presence, we say Come Lord and show us Your ways!

God’s Presence Overpowers ALL THINGS, and brings joy to His People.  God’s presence works like a judgment of joy.  It is as once a judgement on the enemy and even the earth, while bringing joy to the people of God.

Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered, And let those who hate Him flee before Him. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; As wax melts before the fire, So let the wicked perish before God. But let the righteous be glad; let them exult before God; Yes, let them rejoice with gladness. Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Lift up a song for Him who rides through the deserts, Whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him. A father of the fatherless and a judge for the widows, Is God in His holy habitation. God makes a home for the lonely; He leads out the prisoners into prosperity, Only the rebellious dwell in a parched land. O God, when You went forth before Your people, When You marched through the wilderness, Selah. The earth quaked; The heavens also dropped rain at the presence of God; Sinai itself quaked at the presence of God, the God of Israel. You shed abroad a plentiful rain, O God; You confirmed Your inheritance when it was parched. (Psalms 68:1-9 NASB)

Oh, that You would rend the heavens and come down, That the mountains might quake at Your presence- As fire kindles the brushwood, as fire causes water to boil- To make Your name known to Your adversaries, That the nations may tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things which we did not expect, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence. For from days of old they have not heard or perceived by ear, Nor has the eye seen a God besides You, Who acts in behalf of the one who waits for Him. (Isaiah 64:1-4 NASB)

How Do We Respond to His Presence?

The primary response to God’s Presence is to Honour and Worship Him.

This is accompanied by listening to His voice – hearing and obeying that which He is speaking to your heart and life.

O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is a great God And a great King above all gods, In whose hand are the depths of the earth, The peaks of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for it was He who made it, And His hands formed the dry land. Come, let us worship and bow down, Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if you would hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, As in the day of Massah in the wilderness, "When your fathers tested Me, They tried Me, though they had seen My work. "For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. "Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest." (Psalms 95:1-11 NASB)

Repentance and Turning to God keeps His presence and refreshing near.

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19 NASB)

Humble yourself.  God’s presence will not share the stage.  

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (James 4:7-10 NASB)

What Happens in His Presence?

In His presence we are changed and set free.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17 NASB)

In His presence is joy and pleasures from Him.  His blessing is found in His presence. 

You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever. (Psalms 16:11 NASB)

In His presence is Protection.

How great is Your goodness, Which You have stored up for those who fear You, Which You have wrought for those who take refuge in You, Before the sons of men! You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the conspiracies of man; You keep them secretly in a shelter from the strife of tongues. (Psalms 31:19, 20 NASB)

We can Dwell in and Enjoy His Presence at all times.

Surely the righteous will give thanks to Your name; The upright will dwell in Your presence. (Psalms 140:13 NASB)

Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; (Acts 3:19 NASB)

Growing in Grace

Grace is defined as a gift or blessing brought to man by Jesus Christ.  Grace has been extended to man because as God's prized creation, He is favorable toward man.  It is not something we earn, but something God in His sovereignty chooses to bestow upon us when we choose to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.  The grace of God represents His kindness toward us.  I have often heard grace described with the following acronym:

God's 
Riches
At
Christ's 
Expense

I feel Paul sums it up nicely in his letter to the church in Ephesus when he declares:

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. Ephesians 2:8-9

What an honor it is to be saved from our sin, our selves and from the system of this world based solely upon God's willingness to offer grace to us.  We cannot do anything that would ever make us worthy of this type of love and devotion given to us by God.  Yet, He doesn't ask us to do anything to earn his grace.

But, what about growing in grace?  Do we have a role to play in that?  Does the grace of God that we receive at the time of salvation cover all things at all times with no requirements from us?  To answer that let us read the next verse in Ephesians 2.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.  Ephesians 2:10

We are God's workmanship - His creation.  He fashioned us and formed us by His hand.  He knows us intimately.  He knows how He has made us to tick and to operate.  We are each fearfully and wonderfully made.  We are each unique.  

And, we have been created by God FOR GOOD WORKS.  This means we have been made by Him to be active, to accomplish great things and to live our lives with purpose.  This can literally be understood as doing that which harmonizes with the order of society.  I am not looking to get kooky or weird, but there is nothing as powerful and liberating as doing that for which you have been created to do.  

Furthermore, it says that God prepared in advance or beforehand for you and I to walk in the good works for which He has created us.  God has placed destiny in your heart and in your life and finding and realizing that destiny is one of the most valuable things any of us can do.  The most fulfilled people are those who are fulfilling their God-given destiny.  

So, what does this all mean together about growing in grace?  Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior is a complete and total act of God's grace.  We cannot do enough to earn, work up or purchase the grace of God.  Yet, even in that, going forward we have a role to play in partnering with God to grow in the grace He has bestowed upon us.  

I see, find and talk with so many who just want to sit on their stool of do-nothing (as my father-in-law would often say) and soak up God's grace.  But, what is that actually doing?  That is abusing God's grace and misrepresenting its purpose.  Grace is God saving you from something and bringing you into something better.  Even James says faith without works is dead.  God's design for the church - the bride purchased by His grace through the blood of Christ - is that we be an agent for the "equipping of the saints for the work of ministry" (Ephesians 4:11).  

Grace is not an escape from something.  On the contrary, grace is an enabling and an empowering to fulfill God's purpose and accomplish much for Him.  We grow in grace as we put God's grace to work in our lives.  This means obedience.  This means sacrifice.  This means service to God and His people.  This means commitment to God.  Not growing in God's grace is no different than a 40-year old having his mother change his diapers and asking for permission to nurse.  Please pardon the warped image, but you get the point.  

I don't want to be one that abuses or takes for granted God's grace.  I know I cannot earn His grace.  However, I also don't want to be one that nullifies or misrepresents His grace.  I want to be one that grows in grace - attaining to the "measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11).

People, People, People

Warning: This is brutally honest.

Today I find myself thinking about this strange verse in the book of Proverbs:

Where no oxen are, the manger is clean.  Proverb 14:4

It causes me to realize and remember something very important.  When you have a gathering of animals you will have messes to deal with.  Fair enough? 

It also causes me to realize as a pastor that when you deal with people you will also have messes to deal with.  And the reality is that people relations can be the most difficult thing in the world to navigate through.

There are two very important promises I will make about myself:

1. I will do my best to live at peace with all men, by speaking the truth in love, by giving and receiving correction and instruction, by working through messes in a timely fashion, and striving to hold short accounts and let things go.

2. I will blow it trying to fulfill #1.

Now that we have that out of the way . . .

I would love to say that I have mastered relationships and being a pastor, friend, family person, etc.  But, that is simply not true.  Very few things in life cause struggle quite like interpersonal relationships.  Some things are inevitable.

-- Feelings will get hurt.  Been on both sides of that.
-- Misunderstandings will happen.  Too many to recount here in this blog.
-- Apologies only go as far as actions support.

Day in and day out dealings with people can turn hair gray or like me make it fall out.  From a natural standpoint we are bent toward being people pleasers.  From a spiritual standpoint we are created in the image of God who fully embodies love.  Therefore, most of our relational lives are built between these two tensions.  We want to please people while loving them as God does.  I find more and more that THIS SIMPLY ISN'T POSSIBLE.

So, I boil it down to a few things that I am hearing God speak to me over and over concerning relationships.  Here is my directive, plan and proposed commitment.

1. I will grow in loving myself so that I can fulfill God's call to love my neighbor as myself.  My issues with and toward others stem from my issues with myself.

2. I will work to always speak the truth in love.  When the pendulum swings too far either direction it is not beneficial to anyone.

3. I will not assume anything or tie anyone to their past.  When you assume the worst about someone you will never bring out the best in them.

4. I will hold short accounts.  There is no reason for me to continually revisit things I say are over.  If I revisit I have obviously neither repented nor forgiven.

5. I will see the potential in everyone.  Several people saw potential in me and everyone is deserving of someone believing in them.

6. I will not base my opinion about someone on what others say to me about them, but will take the time to get to know them for myself.

7. I will be willing to invest into the lives of anyone who will allow me that privilege, never taking for granted how precious that opportunity is, and never taking that person for granted.

8. I will celebrate victories with people and never become jealous or upset when those I have invested in surpass me in recognition, position, honor, etc.

9. I will allow others to correct me, hold me accountable, and tell me "NO."  I do not need "YES" men surrounding me.  I will welcome confrontation when I need it.

10. I will guard my tongue and watch my cutting sarcasm, knowing that there are passive aggressive tendencies in my life and at times behind my words.

None of these will be easy always.  Yet, all of them are definitely necessary.  I love people.  I love relationships.  And I value them enough to do my part to make them the best they can be.

Why books?

So, why have I ventured into the arena of writing and self publishing books?  The reality is that deep in my heart I have carried a desire and dream to write. Many times I have imagined my name on a book but never quite new how to get my words inside. Many years ago I wrote a manuscript entitled, "Are You Content to Wear Those Chains?"  I never did anything with that as I didn't know what to do or how to do it. I determined that perhaps writing was not for me.

This past May I told my wife that I felt I needed to begin writing seriously. As always she was very supportive.  Within 2 weeks of that conversation I heard 2 sermons on Josiah and revival, I was challenged by prophetic people and words to write a book, I was given an outline for a book about Josiah and revival, and I spoke at my first conference. What topic was I given? Revival. I thought I had better pay attention.

On May 30, 2012, I began writing "Carrying the Torch for Revival," and the first draft of the book was completed June 30. I can honestly say I never experienced anything more powerfully in my years of church life or ministry. The message of the book was stored in my spirit and exploded out. Revival is my driving passion. I long to see Gods people alive with His truth and Spirit.

In September, I stumbled upon a method of self publication that utilizes Amazon, Kindle and other avenues of distribution. The company is known as Create Space. My first venture into publishing was "31 Keys to Possessing Your Promise," a 31-day devotional that began as a daily email to our church family. The response to that has been humbling and surprising. Seeing my name on a book was unlike anything I could have imagined. I still look awkwardly at it and try to figure out "why me?"

Finally in January, "Carrying the Torch for Revival" became a published reality. I am not entirely sure what God has planned for these and future books, but I am totally convinced I am following His plan in writing. My prayer with the messages I have put in print is that they will be in the right hands at the right time.

Your dream may not be writing, but I want you to know that your dream can be a reality as well. What can you do today to begin making that happen?

So, why books?  Why writing?  Why not????

God Deserves Our Best

This morning has been a reflective one for me.  I sense various challenges and opportunities before me that are exciting and even a little bit frightening.  At the same time, I have before me some difficulties of things gone wrong and unfulfilled dreams and visions.  The reality is that we can find times in our lives where we feel trapped or uncertain as to what is going on and what it is that God is trying to do in and through our lives.

Yet, I have come to a renewed conviction about something.  GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.  

When things are going as we want . . . GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.

When things aren't going as well as we would like . . . GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.

It seems that in many ways within the modern church the idea of excellence and giving God our best is a foreign concept.  How many times have I myself done just enough to get by?  How many times have I forfeited God's best and my best to just embrace the good enough?  You might say it is a church epidemic.  We only approach God at appointed times.  We only think of Him when we need something.  We want His bailout when it gets tough.  And, we want all that God has to offer without our having to offer anything.  If we would be brutally honest with ourselves, many of us fit that picture. 

But I am haunted by this question this morning:

IF I DON'T GIVE GOD MY BEST AM I GIVING HIM ANYTHING AT ALL?

I think about the story of David in 2 Samuel 24 when he was instructed to build an altar unto the Lord and offer sacrifice and worship.  He approached the owner of the field and the guy was willing to give the land to the king for nothing.  Yet, David's response baffled him and it baffles me this morning.

²¹ Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, in order to build an altar to the Lord, that the plague may be held back from the people.” ²² Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up what is good in his sight. Look, the oxen for the burnt offering, the threshing sledges and the yokes of the oxen for the wood. ²³ Everything, O king, Araunah gives to the king.” And Araunah said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” ²⁴ However, the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. ²⁵ David built there an altar to theLord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the Lord was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.

David had it in his heart to only give God the best.  And it was said about David that he was a man after God's own heart.  Just like God cared enough to send His very best - His Son, Jesus Christ, to die on a cross - so are we to give our best to Him.  Yet, how often do we just skirt the issue?  We give just enough.  We do just enough.  We go just enough.  On and on.  

Jesus said that our hearts are where we have placed our treasure (Matthew 6:21).  The choices we make in our lives reveal what is really in our hearts.  And the begging question is whether our hearts are in the right place with God to the point that we give Him our very best.  

Just like the widow who gave her 2 small coins, our very best does not have to outdo or measure up to or with someone else.  It must be OUR very best.  I cannot give your very best.  You cannot give my very best.  We each have our own responsibility.  Always remember . . .

GOD DESERVES OUR BEST.