It's about the Journey

I always marvel when I think about the way God does things. Why did He allow history to unfold for 4,000 years before He sent the Messiah? Why is history still unfolding 2,000 years after the Messiah? Why is there such a long process for everything? Why did Jesus come as a baby, grow up to be a man, & live on the earth 33 years? Why did He wait until age 30 to begin ministry?

It always boggles my mind how much God loves the process. Especially as Americans, we are always looking for the destination, the goal, the achievement, the success, etc. However, God loves the process. Life is not only about the destination; it's about the journey.

Many times we end up frustrated when we think we've arrived at some end goal & realize that it's not all it's cracked up to be. We need to realize, however, that life is about walking with God every step of the way no matter the circumstances. It is only then that we begin to see the journey of life as just a little speed bump in the long road of eternity that is designed to keep us connected to the Master of the Process.

Immanuel: God with Us

What an amazing thing it is that God became flesh & dwelt among us. It was prophesied by the prophet Isaiah that He would be called "Immanuel," which means "God with us" (Is. 7:14). How remarkable it is that God took on a human body & became a little baby (Mt. 1:23).

He became "God dwelling among us" in the flesh (Jn. 1). The disciples could touch Him, talk to Him, eat with Him, & laugh with Him--just like we can with our friends & family. It seemed His death would separate them from that reality.

However, before He died, Jesus promised that He would not leave his disciples as orphans but He would send the Helper who would not only dwell among us, but reside IN US. All who believe in Christ Jesus as their Lord & Savior have Jesus living inside them through the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we near Christmas day & the celebration of Jesus' birth, let us remember to celebrate "God with us"--the living, breathing, loving God who is with us right now. Thank you, Jesus!

They Loved the Praise of Men More than the Praise of God

While reading this morning in John 12, verses 42 & 43 jumped out at me, "Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue, for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God."

It is amazing that even though the Son of God was standing before them performing signs & wonders in a human frame, they did not confess him because of the fear of man. Upon reading this, my first reaction was to cry out in repentance for my own desire for the praise of man & to ask God to root that terrible thing out of my heart. I desire to live before His eyes alone.

My second reaction was to realize how much that longing in the human heart is going to corrupt men & cause them to fall away in the last days. In a public event recently, someone introduced a sermon by putting Jesus on the same level with Buddha, Allah, Hinduism, & Atheism. A clergymen followed the introduction with a sermon that did not correct that information or give any clarity as to who the true God is. That clergyman may have believed in Jesus as the one true God, but he did not stand up & say so in the eyes of the public.

This is terrifying, & the church is going to face this more & more as we near Christ's return. Anyone who does not claim Jesus Christ as the only Way, Truth, & the Life does not know Him or stand for the Truth. As preachers & ministers of the Gospel, we are held accountable when we allow the praise of man to hinder us from our confession. Lord, have mercy & purge us of the fear & praise of man so we can stand on Your truth in the eyes of the world. Amen.

His Gentleness Makes Us Great

I am so overwhelmed at how good God is, & His gentleness. So many times, we are so hard on ourselves & beat ourselves up for never getting anything right. We have these false expectations on ourselves that we can actually get things right. Yet, we are like little kids who are feeling our way through life, not really knowing how to do things. If we do something the wrong way, we beat ourselves up for it.

But a relationship with God is organic & growing. His laws concerning sin are set & we cannot transgress those, but many times, we treat ourselves like sinners for things that are not sin--we just don't know how to do something we think we should know how to do. Maybe we don't handle a relationship situation right, or we are fumbling through decisions concerning life direction or we handle situations a certain way that could have been done better. The Lord doesn't hate us for that, & He doesn't expect us to get it right. It's His gentle leadership that makes us great (Ps. 18:35), & every situation in our lives is designed to get us to talk to Him & ask Him questions. Life is a journey with Jesus. Amen.

The Alpha & Omega: Beginning & End

God is so glorious & faithful! It was amazing to read the entire Bible from "In the beginning" in Genesis 1 to "I am the Alpha & Omega" in Revelation--all in a matter of 4 days. I was forever marked by the fact that we read the Bible in 67 hours & 9 minutes. I know I will never be the same. My life has to change now.

It is amazing how the story of redemption runs through every single book of the Bible. God has always been faithful & the things He does are absolutely amazing. He never drops the ball. He never quits, and His story is the greatest in all the Ages!

Thank you Lord that you never leave us! Thank you that You are so faithful no matter what happens. It is possible to love You more everyday & what an adventure it is! Help us all to love you more & see you rightly, Lord. Oh how beautiful you are!

Bible Marathon: Day 3

Hello! Well, the 72 hr Bible Marathon has been alot faster than that. We are actually in I John 3 right now. We're almost to the end! I accidently overslept & missed alot of the New Testament--I went to sleep in Matthew & woke up in II Corinthians. Haha. I was dissappointed, but its ok. I needed the sleep.

This has been such a precious experience for me. The Holy Spirit has been visiting each one of us who has been doing this, and I think I love the Word of God & Jesus more today than I ever have in my life! He is so precious & He is such a gift to us. Thank you Jesus!

I will update you at the end. I want to be engaged for the Book of Revelation...

72hr Bible Marathon: Day 2

Good Morning!

It's Day 2 of the Bible Marathon & we are in Isaiah 34 right now. This has definitely been an impacting experience for me, & its not over. I am excited about today because we will be reading the Prophets all day long--until around 1am in the night.

I have always tried to read through the Bible--I don't know how many times I have set my heart to read Genesis to Revelation & I always get stuck in the Prophets. I don't think I have ever read all the way through Jeremiah, Lamentations, & Ezekial. I always get stuck there & can never get past it, but today I think I will do it.

Not that it is something to check off my list, but there is really a spirit of wisdom & revelation on this Bible reading (Eph. 1:17). It is amazing the things that are jumping off the page at us. I really want to understand the Word, & it is amazing how it makes so much more sense, when you see the Bible as a whole--what better way than reading it all the way through?!

Reading the Bible thru in 72hrs: Day 1

Today's adventure is a 72 hour Bible reading I am participating in. There is a group of us from the House of Prayer reading Genesis to Revelation straight through in 72 hours, & recording it. We are cutting out everything we can in our personal lives to read as much of the Bible as possible between 6pm Thursday to 6pm Sunday.

To do this, I am sleeping on a classroom floor for a few days. I have slept on many church floors all over the place, & every time I have a cry in my heart to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life (Ps. 27, 84).

The story of Samuel always come to me when I sleep in a place of the Lord. I always ask Him to come & speak to me as he did with young Samuel in I Samuel 3.

We started with Genesis 1 last night & we are in I Kings 2 now. Oh Lord, come & speak & increase our hunger for You!

From Friction to Fire

If you are like me, you are probably always wondering when the pressure is going to lift, when you can stop fighting, when the problems are going to cease, etc...If you are like many people, you may be bitter & angry at God for the injustices you see in the world.

Let me put a challenge to you though. Every single thing in our lives can either draw us closer to God or farther away--it depends on how we carry our hearts in the matter.

Sometimes God allows friction in our lives--like two sticks rubbing together that eventually combust into a flame. That flame turns into a fire that burns up everything in us. Then, we pick up the ashes, hand them to the Lord, and He turns them into beauty (Is. 61, Mk. 8:35).

Unfortunately, many times we abort the mission at the friction process & try to run away from the situation to relieve the tension. However, it is in the presence of our enemies that we find the banqueting table of fellowship with the Lord (Ps. 23).

I challenge you to begin to see every situation as an opportunity to grow closer to the Lord.

The Five-Fold Ministry: The Prophetic

All parts of the body function under the Head, who is Christ & they function in relation to one another, for the benefit of the body as a whole. Although each part is designed to function alongside the other, they rarely do. However, as the Lord prepares His bride for His return, He will restore the five-fold ministry, & the Bride will begin to prefer one another in love & humility--working together.

One of the most controversial & misunderstood roles in the body of Christ is the role of the prophet. In the five-fold ministry, there is an office of a prophet that has been vastly misused, misunderstood, & even neglected.

There are different types of prophetic ministry & prophetic roles, & everyone who has the Holy Spirit living in them is called to prophesy according to the description in I Cor. 14:3 where it says that prophesy is for edification, exhortation & comfort for the Body. Every person is called to do this, but there is also a specific place in the ministry of the church for the office of prophet.

A prophet receives revelation from the Lord & is meant to give vision or restore vision to the people. Many times, a prophet is used to call someone into apostolic ministry & implant or confirm a vision in them for the beginning of a new task or direction. However, the primary role of a prophetic voice is to call the people to return back to the original vision, & turn back to what God intended for them (repentance).

A prophetic voice restores holiness & the fear of the Lord element back into the church, calling them to turn when they are heading the wrong way, & encouraging them forward when they are headed the right way.

This person helps give vision & helps the apostles & teachers understand the times & seasons, & helps encourage them behind the scenes. A prophetic voice also works hand-in-hand with the teacher, who helps establish sound doctrine. These two balance each other out even though they are typically the most opposite personalities.

Most people whose primary gifting is prophetic are good at receiving revelation & seeing what is happening, but they are not always as good at interpreting & applying revelation. This is where team ministry comes into play with the apostles & teachers who can interpret & apply the revelation. Teachers are also typically better communicators than prophets & can more clearly shape the message for the average person to understand.

Lord, help your body to work together & function as a whole. We are so disjointed, Lord, but make us one in Your love.

The Five-Fold Ministry: The Teacher

In addition to apostle, pastor, & evangelist, the teacher is another role in the five-fold ministry. Many of these roles overlap, & many times a pastor also has a teaching gifting--as do others in the body. However, the primary function of a teacher is to establish sound doctrine & ground the body in the sound doctrine of the whole of Scripture.

An apostle primarily preaches the apostolic gospel of the death, burial, resurrection, & return of Christ. An evangelist preaches the salvation message, & a pastor focuses more on matters of an individual's heart. A teacher, however, systematically teaches the whole of Scripture to ensure that sound doctrine is established to balance all of the messages. The message of the teacher typically works hand-in-hand to balance the prophetic ministry which we will see in the next session.

Within the body of Christ, there are usually many people gifted in teaching & it is important to call them into that gifting & allow them to use it because many different perspectives & voices allow for a more thorough view of God. There are so many different aspects of the nature of God & each of us has a tiny picture, but the more voices released means a greater view of the whole nature of God.

Set Me as a Seal Upon Your Heart...

I am taking a break from the five-fold ministry series today to share something on my heart (athough this revelation is foundational to operating in the five-fold ministry).

There comes a point in love where it moves beyond the fulfillment of one's needs & becomes a mature love that is willing to do anything without receiving anything in return. This is unconditional love.

In the New Testament, many apostles referred to themselves as "bondservants" or "bondslaves." A bondslave was a slave who after 7 years of serving a master, made the decision to be bonded to his master for life--not only his life, but the lives of his children after him. This slave would be taken to the doorpost of a house & an awl would be driven through his ear. An earring would be placed in the hole & they would become a bond-slave for life. It was completely voluntary on the part of the slave, & it was the seal of a blood covenant.

Jesus was also called a bondservant (Phil. 2:7). He also entered into a blood covenant & was pierced in the flesh. Jesus called all who would follow Him to enter into this same blood covenant by taking up their cross & following Him (Mk 8).

In Song of Solomon 8:6, the Bride is coming up out of the wilderness after many trials of both favor & persecution. After going through a long process of purification, her love is brought into maturity & she is totally reliant on her Bridegroom--willing to follow Him anywhere & do anything for Him. She says, "Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; For love is as cruel as death, Jealousy as cruel as the grave..." She is asking for Him to mark her heart & her arm with a mark of unconditional love that will never be taken away--literally to take a hot branding iron & sear her flesh with an eternal mark of unconditional surrender.

The only way to enter into the unconditional love of Christ is to surrender to Him no matter what it looks like & ask Him to set His seal on your heart. Ask Him how to enter into this blood covenant with Him & to mark you for the point of no return.

The Five Fold Ministry: The Evangelist

One ministry role spoken of in Ephesians 4 is the role of the evangelist. An evangelist is a person with a God-given gift for winning people to Jesus Christ. Evangelists tend to be able to engage in conversations with total strangers easily & they find natural in-roads to preaching the gospel.

A difficulty of an evangelist is that they are typically very mobile & lead people to the Lord, but are not as gifted at discipleship. Many people tell the evangelist that they should disciple the people they lead to the Lord, but actually an evangelist should partner with someone who is pastoral & have them oversee the discipleship aspect. An apostolic person has the tendency to see the evangelistic gifting on a person & see the need for a church to be established because of the new converts. Then, the apostolic person also sees who has a pastoral calling & plugs the new believers into discipleship groups led by a pastoral person. The evangelist should keep evangelizing & utilize team ministry for the discipleship process.

Although an evangelist's primary role is to evangelize, they should also call the body of Christ as a whole into the task of evangelism. An evangelist must exhort, train, & teach others in the body to evangelize--even those who are not gifted in that area. Also, they should equip & encourage the body to receive the new believers & disciple them.

The Five-Fold Ministry: The Pastoral

In Ephesians 4, Paul begins by exhorting the body to walk worthy of the calling that God has over their lives by walking "with all lowliness & gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace..." He goes on in that chapter to speak of the five-fold ministry after stating that Christ first descended before He ascended, which is reminiscent of the humility in Philippians 2 & the seemingly foolish leadership of the Cross in I Corinthians 1 &2.

Paul was teaching that those operating in the five-fold ministry must walk in love, meekness, & humility in order to prefer one another & keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The pastoral role is one of the five-fold ministry gifts. The role of the pastor is to make disciples of Christ & to oversee the overall wholeness & well-being of those who have been brought into the church through salvation. After salvation, the pastor looks after the overall well-being of the person. I believe this may involve teaching & some of the deacon-type ministry (diakonos, see Acts 6:1-5). It may also include some of the bishop (overseer) role (see I Tim. 3). It also includes counseling, inner-healing, basic needs, & life instruction.

Each of the roles of the five-fold ministry may interlap in a person here & there, but the Lord created a five-fold ministry to balance the needs of the people over several different leaders so that one person is not burned out or trying to fill a role that they are not fully gifted in.

The problem is that with the current model of church in America, there is usually one person over the church who tries to fullfill the roles of each of the five-fold ministry. As a result, many people take to "church-hopping" because there may be a teacher at one church, a prophetic person at another church, an evangelist at another church, etc... (There is more to be said about the mentality of church-hopping, however, that is not the topic I am addressing at the moment.)

As a result, many pastors are over-worked & burnt out. However, the church was designed to be a body where each part is working together in submission to the Head, which is Christ. Not only should there be a five-fold ministry present in leadership, but also each member of the body should be activated in their giftings & should also contribute to the body as a whole. It takes humility & meekness between each person involved--especially in leadership, for this goal to be accomplished.

Read Ephesians 4 several times throughout this week of my teaching on the five-fold ministry.

The Five-Fold Ministry: The Apostolic

Recently, I have been thinking alot about the five-fold ministry. This term refers to the passage in Ephesians 4:11, "And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers..." Paul continues by listing the reasons for this five-fold ministry, "For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..."

Paul continues the rest of the passage speaking of how this ministry is to bring up the rest of the saints as a whole into maturity. He begins that chapter speaking on having meekness & humility toward one another.

I have been specifically thinking about the apostolic ministry--what it means to be an apostle. Something that has really stood out to me is that an apostle has the ability to see what needs to be done, notice the giftings on other people, & call them into the giftings that are on their lives.

The sad thing is that many use their apostolic gifting to build their own ministry & establish networks of churches under them that all answer to one person as the head. The true apostolic ministry, however, is to promote Christ as the head, and to promote the maturity of all believers--pushing & pulling others into the fullness of their calling so that the body can be mature as a whole.

Each part of the five-fold ministry is designed to help & aid the other part for the edification of the entire body of Christ. The apostolic helps to call each person into their piece of the puzzle.

Help us, Your body, to come into the fullness of all You have planned for us, Lord.

Staying Plugged In...

Most people try to live a good life in their own strength. They attempt to live a life of righteousness & display the fruits of the Spirit without the actual help of the Spirit. They are called "fruits of the Spirit" for a reason. True love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control can only come from a life in the Spirit.

The key is not focusing on the fruits, but focusing on staying plugged into the Vine. Jesus said in John 15 that if you abide (remain) in Him, He will remain in you & you will bear much fruit. However, if you do not remain in Him & abide in His love, you will be cut off.

Jesus said if we love Him, to obey His commandments (John 14:15). We cannot live a life of sin & expect to be abiding in His love. However, sometimes we are not living in sin & still cannot hear Him or feel Him. It is in those moments that we BELIEVE Him & what He said concerning His love for us. He will never leave us or forsake us, & He will reward those who diligently seek Him (Rom. 8:37-39; Heb. 13:5). He will come to us & visit us.