"The Love Of Most Will Grow Cold"...

     My soul has been in turmoil the last few days as I have witnessed a lack of kindness, tolerance and solicitude in the world. I say "in the world" because this insensitivity has ranged from my inner circle of friends to the public venue; across the secular internet and within the Body of Christ. It is truly as if people's hearts are "growing cold".
     But why should I be surprised? Jesus prophesies that this will happen in one of the most revealing chapters in the Bible, Matthew 24. After disclosing the general signs of the end of this age, and before He declares the sign of the "abomination that causes desolation", Jesus tells us that "You can expect to be persecuted, even killed; for you will be hated by all the nations because of your love for me. Then many will stop following me and fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another. And many lying prophets will arise, deceiving multitudes and leading them away from the path of truth. There will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness that those whose hearts once burned with passion for God and others will grow cold.  But keep your hope to the end and you will experience life and deliverance" (Matthew 24:9-13).

      I believe that this is a passage that is both relevant to the Disciples at that moment, as well as being a prophetic revelation to us in the 21st Century. It is not hard to look around and see how we Christians treat people unlike us; let alone how judgmental and condemning we can be towards fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. With the prevalence of online blogs [this one included], videos, internet ministries, and Christian media conglomerates, it is no wonder that Jesus warned us of the possibility of "lying prophets". As I have urged from the beginning, anyone reading this blog must never take my word as God's Truth. I always encourage readers to take what I share and have a discerning spirit about how it lines up with the Truth of God's Word in the Bible. I am still growing and maturing in my faith, so what I share is what I believe God is revealing to me in my spirit and by His Word ... at this time in my journey. I know that I am in a process; am being grown into the image of Christ, so growth and development is a part of the path I'm on. I do not expect everyone to agree with me, but I would hope that we could honor each other as heirs of the covenant of salvation through Jesus Christ.
     But I will tell you that I have received my share of hateful comments from fellow Christians, and have witnessed anything but love from my fellow believers whenever I have written on a subject that does not align with denominational doctrine or accepted tenets of modern Christianity. Furthermore, over the last couple of years I have witnessed a level of ungraciousness, disrespect, and outright cruelty from media outlets who hold themselves up as the bastion of Christian beliefs -- and the incivility has been towards other Christians! You have internet sites that run the range from offering diversified Christian resources from a charismatic/Pentecostal belief system to internet sites that hold to the Second London Baptist Confession (1689) and are unabashedly orthodox in their belief system. Needless to say, while reading articles on these sites I have often felt as if I was in the middle of a Pharisees and Saduccees debate -- all Law and no Grace!
     Yet I also take note that Jesus tells us the reason hearts that once burned with passion for God and [love for] others have grown cold is that "there will be such an increase of sin and lawlessness". My spirit discerns that He is not just talking about sin and lawlessness among unbelievers, but this iniquity will also abound in believers, due to the deception of "lying prophets" who lead believers away from the path of truth. 
     It is so easy to see this happening in our culture today. We have prominent and influential Christian singers who don't know what the Bible says about homosexuality. We have young college athletes who are being castigated over insensitive tweets made as a teenager. And, yes, we even have Supreme Court Justices who are paraded before the public over spurious charges about behavior decades old. And if nothing else, the media frenzy that followed in the wake of these three incidents should tell us that anyone of us is vulnerable to public scrutiny; and whether we sin by not doing something we should have [such as failing to help someone when we have the ability, or the Holy Spirit nudges us], or we sin by doing something we shouldn't have [such as adultery, molestation, pornography], we can expect to be persecuted in the public square. 
     What happened to compassion and mercy? And how is that to intersect with Truth and the Fear of God? And I'm addressing that question to Christians as much as I am secularists! There are those who want to advocate for loving people who make mistakes, while understating and diminishing the Truth. There are still others who think the Truth should be presented explicitly and uncompromisingly without the appropriate attitude of love. Are either one of these a complete picture of the attitude taken by Jesus? How are we to approach this problem we have in our culture of going too far in one direction? 
    Aren't we called to love others while standing for God's Truth and Principles? Can't we show kindness and mercy while still upholding a moral and Godly belief system? We don't have to condemn and judge when someone strays from the path; yet, we don't have to condone every unholy and sinful position in the world, calling it "grace and mercy". Jesus actually tells us in Matthew 24 that people will stop following Him and fall away; betray one another and hate one another. That's Believers He's talking about! We MUST hold fast to our first love and His ways! And we must disciple those who come to faith in Him! We are His representatives in the world, and if we don't know how to defend God's Principles and do it in a loving manner, then our hearts will grow cold and we will be unable to exhibit our Hope before the world. It is in this Christmas season that we tell the world our Hope was born. Our hearts are warm with sentimentality and love and peace towards others. May we seek to always keep our hearts this dedicated to God; never wavering from His Truths, but always presenting them in love. Do not be swayed by popular culture, social media, or even Christian websites. Let God's Word shine a light upon the path you are to take, and the world will be a kinder, gentler place.

1 Peter 3:15    "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as Holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect [reverance, fear]" 

Jesus Is Truly Our Hope

     I don't know of any better way to express the hope that Jesus represents for mankind than to share testimonies from the Ministry to which He has called me. To begin, I was pretty amazed at how quickly the calls started coming in when we returned from our vacation. It's so easy, when you're distracted with traveling and out of your routine, to become casual about the spiritual battle that is waging in people's lives. And it certainly seemed as if God has broadened our territory while we were gone!
     But these are a couple of stories that remind me that no matter whether you are dealing with people you know, or strangers you've never met, Satan repeats the same lying messages, just using different methods. Let me expand on that premise...
     I will call this man Benny; a middle-aged man who has been lost in the depths of hopelessness that comes with years of drug abuse -- methamphetamines, to be exact. In case you didn't know it, meth use has become an epidemic in this country, destroying the lives of countless individuals and families. It doesn't care what ethnicity you are; if you're rich or poor; young or old. Highly addictive, meth burns up the body’s resources, creating a devastating dependence that can only be relieved by taking more of the drug, leading to serious health conditions, including memory loss, aggression, psychotic behavior and potential heart and brain damage.

     It creates a false sense of happiness and well-being; creating counterfeit confidence in a life that has been decimated. Such was the case with Benny. He had mistreated his body for so many years, and nearly lost his family. When we were called to his older brother's home to assist in Benny's deliverance, we met his wife, who is an intelligent woman, very faithful, but firm in her stand that he could not come back into their home [with their two young daughters] until he dealt with his drug problems. Of course, Mark and I knew that at the root of this self-destruction was a spiritual issue from which Benny needed to receive divine healing.
      From the moment we met him, we could see his gentleness and his loving heart. He knew Jesus and believed in Him. But we could also sense the deep torment that was keeping him in bondage to the drugs. He gave us a short recap of what had brought him to this point... Nights of being tormented by a demon who was in his room, sitting on his chest, and then harassing him with taunts and accusations, inches from his face. When he decided to accept his brother's invitation for deliverance, he got in his truck to drive to his brother's residence. On the way, the demon tried to pull his hands off the steering wheel, started beating him about his head, and pulling his hair. By the time we arrived, he was nursing a bloody nose from the beating. His brother and wife were at the table and we let him talk for a few minutes to see if we could determine if he was really ready to let Jesus work in his life to set him free.
     It was obvious that he was suffering and did not want to continue this lifestyle, but the Enemy had such a strong hold on him through this drug. We had to discover what was at the root of it all. So we asked him when his life began spiraling out of control? What was the heaviest thing in his spiritual backpack that he'd been carrying around his whole life? Not surprisingly, he was at first reluctant to share anything that the devil had wrapped up in layers of guilt and shame, and after some prompting, he broke down and admitted he had been sexually molested as a teenager. How Jesus hates this sin! And it is so prevalent in our culture! I'm beginning to think that it is committed against our boys at a greater rate than our girls, and I strongly believe that this horrendous sin is what Jesus is referring to when he says, "If anyone causes one of these little ones [who believe in Me] to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea".
    This sexual molestation was the impetus for Benny's false belief system about himself; that he was worthless, dirty, no good, unworthy of love, condemned. It set the course of his life that led to bad decisions encouraged by the lies of the devil. But when we were able to help Benny forgive his molester and others who had harmed him; to break the ungodly soul and spirit ties with these individuals and the drug dealers who had helped him disguise the pain, then he was ready to hear how precious he was to Jesus. He experienced Jesus coming into that molestation event, walking him out of that memory, and disintegrating where it took place.
     We spoke life into a man who learned that he was so deeply loved by His Heavenly Father that he was worth the sacrifice of His own Son. Benny felt the power of the Holy Spirit when we laid hands on him and prayed. He heard the life-giving words that God had a purpose for his life and that his testimony could help set others free!
     Benny hung his head and wept, repeating "Thank you, Jesus!" several times. He now understood that Jesus died to give him victory over the drugs, and it is time to walk in that freedom and change his life. His wife reiterated that the victory was his and up to him to develop that relationship with Jesus and walk forward in freedom. It has been a week since we ministered to him, but we have received a report that Benny is calling family and friends and telling them, "Jesus set me free!!!" Hallelujah!
     The other story I want to share is of a woman I will call Karen. Karen was referred to us by a good friend; she was despondent and beaten down by her life circumstances. When I initially talked to her, I told her that we were not life counselors, and that we worked with Jesus to help people heal their inner wounds so that they could move forward in fulfilling the purposes of their lives. She was clearly unsaved and stated she wasn't against Jesus, but just wanted to try and get some "clarity about her life".

     I will be honest, I wasn't too sure we were the right people for the stage Karen was at in her life, but I always know that Jesus is the answer for everything, so we were willing to meet with her. We listened to her explain the deterioration of her life, her utter feelings of desolation, loneliness, and abandonment. Then we explained that Jesus wanted to set her free from all that "baggage" she was carrying around, but she had to desire a relationship with Him.
     Karen said she was interested in knowing more about Jesus but the idea of "church" was not inviting because the Christians she had met did not invoke the sense of "community" she was seeking. Mark and I were encouraged when she told us that she had once had a dream when Jesus came to her. She couldn't remember what He said to her, but she remembered the deep feeling of peace! I told her that's the Jesus we serve.  What's more, her story is not unique. Her circumstances describe nearly everyone we see... there are always incidents in people's lives that Satan uses to keep them in bondage to his lies.  Therefore, the advice we offered her is fitting for everyone to follow.
    We explained that our ministry is centered on a relationship with Jesus and He is the answer. We listened to her questions about the validity of other religions and explained that those gods are very real, but are lesser and inferior gods to the Most High God of the Bible; the One True [big "G"] God. We also explained that the spirit realm is very real, and there are real spirits of depression and abandonment that are trying to keep her separated from the love of Jesus [and that peace she felt in the dream]; they want to keep her from seeking the life He offers. We asked if she wanted to begin a relationship with Jesus and she said yes, so we led her in a prayer in which she asked Jesus to forgive her of her sin and to come into her heart to become her Savior. We explained the importance of Forgiveness and we recited the Lord's Prayer together. Karen then forgave those who have hurt and abandoned her, releasing them to Jesus. We prayed over her and she wept, repeating, "Help me, Jesus". I prayed that He would visit her again in a dream and give her new words to remember; that she would be in His Presence and know He is real. I told her this was the first step in her relationship with Him and it is a journey for the rest of her life. When she left our home she said she felt lighter, and that it felt like she had "come home". Nothing represents the calling of Jesus on one's life any better than that!
     I know that both Benny and Karen will be visiting us again. They both have made dramatic changes in their spiritual lives and the Enemy will try to lure them back in to bondage. I explained to both of them that they are a prize in a spiritual battle, and they can expect to encounter some of the same tactics of the devil. But they know Jesus is with them; they know the lies the devil uses and that they must fight to stay free. But, as always, it is a tremendous blessing to begin a session without hope, and then see the Beloved go home full of joy, with a new sense of their worth as a child of God. It is extremely humbling, and an honor and privilege to be considered worthy of being Jesus's ambassador. It is His power and authority, on loan to us, that allows us to hear the Holy Spirit's words of counsel as we guide people, one by one, into the Kingdom of God on earth. Thank you, Jesus! There is no greater work on this earth for me to do. I pray that mine and Mark's obedience and service continues to be pleasing in Your sight!

2 Corinthians 5:20    "We are ambassadors of the Anointed One who carry the message of Christ to the world, as though God were tenderly pleading with them directly through our lips. So we tenderly plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Turn back to God and be reconciled to Him".

The Interplay Between Our Soul, Spirit, and Heart

     I am almost ashamed to tell you that it has taken me 32 years of my faith life to begin to get a grasp on how my soul and spirit interact with my heart. I'm talking about really knowing how God designed me to work, and understanding how I can frustrate the process of sanctification that He began when I accepted Jesus as my Savior.
     First of all, it hasn't been that long that I have come to realize that my soul and my spirit are two different parts of me. In fact, there are two different words in the Hebrew Bible that represent soul (nephesh) and spirit (ruwach). And I'm pretty sure that there are a lot of Christians who still don't make that distinction. But now I am fully aware that my soul is comprised of my human mind, my human emotions, and my human will. I also have come to know that my spirit is that part of me that is the breath of God in me (Job 32:8) and the part of me that is made in the image of God. When we die, our physical bodies return to the dust of the ground, and our spirit returns to God, who gave it (Ecclesiastes 12:7).  Simply put, the soul is the human part of us; the life that we exist in -- and the spirit is the God part of us; the life-force, the "spark" of life at our creation. But they both interact with our heart.
     Now, what about the heart? Well, we all know that our heart is a part of our physical being; it is the organ that pumps blood throughout the body via the circulatory system, supplying oxygen and nutrients to the tissues and removing carbon dioxide and other wastes. But there is a spiritual component to our heart, too. It is actually where our belief system is seated; and how we relate to Jesus is determined by how our soul and spirit [independently] influence our heart. Let me show you how important this understanding is to the Christian life, and why it is paramount that those ministering in Inner Healing and Deliverance comprehend this "spiritual mechanic" in the lives of Christians.
     It is certain, from Scripture, that the state of our hearts is very important to God. We cannot come to faith without the involvement of our heart: For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God] ... (Romans 10:10). 
     Furthermore, whatever we allow in our heart will ultimately create the reality of what we experience in our life: So above all, guard the affections of your heart, for they affect all that you are. Pay attention to the welfare of your innermost being, for from there flows the wellspring of life; [the original and bountiful Source of our life] (Proverbs 4:23). And of course, there is the verse that says, For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7)

     Again, I want to consider how this works in the Christian life. Let's look at the heart as a gate between our soul and our spirit. If our soul consists of our mind, will and emotions, what do you think happens to our heart when we have issues of self-rejection or anger? Let's say the thoughts in your mind are always centered around "I'm ugly" or "I'm a failure" -- or you're always feeling anger towards your father who abused you physically or psychologically. Then the soul will infiltrate your heart [through that gateway] with a negative identity of who you are in Christ -- actually dump that negative image into your heart. 
     On the other hand, your spirit also communicates with your heart. And if your spirit has the knowledge that there is a scroll in heaven with your name written on it, and your spirit knows that this scroll details all the wonderful things you are going to do to represent God on the earth, then your heart can be filled [once again, through that gateway that intersects with your spirit] with a sense of your power and authority and your identity as a son or daughter of the King.
    But here's our dilemma as humans. Both the soul and the spirit are capable of feeding information into our heart and developing a belief system that is specific to us. The heart will process all that information and then the question becomes this: Which is stronger? Our soul or our spirit? If the soul [of a Christian who has a negative identity] is stronger than their spirit, then a Christian can still take in massive amounts of Scripture, repeat it without analyzing or comprehending it, and still be locked in that broken thought life. They may also be dealing with anxiety that he/she will be unmasked, often resulting in a religiously rigid believer who has mind knowledge of Jesus, but no heart relationship because the spirit part of them has been silenced. They have broken souls that have not been healed by the finished work of Jesus Christ.
     But if the spirit of a Christian is stronger than their soul, then they are able to hear more clearly from Jesus that those negative thoughts or messages are wrong; that's not who they are in Christ, and they know that their human mind needs to be renewed and those negative thoughts transformed from the lies of the Enemy to the Truth of God. IF our spirits are stronger, then God can reprogram our heart [through our spirit] without the soul being damaged or even involved. 
     So, how does that happen? How does our heart get reprogrammed and hear from Jesus? See if this makes sense. A person hears the Word of God and is convicted that they are in need of a Savior and recognize that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and their personal Savior. We are convicted of our need for Jesus, confess our faith in Him, repent of our sins, and the Holy Spirit is sent to seal the God-sized hole in our heart with Himself. He sits in the Holy of Holies, if you will, [of our heart] where Jesus hopes to dwell. When that happens, our own spirit is strengthened with the presence of the Holy Spirit and Jesus in our heart.
      But here's the thing ... Jesus comes to dwell in our hearts by faith in order to transform all those lies and negative messages; those messed up belief systems and wrong identities that have filtered into our heart. But we need to realize that this takes a lifetime -- it's a journey involving an ongoing work of sanctification and we have to partner with Jesus to subjugate or surrender our entire heart to Him and His Kingdom. 
    When we realize that our heart is the gateway to our soul and our spirit, then we can see why it is so important to God. Jesus wants to occupy our whole heart as His territory; claim it for His Kingdom. But guess what? Satan wants to lay claim to it for his kingdom, too!
     And here's what we Christians need to come to terms with --- Many of us spend a lifetime believing that Jesus is our Lord and Savior, and we get that hole in our heart sealed with the Holy Spirit. But we never take the journey throughout our lifetime to subjugate the rest of our heart. Some of us camp out in our religious belief system and never allow God to do the deep work in our heart. Our hearts will still contain the poisonous lies from the devil that produce wrong identities and false belief systems about who Christ is and what He can do in our lives. 
     But the saddest result of the un-surrendered heart? You can never fully comprehend the love of God. If your heart's territory is sharing space with the lies that come from your soul (mind, will, and emotions), then you are unable to receive the full measure of God's love. That's why Jesus says we are "to love the Lord your God with all your heart...". When our soul occupies more territory in our heart than our spirit, then there is less room for Jesus to dwell there and our connection with God is weaker. Your belief system becomes more carnal-based and less Spirit-led. Ultimately, the heart becomes a battleground, and it becomes more difficult to comprehend the very nature of God [and His love]. Even though a Christian has the Holy Spirit living in the Holy of Holies of his/her heart, it's as if the veil in the Old Testament Temple has never been rent, and there is still some form of separation -- that person's heart is not fully occupied by the Shekinah glory of the Father.
     None of us have that perfect "heart relationship" that Jesus enjoyed with the Father. But by becoming aware of the interplay of our soul and spirit with our heart, we can endeavor to come into a right relationship; one in which the overlay of our soul and spirit onto our heart results in a belief system that reflects our original design -- where our mind, will and emotions are focused on Christ's mind, will and emotions; and our spirit is engaged with Heaven and moving from glory to glory. This should be our goal of the highest priority: a lifetime of ongoing work towards sanctification of our heart ... a new heart, a clean heart, a pure heart that leads us into God's Holy Presence.

Psalm 84:5    How enriched are they who find their strength in the Lord; within their hearts are the highways of holiness!
      

     

Finding the Balance Between Grace and Accountability

     I just read a Facebook post by Steve Harmon, whom I would characterize as a modern-day Disciple of Jesus. He travels the world preaching, healing, and delivering, in the Name of Jesus. He doesn't quite fit the mold of conventional Christianity, but then Jesus wasn't easily categorized either. Anyway, Steve was making a statement about David Hogan, a friend and Pastor and President of Freedom Ministries. If you aren't familiar with David, he's about as unorthodox a Pastor as you will ever meet. To say that he is "rough around the edges" is to put it mildly. He can come across as coarse, crass, crude, and uncultured. His style of preaching can be quite abrasive and caustic. But I don't think I've ever heard a man more passionate about loving Jesus.
     Steve was commenting about David because he said he, himself, was struggling with David's approach to ministry, and found himself criticizing David's delivery. Now, if you are unfamiliar with David Hogan, let me tell you that he doesn't look or sound like any preacher you've ever heard. He's a Cajun from Louisiana and comes from a long line of men who preached the Gospel. But early in his life, David strayed from that path, hating the hypocrisy he found in the Church. So he rebelled and entered a life of hard living, drinking, gangs and violence. But this is how he describes his conversion: "You wanna know how awesome my life is? When you find the lowest, rejected and dejected human, and you can take 'em and pull 'em to you and love 'em... that's what Jesus did to me". His conversion birthed a burning passion for Christ in his heart, but it did not erase his distaste and disgust for hypocrisy in the Church.
     David Hogan is plain-spoken and not prone to sugar-coating his sermons. He will tell it like it is and doesn't care if he offends Christians. Here are some of his more straightforward pronouncements: "People need a Gospel THAT WORKS! ... Stop your unbelief and believe! ... How long is it gonna take? How many seminars for you to know Him? Jesus is King. That's as far as it goes. He is the power of the Gospel ... 'Manifesting' is a devil running into the Holy Spirit ... Heaven is for us. You need people who have the right to break down powers and principalities. You need Pioneers. You quote it [the Bible], and the demon will still beat you. SUCCESS is what WE are after! Who Jesus is, and who He is IN you - get an understanding about that!! ... I know that you have more theology than I do and you know more verses than me. But that's useless. Because it's about who Jesus is to you! ... Discipline, faith and availability can go a long way especially with Holy Ghost powers". You get the idea; not exactly material from the ready-made sermons you can find online.
     But I'm not here to praise or condemn David Hogan. You need to listen to his sermons yourself and determine if he speaks Truth, and if you want to hear more. What I do want to address is the readiness of some Christians to define a message by its level of sensitivity, or who have a "grace standard" that must be met before they discern a fellow Christian's heart.
     Steve Harmon said it best when he revealed his thoughts about David Hogan: "This guy doesn't know love. He sounds mean." Then the Lord told Steve, ""You have no idea how much that man loves, do you?" That is the essence of this post. Is how we love with our words the only measure of how much we love God or others? I will admit it is much easier to accept a word of discipline or rebuke when it is spoken in soft tones and endearing phrases. But don't we need to take it a step further and look at the results of this type of "love delivery"? Did it produce the desired results? Did the recipients of this type of "love language" bear fruit for God and His Kingdom? I know that there are people whose hearts are moved by such words of grace and encouragement, and they are inspired to become effective ambassadors for the Kingdom. That was the word they needed to start walking out their faith!

     But I also know that there are people who are unmoved by the softer touch and who respond to the challenge of looking in the mirror. But should we simply give lip service to "grace" and "love" as the only way we are to address our fellow Christians about our accountability to God? Aren't we to discern if there is fruit from their efforts? Sometimes, I think we are too quick to judge others whose passion and love for God are expressed in strong terms as being "insensitive, hard-hearted, and unkind"; definitely not exhibiting Jesus-like qualities. Perhaps we should look to see if their actions back up their stricter language.
     I have known men of God who fit both descriptions... one man will endeavor to show grace and mercy in all situations, hesitant to speak a word of judgment or analysis; careful to show the compassion and everlasting love of Christ to those in his sphere of influence. Another man equally loves the Lord, but is unafraid to challenge his fellow Christians to walk in the ways of the Lord, at all costs. He is not as concerned about offending someone as he is about influencing the Body of Christ to walk in Jesus's footsteps.
     When I look at the culture of Christianity today, I sometimes wonder if we wouldn't be better off if we had a Jonathan Edwards or George Whitefield among our prominent clergy. I'm not saying we have to become hyper-religious and abandon all grace and mercy. But if God is going to judge our effectiveness for His Kingdom by the fruit of our actions then the state of the family, our acceptance of abortion as the law of the land, the gender confusion among our children, and the lack of moral standards in our government might suggest that a little stricter approach would be worthy of our consideration.
      Have we let the culture of "political correctness" in our society infiltrate our Church culture? Have we let the "Age of Grace" restrict our ability to be honest and tell the truth? Are we so afraid to offend that we are willing to extend only love ... and not to teach, rebuke, correct and train in love? I like how Steve Harmon closed his conversation about David Hogan's style of preaching ... "Many love with their words, but David loves with his actions. I started thinking how much people give lip service and talk or write about love, but when it comes to actually backing it up with their actions, the numbers drastically wear thin. David gives his everything to help and rescue people and give them Jesus. He puts his life in danger for others regularly [through his missionary field in Mexico], something that most Christians are not ready to do. Love is when you make people more important than yourself by showing it in sacrificial action. Love must cost something of you. It's where you are willing to lose something that you may never get back to benefit another person".
     This fits rather nicely with the words from a sermon by George Whitefield, the most popular preacher of the Evangelical Revival in Great Britain and the Great Awakening in America: "But he is unworthy [of] the name of a minister of the Gospel of Peace, who is unwilling, to have his name cast out as evil, but also to die for the Truth of Jesus Christ" and "It is a poor sermon that gives no offense; that neither makes the hearer displeased with himself nor with the preacher".
     I am not advocating that we Christians stop showing the love of Christ through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. But sometimes the gentle approach doesn't always move a person to make a decision for Christ. Jesus, Himself, often chastised His Disciples for not getting it! This passage in Luke, Chapter 17, shows the heart of our Lord when it comes to our fellow Believers: So be alert to your brother’s condition, and if you see him going the wrong direction, cry out and correct him. If there is true repentance on his part, forgive him. Here we see the fullness of our love for our fellow Christians.

     On Judgment Day we will have to give an account for every careless word we speak. But it can be just as careless to mollify and placate the Body of Christ with words that don't call them to account, as it can be to chastise and rebuke without love.  So, yes, we are to restore each other in gentleness of spirit, but we are also told in Scripture that "iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another". The last time I looked, there is nothing gentle or soft about iron. In the end, I just want us to be careful about passing judgment on the messenger of God's Word. God can use both the gentle and the sharp man to reconcile us to Himself. Today, the Body of Christ needs both a Bill Johnson and a David Hogan. God's love is both a soothing balm and a fiery energy. As the Lord told Steve Harmon, "You have no idea how much that man loves, do  you?" The truth is, we can't know another man's heart, but we can look at his actions and his fruit ... and then accept all those whom the Lord has called.

Jeremiah 17:10     But I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.
      

God Never Loses Sight Of Us!

     God is SO good! His ways never cease to amaze me! Do you remember my testimony around last Christmas about the woman I met in the Walmart parking lot? If you've heard the story, I hope you will take the time to read it again. You can never hear about the Goodness of God too many times. Here's a quick synopsis....
     As Mark and I approached the exit of a crowded Walmart at Christmastime, there was a woman ahead of me, obviously in pain, and moving very slowly. Although we were ready to get out of the rush, I got a clear prompting from the Holy Spirit ... "You are not going to walk past this woman."  We waited for her to clear the final door, and once in the parking lot, I approached her and asked if she was having trouble walking because of knee pain.  She told us that her right knee was swollen because she'd recently had that hip replaced. She was supposed to have the left hip replaced, too, but Hurricane Harvey caused a delay, and now she is displaced, waiting for her house to be repaired so she can move back in.  I asked her if we could pray for her knee pain, and she was enthusiastic in her approval, "Yes! I would love that!"

      I laid hands on her knee, prayed and asked if the pain was gone.  She said it was better, and we said, "Then, let's go after it again!" We continued to pray, laying hands on her, and releasing the power of the Holy Spirit against the spirit of pain in her knee.  We looked up and tears were running down her face.  Mark asked her why she was crying, and if those were tears of pain or joy.  She said, "Who are you people?"  We said, "Just followers of Jesus, doing what He has asked us to do, and what we are called to do".  She replied, "I have felt so distant from God for too long.  And He has sent me several people this week to remind me that He is still present in my life".  And the tears began flowing even more steadily.
     Mark asked her why she felt God was so far away, and she replied that she was the one who had pulled away.  So we held her hands and prayed that her relationship with Jesus would be restored and she would know how much He loves her and desires to rekindle the fire that once invaded her heart.  We asked her if she had received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, and she said she had; that she had received the gift of tongues, but had lost it. We asked if she wanted it back, and she said, "Oh, God, yes!" So Mark prayed over her, calling for more of the Holy Spirit, and she prayed along with us, but nothing happened.  We reassured her that if she wanted it, all she had to do was keep on asking for it.  It is the Father's desire to restore her to fullness.  She said, "I know this, y'all! I know this!  My daddy was a Pentecostal preacher and I should know this!"
     We asked what happened to her that she had abandoned her faith.  She struggled for an answer, finally saying that things had just happened in her life.  We asked who she needed to forgive, and the answer finally came out ... herself.  So we led her in a prayer asking Jesus to help her forgive herself, as He has forgiven her.
      That woman's name was Tracy and I have often thought about her, prayed for her, and shared her story as part of my testimony of how God can use us to reach others for His Kingdom. She has never been far from my heart. And then just this past Sunday, Mark and I were exiting that same Walmart and there she was! Only this time she wasn't just limping in pain. She was unable to walk because of  severe pain and was riding in a cart. Mark recognized her first and then she realized who we were. She was surprised that I remembered her name, and proceeded to tell us that she and her husband were still displaced from their home and she still needed the hip replacement surgery.
     I will tell you that it was evident that she is of an economic class that will probably never recover from that devastating hurricane, and will find it difficult to get established anywhere so she can qualify for that second hip replacement. But she was just as enthusiastic for prayer as when we first met her! But this time, she asked if we would pray for her husband who has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition, and his medications are not stabilizing him. She led us to their car and we laid hands on him and prayed. They were the most precious couple who just needed to know that God is still near, even though the outward signs were telling them otherwise.
     We explained that we did more than minister for physical pain, but worked with Jesus to heal emotional and spiritual pain, too. Then Mark turned to Tracy and said, "We all carry things around in a spiritual backpack; those things that we keep tucked away, hoping that no one sees them, and by keeping them out of sight, praying that we can control how they affect us. What is the one thing that weighs the heaviest in your backpack"? Tracy blinked a couple of times, and you could see something crossing her face. She stammered around, and finally Mark asked her, ""Is it a molestation as a child"? Her eyes opened wide and she just shook her head, "Yes".
     We explained that this is a recurring sin perpetrated against those who show up at our ministry table. And we emphasized that it both saddened and angered the Lord. I truly believe this is the impetus for Jesus's statement in Matthew 18:6, But if anyone abuses [scandalizes, puts a stumbling block, offends, or causes to sin] these little ones who believe in Me, it would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment he deserves!
     But we invited her and her husband to come see us and let us minister to their spiritual and physical needs/healing. And as we prayed for her to be set free from the memories of the past and her current physical infirmities, I saw Jesus [in my spirit] whispering to tell her that the fact that we ran into her a second time was proof of how important she was to Him -- that He had never taken His eyes off her and never would! It was a powerful affirmation that He had neither abandoned her nor forgotten about her. And He has the same message for each one of us!
     I don't know the end of Tracy's story, or even if she will find the way to come to us for ministry. But I do know this... we are each precious in His sight, and the words of Psalm 139 make that very clear:  Lord, You know everything there is to know about me ... It's impossible to disappear from You ... Every single moment, You are thinking of me! 
     I have a feeling that our paths are going to continue to cross with Tracy's until she is able to step into His embrace. And it would be our humble honor to be the ones He uses to bring her back home. This story isn't over!

Psalm 139:24     "See if there is any path of pain I’m walking on, and lead me back to Your glorious, everlasting ways—the path that brings me back to You".  

Venom Within The Church: They Should Be Ashamed!

     The news of the wildfires in California are capturing headlines across the internet and news outlets, and the conflagration known as the Carr Wildfire has devastated northern California, targeting the town of Redding, where Bethel Church is located. If you are not familiar with Bethel and the Lead Pastor, Bill Johnson, I think it is safe to say that mainstream and religious Christianity do not quite welcome them into the Family of God with open arms.
     Those who do not believe that the signs and wonders, and the miracle healings that accompanied the First Century Church are for today do not subscribe to the belief system that defines Bethel Church. There is something about proclaiming the promises of Jesus [that those who believe in Him will do the same things He did and even greater] that does not set well with the Pharisees of today.
     You see, Bethel believes in the full healing properties of Jesus's ministry. They believe that when we receive the promise that "by His stripes we are healed", it is in the full sense of that word healed; namely, we are saved, delivered, healed, rescued, and made whole. And they aren't afraid to walk out what Jesus modeled for us, or to obey Jesus's commission to His disciples: to heal the sick, cast out demons, cleanse the lepers (the spiritually and physically unclean), and raise the dead; all-the-while sharing the good news that Jesus has brought heaven's power to earth.
     But just as in Jesus's day, the hyper-religious are threatened by this freedom and power to walk as Jesus walked. I have become increasingly saddened -- and yes, even alarmed -- at the vitriol and hatred that comes from the Pulpit & Pen crowd. And, in case you are unfamiliar with them, according to the definition on their own website, Pulpit and Pen (heretofore, to be referred to as P&P) are "Baptists, [who] most – but not all – hold to the five points of Calvinism. All contributors hold other similar convictions, including a belief in the Scripture’s inerrancy, young-Earth creationism, Biblical manhood and womanhood, and a general detestation of skinny jeans". Right off the bat, you get a taste of their sarcastic judgmentalism.
     Their campaign against Beth Moore and other evangelists they deem "too liberal" caused me to quit going to their site over a year ago. But when googling information of the Carr Fire and the effects on the town of Redding and Bethel Church, I came across an article that I felt needed to be addressed. The sarcasm -- and I hate to say it -- the downright glee with which this website saw the fire as God's justice due against Bethel Church disturbs me.
     Is the Body of Christ a family or not? Do our differences in theology and doctrine give us license to gloat over the misfortune of our fellow heirs of salvation? Some of the, frankly, unloving points made in this article were shocking. P&P goes way beyond their usual method of calling Bethel a "charimastic cult", and resorts to such cheap shots as the following: "Bethel’s Facebook page asks for prayer to save Redding. In it, the group acknowledges that God is sovereign and in control over the rain and the weather (this seems to contradict Johnson’s message that God has surrendered his authority on the Earth to his people). Ironically, Bethel Church has been praying for “the fire” to fall on them for many years, a charismatic expression that is biblically linked to judgment far more than blessings". Sounds like wishful thinking on the staff of Pen & Pulpit to me. Can they not simply do what Bethel asks, and offer up prayer for the town of Redding, without excoriating the Pastor?
     First of all, let me say this.... I listened to the snippet of Bill Johnson's sermon on YouTube (available here) from which P&P make their erroneous charge that Johnson declared God had surrendered His authority on Earth to His people. Here's what Johnson actually said: "God has created a system where humanity gets to live, and through partnership we get to demonstrate and manifest the dominion of God in the earth. He comes at our invitation because He has released the dominion to us. That's why prayer is so essential".
     If you're able to use your discernment, I'm hoping that you realize the difference between "surrendering God's authority" and "releasing the dominion of God". A simple exegesis of those two words reveal that surrender means "give up, yield, relinquish", while release means "make available, put at someone's disposal, set free". Bill Johnson did not say God gave up His authority on Earth to man; but, rather, said God put His government on Earth at the disposal of man through partnership in prayer. That is a different, yet Scripturally valid theology that P&P just can't seem to understand. But when you practice your theology like a Pharisee, then it's easy to make a value judgment against someone else's belief system, based on one’s own assumed secure position.
     I want to be clear. I do not disagree with everything that the writers at Pulpit & Pen put forth on their website. As fellow Christians and members of the Body of Christ, there is much we agree on.... that there is One True God; a Holy Trinity; Jesus Christ is God, the Living Word, Who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth; the death, resurrection and ascension of Christ to sit at the right hand of the throne of God; salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior --- all of which are the foundations of the Christian faith. They are my Brothers and Sisters in Christ, and I will never denounce their faith. I may disagree with aspects of their theology, but I will never question their love of the Lord, nor accuse them of heresy.
     But I have a problem when one group of Christians appears determined to destroy another; when theological differences become grounds for insults, slander, and outright distortion and misrepresentation. That is exactly what the religious Pharisees did to Jesus. And, interestingly enough, the two main issues they had with Jesus are the same issues the hyper-religious of today have with those who seek to resemble Jesus in their walk: 1) the Pharisees objected to Jesus aligning Himself with God. Today's hyper-religious Christians object to a kind of relationship with the Father that believes that the supernatural God who empowered Jesus desires the same supernatural relationship with us, and 2) the Pharisees objected to Jesus's relationship with men and His willingness to love the unaccepted of society. Today's Pharisees object to our desire to love all men, even sinners who practice what God detests. It does not mean that we approve of their sin, but that through a partnership with God and the Holy Spirit, we can heal them with the love of the Father; physically and spiritually -- just like Jesus did.
     I actually feel sad for these people who love Jesus, but are unable [and unwilling] to see how much God wants to work with His people to see all men experience His love. I think it is their inability to see Jesus, Holy Spirit and the Father at work in churches and believers like Bethel that keeps them blinded to how big our God is. And when that blindness leads to accusations of blasphemy, heresy, and anti-Christ behavior, then it borders on the denial of God's power in the world today.

Tweet by Kris Valloton, Senior Associate Leader at Bethel

     But the saddest and most egregious aspect of P&P's conduct is their lack of compassion and love for fellow Christians who are hurting. To stoop to mocking and ridiculing Bethel and their Pastor and presenting false accusations that Bethel is only interested in their self-preservation, rather than offering prayer and support to strengthen their Brothers and Sisters in Christ, is not the image of Christ that I seek to model. In fact, no word of support was offered to the Bethel community. The website also offered a link to a satirical article, claiming Bill Johnson accepted full responsibility for the fire because of his theology. That is hate, not love, and I find myself asking, "Is this representative of the state of their "Christian" hearts"?
     The last line of the article read, "In the meantime, the people of Riverside and Shasta Counties need our prayers and support", followed by tips pointing to Red Cross for evacuation and donation information.  Apparently that request for prayer excludes Bethel and their people. But perhaps the height of hypocrisy for this super-religious group of Christians was that the author of the article on Bethel and the Carr fire didn't even have the courage to sign his name. It is written under the authorship of "the News Division". That is cowardly.
     In summation, I do not expect that my words will count for anything to those who are determined to follow their own reasoning in this matter. And whether you agree or disagree with Bethel Church and its theology, I would hope that, as sons and daughters of a God who loved us so much that He sacrificed His Son for us, we could offer the same grace, mercy and compassion that has been given to us by the same God we all profess to love, follow, and obey. Pulpit & Pen's actions should not be how we treat fellow believers. And oh, how it must grieve our Father. So, forgive them, Father, and I pray for them to receive renewed minds and hearts that reflect You. Let us love one another and not persecute each other. And for God's sake, let us be willing to offer words of comfort and strength in time of need! Amen!

Psalm 140:3         They are known for their sharp rhetoric of poisonous, hateful words. Pause in His presence.

The Reckless Love Of God

     Do you ever have those days where it seems God brings things together and you get that fleeting glimpse of the reality of Heaven on earth? For me, it was the convergence of several things that touched my heart and with which I was familiar, but they all came together in a flood of spirit consciousness of God's Goodness. I know that probably doesn't make much sense, but I honestly don't have the words to give this awareness its due. So let me just tell you how my day went....
     It began with a Sabbath morning of worship. I am able to stream worship music from Bethel and Hillsong on my TV, so I spent the morning cleaning my house (and my soul) to the sounds of worship changing the atmosphere in my home and my heart. And I'm sure most of you are familiar with the award winning song, "The Reckless Love of God" by Cory Asbury. I heard it that morning, and the lyrics washed over me .... Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine...
     For some reason, the tears that always come with that song were even more heart-rending than usual. Why, I wondered? As the day unfolded, it would become apparent. Mark and I were to spend the day with his parents, sister, and our niece -- always something we look forward to. And Mark had it on his heart to share the 2014 Darren Wilson film "Holy Ghost" with our niece, Kaylee, who has such a heart for Jesus (and is even writing her own blog about what faith looks like for a Millennial).
     As we suspected, she was unfamiliar with this innovative -- and let's face it -- risky film. It's not exactly the kind of message that mainstream Christian churches embrace or even seek. Directed by film-maker Darren Wilson, the purpose of the film is unashamedly provocative: to prove the presence of God is real. And we hear Darren proclaim at the beginning of the film, "I wanna take the greatest risk possible as a filmmaker, to make a movie that is completely led by the Holy Spirit… just show up wherever he leads me, find the adventure, and make God famous".
     So, we got our chance to suggest that we sit down, as a family, and watch one segment of the film, hoping to open up a discussion of God's immense ability to love. If you are unfamiliar with the film, there is a portion that focuses on the heavy metal band, Korn, and two of its members, Brian "Head" Welch and Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu. They give their testimonies of years of drugs and anti-God living, and their "lostness". But then they tell of how Jesus chased them down, and changed them forever. The film then goes on to show them accompanying radical evangelist Todd White (a former atheist and 22-year drug abuser, himself) among the crowds of fans to share a simple Gospel message of Jesus loving them and wanting to heal them, both physically and spiritually.
    And here's where we had the opportunity to have a discussion with our family. How did they feel about these band members continuing to sing in the band Korn; singing lyrics that are obviously offensive and vulgar by society's standards? How does it coincide with their faith in Jesus? Can the two exist simultaneously? It was Kaylee's understanding I was most interested in, because she is the next generation to carry the Kingdom message forward. Would she get it?
     She did! She saw that this particular segment of the population needed to hear about Jesus, see the miracles He had done in the lives of the band members, and be presented with a new way to live. Even my seventy-something in-laws recognized that the tattooed, heavy-metal crowd would never be willing to hear about Jesus from us. But, those band members could reach them with the life-giving message of Jesus and they would listen! As I told them, "Do I wish they would change their music, get rid of the f-word and other offensive language, and sing more wholesome songs"? Of course! But then they would lose their influence over the people who come to see them and like that form of music.
     And here's an interesting fact: in 2005, Korn's management announced that after almost 12 years with the band, Brian Welch had left Korn, citing that he had "...chosen the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end." In addition, as a single father he did not want to raise his daughter in an environment filled with drugs, sex, and explicit language.  But after nearly eight years apart from the band, Welch says God told him to reunite with the band; he had a mission field he could sow into. He resisted, not wanting to return to the environment that fueled his depraved life. But he knew his victory was in Christ and there was no doubt that this mission field abounded with opportunities to bring lost sheep into the fold. 
     The bottom line is this: Does this style of the Gospel Message of the Kingdom offend mainstream Christianity? You bet it does! But isn't this picture similar to the reaction of the Pharisees, who objected to Jesus's style and message because it didn't align with their image of what religion was supposed to look like? Wasn't Jesus's method of showing the Father to the masses just as radical as using a heavy-metal band to present Him to those who would otherwise never hear of Him? Remember, the Bible tells us we are not to judge a Believer's heart, but we can judge their fruit for the Kingdom. And those band members are producing fruit among those fans that you and I could never reach.
     So, remember how my day started, with the emotion of the song "The Reckless Love of God"? Well, those lyrics haunted me all day, and I found myself singing them over and over in my mind... Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine... Just like the Parable of the Lost Lamb in Luke 15, aren't these heavy metal lovers just like the lost lamb that Jesus would leave the ninety-nine Church-goers to chase down and fight for?
    But let me let Cory Asbury, the writer of "The Reckless Love of God" explain it better than me. In his own words he wrote, "When I used the phrase, 'the reckless love of God,' when we say it, we're not saying that God Himself is reckless, He's not crazy. We are, however, saying that the way He loves, is in many regards, quite so. But what I mean is this: He's utterly unconcerned with the consequences of His own actions with regard to His own safety, comfort and well-being. ... He doesn't wonder what He'll gain or lose by putting Himself on the line, He simply puts Himself out there on the off-chance that you and I might look back at Him and give Him that love in return. His love leaves the ninety nine to find the one every time, and to many practical adults that's a foolish concept. Well, what if He loses the ninety nine in finding the one, right? What if, finding that one lost sheep is and always will be supremely important"?
     Now, let's let Jesus express Himself: “There once was a shepherd with a hundred lambs, but one of his lambs wandered away and was lost. So the shepherd left the ninety-nine lambs out in the open field and searched in the wilderness for that one lost lamb. He didn’t stop until he finally found it. With exuberant joy he raised it up and placed it on his shoulders, carrying it back with cheerful delight! Returning home, he called all his friends and neighbors together and said, ‘Let’s have a party! Come and celebrate with me the return of my lost lamb. It wandered away, but I found it and brought it home.’”
     Jesus continued, “In the same way, there will be a glorious celebration in heaven over the rescue of one lost sinner who repents, comes back home, and returns to the fold—more so than for all the righteous people who never strayed away.”
     Can you see Him celebrating each and every heavy metal fan that turns from the dark side of that music genre to run to His arms? Have they wandered away? Yes. Does He want to work with us to find them and bring them home? Absolutely! And He has a willing partner with Brian Welch. Praise Him for not abandoning them and for sending Welch into their midst. Let us rejoice, for there is a glorious celebration in heaven! 
     So, there it is.... God speaking to me in a day that started with a song, which led to a movie, which led me back to Scripture, which ended up back at the song ... Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God. Oh, it chases me down, fights til I'm found, leaves the ninety-nine... A perfect circle of His love. He never stops pursuing the one who is lost.
     Father, may I never judge the methods and the ways You use to reach the lost lambs of this world. Instead let me lift up those in the Body of Christ who are reaching souls I could never influence, and may we learn to love our differences as we praise You for bringing us to unity in our shared faith. You've created us to walk in different lanes and paths, but all with the shared goal to reach the world for You. You paid it all for each and every one of us. Was that reckless in that You had no concern for what it would cost You, but were only devoted to what we would gain? Yes! And on behalf of all the "one lambs" You came after, I bow before You!

James 5:19-20   Finally, as members of God’s beloved family, we must go after the one who wanders from the truth and bring him back. For the one who restores the sinning believer back to God from the error of his way, gives back to his soul life from the dead, and covers over countless sins by their demonstration of love!

Memorial Day: A New Appreciation

     This is the long weekend that we Americans mark as a time of remembrance and recognition of military service to our country. We have a long tradition in our nation's history of honoring those who have fought and died to secure our freedoms. Memorial Day originated in the years after the Civil War to honor the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in battle and was known as Decoration Day, when the graves of the dead were decorated with flowers. After World War I, however, the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress, and graves are now decorated with American flags, and recognition of service is now extended to all our military, both living and deceased.
     I wanted to take the time this year to share my new perspective on this national holiday. As I've written before, I am the proud daughter of a World War II veteran, who enlisted in the Navy at the age of 17 (with parental consent) after Pearl Harbor. He served in the Pacific as a tail-gunner in the Lockheed PV Ventura, a low-level bomber. He was always proud of his service, though he didn't share any of his experiences; typical of that generation. I have always viewed Memorial Day as an opportunity to honor him and the men and women who have volunteered to serve in every war since.
    But this past year has brought newfound appreciation for what this day should mean to all of us. You see, this past year I had the honor to serve on a team with extraordinary women veterans as part of a Christian Warriors Retreat. These women included veterans from the Gulf War (Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm) and the ongoing War on Terror (Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom). The retreat involved older veterans mentoring younger veterans, and covered all branches of the military. While they shared an identity as combat veterans, these women were seeking a common bond in their identity as Daughters of Christ. And I witnessed both the struggles and the victories of that co-mingling of identities in my Sisters.
     As non-military (I served as a Team Leader and Assistant Spiritual Director), I could not relate to their military experiences, but I could sympathize with them as women. Everything that the Enemy of this world has crafted against women to kill, steal, or destroy the beauty and magnificence of who God created them to be is intensified in the military. I will not share specific testimonies, but I will tell you that although PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) has become a term relegated to the military, it is a spiritual attack on anyone who has suffered a traumatic event and is in need of Jesus's saving healing and deliverance. As one of our female veterans exclaimed, "Pain is pain is pain!" She was making the point that we all suffer from the devil's attacks on our lives and these women needed to recognize that they had a higher identity than their military service. That's not to say that they shouldn't be proud of [or acknowledged for] their service, but that whatever their life's history, inside or outside of the military, their identity as the Bride of Christ was a truer identity.
     I cannot tell you how my enduring relationships with these amazing women has changed my life. As I think about the people across this country celebrating Memorial Day, I honor these brave women who have done extraordinary things for our country, and I am blessed with the richness of their friendships, grounded in a Sisterhood of growing love and obedience to our Savior. And as I contemplate their impact on my life, I am struck by two concepts: the constant use of "remembrance" in the Bible; and the history of women warriors in the Bible that saved the nation of Israel. 
     The Hebrew word for "remembrance" is Zakar.  It means to "remember; think of; mention".  We see it in the Bible passages in the Old Testament: God remembered Noah.... God remembered Abraham... I (God) have remembered My covenant.... remember the Sabbath Day... remember His marvelous works.  Then there is the Hebrew word for memorial, which is Zikrown; a memorable thing, day, or writing. It should be obvious that remembering and memorials are important to God: for instance, after crossing the River Jordan into the Promised Land, God instructed the Israelites to build a memorial to what He had done for them. 
     Today and this weekend, it is important to remember what God has done in our lives; the people whom He has worked through in our lives; the experiences He has brought us through --- when these remembrances are shared among the brethren, it builds our faith, just as God intended those ancient memorials to do. And that is exactly what I have experienced this past year with my Sisterhood of women warriors.
     Just like the Biblical heroine Deborah, these women military veterans are leaders. Although Deborah is most often understood to have been a Judge among the nation of Israel, it didn't mean the same as it does now. In the Bible, a "judge" was a tribal leader who, in times of peace had the authority to settle disputes. And in times of war, they were the rallying point to gather the tribes and organize resistance. Judges were seen as "God's people" and their gender was unimportant.
     That is exactly how I see this Sisterhood of veterans. All these women walk in their authority as Disciples of Jesus. They walk as leaders who know their true identities, and they are growing into a viable rallying point in their families and communities to organize resistance against the devil. They know who their real Enemy is, and it is not in some foreign land. They also know whose Army they fight in, and under whose flag they march. Although I have never taken the oath of allegiance to our nation as they have, we have all taken an oath to serve our Mighty King and march behind the flag of Jehovah Nissi, the banner that is our rallying point for the power of God to destroy the Kingdom of darkness.
     So, this Memorial Day, I am reminded of the respect [I have always felt] for those who have fought in our nation's historical wars. I honor the sacrifices that have been made and I vow to always remember what my freedom in this world has cost the men and women who answered the call to serve. But this Memorial Day is different from last year's. This year, I have a newfound awareness of what the Biblical and heavenly perspective of this day has for me. I am deeply honored to be in the company of men and women who embody this world's identification of "soldier", but more importantly, they manifest the character, discipline, loyalty, and obedience of a spiritual warrior in God's army. Although I have centered this blog post around my experiences with these amazing female veterans, the founder of Christian Warrior's Retreat is a man that I greatly admire; he has a heart to serve God and share the restoration that the love of Christ brought to his life. Because of that saving grace of God in his life, I reaped the benefits of serving on the first female veteran retreat.
     So, I want to thank the Lord for creating these Divine appointments in my life. I am blessed and favored beyond description. And I have found a Sisterhood that lifts me, inspires me, supports me, teaches me, and loves me. I thank you all for your service to our nation and to God's Kingdom! 

To Nick and his wife Nicki; to Valerie, Molly, Cathy, Gloria, Mary, Dona, Sherrae, Louise, LaTisha, Liza, Nalleli, Maricruz, and Alissa; to Wanda, Debbie, Karalyn and Loretta; and to all the "team" -- it was a privilege to experience retreat with you and I bless each of you with continued service to our glorious God!

Psalm 103:2   Yahweh, you are my soul’s celebration. How could I ever forget the miracles of kindness You’ve done for me?

Wolves In The Church

     I'm sure you are familiar with Jesus's Biblical warning in Matthew 7:15 which says, Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Implicit in this warning is that wolves of deceit have snuck into the Church and are ready to devour any true Christian sheep who are gullible enough [or unwise enough] to fall for their wrong teachings.
     And, boy, has the institutional Church used this alarming admonition to squelch any new revelations from God that are outside the established doctrine of any particular denomination. First of all, those who are quick to attack a fellow Christian's attempt at edifying the Body regarding something God or the Holy Spirit has revealed to them, don't bother to read Matthew 7:15 in context. Jesus says in the very next verse, You can identify them by the fruit [of their character], that is, by the way they act.  Scripture goes on to say that it's pretty obvious that you don't pick sweet grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from a tumbleweed. In other words, if you hear a different interpretation of Scripture, or a different teaching of a Biblical concept, the character of the "bringer" should be taken into account and easily discernible. If their testimony or word is plainly against Scripture, and if they don't possess a reputation of the fruits of the spirit (joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and they are not displaying the Lordship of the Spirit in their life), then you can rightly discern they are intent on damaging the Church. But if this fellow Christian is of good character, and his heart displays a visible love of the Lord, and his actions bear good fruit, then perhaps he or she should not be so quickly castigated.
     Yet, I have found far too often that the Church members will react in indignation and self-appointed authority in deciding that any new proposed understanding of Scripture that differs from the orthodox teachings is unacceptable, and it borders on either blasphemy or heresy. And that really saddens me, because this is a picture of the Church that is far different from how it began in the aftermath of Christ's resurrection and ascension.
     From the moment that the Disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter preaches the first sermon at Pentecost, the idea of "church" meant "a fellowship of believers". The Bible clearly teaches that these believers were faithful to follow the teachings of these first apostles or "sent ones". (Re-read yesterday's post on my view of what makes an apostle}. They regularly met in devoted believers' homes, with the express purpose of sharing the Lord's Supper as a sign of their unity. They prayed, studied Scripture, sang songs, and the focus was always on edifying the body of believers who were present. I think it is important to note the Apostle Paul's exhortation to these "home churches", as stated in 1 Corinthians 14:26: Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. Do you see that in the modern Church?
     Can you see how different this is from what the modern Church has evolved into? First of all, I would like to reiterate and re-evaluate Jesus's statements in Matthew 7 ... He isn't even talking to a group of Christians gathering in a Church building or denomination as we know it today. He is talking to disciples who are following Him around the countryside, and learning from His teachings. Shouldn't that describe each of us, regardless of which denomination we claim allegiance to? And doesn't He make it clear that we should look at both the character and the actions of our fellow believer before condemning their teaching/interpretation as deceptive? There are at least 34 verses in the New Testament that speak of the importance of fruit in the life of a believer, yet we seem too eager to judge based on shared theology.
    And, yes, Scripture is sufficient for us ... it contains all there is to know about our God, but as I have quoted from Scripture over and over, God conceals the revelation of His word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says (Proverbs 25:2). He reveals Himself through Nature; through our spirits who testify to His existence; through His Son Jesus as presented in the Bible; and finally through His written Word -- and through all these ways He gives us knowledge of Himself through our experiences with Him! It is not merely through our denominational doctrines and head knowledge! That is why the Greek translation of the New Testament talks so much about experiential knowledge -- knowledge that comes from experience.
     Have we, as the institutional Church, forgotten that God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him? Why is it so difficult for our fellow Christians to discern that God could reveal Himself to an individual believer today through the Holy Spirit? Why are we so quick to judge a fellow believer's testimony, just because it expands on accepted doctrinal beliefs? Why can't we think God might want us to know more about Him? Do we really think our doctrine is all there is to know about God? And for mercy's sake, why are we ignoring the character and actions of our fellow believers? Do we no longer believe that the Holy Spirit leads and directs us? Before condemning someone for what they are bringing to the Church Body, can we stop for a moment and spiritually assess the heart of the person, and look to see if they have borne fruit for the Kingdom of God?
     In fact, I often wonder just how Church members assess the fruits of their fellow believers. Is it based on the number of times they have been in the pews on Sunday morning, or the number of the Church activities they are involved in? Do they ever stop to think that perhaps there is fruit they don't see -- that this believer's fruit comes from being obedient to Jesus's commands when they invite Him to be present as they lay hands on someone who is in need of healing? What about the fruit that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit to defeat the spirit of unworthiness in a lonely and abandoned young girl, as this believer partners with the Spirit and Jesus to set her free from this torment.  All these experiences are revelations of the Presence of God in a believer's life and evidence that seeds are being sown and fruit is being produced.

     The Holy Spirit reveals God to our spirits through our experiences. The Holy Spirit reveals God through Bible passages; and through our thoughts, and ideas that He brings to our minds.  He is fluid and flowing; always ready to reveal an aspect of our God that magnifies Him; that amplifies His glory. John 3:8 says, For the Spirit [wind] blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going. So it is within the hearts of those who are Spirit-born!” The Holy Spirit is not bound by Church doctrine!
     So, I ask you, how is it that Christians within the Church think they are qualified to decide how the Spirit is leading or directing a fellow believer [who exemplifies good character; whose actions portray a heart diligently seeking after God, and whose deeds bear fruit for the Kingdom]?  Could it be that the Church barely resembles those early gatherings of Spirit-filled believers who encouraged each other to share and edify the body with what the Holy Spirit was showing them?
     I am in no way negating the warning to be on guard against the wolves who bring false teachings. They are real, and I'm pretty sure the Enemy has been infiltrating them into the Church for hundreds of years. I don't see those early "home churches" being overly concerned with real estate, building programs, staff salaries, utilities, mortgages, pulpits, pews, sermons, elaborate worship programs, or how much money they had in the bank. When did the focus change from "going out" to "protecting our turf"?
     We all agree that wolves are definitely a danger to innocent sheep. And what I'm about to say may offend some, but I have personally witnessed a pack of wolves within the church driving innocent sheep out of the building where their Good Shepherd is waiting to feed them and lead them to springs of living water. It is not my attention to offend, but rather to give us all pause when meeting with our fellow believers, and before judging them.
     So, yes, we need to be persistent in keeping the wolves at bay and safeguarding the purity of Scripture. Lord knows, they are vicious and ravenous and waiting to destroy the Body of Christ. But let's not limit our oversight to one man's [or one denomination's] conditional and designated understanding. Let us give the Holy Spirit the freedom to reveal to a person's spirit what God would have them know about Himself. And then let us offer love and kindness and a heart that is willing to receive more of God. It just might bring more joy and peace to your spirit and to the entire Body. And that would be pleasing to God.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3     Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant, but love [that unselfishly seeks the best for others] builds up and encourages others to grow [in wisdom].  If anyone imagines that he knows and understands anything [of divine matters, without love], he has not yet known as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved].