A Horse With A Rider

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“Should I keep going in this, Father?,” I’d repeatedly prayed. “I know that this was Your purpose for me back then, but do You still want Me to continue? Is this one of those things that You want out of my life?”

I was praying about whether or not I should continue in something with which I’d been involved for some years. I shouldn’t have been, but I was pressing for an answer.

Sometimes we pray and pray and never stop to nestle into Father’s lap and just be there. Just be there with Him. And if He wants to talk, He will. We all forget that at times along the way. This was one of those times for me. I’d been praying about this “thing” so much that this had become a central focus of my prayer life, and that’s not what God wants. To Him, it’s never about the “things.” It's about Him and us.

One day, my 4-year old son came to me and said, “Dad, I have a picture that I drew, and I think that God wants me to give it to Messerschmez.” I didn’t quite hear the name clearly, but thought I knew what he’d said. I said, “Sure, son, I’ll drive you over there to where Mrs. Messerschmez works and you can give it to her.” My son gave me a puzzled look for several seconds and then said, “OK, Dad.”

We drove to the parking lot of the store where Mrs. Messerschmez worked and parked. After we had prayed, I said, “C’mon, let’s go give that picture to Mrs. Messerschmez.” My son got this uncomfortable look on his face and said, “Dad?” “Yes?,” I replied. “Dad, the picture isn’t for Mrs. Messerschmez. I was supposed to give it to you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, son,” I answered, and helped him to come sit in the front seat next to me so we could talk. “You have to write something on the picture for me, Dad, ‘cause I can’t write it,” my son asked. With that, he placed the picture in my hands.

On the paper were two pictures. One was a horse. The other was a horse with a rider. “Write down what God told me to tell you, Dad.” “OK, son.”

“On the bottom of the picture,” he said, “write, A horse with a rider is better than a horse.”

I began crying, while assuring him that they were the good kind of tears. “Do you understand, Dad?,” he asked. “Yes, son, I understand.”

Sometimes we get so focused on the horse that we forget just how much Father cares about us, the rider. To Father, horses come and go. They are ways and means for times and seasons. They all will pass away. They cannot be loved by Him, nor can they love Him back. He doesn’t care about horses. His love for us, however, is constant and eternal. We are the apple of His eye.

A horse with a rider is better than a horse.



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Indispensable

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“I just wish that I could hear from God like I see other people hearing from Him,” my friend had shared with me just months before. He was a relatively young Christian with a loving heart and - just like me - with plenty left to work on in his life.

Months later, I would be sitting in the visiting area of a local jail, speaking with him as he was to leave for prison. Convicted of a crime he didn’t commit, it looked like he would be gone for years, and in my pasts visits he had been understandably grieving.

But this day was different. When he came around the corner and I saw his face, I leaned forward. It was easy to see that something was very, very different. What could it be? (Click on the "Read More!" link below)

When my friend sat down, I asked him, “So how are you this morning?” “Great,” he said. “I was up all night. I was reading a passage of Scripture, the same one over and over.” “What passage?” I asked. “It’s from 1 Corinthians 12,” he said with a smile.

He went on to tell me that he had, sitting in a jail cell unjustly convicted and condemned, finally heard from God. He knew it, and he was overjoyed. He couldn’t stop smiling as he relayed to me what God had shown him about this passage of Scripture.

“You know the part where God says...” he said...

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
[1 Corinthians 12:22-26]

“Yes,” I replied. “It’s one of my favorite passages of Scripture.”

“Well,” he said with joyful tears in his eyes, “that’s me. I’m the less honorable one. And I need to be in the Body. I’m part of it all.”

I realized that my friend had heard from God through His Word to us. And it had changed him, literally, overnight.

“Tell everyone, won’t you?,” he asked me. “Tell everyone what God showed me about all of us.” I promised I would.

Later that day, and before I would have opportunity to gather again with my and my friend’s fellow believers, I attended a meeting of spiritual leaders who were coming together from many different churches and denominations, seeking to reach out to our community in a Spirit-born, unified effort.

As the meeting began, the pastor who was coordinating the meeting opened it with a prayer and then said, “There’s something we need to do before we do anything else,” he said quietly. “I want you all to look at this. Look at it, and then we‘re going to speak it out loud together.”

He placed a transparency on the screen of an overhead projector. Shining on the wall of the meeting room, big and bright as could be, were the following words:

On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 12:22-26

In the seeming destitution of a jail cell, one brother in Christ, convicted and condemned, heard from God. In the seeming serenity of a pastor’s office, another brother in Christ, respected and revered, heard the same thing.

That’s the kind of oneness that we as God’s people can manifest when we’re listening to God with humility and one another with compassion.

Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ (the Messiah) and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it].
Galatians 6:2

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Changing The World

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In the film Evan Almighty, Evan Baxter is a modern-day idealist who wins election to Congress by promising to "change the world." As he is entering office, however, he comes to find that God has chosen him to be a modern-day Noah.

Fighting God's plan for his life and the dramatic sacrifices it will require of him, Evan (portrayed by Steve Carell) has an encounter one day with God. God says to Evan, “You want to change the world, son. So do I.”

Problem is for most of us, God doesn't go about changing the world like we would. God starts with us and those around us, and changes the world from the inside out.

In the special moment from Evan Almighty in the clip below, God (portrayed by Morgan Freeman) explains to Evan's confused and bewildered wife (portrayed by Lauren Graham) about how He does things, how He changes things.

Thinking that she is asking a server for a refill for her fried fish basket, she is at first unaware that it is God speaking to her. When the encounter concludes, however, she is left speechless.

When we pray for patience, when we pray for courage, when we pray for closeness with others, how does God change the world? (Click on the arrow in the middle of the video screen to play)







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Journey To The Circle Of Faith

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When the Lord learned of this, he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee.
Now he had to go through Samaria.
So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar.....
John 4:3-5(a)

From Lone Celebration To The Circle of Faith
Jesus left “Judea.” Judea means “celebrated.”

[Strong’s Greek #2449- #2453- #2448- Heb. #3063- celebrated]

Most of us begin our discipleship of Christ Jesus as wide-eyed, praise-filled newborns in the faith, full of celebration. We must never lose those qualities but, as we mature in Christ Jesus, we must move on to a more perfect faith in which we also grow to possess an unwavering oneness with Christ and other believers developed through experiencing difficult circumstances.

(Click on the "Read More!" link below)

This place of oneness in John 4:3 is noted in the word “Galilee.” The word “Galilee” means a “circle” or “circuit.”

[Strong’s Greek #1056- Heb. #1551- circle, circuit]

Here is the scriptural symbol of oneness with Christ and brethren that never begins or ends, but just is. Note that, of the 12 original disciples, only one was not from Galilee. Only one was not part of the circle of oneness with Jesus and their other brethren. His name was Judas.

We Need Journey Through Samaria, Through Sychar
To get from the Judea place in our faith to the Galilee place in our faith requires a journey, then. We find in reading this passage that getting from Judea to Galilee requires that we go through Samaria, and specifically through a city called Sychar.

The roots of the word “Samaria” show us the meaning “to hedge (as with thorns), to guard, to protect, attend to.”

[Strong’s Greek #4540- Heb. #8111- 8104- to hedge (as with thorns), to guard, to protect, attend to].

Hedging with thorns denotes something that is accompanied by pain. Immediately, most will read this definition and remember the thorns that were placed round Jesus’ head just before He died for our sins. But through that experience, Jesus also guarded, protected, and attended to - in the ultimate way - all of us, everyone that God had created, the things of God and the things of His brethren and brethren-to-be. Jesus was made to be the doorway to this Galilee kind of faith that, through faith in Him as the Way, the Truth and the Life, we might receive the forgiveness of our sins and eternal redemption.

Becoming mature in our faith brings with it the understanding that the oneness that we have been given with God and our brethren is not something to be either taken lightly or quickly tossed away. This oneness must be guarded and protected and attended to.

Our journey to oneness with Christ and our brethren will also bring with it visits to a place called “Sychar.”

“Gut Check” at Sychar
The word “Sychar” generally refers to that which will make you drunk or drunkenness itself.

[Strong’s Greek #4965- Heb. #7941- an intoxicant, i.e. intensely alcoholic liquor- translated as drunkard].

We will both meet people at points in our journey and be people at points in our journey who seem to be “spiritually drunk,” and I don’t mean “drunk with the Holy Spirit.” Many believers who have purposed to arrive in Galilee find in Sychar a spiritual Truth that is hard to handle. They find in Sychar that the price of being a disciple is high, higher than they first imagined, and they are either wondering if or have decided that they cannot go on as they were before.

But we must all go through this at some point or another. To get to the oneness with Christ and our brethren that God intended, we must go through some painful experiences. We must be confronted time and again with an escalating sense of the true price of discipleship, and time and time again we must confirm our commitment to Christ and move on once again.

Too many of us get derailed in Sychar. Hopefully it is not for too long, and hopefully it is not on a permanent basis. But we should note that, when we start getting drunk in Sychar, we don’t like to drink alone. People who are getting drunk will ask you and anybody else to join them.

Jesus Himself experienced the “Sychar” drunkenness Himself, among some of His most trusted disciples.

“You Do Not Want To Leave, Too, Do You?”
“I tell you the truth, he who believes has everlasting life.
I am the bread of life.
Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert, yet they died.
But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat and not die.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."
Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.
For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him.
Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your forefathers ate manna and died, but he who feeds on this bread will live forever."
John 6:47-58

The Jews weren’t the only ones who had trouble with what Jesus was preaching here. They weren't the only ones who heard here a spiritual Truth that was hard to handle. In verses sixty six through sixty nine, we see that many of the disciples did, too.

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.
Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.
We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."

When we are confronted by a new revelation of the price of discipleship, we must consider the price, cling to Christ, and move forward with our brethren with whom we share the journey. Where else can we turn? To whom shall we go? Jesus has the words of eternal life. He is the Holy One of God. Onward with Him in faithfulness.

So, scary as it may be sometimes, we must pass through this place of painful experiences and potential drunkenness to arrive at the circle of faith, a place where we experience a oneness with Christ and each other like we have never experienced before.

Perhaps we will make multiple trips through Samaria and Sychar. Chances are we each will. That’s okay, though, because the result will be an ever-growing commitment to Christ over ourselves, the Spirit over the flesh, and the needs of our brethren over our own.

The destination will be worth it - an unbroken circle of oneness with Christ and our brethren.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
Romans 15:5-7





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Every Member Brings: Part 7 (Conclusion)

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This is Part 7 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 7: Conclusion

We have spent some time looking at the Biblical concept of every member bringing, expressed in 1 Corinthians 14:26. We have looked at the spiritual portrait of us presented by God’s Word, but reality may not immediately, or ever, take on the appearance of this spiritual portrait.

The many members of the Body of Christ who are one are also human. That fact will always affect how we manifest this spiritual portrait in actual practice. Those who have walked in this for years know that. They have lived it, and are living that reality today.

Some people may not agree with what has been shared here; this study tends to get a very marked response from those who read it. Some people may consider this a “lightweight presentation” of God’s Word, and still others might consider it “out of reach” for today’s believers and impractical. That’s OK. Some may not agree because they reject the concept of eldership outright, or conversely believe that it should remain in place as it is today. And that’s OK if they feel that way. Some may never feel comfortable facing their fears and bringing forth what God has placed within them. They may never speak a word in gatherings. There may be many other responses, and that’s OK, too.

Coming to the place where we, as God’s people, begin to walk in this way of living and worshipping is not a tidy proposition. The Journey is based upon both individual and group learning, with the Word of God learned and lived through God’s Holy Spirit by individual members and the whole Body alike. It is a marked by shared mistakes and failed attempts, jointly experienced deadlocks and exhilarating breakthroughs. And that’s OK.

This same Journey, regardless of how each of us may or may not as individuals begin to embrace and live this Biblical spiritual portrait, produces in us a spiritual growth that is the hallmark of a genuine and spiritually growing spiritual community. Daily, we all grow to be a little more like Christ because of God and Him in those around us. Seasons characterized by giant leaps, or by baby steps, or by seeming setbacks waiting to be overcome through Christ Jesus are all OK. It’s all part of the Journey.

God loves us as we are, and He loves us enough not to want to leave us that way. As much as is within us, we must grab His hand and the hands of those around and embark on this Journey together. We must simply and in sincerity be who are in Christ and live the Journey day by day.

This spiritual portrait that we see in 1 Corinthians 14:26 gives us a picture of who we can be as a Body through Christ Jesus and God’s Holy Spirit. It establishes a Truth from God, and dispels a lie from satan.

We are not a boat full of holes, brethren, as satan would have us believe. If we see boards on the Ark that need more sealer lest we leak, or more pegs lest we come apart, it is not because we are falling apart. It is because He is still building us. He has but a little left to finish, and then it will begin to rain.

If we look at the horizon, we can see that there are clouds that are growing dark for this world. It is not growing dark for God’s children, though. Our path grows brighter and brighter until the last day, God tells us in His Word. The day will someday come, perhaps soon, when it will begin to rain. We, however, need not fear nor strive, for we are safe and sound upon the Ark of our salvation, Christ Jesus.

In God’s Word, we read of Nehemiah, who instructed his workers to work with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. Let us do likewise, serving in the Kingdom of God by making disciples with one hand through God’s Word, and with the other hand lovingly standing against the enemy satan who seeks to divide us.

We are one. Let us, with His help and one another’s, manifest it.

12-13 You can easily enough see how this kind of thing works by looking no further than your own body. Your body has many parts—limbs, organs, cells—but no matter how many parts you can name, you're still one body. It's exactly the same with Christ. By means of his one Spirit, we all said good-bye to our partial and piecemeal lives. We each used to independently call our own shots, but then we entered into a large and integrated life in which he has the final say in everything. (This is what we proclaimed in word and action when we were baptized.) Each of us is now a part of his resurrection body, refreshed and sustained at one fountain—his Spirit—where we all come to drink. The old labels we once used to identify ourselves—labels like Jew or Greek, slave or free—are no longer useful. We need something larger, more comprehensive.

14-18 I want you to think about how all this makes you more significant, not less. A body isn't just a single part blown up into something huge. It's all the different-but-similar parts arranged and functioning together. If Foot said, "I'm not elegant like Hand, embellished with rings; I guess I don't belong to this body," would that make it so? If Ear said, "I'm not beautiful like Eye, limpid and expressive; I don't deserve a place on the head," would you want to remove it from the body? If the body was all eye, how could it hear? If all ear, how could it smell? As it is, we see that God has carefully placed each part of the body right where he wanted it.

19-24 But I also want you to think about how this keeps your significance from getting blown up into self-importance. For no matter how significant you are, it is only because of what you are a part of. An enormous eye or a gigantic hand wouldn't be a body, but a monster. What we have is one body with many parts, each its proper size and in its proper place. No part is important on its own. Can you imagine Eye telling Hand, "Get lost; I don't need you"? Or, Head telling Foot, "You're fired; your job has been phased out"? As a matter of fact, in practice it works the other way—the "lower" the part, the more basic, and therefore necessary. You can live without an eye, for instance, but not without a stomach. When it's a part of your own body you are concerned with, it makes no difference whether the part is visible or clothed, higher or lower. You give it dignity and honor just as it is, without comparisons. If anything, you have more concern for the lower parts than the higher. If you had to choose, wouldn't you prefer good digestion to full-bodied hair?

25-26 The way God designed our bodies is a model for understanding our lives together as a church: every part dependent on every other part, the parts we mention and the parts we don't, the parts we see and the parts we don't. If one part hurts, every other part is involved in the hurt, and in the healing. If one part flourishes, every other part enters into the exuberance.

1 Corinthians 12:12-26 (The Message Translation)

Every Member Brings: Part 6

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This is Part 6 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 6: It Must Be Done For The Strengthening of the Church

Next, 1 Corinthians 14:26 goes on to say:

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done.....

God is a loving God. Does He forgive when we err? Absolutely. But does He require obedience of us? He does. Does this make Him unloving? Hardly. God knows that obedience to His Word and will bring righteousness, safety, peace and blessing. Our God loves us SO much, and wants the very best for us!

Together, we can work as one to be obedient to the instruction God gives us in 1 Corinthians 14:26 and see righteousness, safety, peace and blessing spring up among us!

And finally, 1 Corinthians 14:26 tells us:

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

We see God’s ultimate purpose in having every member bring a a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation - the strengthening of the church.

In these days, the church and its individual members are being attacked worldwide in a way not seen since the days of Acts.

We need to be strong, and we need to be one.
We need to be one, and we need to be strong.
And we must remember that our strength lies within our oneness with God and one another.

We intimately know the wiles of the devil, for he has sought to use them against each of us since the day we received Christ as our Saviour and Lord. This comes with the territory. There are Christians, however, that are more intimately familiar with satan’s attacks than they are with God and one another. Whatever our spiritual state, this is a day to draw near unto God and with one another as never before.

And it all starts with every member bringing.......what God gave them to bring today.

Every Member Brings: Part 5

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This is Part 5 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 5: The Spiritual Buffet

There is one other thing that I am will share on this topic of The 5 Courses. It is the concept of the spiritual "buffet." This is what God intended the gatherings of His people to be - spiritual buffets that were supplied by Him, for His glory, through the entire church and for its edification.

Corn here, salad there, roast beef there, pie over there, fresh water there, bread over there. You get the picture. A spiritual buffet.

But how would you feel if you went to your local buffet-style restaurant, paid your money, got a plate and approached the buffet - only to find that each and every container on the buffet held corn? Most of us like the taste of corn, even love it. And it’s nutritious, as well. Nothin’ bad you can say about corn. If you had to, you could live on only corn and water.

This "boring" buffet - with corn as its only course - is too often what man has created in today’s church. The pastor or assistant pastor or teacher speaks almost every week in most churches and, anointed and “nutritious” as it may be, it is only corn.

Many in the Western, and especially American Church, have tried to integrate big sound systems and multimedia screens and church outreaches for every concievable "group" of believer, all with the purpose of "making church interesting" and "drawing people to God." There is nothing in God's Word that says that big productions are inherently wrong. The book of Acts tells us of three thousand people becoming disciples of Christ in one day. That's a big production.

There is a vibrant and growing number of house churches and para-church ministries throughout the world. The popularity of their focus upon "simplicity and intimacy" has been chronicled by the media. There is nothing in God's Word that says that smaller groups are inherently wrong. The book of Acts tells us that the Church began in this fashion.

But if we, whether in larger church settings or smaller, whether in institutional church or house church or para-church settings, are still serving up "just corn," we have missed something vitally important about God's way of doing things. We have forgotten that God's Word is clearly trying to tell us that "what's interesting" and "what will draw people to God" is God's people jointly sharing a manifestation of Him and His Son and His Holy Spirit.

True Biblical community as evidenced in the book of Acts and 1 Corinthians 14:26 and lived out in whatever church size or form, lifts up Christ. As such, it presents people with something that - if they have eyes to see - they can't take their eyes off of.....Christ Himself.

And when He is lifted up, He tells us, He will draw all men unto Himself.

Would you go back to a buffet that only offered corn to eat? No. It is for this same reason that people - in droves - are switching churches or leaving the church altogether.

Don’t get me wrong. Perhaps some of us in the church meant well. Perhaps some of us looked at building the church on a practical level, and that’s where we got into trouble. The church is not a practical organism, it is a spiritual organism.

Perhaps some of us looked at building the church on a professional level, like a successful company, and that’s where we got into trouble. The church is not a professional organism, it is a spiritual organism.

And sadly, perhaps still others of us looked at building the church on a personal level, seeking to build our own Kingdom to give to God, and that’s where we got into trouble. The church is not a personal organism, it is a spiritual organism, and God created it to give to Himself.

We are not called to build the Church. Jesus said that He would build His church. He told us to make disciples of all men. And the best way to disciple is that way that Christ Himself did; by sharing His daily life with those whom He was seeking to disciple.

That is why every member bringing when they come together is such a powerful thing. What is experienced there and is shared there is a spiritual product of God's work in and through His Church, an ordained response to what He is doing in the hearts and lives of each member and amidst the community of believers as a whole. When this happens, there is nothing more worshipful, more praising unto God, more laden with glory for our Creator and Father.

God has created us in oneness to provide a buffet that is representative of our Heavenly Father, a feast of the Holy Spirit beyond human measure, a banquet that is fit for the King.

Every Member Brings: Part 4

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This is Part 4 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 4: The Five Courses

Next, we reach God’s explanation of the 5 courses of this spiritual meal that He desires to bring to His people through His people.

When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation.
1 Corinthians 14:26

A Hymn

A hymn, as defined here in its original Greek meaning, refers to a Hebrew psalm. The significance of this meaning, as opposed to a meaning like “a song,” etc., is this:

~ The Psalms of the Bible are almost always praise directed toward God.
~ Psalms do not necessarily rhyme.
~ Psalms do not necessarily have musical accompaniment.
~ Psalms are simple songs, sung as a person might pray it in a prayer of thanksgiving.

This shows us that the term hymn is not referring to the “shows” that we sometimes see during "worship" in many churches today. Remember, God’s Word in this verse says “every member brings,” not “those who have been called to the ‘worship team’ bring” or “those who have signed up to sing a guest song bring.” God says that every member brings.

Is it scary for people to sing a hymn this way? By all means, YES! :-D One must first practice this scriptural principle at home, as we are instructed to do in God’s Word.

In Ephesians 5:19, God Word tells us that we should first be Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord... Then, later, God’s Word tells us in Colossians 3:16 that we are to Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

By practicing the singing of hymns at home in this manner, we become comfortable with this profound expression of thanks and ministry to God. Then, mixed with faith, we can step forward to minister to the church in "public" at gatherings (church services) in the same way.

A Word of Instruction

A word of instruction is, for the most part, a revelation of Scriptural Truth. Whether in the form of sharing one or two scriptures and sharing what God has revealed to you through His Spirit regarding those verse(s), or sharing word of testimony based upon the application of a revealed Truth in your own life, words of instruction are “meat and potatoes” to the church.

A Revelation

A revelation is best understood by looking at the original meaning of the Greek word. The term revelation means to take the lid off of something so that it can be seen. There are a number of ministries amongst the church which are revelation ministries, with prophecy, words of wisdom and words of knowledge, and Spirit-birthed testimony among them.

A Tongue

A tongue simply refers to speaking in tongues, be it in the tongue of man or of angels.

An Interpretation

A interpretation is the revelation, in the common language of the listeners, of a tongue.

Every Member Brings: Part 3

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This is Part 3 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 3: Everyone Brings

Note that in 1 Corinthians 14:26, God’s says When you come together, everyone has.... If you use your concordance, you will find that the term “everyone” means “everyone.” This simple Truth is of enormous impact upon the Body of Christ.

When God says “everyone has,” He means “everyone has.” Now, it is true that when we review 2 of the major reasons, previously stated in Part 2, that this scripture is not being accurately practiced in the church today:

~ Many people are afraid to, are too lazy to, or don’t believe that they’re able to effectively speak in front of the Church.
~ Some selfish elders lustfully and pridefully fear giving up “control” of church services - even temporarily - to the "common man."

....we see that one of the causes may be the people themselves. If someone is too afraid, too lazy, or too insecure, no one - including elders - can bring them out of their shell. By the same token, if an elder is too lustful, prideful or afraid to give up "control" of the church to God, then no person is likely to change their minds.

In the interest of Truth, however, it must be stated that the lion’s share of the responsibility for the accurate practice of 1 Corinthians 14:26 first rests with elders. If they have not served the Church by humbly helping them to live their lives, including corporate worship, in the manner that God commands within this verse, then they bear great responsibility when the church is not being effectually edified.

So, elders are first responsible to serve the Church by humbly helping them to live this scriptural model for the operation of the Body of Christ, and then to humbly train up God’s people within that to minister and edify.

Once these 2 things have taken place, now it is the responsibility of each believer to come to every gathering with the hymn, word of instruction, revelation, tongue or interpretation that has been given to them by God.

Note that I have not written that every believer is responsible to bring A hymn, word of instruction, revelation, tongue or interpretation that has been given to them by God. Rather, THE hymn, word of instruction, revelation, tongue or interpretation that has been given to them by God.

We must be careful not to get the cart in front of the horse when discussing and living out this scripture. 1 Corinthians 14:26 is not a laundry list to believers, to be used as a reference to “come up with something” to share at every gathering. It is a statement about what God will be causing to happen within us and then out through us when we, as individual believers and the Body of Christ as a whole, are walking in accordance with His will for our lives.

When we are in oneness with God, with our spouse, with our brethren and with God’s Word, a hymn, word of instruction, revelation, tongue or interpretation that has been given by God will already be upon our lips, from out of the bounty that He has placed within our hearts.

The result of these two scriptures (1 Corinthians 14:26 & Ephesians 4:11-12 ) practiced obediently and working in tandem, will be believers growing up to become like Christ Himself, and the church being strengthened through every member in oneness. And this is what every faithful believer so desires to see.

Every Member Brings: Part 2

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This is Part 2 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 2: In Tandem and As One

What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
1 Corinthians 14:26 (NIV)

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Ephesians 4:11-12

One of the most influential scriptures in the entire New Testament regarding the effective day-to-day operation of the Body of Christ is 1 Corinthians 14:26.

It is often overlooked or under-applied for a number of reasons, 2 major ones being:

~ Many people are afraid to, are too lazy to, or don’t believe that they’re able to effectively speak in front of the Church (and virtually everything detailed in 1 Corinthians 14:26 is in spoken or sung form).
~ Some selfish elders lustfully and pridefully fear giving up what they perceive to be “control” of church services - even temporarily - to the "common man."

1 Corinthians 14:26, is to be practiced in tandem with Ephesians 4:11-12, and thus does a mighty work of God amongst His church:

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us that one of the elders’ primary purposes is for the perfecting (equipping / training) of the saints for 2 purposes; to equip / train them for the work of the ministry (evangelism, etc.) and to equip / train them to edify. Verses 13 - 15 tells us that the result of this equipping / training will be very positive and productive, namely that the believers will grow up to become like Christ Himself.

It is clear that we have each been given a special role in God's plan. Our special role, however, is one with the special plans that He has for the rest of His children. In some way, they dove-tail with one another. They fit. We, who are created by God for an individual purpose which is yet one with a greater plan, are not able to fulfill the the individual purposes of others as effectively as God intends.

God has not done this to create "classes" amongst a people whom He has called to be one. Rather, He has done this to create a myriad of ways in which He manifests Himself in this world, through Christ Jesus and in the midst of His people.

As such, those who are created by God to function as elders while being one with God's people and plan cannot fulfill the call of those who are not, and those who have not been called to function as elders while being one with God's people and plan cannot fulfill the call of those who are. No class distinctions. No lording over God's heritage instead of selflessly and sacrificially serving God and His people. No lazily leaning upon "people in charge" when we should be faithfully depending upon God and doing what He created each of us to do.

It takes everyone doing their part to accomplish the fullness of God within and through the Body of Christ, and it simply will not happen unless this scripture (1 Corinthians 14:26) is taught and practiced without fail.

This is the purpose of this series of writings....to take a close, loving look at what we will allow God to do in our midst when we obediently practice 1 Corinthians 14:26.

Every Member Brings: Part 1

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This is Part 1 of a multi-part series of posts entitled Every Member Brings.



Part 1: God's Desire For Oneness

God desires oneness. He desires oneness with us (Ezekiel 36:28), He desires that we have oneness with His Son (1 John 1:3), and He desires that His Son’s Body, the church be one with one another (1 Corinthians 12:12 - 26).

In Ephesians 4, God’s Word tells us that Christ Jesus sent elders to the Body of Christ - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers - and then speaks of the result of their work for Christ amongst the church.

In Ephesians 4:15(c)-16, God’s Word says:

15 .....which is the head, even Christ:
16 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
In these verses, we clearly see God’s great plan for His people, that they - in oneness with Him and His Son and one another - would edify / strengthen themselves in love.

In Verse 16, God says that the whole Body of Christ is fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part. What a wonderful vision of oneness!

In this passage, the term fitly means to lay [like “laying a foundation”] joints together in union, with the example being given of a chariot that is well fit together (the word together implying a profound level of union). Wow.

And here we thought us "regular folk" were only supposed to give “praise reports” or “announcements” or such at church, right? Who knew that the Holy Spirit desires to see every member - through what Spirit-inspired sharing they bring to each gathering - lay the joints of the church together in union like a chariot is fit together? The church - a chariot of God? It is an eye-opening revelation, isn’t it?

The term compacted means, in essence, to drive together into unity. This driving together, much like Noah hammering the first Ark together, brings the joints (members of the church) together in a way that there can be no space between them - no leaks, no separation, no division. How wonderful that we can, through simply sharing what God has placed upon our hearts to share, be part of building the Ark of the last days - the Body of Christ awaiting His return.

The term supplieth means to contribute, with its root meaning to furnish while beside. Here again, this oneness, this being “beside” one another shows God’s loving plan for oneness in the church.

And finally, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part shows us that each member of the church (each “part”), in their own measure (their role and contribution as assigned by God through the Holy Spirit), does this work and must do this work.

The result? What God has always wanted. Oneness. Oneness. Oneness.

Unlikely Candidates

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In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln was confronted with a dilemma. The North was not having a great time of it in the civil war. Lincoln had over 200 senior-level generals at his disposal, but only one - a flawed alcoholic named Ulysses S. Grant - was winning battles.

And so, Lincoln did something that many of his aides could not conceive of doing; he appointed Grant the senior general of the North's forces in the Civil War. It is said that when one aide approached President Lincoln and expressed concern about Grant's ability to lead the North's forces in light of his alcoholism, Lincoln replied, "Find our what brand he drinks and send a barrel to all our other generals."



Lincoln you see, was almost as practical as he was Christian. It is true that Lincoln's primary reason for wanting to stop slavery was to preserve the union of the states, but his foundational intention behind that very reasoning was profoundly Christian. Lincoln knew that if the unity of the states, much like the unity of the Body of Christ, were to be destroyed, Christianity would have little chance of existing or prospering in any faction that remained.

In spite of Grant's alcoholism and numerous other personal flaws, the profoundly prayerful President Abraham Lincoln sensed that Ulysses S. Grant was the right man for the job. Talk about choosing an unlikely candidate. Would we have made the same decision were we in his place?

It's Not So Strange, Biblically Speaking
When the Baby Jesus was born, one would think that the high priest of Israel would have wanted to be present. He didn't. One would think that the nation of Israel would have come in droves to worship a Messiah for whom they had prayed so long. They didn't. One would think there would be at least one prophet whom God would call to be present with that most special little boy. There wasn't.

Instead, God brought three "magis,” interpreted in some versions of the Bible as "wise men" for convenient reasons. The term "magis,” after all, is the root of the English word "magicians" and in translated in the New Testament's original Greek language as, in essence, "sooth sayers." We can understand why the translators might have chosen to substitute the term "wise men" instead, can't we? I mean, why would God have three heathen magis be the ones who were sent to welcome and first worship the new-born Messiah?

The reason rests in the fact that, while it is true that Jesus was being sent to the Jews, it is also true that He - after His coming rejection by his own people, the Jews - was actually and ultimately being sent to the heathens (me and you), as well as to them. That's why it was the heathens who were called, showed up at his birth, and proclaimed it thereafter.

Consider, too, the nature of most of the apostles when they were first called. They were a motley crew to say the very least. The only one out of the bunch who even seemed qualified and "normal" was - you guessed it - Judas Iscariot. So, throughout His Word, God has used "unlikely candidates" to do His work, even when it came to proclaiming the birth of His only begotten Son.

God's Recruiting Style
Where I live in the US, I work with a non-profit organization that provides food and personal care items. We provide for the needs of poor and disadvantaged people in our county and surrounding areas, and even internationally. Recently, our need for additional staff has grown dramatically.

Something of which the current staff is all aware is that many of the people who now work there first showed up in the strangest ways. Our staff list, including myself and the CEO, are the embodiment of the term "unlikely candidates." Everyone we know would agree that a bunch of people like us could have never done what's been done there. And it's true. We didn't. God called whom He wanted to work there. And then He did it.

So, as we sensed the need for additional staff, a natural thought might be for us to contact local churches for people who might be interested in serving at the non-profit. In spite of the fact that she had a list of churches and pastors to call, however, the personal assistant to the non-profit's CEO didn't call. It didn't feel right in her Spirit. At the very same time, I was in prayer, and God was telling me something wonderful and exciting.

He said, "Don't beat the bushes at the churches to find the people you need to help there. If they are there, they will come of there own accord as led by Me. But there are others whom you and the CEO and the personal assistant might not even recognize if I had not spoken this to you. I will bring them to you as you wait upon Me, and you will recognize that I have sent them. Know this, they are "unlikely candidates." Some of them are not even saved."

Not even saved? Get a load of our God. He's still using unlikely candidates.

Something New
Many of you reading this know in your Spirits that something "new" is coming. Just as God needed to use unlikely candidates when Jesus brought something new to this world, God is preparing to use unlikely candidates to do the next "new" thing He has purposed.

Call it whatever you like. People use all kinds of terms, accurate or not. An "outpouring." A "revival." A "move of God." Or maybe we should just call it what it may be and hopefully will be - a wave of many people turning their lives and souls over to God through Christ Jesus. Something "new" is coming. And yet it is something that happened before.

From Where Will It Come?
Doesn’t it seem unlikely that the coming "move of God" will come from within or out of any denominations or non-denominations that are lifeless, just as it did not in Jesus' day? The move of God in Jesus' day happened in spite of any denominations or non-denominations of that day that were lifeless, and in some cases in spite of bitter opposition from them.

Doesn’t it seem more likely that the coming "move of God" will come from out of the very place to which Jesus instructed His followers to go and love and teach and reap. Not in the temple building made with hands, not within that glorious structure of beauty in which God was not abiding. Not in the likely places, and not among the likely candidates. He told us where we will find the unlikely candidates, and so isn't it likely that this is where the coming "move of God" will begin?

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompence be made thee.
13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind:
14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.
Luke 14:12-14

Doesn’t it seem more likely that the coming "move of God" - whatever it may be - will begin and spring forth amidst the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind?

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready.
18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.
19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.
20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Luke 14:16-23

Again - doesn’t it seem more likely that the coming "move of God" - whatever it may be - will begin and spring forth amidst the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind? We will not often find them in our churches, but rather in the streets and lanes of the city, in the highways and the hedges. Jesus didn't invite people to church.

He went and found them where they were, as they were...Unlikely candidates found in unlikely places.

And so let us, as former unlikely candidates whom Christ found in unlikely places, share with one another so that we can learn and grow together in Christ Jesus. Let us encourage and exhort one another to strike out for destinations sometimes unknown to us, but where we will find Christ abiding among the lost. Let us help one another in love. We need each other.

12 The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.
13 For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
14 Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.
15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body.
17 If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?
18 But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be.
19 If they were all one part, where would the body be?
20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body.
21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don't need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don't need you!”
22 On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable,
23 and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty,
24 while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it,
25 so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
1 Corinthians 12:12-26

In Christ alone.

David's Crummy Army

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After some time serving in Saul's palace as a musician, David's presence began to anger Saul and Saul purposed to kill him. Tipped off to this by his best friend Jonathan (who was also Saul's son), David fled into the desert wilderness.

There, God provided David with the army he would need to accompany him, protect him, and fulfill the ultimate will of God in placing David upon the throne of Israel. You would think that God would send a big army, or at least a smaller group of Israel's very elite soldiers. But God didn't do that. In fact, in 1 Samuel 22:2, we see that God ended up sending David a crummy army.

The Distinct Qualities of a Crummy Army
The men that God sent to David had three distinct qualities:

1. They were all distressed. The original Greek definition of the word "distressed" in this verse speaks of a person who is oppressed or has a disability.

2. They were all in debt. The original Greek definition of the word "in debt" in this verse speaks of a person who is in financial debt, while noting the possibility that the person also may have been led astray, is mentally deluded, or has been morally seduced.

3. They were all discontented. The original Greek definition of the word "discontented" in this verse speaks of a person who has a bitter vitality (in other words, as opposed to a person who is grumpy sometimes, a person whose bitterness has a life of its own).

So this was the army that God caused to gather themselves unto David, the men with whom He surrounded him, the men of whom He would make David captain......

They were oppressed or had a disability, were in financial debt and perhaps led astray or deluded or seduced, and they were men whose bitterness had a life of its own.

What a crummy army.

Trained Up In The Pasture
David was anointed as a child by the prophet Samuel, Samuel initially looked upon the outward appearance of Jesse's sons and was unable to see God's elect. God admonished Samuel that "I do not look upon outward appearance but upon the heart." The moment Samuel began to approach his assignment in the Spirit, he was led to ask if there were any more sons, David was brought to him, and Samuel saw the chosen of Israel and anointed him.

And then David assumed the throne, right? No, he didn't.

David went back to the pasture where the sheep were. There, he had been learning all about caring for and protecting his father's sheep. And in quieter moments, he would simply worship God. Years later, having been trained up in an earthly pasture to care for and protect his earthly father's earthly sheep, David would be called to care for and protect His heavenly Father's sheep (the children of Israel) as king of Israel. And he never forgot the importance of the worship he had learned in that same earthly pasture.

One Man's Desert Is Another Man's Pasture
David may have felt that he would need a proficient army to survive the rigors of the desert wilderness and the pursuits of Saul, but the reason that God sent these specific men to David had nothing to do with David. It had to do with them.

You see, God had purposed that these 400 men would go with David to be trained up in the desert wilderness just as David had been trained up in the pasture.

As they traveled from plain to plain, mountain to mountain, valley to valley, cave to cave, God led and guided and protected David and his army at every turn. There were times when Saul would arrive at David's camp to find it abandoned just before, with the campfires still smoking, no doubt. Through His Holy Spirit, you see, God had warned David and his army of Saul's impending approach. They were learning what it meant to be men of war, men of obedience and men of worshipful adoration of God Almighty.

The desert wilderness through which they were chased was the same to those men as the pasture had been to David in his youth. It was God school, and they learned lessons to last a lifetime. Both the pasture and the desert were far away from their "home", their comfort, and their preferences, and so it is for us.

One man's desert is another man's pasture, and this is born out in the original Hebrew definition of the word "wilderness"; it means either "desert" or "pasture."

A Destiny Forged In The Desert, A Purpose Founded In The Pasture
We know of the Godly purpose, founded in that sheep pasture as a youth, that would eventually be realized in David.

But these 400 men, so marred and troubled when they first came to David, had a Godly destiny of their own. Having been trained up in the desert wilderness, they were later referred to as "the mighty men of valor". Yes, these 400 men in David's crummy army grew up in God to become the generals of Israel.

Going by their outward appearance, by their attitudes, by their actions, by their track records, no one could have predicted that these 401 men would amount to anything at all. But God saw their hearts, and knew their destinies, and had a purpose for each of them. For us, too.

Calling All Crummy Soldiers!
Say, are there more times than you'd like to mention when you feel oppressed? Do you sometimes feel like you have a spiritual disability? Are you financially in over your head, or feel confused or weak at times? Is it possible that you privately harbor bitter resentment that just won't go away, hard as you try?

There's a train pulling up at the railway station of your heart. Look up at the destination on the railside display, my friend. It says either "Desert" or "Pasture." Either way, this gut-wrenching but very necessary trip is in your future, and it leads to blessings unimaginable!

Be encouraged by God's Word that we've considered today, my friends. God knows your heart and He has a very special destiny and purpose for your life. He will never be disappointed in you, He will never leave you, and He will always be there to teach you about His thoughts and ways. He is your biggest fan, and He knows where you're headed. Trust Him, and He will lead you through the desert or pasture to a land of promise.

By the same token, do you have some people in your life that fit the "crummy army" description we've learned today? It is easy to look at others' outward appearance, attitudes, actions, and track record and form what we suppose to be a Godly, Biblical opinion. Maybe, though, we need to heed God's instruction to Samuel. Maybe we need to pause for a moment and ask God to reveal to us the hearts of those who stand at our sides. Maybe that's not really an annoying, obnoxious weirdo beside us at all. Maybe it's a future mighty man of valor.

If We Can Do It......
Whether it is in a pasture that is at times viciously attacked by lions and bears, or a wilderness seemingly devoid of any kindness or sustenance at all, we learn of God's plan for us. But we also learn something greater, a foundational Truth that is the underpinning of all else that we will ever learn from God. Whether it is in the pasture or in the wilderness, we learn one thing.

If we can do it, God's not in it.

Scary as it may be, we must release it all to Him. We must give Him our everything, and trust in Him alone. There will be wounds and failures in the desert and in the pasture but, in the end, God will have created within us something of eternal value...

A faithful child.


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Below is a skit version of the Max Lucado book entitled You Are Special. It is performed by young believers as someone narrates the story by reading Max Lucado's book. Please check it out; it ties in nicely with what is written above.

A Sam's Club Kind of Faith Community

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I was shaving this morning and thanking God for a little thing. I was thanking Him that I had discovered that, while I would have to pay upwards of $8.00 for 4 razor blades for my shaver, I could buy 20 blades at Sam's Club for about $30.00. That's 25% less! I get more, and it costs me less.

Different Kinds of Stuff, And Lots Of It
People love Sam's Club because you can find almost anything you'd want to buy at their giant, sprawling stores. You can get a lot of different kinds of stuff there, and whatever kind of stuff you'd like to get, you can get a lot of it.

When you've been shopping in a regular grocery, Sam's Club overwhelms you. From floor to ceiling, from side to side as far as you can see, there's beautiful stuff everywhere. You know the way you feel the first time you walk into a Catholic cathedral? That's how people in the world feel when they walk into a Sam's Club for the first time. Complete, speechless awe.

You see, satan binds people by offering them temporary escape from their problems with a false form of comfort that’s always running out. That false form of comfort might be alcohol or drugs or sex or soap operas or football games or biting their nails. The effects are always temporary, and the supply always runs out. People who trust in a false form of comfort are always wanting and needing.

As believers, though, we should walk out of every encounter with Christ saying what people who are shopping at Sam’s Club sometimes do. "How in the world am I going to use all this stuff?"

And that's the point. We can't use all of what He's given us for ourselves. It's too much. It's too big. From the floor to the ceiling of our hearts, from side to side of our lives as far as you can see, there's beautiful stuff everywhere.

"How in the world are we going to use all this stuff?" By giving it away to a needy world.

.....At A Lower Cost
People also love Sam's Club because you pay less there. Since Sam's Club is so big, they can buy everything at a lower cost, and pass on the savings to the customers they serve.

In Revelation 3:18, Jesus tells the Laodicean church, I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

Jesus is our storehouse. We can buy wondrous things from Him - big things - at a much lower price than weight and sin will extract from us. And it's not just so we'll be blessed. It's so that we may pass these blessings on to others.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
2 Corinthians 1:3-4

On a physical level, consumers at Sam's Club and - on a spiritual level - the lost in this world are concerned with the "cost of living."

On a physical level, Sam's Club and - on a spiritual level - much of the church today is sometimes concerned with the "cost of giving."

This is an important understanding for believers, because our attitude about giving reflects what we perceive to be "the cost of giving." If we are consumed with what we perceive to be an endless struggle through life, in spite of our Christianity, we will eventually become bitter and resentful toward those in need. What's more, we'll not be able to spiritually recognize just how much God has given and is giving to us. We won't be able to see that daily He has loaded us with blessings.

You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
Hebrews 10:34-35

And here is my advice about what is best for you in this matter: Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so.
Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: ‘He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little‘;
2 Corinthians 8:10-15

The bottom line is that when we daily comprehend and joy in the great blessings we have received from God at a price to us that is so low, we will be able to "pass on the savings" to others.

Free Gifts
Another reason that people love Sam's Club is because there are people standing around all over the place giving you free samples of stuff. Not expensive stuff, but neat stuff or tasty stuff. And it's cool because it's all free.

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
Romans 8:32

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:8

Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
Acts 3:6

And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.
Matthew 10:7-8

We in the church may not have silver and gold, but that's not what people are really looking for, either. We do have what people are really looking for; peace with God through salvation in Christ Jesus. We have comfort. We have joy. We have hope.

When people come to church, wouldn't it be wonderful if they saw people standing around all over the place giving you free samples of that kind of stuff? Neat stuff or tasty stuff. And it would be really cool, because it was all free.

Try It For Free!
At Sam's Club, anyone can get a free membership for a day. That means they treat you like a real member for the day that you're visiting. It doesn't matter how you're dressed or how you talk or what side of town you're from; anyone can be treated like a full-fledged member on the day they're visiting. The employees are really nice to you, too, and you walk around the place in wonder, thinking, "Wow, I would love to be able to be a member and come here all the time. There's so much neat and tasty stuff here, it's stacked up so wide and so tall, it's everywhere! And everyone is so nice and helpful."

So that servant came, and [told] his lord [that all whom He had at first invited to His supper had refused]. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Luke 14:21-23

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
John 13:34-35

But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
John 12:32

When people come to church, wouldn't it be wonderful if they felt as though they were loved like a full-fledged member and not just as a visitor? Imagine those people visiting church and receiving all that neat stuff and tasty stuff from people that really seemed to love them and each other.

The Best of Both Kinds.....
Our churches are not meant to be a bunch of isolated, independent Mom and Pop corner stores. Mom and Pop corner stores are nice because you know the people that work and shop there. It's comfortable and familiar.

But there's a lot of stuff that you can't get at a Mom and Pop corner store that you can get at Sam’s Club.

I think that Jesus would like us to understand that instead of our churches being isolated, independent Mom and Pop corner stores in our town, we are actually like different departments in a Godly Sam's Club.

Each department offers something different, and lots of it, at a great price. Some people will tend to shop more in certain departments, but at some point we all will venture into every department in this Godly Sam's Club and be able to experience the loving wonder of His blessings and the loving touch of His people who work there.

If the leadership and management of Sam's Club could ever their stores to feel like a Mom and Pop corner store, no one would ever shop anywhere else again.

When people come to church, wouldn't it be wonderful if they experienced the intimacy of our welcoming love, coupled with the wonder of God's storehouse of blessings? That would give our Godly Sam's Club the intimate, friendly feel of a Mom and Pop corner store. And if that were the case, it's hard to imagine people in the world ever wanting to "shop" anywhere else again.

It's A Good Thing To Be Unpopular With satan
Now, when a Sam's Club moves into a community, there is sometimes a great outcry against it. It comes from Mom and Pop corner stores who claim (and rightfully so) that Sam's Club will eventually draw everyone away from their own stores. They claim that, because of Sam's Club's ability to provide more to people at a lower cost, people will eventually completely abandon Mom and Pop corner stores and they will forced to close.

While this might be bad news in the business world, it is great news in the spiritual world. The writing is on the wall for Mom and Pop churches that have chosen to be isolated and independent from the rest of God‘s people and the world of the lost. }

God is bringing together His people to manifest the oneness that He gave them through His Holy Spirit through whatever means necessary; gently as possible, firmly as needed.

God is building a Sam's Club that feels like a Mom and Pop store.

You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:5

Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22

satan is scared of this. satan doesn't want a Godly Sam's Club that feels like a Mom and Pop store. He doesn't want that kind of a manifestation and demonstration of God's great blessings or our great love. It was the same way with satan and his followers in the days of Acts.

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,
Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.
And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto
them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
Acts 17:2-6

When Paul preached Christ, it turned the world upside down. When Paul preached Christ, Jews, Greeks and many important women believed on Him. As we learn Christ, live Christ and preach Christ it will be the same. Through God's Holy Spirit, many different peoples will be transformed into one Body by one Christ.

In Closing
So, yes, there will be opposition, but it spite of that opposition God will bring many souls to Himself and transform them. What's the right way to handle opposition?

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.
Acts 4:29-30

Notice how it was okay for the disciples in this passage to ask God to be aware of the great opposition that was facing them. But, having done that, they then turned their attention to where it should be; upon God and upon those in need.

Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness. Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.

Focusing too much on opposition makes everything about "us." And it's not about us anymore. It's about God, and it's about those who are still without Christ, broken and hurting and without hope. It's about them. So we must acknowledge that opposition is imminent and ask for God's help, but then turn to God for His unmerited favor that we might stretch forth His hand to the world.

In turning my own eyes away from myself and toward the lost, I am asking myself a question and answering it with the only answer I can give:

Do I think the world is ready to receive big blessings from God at a low price ("For my yoke is easy, and My burden is light"), in an awe-inspiring storehouse of God that feels like a Mom and Pop store, surrounded by welcoming people that pour out their sincere love for them and each other?

"Welcome to Sam's Club. How may I help you today?

The Journey to Fleshleshness and Seamlessness

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For God Who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts so as [to beam forth] the Light for the illumination of the knowledge of the majesty and glory of God [as it is manifest in the Person and is revealed] in the face of Jesus Christ (the Messiah).
However, we possess this precious treasure [the divine Light of the Gospel] in [frail, human] vessels of earth, that the grandeur and exceeding greatness of the power may be shown to be from God and not from ourselves.
We are hedged in (pressed) on every side [troubled and oppressed in every way], but not cramped or crushed; we suffer embarrassments and are perplexed and unable to find a way out, but not driven to despair;
We are pursued (persecuted and hard driven), but not deserted [to stand alone]; we are struck down to the ground, but never struck out and destroyed;
Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered, so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.
For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death for Jesus' sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death.
2 Corinthians 4:6-11

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged (flogged, whipped) Him.
John 19:1

For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges, every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes.
For the time being no discipline brings joy, but seems grievous and painful; but afterwards it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it [a harvest of fruit which consists in righteousness--in conformity to God's will in purpose, thought, and action, resulting in right living and right standing with God].
Hebrews 12:6,11


When our flesh has been whipped away like our Lord’s was, we will look more like Him than we do now.


When the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes, dividing them into four shares, one for each of them, with the undergarment remaining. This garment was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom.
John 19:23


God, from top to bottom, is seeking to weave us seamlessly into one. We are on a journey to seamlessness. If we continue to hold firmly and faithfully onto His hand with one of ours, and with the other hold firmly and faithfully onto each other, we will arrive there together.

None right. None left.

One.

Like Little Children, Touching This World

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For an answer Jesus called over a child, whom he stood in the middle of the room, and said, "I'm telling you, once and for all, that unless you return to square one and start over like children, you're not even going to get a look at the kingdom, let alone get in. Whoever becomes simple and elemental again, like this child, will rank high in God's kingdom. What's more, when you receive the childlike on my account, it's the same as receiving me.
Matthew 18:2-5

A community of spiritual children giving birth to other communities of spiritual children and becoming a network of communities of spiritual children, then joining with other networks of communities of spiritual children until those networks begin to live and move more like one childlike spiritual community - the Body of Christ around the world.

Not invisible and not silent, but nameless and faceless other than His own.

Beginning to respond to God all over the globe, beginning to live and move as one in His Spirit like a school of fish or a flock of birds.

Not identical, but one. Like little children, barely noticing the differences but revelling together in the shared wonder of the Journey.

Like little children, breathing out regret for yesterday and concern for tomorrow, and breathing in the exhilarating hope of today living fully and well in the midst of our Father's kindness.

Trusting enough in the Destination and the One who takes us There to put down our fear and become Love.

Like little children, touching this world.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The video below, entitled Unless You Change, will bless you with its simple presentation of this Truth from Matthew 18 about becoming like little children. Sit back and enjoy.

Love Song To The Church

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you
Now you got someone to blame

You say
One love, One life
When it's one need in the night

It's one love
We get to share it
It leaves you baby
If you don't care for it

Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without

Well it's too late
Tonight
To drag the past out
Into the light
We're one
But we're not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other
One

Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
We hurt each other
Then we do it again

You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should

One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers

One life
But we're not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other

One

One.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bono's love song to the Church is a message that I should consider. A message from a man who refuses to call himself a "Christian" because he doesn't feel he deserves that title, yet is an avid follower of Christ with a demonstrated life that many times surpasses my own.

I don't perceive Bono to be ashamed of the Cross. Far from it. And I don't believe that he is so unaware of the cleansing blood of Christ that he would elevate his own sinfulness. Far from that, too, I believe. In fact, I believe that he is so vividly aware of both our own humanity and the overwhelming magnitude of God's grace and the blood of Christ that covers that humanity in us all.

I'm not saying that I have disavowed calling myself "Christian" as they were at Antioch. But I am moved by the example of someone who realizes just how big God is all on His own, and just how small we are without Him.

And I think that his humility and the example of his life give him the right to pen such a Truthful, loving song to the Church as the words above. I know it talks about tough stuff, but it's shared with such love, and.......

Hey, we're all trying to find our way, we really are. We have the best intentions. But sometimes things get messed up in the process. And sometimes, we experience God revealing to us that there's still some baggage and preconceived notions that we're carrying that aren't actually born of Him. That's why a love song from God every now and then is a good thing.

Jesus knows exactly what is right and wrong, what's righteous and unholy, what is a blessing and an abomination unto God. And yet He has this unfathomable quality to look beyond all that and completely love those who fall into either category (and don't we all fall into both categories in some way or another?) and love them with Pure Love.

I am finding as I walk with Him and I am allowing His Light to shine into the corners of my heart that my mind is way too small to comprehend all of Who He is or what He means. I am finding God leading me to do things that "do not seem to exactly match up with my past interpretation of Scripture" but match up perfectly with how Jesus is.

Sometimes I wrestle for an answer, becoming able to only seek to receive a confirmed "Yes" or "No" from Him because I realize that there's not enough time for Him to explain it all to me right now. Perhaps later. That happens sometimes. Or perhaps when we know as we are known.

When I read the lyrics of this song as the recipient, as a member of the Church to whom Bono is singing, it strikes a chord with me. Listen, if you would.......




Is it getting better
Or do you feel the same
Will it make it easier on you
Now you got someone to blame

Has becoming a disciple of Christ actually changed me? Have I converted spiritually or have I simply transmuted into a person who perceives that "I" have now "made it" and need to point out others sin to them so that they'll realize their own need for Christ?

You say
One love
One life
When it's one need
In the night
It's one love
We get to share it
It leaves you baby
If you don't care for it

I keep talking about oneness. I keep talking about Jesus. But if I neglect to acknowledge that I still have mountains that need to be cast into the sea, and that in this need I am exactly the same as those who are still without Christ, I will "lose" the sense of His great love for me. I will lose that sense of the spiritual oneness that He so desires to birth within me toward the Body. I will lose the love for those who are sheep without a Shepherd. I will become hard and cold and hurtful.

Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love
And you want me to go without

Have you found that God is leading you into direct and extended contact with people that "rub you the wrong way?" Is He making sure that you are being pressed by people who you know need Jesus just like you do, but secretly in your heart wish that He'd send someone else other than you to reach out to them? Are you realizing that God is bringing people into your life that you'd rather not be around, but absolutely must be around if you are to be a sincere, genuine disciple of Christ?

Well it's too late
Tonight
To drag the past out
Into the light
We're one
But we're not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other
One

The night is far spent. The day is at hand. I don't have time to harp or criticize. We are one, but we're not the same. God may be giving us different parts of His Big Picture, but I'm not realizing that. I need to seek His wisdom for my soul so that I may understand, or have His confirming peace and direction to obey in spite of not understanding. We get to carry each other. It's a gift from God, if I'll see it that way.

Have you come here for forgiveness
Have you come to raise the dead
Have you come here to play Jesus
To the lepers in your head
Did I ask too much
More than a lot
You gave me nothing
Now it's all I got
We're one
But we're not the same
We hurt each other
Then we do it again

Why have I come to Christ? Have I come because I was first and am now aware of my profound need for forgiveness? Have I come to Christ to "get power" like Simon in Acts and become a noted "minister?" Have I come to Him only to depart on a self-styled mission to those toward whom I secretly harbor bitterness and resentment and critical judgment? Have the lost, just as imperfect and annoying at times as I, so imposed upon the Camelot which I perceive Christianity to be that I cannot even toss them crumbs from the Master's table, much less invite them to take my own seat as I ought? In the loneliness and selfishness that sometimes creep into my Christian existence, have I repeatedly chosen the easy way out and hurt others, or have I sacrificed with helpless tears to share my life and sustenance with them?

You say
Love is a temple
Love a higher law
Love is a temple
Love the higher law
You ask me to enter
But then you make me crawl
And I can't be holding on
To what you got
When all you got is hurt

I do. I say that Love is a Temple, and Love is the Higher Law. But have I created a religion, a form, a structure not born of Christ, a place institutional or house or on the street that is wood, hay and stubble? Have I established as that which I declare to be His own will that which shuts out by its very nature those to whom His very heart is drawn when His eyes search the world? Am I still so wounded, and discouraged, and baggage-laden that - in spite of the fact that I earnestly desire that it be different - all I have to offer to the lost is yet-damaged goods?

One love
One blood
One life
You got to do what you should

One life
With each other
Sisters
Brothers

One life
But we're not the same
We get to carry each other
Carry each other

Ah, the Truth. The precious Truth. The Truth that I have known since my spiritual birth. There is only One Love - the love of Christ. There is only one blood - the blood of Christ. There is only one life - the one Christ gave for me and that I must give back to Him. I know what I need to do, and I must ask for God's help to do it.

There is one life that He has given to us all and is to be shared among us all. I cannot take my part and go live it by myself. If I have, I must arise from the mud of the pig pen, and go to my Father who is even now waiting for me to return to Him and my brethren. To Him. To my Sisters. To my Brothers.

One life so large that it must live in so many little ones in order to manifest its countless facets. One life that can only be genuinely shared in myriad ways. One life characterized and given witness to when I carry my Brother and Sister without inward judgment for them or hidden shame for being their companion. One life characterized and given witness to when I humbly allow my Brother and my Sister to carry me when I am broken or hurting.

One.

One.