Jumat, 27 Maret 2015
First Submit, Then Resist
First Submit, Then Resist
“God resists the proud, but
gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God.
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
JAMES 4:6,7
So many times we try to resist, but we are defeated. Why? Simply because
we attempt to resist the devil before we have first submitted ourselves
to God. There is a proper order that must be observed without fail.First, we must understand the principle of God resisting the proud but giving grace to the humble. This is the foundation of everything we do. Second, the word “therefore” signifies that those who learn this principle will act upon it accordingly. If they understand the truth just stated, they will submit “therefore” to God. Third, as a result of their submitting to God, they will find the devil flees whenever and wherever they offer him resistance.
The word “flee” means “to run away in terror.” How wonderful! How delicious to see the devil running from us in terror, instead of the other way around!
Source: Embrace the Cross by Chip Brogden
Kamis, 26 Maret 2015
This! - Frank Viola
Posted: 26 Mar 2015 05:27 AM PDT
Two new episodes have been added to the “Christ is All” podcast.You can also subscribe to the podcast in the following ways:
iTunes Subscribe (for Apple devices)
Beyond Pod (for non-Apple devices)
Click here to see the complete list of episodes on one page
Click here for detailed instructions on how to subscribe to the podcast using your smart phone or tablet, how to rate the podcast in iTunes (which helps new people find the podcast), and how to find time to listen to podcasts if you’re busy.
Rabu, 25 Maret 2015
Celebrating Him
Celebrating Him
“The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in spirit and
truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
JOHN 4:23,24
The corporate Life of God’s people will only rise as high as the
individuals represented. That is to say, if there is no spirit-and-truth
worship in our prayer closet at home, we cannot expect spirit-and-truth
worship when we gather together.So often we come to a gathering expecting to “enter in” to a place in God. Instead, the gathering of believers should be the celebration and continuation of Who we have already entered into.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
Megachurch pastor encounters LK10 virus in Africa
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Singleness of Purpose
Singleness of Purpose
“Fulfill my joy by being like-minded,
having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”
PHILIPPIANS 2:2
God is working towards a goal: that Christ should have the preeminence
in all things. We have observed that this work does not start on the
level of “all things,” but begins with the individual disciple. From
there, God desires a group of people who no longer think and live as
mere individuals, only concerned with getting their particular needs
met; but are more interested in serving God and meeting the needs of
each other.When this occurs (even in a small group of believers) then they can be said to have entered into true spiritual fellowship: one mind and one accord, perfectly adjusted to God and to one another. That does not mean sameness, for every member contributes something unique; but there is a definite unity and a singleness of purpose.
Source: The Church in the Wilderness by Chip Brogden
Selasa, 24 Maret 2015
A Lesson We Can All Learn from Charles Manson
Posted: 23 Mar 2015 05:14 AM PDT
Young and up-and-coming authors often ask me for advice on the craft of writing. Especially the art of writing books.An oft-repeated question I get has to do with critics and how to deal with them.
One must first understand that not all critics are created equal. There are three main types. And each one deserves a different kind of response.
I address the topic in Three Kinds of Critics & How to Deal With Them.
Another question has to do with being misrepresented by others, including self-professing “fans.”
Example: A fan of Francis Chan is teaching that we need to destroy all church buildings because they are evil and start having church in coffee shops and houses.
Chan, of course, was blamed for promoting this concept because at least one of his “followers” was promoting it.
I have no idea what Mr. Chan believes or has written about this (I’ve only read one of his books because Patheos asked me to review it), but I seriously doubt that he teaches what this fan of his claims.
Another example: A self-professing fan and follower of John Piper was going around saying that only Reformed people are theologically correct, and therefore, everyone who doesn’t follow Calvin’s 5-points is a heretic and is in danger of hell-fire.
I don’t follow Piper, but I’m fairly certain he doesn’t teach this. But someone who heard this fan of Piper’s concluded that this idea came from Piper himself.
Charles Manson was a fan of the Beatles. Regrettably, Manson credited the Beatles for starting his supposed Helter Skelter race war which was supposed to be spawned by Manson’s ability to persuade his followers to brutally murder a group of innocent people.
Manson blamed the murders on the Beatles. According to Manson, the Beatles were communicating personally to him through some of the songs on their White Album.
When the Beatles were asked about this, their comment was something like, “Just because he claims us doesn’t mean we claim him. What he did has nothing to do with us. Manson was an extreme version of people who have come up with all kinds of crazy ideas and blamed the ideas on others,” or words to that effect.
While this example is extreme, the Manson story teaches us in bold relief that just because someone claims to be a fan of a particular artist (whether musician or author), doesn’t mean that the self-proclaimed fan is accurately representing the artist.
A final example, just for good measure: Someone once told me that one of my professing “fans” — a person I don’t know and have never met — was saying that the church is messed up so all true followers of Jesus must leave their churches.
This person didn’t get this idea from me because I don’t believe it, and I’ve even taught against it.
See How (Not) to Leave a Church and Why I Love the Church.
In addition, those who have read my work are aware that I’m a strong advocate of community. I’ve even gone on record stating that the Christian life doesn’t work well without being in a relationship with other believers.
See What Coca-Cola’s New Bottle Teaches Us About Christ & the Church.
Rewinding 20+ books backward, in my 2008 book with George Barna, Barna and I warned readers against misunderstanding the point of our book and using it to divide God’s people. (That warning appears twice in the book.)
Several years ago, I was one of the presenters with a small group of pastors and teachers. One of them, a staff writer for Christianity Today and an Anglican leader, proclaimed in front of everyone – “I’ve read Frank’s book From Eternity to Here and Reimagining Church and this man loves the church!”
He made this statement after being misinformed that I was “against the church.”
It was a telling moment, and it underscored the power of misrepresentation, which he powerfully corrected in that meeting.
I have many friends who are authors, and some of them are bestsellers. Yet I can’t name one of them who hasn’t been profoundly misrepresented by some of their professing “fans” and “followers.”
Bottom line: If you’re an author, writer, blogger, speaker, or artist who is making a powerful impact on people, some of your so-called “fans” are going to utterly misunderstand and misrepresent your message and your work.
So get used to it.
If you don’t want to be misrepresented, then don’t bother writing, teaching, or speaking.
(By the way, as hard as you try not to have “fans,” if you produce something that changes people’s lives, there is no way to stop people from admiring what you’ve done . . . even if you do your best to keeping pointing them to Jesus and away from yourself.)
Remember: Jesus of Nazareth had a lot “followers” who misrepresented His teachings, and He still does today. Just because a person claims to be a follower of Christ doesn’t mean that they “get” what He’s about. And it doesn’t mean that He claims them.
So take heart. “If they did it to me, they will do it to you.”
Thankfully, when it comes to ministry of any kind, the Lord paved the way for all of us.
See also A Word to Authors – Aspiring and Actual.
RECEIVE YOUR INHERITANCE
Receive Your Inheritance
“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water
of Life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall
inherit all things, and I will be his God and he
shall be My son.”
REVELATION 21:6,7
As we look at the promises made to those who overcome we should see that
God is not establishing some new order or special group which enjoys
rights and privileges not accessible to the rest of the saints. This is
not the establishing of new promises, but a bringing us back to the same
exceeding great and precious promises which are potentially true of
everyone who is in Christ. It is not establishing a new foundation, it
is calling us back to the Foundation which is already laid.Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
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Senin, 23 Maret 2015
Governed By the Spirit
Governed By the Spirit
“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father
will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and
bring to your remembrance all things
that I said to you.”
JOHN 14:26
The Holy Spirit is the vessel – the Person, the instrument, the agency,
the method and the means – through Whom God accomplishes His purpose of
increasing Christ in all things. Jesus said this Helper, this Counselor,
this Comforter, this Teacher will abide with us for– ever and will help
us as we walk the Difficult Path towards the full knowledge of Christ.To the extent that we allow ourselves to come under the government of the Holy Spirit, to that extent will Christ be increased. Since the Holy Spirit is responsible for the increase of Christ, spiritual growth is impossible apart from the Spirit. There will be no measurable advancement, no real apprehension of spiritual things, and no recovery of the Heavenly Order apart from the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
All Things Put Under Him
All Things Put Under Him
“We do not yet see all things put under Him.
But we see Jesus… for Whom are all things and
by Whom are all things.”
HEBREWS 2:8-10
Do we see it yet? Not in its fullness, no. We have a little here, and a
little there. Where this has already happened, where we actually see and
experience Christ having the preeminence, it is called the Kingdom of
God. It is not a visible thing, but an invisible thing, for Jesus said
the Kingdom is not seen, but is within you.Eventually the Kingdom of God will swallow up the entire Creation and Christ will have the preeminence in all things. Why? Because all things are for Him, and all things were by Him.
Source: The Irresistible Kingdom by Chip Brogden
Sabtu, 21 Maret 2015
John Fenn, Source of Revelation #3
Hi all,
I
remember a boy and girl out on their first date. He was driving his
prized 1965 GTO, and though it burned oil like a Texas oil well fire,
not every boy in the fall of 1974 had his own car. She was impressed.
Driving
her home from the movie, he was nervous as the light turned red and
smoke from the engine began drifting into the car - he prayed for a
slight breeze and a short red light before they both smelled like burnt
oil...mercifully the light turned green and off they went. Later she
said she didn't notice, she was just happy to be taken to a movie by a
boy with his own car!
He didn't have money for dinner and a movie, so it had been just a movie, a first date, a
get-to-know-you
thing. But he really liked her and didn't want the night to end just
yet. Quickly calculating how much money he had left in his pocket,
on the spur-of-the-moment he asked if she'd like to stop for a donut at
the donut shop they were driving by, and she eagerly said yes! They sat
and talked a long time over milk and donuts, but it seemed to fly by in
seconds, the late hour suddenly catching them surprise.
The
night ended with a kiss after he had walked her to her door, and she
stood a step up because he was so tall - a gentle kiss, lingering for a
moment - and in to her house she floated as they said goodnight. She
would later tell him she knew she was going to marry him at that kiss.
As
you have guessed by now, that was Barb and my first date. She was
impressed by the car and my manners, spontaneity and thoughtfulness. Her
parents were impressed that I came from a good family, in her mother's
eyes 'good enough for her daughter' so to speak. I was impressed that
she was beautiful, funny, ornery, smart, direct, and fun to be with.
Is your faith performance based, or knowing based?
Many
Christians think faith is about impressing God like I tried to impress
Barb on our first date. But being motivated only by trying to make a
good impression is not the basis on which to build a long-term
relationship.
At
some point efforts to impress fall by the way side as you get down to
the business of getting to know one another, of being transparent and
willing to risk being rejected when they learn this or that about you.
At that point revelation about each person's character, life experience,
who they are and hope to be, are shared as they talk, in hushed tones
about private secrets, or yelling across the room in their first
argument.
First date with God, still?
Yet
many Christians live their faith like they are always on a first date
with God - whether by how they dress or that prayer formula that is said
to be effective, or going to church that 1 extra service this week to
remind the Lord they have a prayer they need an answer on..."Please be
impressed by my efforts Oh God and answer my prayer" is often the
motivation behind it.
Like
a couple going out on date after date over a year or more, the
real knowing of one another comes by walking through life together,
getting to see the best and worst of a person over time, and letting
love develop. Love develops as a process through the revelation of that
person's being, first liking them, them liking them deeper, then
realizing you'd give your life for this person. It is the same in our
walk with the Lord, as He living in us walks with us through the process
called life.
Another drive home
We
were driving down the turnpike on our way home, Barb napping beside me,
and I thought about the effects of righteousness in our family. My
heart overflowed as I thought how our 3 sons turned out, each of them
good men and still never hesitating to tell me or Barb they love us. Our
wonderful daughters in law, women of strong character and
principle, amazing mothers and wives. And how I want to make memories
with my grandchildren that they will remember me as an example of the
Father God and praying they will walk with Him and know Him.
Upon
seeing the broad scope of His grace I exclaimed nearly out loud, "Oh
Father, I could never repay you!" and just as suddenly I heard Him
reply: "You're not supposed to." And I wondered and marveled, in awe all
the more, silenced by the enormity of Love for eternity and His great
kindness. I thought about how that is the way love is - love doesn't ask
to be repaid or impressed, the person loving just loves, and there is
nothing the object of their love can do to add to or subtract from that
love.
When you stop trying to impress Him, you can start walking with Him.
In
contrast, look around us today at traditional church culture. How many
bookstore shelves are filled with books and study guides written for the
purpose of helping people know God or have more effective prayer.
Attacking prayer like a business laying out a plan to grow by x amount
over the next year, people turn walking with the Father as Someone they
know and know well, into a means of manipulating Him into blessing their
lives.
But
that approach would be like me asking Barb's parents for permission to
marry her by having them give me all her baby books and school year
books, saved school work and awards through the years as a means to get
to know her, from a distance, without ever going to a movie and donuts.
Those
things would tell me ABOUT her, but they couldn't help me KNOW her. To
know her requires a relationship developed over time WITH her, in her
presence, with each other through life's ups and downs.
Just do what He did
Look
at the Father's method of developing a relationship with mankind. He
sent His Son to live with 12 men for about 3 1/2 years. Not a book was
written, not a sermon penned. He told stories about what His Father was
like, what His dreams for them were, to what each of them could attain,
what He had planned.
Aren't
we thankful Jesus didn't get 12 scrolls of biographies from the Father,
one for each apostle - Jesus could have spent a good part of those 3
1/2 years reading detailed life stories of each of them as only the
Father who knows all and sees all could write, without ever spending
time with them. But no, He sent His Son to live with them, to get to
know them, to see them at their best and worst.
So
why in the world when we think of making disciples do we think, 'I need
to get a book about Who Jesus is and what He did for us'? How did they
make disciples in the first century without Christian materials
explaining Life in Christ? They made disciples by walking with those
who knew Him, and it remains the primary way disciples are made today -
be being in relationship with others who know Him and have walked with
Him through their lives, so they may know how to talk to Him and walk
with Him through life.
The source of revelation is our own personal, intimate, knowing
of the Father. When Jesus said in John 14:6, 'I am the way, the truth
and the life', He continued; '...no man comes to the Father but by Me.'
Jesus is the way, but the Father is our destination. But many believers
aren't knowers of the Father because they've stopped at the Way,
but have never arrived at the destination.
Getting to know the Source of all good
(As
I mentioned the last 2 weeks) We are cross-thinking instead of
resurrection-thinking. We are temple-is-a-building thinking instead of
'temple is my body because of Christ in me' thinking. We first
must know that we know that Christ is in us, that He is THAT close,
knowing what we are going to think before we think it. Yet there is
complete ease in this because He is good and only has good plans for us -
He invested in us for eternity, so He knew what He was getting for
these few x number of earth-years.
After
knowing He is in you and rearranging all your efforts to know Him to
revolve around that revelation, the next thing to know is obvious yet
perhaps revolutionary in some circles: When asking, address the Father,
not Jesus.
Jesus
said in John 16:23-26 of when He would be in heaven: "At that time
you'll ask Me nothing. Truly I tell you, whatever you ask the Father in
my name, He will give it to you... At that day you'll ask in my name..."
There
is not a single prayer in the New Testament that asks anything of Jesus
or the Holy Spirit. All prayer requests are to the Father. He is the
Source of all good and perfect things, the Father of our spirits.
When
the apostles were all captured by the rulers and then an angel released
them, they went to the disciples and together they all prayed in Acts
4:23-30: "Lord, you are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea and
life...Lord look at their threats against us, and we ask that with all
boldness we may speak your Word, and that by signs and wonders may be
done by the name of your holy child, Jesus." They were addressing the
Father.
Paul
prayed for the Ephesians in 1:17-18: "That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, would give to you the Spirit of wisdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Him, that the eyes of your understanding
would be opened..."
And
again in 3:14-20: "For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ...That He would grant you to be strengthened with
might by His Spirit in your inner man...being rooted and grounded in
unconditional love, will be able to comprehend that which is beyond
comprehending, and know what is beyond knowing, the breadth and length
and depth and height- to know the love of Christ..."
Do
you know the Father? Start by changing from temple culture to Christ in
me culture. Change from cross-thinking to resurrection power thinking.
Change and determine in your heart to know Him not just believe in Him.
Change Who you pray to, and concentrate...the Father!
Stop acting like you are on a first date and trying to impress Him. You've won Him and He you.
Next week, how to fellowship with the Holy Spirit, blessings,
John Fenn
Remember to use cwowi@aol.com for email to me
New CD/MP3 Series:
(2 cd/MP3, $12/set or MP3 $10)
The New
Testament is filled with verses about the blood of Jesus and how unique
it is, and what it did for us. Modern practices include 'pleading the
blood' and 'drawing a blood line', among others. This series traces the
power of blood in covenant and sacrifice including the Scapegoat and
Wilderness goat and more in the Old Testament, and how the blood of
Jesus is appropriated for us in our lives. This study will range from
Old Testament to New, separate fact from fiction, scripture from error,
and leave the hearer in awe of our Lord Jesus Christ even more!
John Fenn, Source of Revelation #4
Hi all,
No, really
A
man walked into a restaurant and asked the manager, "If I show you the
most amazing act you've ever seen, may I have a free meal?" The manager
wanted to help the guy and was curious, so he said, "Sure, but it had
better be really good."
So
the man sat down at a table, and out of a case pulled a small piano,
then a rabbit which he set in front of the piano, and then a frog which
he sat next to the rabbit. Immediately the rabbit began playing a song
on the piano and the frog began singing along.
The manager was amazed, "That's THE greatest act I've ever seen! Order anything on the menu!"
A
man sitting nearby saw all this and said to the guy, "Hey buddy, I'll
give you $100 cash right now for that singing frog." The man paused
briefly, then said, "OK, here you go." He pocketed the $100 and the man
walked out with the frog in his pocket.
The
manager was watching and couldn't help saying to the man, "Excuse me
sir. It's none of my business, but I think you could have done much
better than $100 for that singing frog." The man responded, "No, it's
OK. You see, the rabbit is also a ventriloquist."
And the point is...
Not to be taken in by the song and dance, but to discern what is really going on.
In
Matthew 16:13 Jesus asked the disciples who the people were saying He
is. They responded, "Well, some say John the Baptist", they told Him.
"Some say Elijah, or Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."
That's
what the people were saying, the crowds. Everyone had an opinion,
everyone was amazed at the miracles. Everyone came away from meetings
talking about how anointed Jesus' teaching was. Some may have had
scrolls filled with notes. But they missed the point entirely. They had
no clue Who was talking to them and what significance He was to have in
their lives. They had no idea what was really going on.
I
find it amazing that God in the flesh had been teaching and healing all
over the land, talking to them as the Son of God and referencing the
Father God as His Father, yet the people were saying He was some dead
prophet come back to life rather than Who He said He was.
Spiritual babies thinking they were spiritual adults
The
people Jesus ministered to were taught-in-the-Word Jews. Raised in
synagogue meetings, many trips to the temple - Genesis through Malachi
had been set as scripture long before Jesus was born in Bethlehem.
Yet
they would rather step away from sound teaching to believe Jesus was
the reincarnated John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah or another favorite
prophet. Reincarnation - really? How quickly they were willing to give
up common sense and sound Biblical teaching to believe Jesus was
a reincarnated hero.
They were like the man who offered $100 for a singing frog, not realizing what he was really seeing. Willingly they are led away with a formula prayer or teaching that in the end, just croaks and gives them spiritual warts.
What He was really after
Jesus
knew the people were talking or He wouldn't have asked the
disciples the question, but perhaps it was also His way of leading the
conversation to where He really wanted it to go:
"But what about you?" He said to them. "Who do you say that I am?"
Simon Peter answered. "You? You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!"
Peter
was able to cut through the rumors and speculation and lay aside all
the gossip and whisperings of the people because He had received
revelation from heaven as to the true identity of Jesus. "Simon, son of
Jonah, you are a fortunate man indeed! said Jesus, "for it was not your
own nature but My heavenly Father who has revealed this truth to you!"
(JB. Phillips NT)
How not to be moved
World
culture is sound-byte culture, or some would spell it sound-bite. A
byte is a small unit of electronic data, and a bite is less than a
mouthful of food. People have attention spans measured in seconds, mere
bites of information. Yet Jesus expects us to be people who see,
observe, consider, and ponder what the Spirit is doing and saying.
When
Peter heard someone say Jesus must be the reincarnated John the
Baptist, he had to compare that against what He knew of Jesus, and how
that rumor bore witness on the inside, or didn't. Church culture doesn't
teach people to compare the witness of the Spirit of Truth inside with
the Word of God, and use those 2 witnesses to test a teaching,
experience, or claims of someone.
And
because this skill is not taught, we have people believing more in
their experiences than the written Word, in their experiences more than
the Spirit of Truth within, and their experiences more than common
sense. The Bible calls that self deception.
How to win over the devil every time
Jesus
then stated: "You are Peter (Greek, petros, a small stone), but upon
this rock (Petra, a large rock like a mountain) I will build my church,
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against (revelation from the Father)."
It
wasn't upon the man, Peter, a small stone, but upon the mountain which
is revelation from heaven, that Jesus builds His church, starting with
the revelation Jesus is Lord and flowing down from there. Jesus said
'the gates of hell cannot prevail' against revelation. In Bible
times the gates of the city were where the city leaders sat to conduct
the business of the city.
Samson
carried away the gates of Gaza, demonstrating he was in control. Boaz
went to the elders at the city gates to gain permission to marry Ruth.
Absalom sat at the gate of Jerusalem making judgements that undermined
his father, King David. Today we would think of the
place where the mayor and city hall are located, the leadership of a
town.
Revelation
is THE key to victory in life. "Upon this rock (of revelation from
heaven) I will build my church, and the gates (leadership) of hell shall
not prevail against it."
Running to and fro
Some,
upon hearing distressing news or when faced with a problem, immediately
attack the devil as the cause. Some have amazingly enough turned God
into the adversary, thinking if they fast and then pray real loud, God
will be convinced to change their situation or even city.
Some
think every ache and pain has a sin as a root reason, and there is
everything in between. There are enough books to fill whole sections of
Christian bookstores about how to gain victory or overcome sin or the
devil.
But
Jesus said revelation from heaven is what hell cannot overcome. So why
do we run 'out there' for some prayer, action, formula, conference,
instead of zeroing in on Christ in us, and paying the price to get with
and stay before the Father for revelation?
Overcoming sin
Ephesus
was a city of about 250,000 people, and some scholars estimate as many
as 10%, 25,000 people, became disciples through Paul's influence
documented in Acts 19. You may recall these barely born again people
renounced the witchcraft and sorceries they had previously been involved
with, burning their books in a great bonfire. So many people came to
the Lord it affected the local idol making business and Paul was driven
out of town as a result.
But
consider this list of their lifestyle, issues Paul was STILL telling
them they needed to give up. From Ephesians 4:17-31: Sexual sin of every
kind, lies, unforgiveness and bitterness, cursing, stealing,
unwillingness to get a job, explosive anger and wrath, and grieving the
Holy Spirit by their lifestyle of sin.
If
this were modern day, many ministers would command the devil off
people, take them to an inner healing conference, or a sexual recovery
and soul tie breaking conference, or a how to forgive conference, or
some other theme of meeting or speaker who specializes in one of the
above sins and recovery.
It's so crazy it might just work!
Here
was Paul's solution to all these sins in these peoples' lives:
"...making mention of you in my prayers. That the God of our Lord Jesus
Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him. That the eyes of your understanding would be
enlightened, so that you will know the hope of His calling and the
riches of the glory of His inheritance (for) the saints, and that you
would know the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe."
(1:16-19)
Paul
was crazy enough to believe Jesus, that revelation from heaven was
stronger than the devil. Therefore, pray the people receive revelation
and they will on their own free will, then leave sin and grow in Christ.
And:
"For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man...so that you may know the love of Christ which is beyond knowing..." (3:14-21)
The
source of revelation is learning how to know and trust the Spirit of
Truth within. To be willing to weigh things out against the Spirit, and
having the backbone to refrain from formula and all the religious
gymnastics popular church culture tells us to do to gain victory over
the devil. Instead, learn to commune with the Father in your spirit.
Learn to fellowship with Christ and the Spirit of Truth within.
Paul
told the Ephesians in 4:14-15 they were still like little children,
being tossed to and fro in their spiritual walk with the slightest news
of a new teaching, and he prayed for revelation for them that they would
be changed from the inside out by that revelation. Truly, revelation
from the Father is something the devil cannot prevail against. Learn to
shift your attention to down in your spirit, to His presence there, and
learn to enjoy that peace, that joy, that fellowship with Him.
If
we don't learn to receive revelation, we may end up with a spiritual
frog and later when he isn't singing for us, wonder how we missed it.
New subject next week, blessings,
John Fenn
Remember to use cwowi@aol.com for email to me
New CD/MP3 Series:
(2 cd/MP3, $12/set or MP3 $10)
The New
Testament is filled with verses about the blood of Jesus and how unique
it is, and what it did for us. Modern practices include 'pleading the
blood' and 'drawing a blood line', among others. This series traces the
power of blood in covenant and sacrifice including the Scapegoat and
Wilderness goat and more in the Old Testament, and how the blood of
Jesus is appropriated for us in our lives. This study will range from
Old Testament to New, separate fact from fiction, scripture from error,
and leave the hearer in awe of our Lord Jesus Christ even more!
Why I'm Not Always Positive and Encouraging
Why I'm Not Always Positive and Encouragingby Chip BrogdenAt first blush there would appear to be nothing wrong with something labeled “positive and encouraging.” Three Christian radio stations service my area, and all three of them make the same claim: that they offer positive and encouraging programming for the whole family. The appeal is obvious: no one wants to spend a lot of time dwelling on things that are negative and discouraging.But I have discovered a flaw in this positive and encouraging, family-friendly environment that should be addressed. This desire to provide people with a positive and encouraging experience (whether it is by radio or by television or by church service or by website) creates an unrealistic expectation in the hearts and minds of the audience and congregation who have come to rely on “the ministry” to keep them properly fed. Content is judged not according to Truth, but according to how I feel about it. Do I feel good, positive, encouraged, uplifted, and happy afterwards? If so then all is well. Or is it? We must seriously question things that pass themselves off as “ministry”. It is clear that the practice of “ministry” – whether it comes in the form of a sermon or a song – is becoming synonymous with “Christian Entertainment.” It is not so much what they say as what they fail to say. The most glaring omission in this positive and encouraging Christian sub-culture is meaningful reference and teaching along the lines of taking up the cross and denying self, and I would suggest this one thing sums up most of what is lacking in Churchianity today..." Click here to read the rest of this article: http://theschoolofchrist.org/articles/positive-and-encouraging.html |
Jumat, 20 Maret 2015
Mental and Emotional Illness in Small Groups
Mental and Emotional Illness in Small Groups
Nearly 1 in 5 Californians report a need for mental health services.
I was shocked last summer when I heard a report on the radio about the current emotional health of people living in California. Here is a quote from the research report.
“In a comprehensive new study of mental health status and the use of mental health services by Californians, the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research found that nearly one in five adults in the state—about 4.9 million people—said they needed help for a mental or emotional health problem. In addition, approximately one in 25, or more than 1 million, reported symptoms associated with serious psychological distress (SPD), which includes the most serious kinds of diagnosable mental health disorders.” (Published: Wednesday, July 28, 2010, Psychology & Sociology)
Accepting the Emotionally Sick
At Gateway we are always moving towards the unchurched in relationships and in our Sunday morning audience. One of the results of this is having high contact with people responding to a crisis in their life. Many of them are breaking down from life’s disappointments and finally giving church a try. They come to church for selfish reasons. They are desperate consumers of what we offer. This is a good thing!
I want them to consume what we offer. We offer them grace and hope in their situation. Jesus has come to bring them peace. Jesus seeing the multitudes had compassion on them. He healed their wounds. Taught them truth. Invited them into the Kingdom of God. The emotionally and mentally struggling are Jesus’ people.
Group Life With Emotional Strugglers
If the UCLA study is accurate, then every Small Group with twelve (12) people in it has two (2) people struggling with a mental or emotional illness. This statistic goes over great at a New Small Group Leader Orientation!!! “Sign up to lead a group today! Crazy people headed your way.”
Seriously, though, as followers of Jesus who are entering into the relationally messy work of the church, we must recognize that we are losing our life for the sake of others. A profound love that comes from God is needed for people. Jesus teaches us to love our enemy. The love he speaks of here is the same love on display for the emotionally hurting in our group. It is a love that gives. It is patient love. It’s a love that exists in the awkwardness and irrationality of someone’s ramblings. It is a love that offers hope and grace. With great love given, in these situations, usually none or little is returned.
We accept the cultural soup we live in that has created relational brokenness, isolation, insecurity and shame. When trouble strikes, our Small Group leaders need a perspective of acceptance, grace and time. Yes, truth shows up, but it shows up as “acceptance, grace and time” in the beginning.
Training Small Group Leaders for Emotional Strugglers in Their Groups
As I recognized the need to equip our Small Group leaders with more training around these EGR individuals, I re-read a resource on my bookshelf. It was the book Making Small Groups Work, by Henry Cloud and John Townsend. I decided to have our Gateway Group Life team read it together.
There was an interesting response from one of the team members who oversees our Support and Recovery Groups. She loved it! My perspective as I read the book was mainly for aspects of Group Dynamics I could learn. She was reading from a different perspective: the perspective of counseling strugglers towards healing. When she shared the excitement of her findings, we all recognized the need to test some training with our Small Group leaders using this resource.
We recently trained 17 existing group leaders using this book as a foundational resource. At the end of the training, the feedback was very positive. The real-life situations these group leaders were experiencing were very similar to the counseling scenarios presented by Cloud and Townsend. These leaders now have a new confidence and equipping for the messy work of people in their groups.
If we are going to be a church on mission to people in our city, then we must accept that the emotionally hurting will join us. We must be ready with a love that is competent for their needs. A cultural soil of grace and acceptance is crucial for them. Leaders with patient love to give them time to heal and grow is required. Jesus shows up for these people. They are Jesus’ people.
Have you found good resources for training group leaders to handle people with emotional or mental illness? How much can we expect of a Small Group leader in this area?
Print Version
Kirby Holmes is a Groups
and Growth Pastor at Gateway Church in Austin, TX. Gateway is a No
Perfect People Allowed church where we often say Come as You Are…but
Don’t Stay as You Are. Half of the people who attend Gateway would say
they were far from God when they started attending. Gateway is a place
where God is helping un-churched messy people become beautiful
masterpieces of God’s design.
Twitter: @KirbyHolmes Web: www.KirbyHolmes.me Church:
www.GatewayChurch.com
More from Kirby Holmes or visit Kirby at http://www.KirbyHolmes.meNew LK10 website goes live!
New LK10 website goes live!
March 19, 2015
March 19, 2015
I am delighted to let you know that our new website is live! The
new site incorporates much of what we have learned over recent years
and also points forward to the new directions we feel the Lord is giving
us. (Especially, the new Leader 101 Course!)
Take the tour here… http://www.lk10.com/
Share. Do
you have friends who are saying (or thinking)… “There must be more to
church than what I’ve been experiencing.” Please send them the link to
our new site. This might be exactly what they need.
Comments/Questions. We would love to hear from you about the new site! Go here to tell us what you think... http://www.lk10.com/new-lk10-website-goes-live/
Warmly,
Warmly,
John
John Fenn, Prophetic Update #1
Hi all,
With
so many world events apparently running headlong into fulfillment of
prophecy in recent weeks, it seemed good to share some prophetic updates
and things to look for.
No
matter what a person believes about end times, the end of the Book
makes it clear this world is headed to the end of the government of man,
culminating in the return of Jesus to set up His earthly kingdom. He
does so at a time Israel is on the brink of destruction, and comes
literally riding in on His white horse to save the day. Revelation 19:11
Here are some characteristics common to persecution through the centuries. Do you see them in our day?
News flash - Christians aren't persecuted just for being Christian
Church culture
would have us believe Jesus was sent to the cross just for being
Jesus, amd Christians are persecuted just for being Christian, but that
is not the case. The old question, "If you were accused of being a
Christian would there be enough evidence against you?" isn't
exactly accurate. If we look at what the Bible actually says, we will
see a spirit at work in our day. These were the charges against Jesus:
1: Treason. 2: Tax evasion. 3: Potential violence. 4: Being against popular culture.
#1, Treason - defined as 'betrayal of one's country'
Christians
are not persecuted JUST for being Christian - that is the
surface. Roman Governor Pontius Pilate asked Jesus: "Are you King of the
Jews?" That was what it all pivoted around - treason - are you against
Rome?. But when Pilate realized Jesus wasn't a direct threat he would
have released Him, but the people kept the focus on treason, shouting:
"We have no king but Caesar!" Even ISIS views Christians and for that
matter, Muslims who don't believe as they do in the Caliphate, as
traitors. (Matthew 27:11, John 19:15)
Until
Christianity was legalized in the 3rd century, treason was the charge
against Christians because they claimed to serve another king - they
weren't in court just for being a Chrisitian. The Caesars demanded
worship as gods, Christians refused, and that was treason, worthy of
death.
Root accusations of treason can be disguised within many other charges
Therefore we look for evidence in culture and government of that spirit at work - a spirit that seeks to criminalize faith in Christ as treasonous to a nation's well-being, purpose, and greater good.
From
Jesus throughout history, Jews and Christians have been blamed as the
cause of a nation's ills, because they refused to be good patriots -
good Romans, good Nazi's, or Communist party members. Look for the
nations to increasingly look at Jews and Christians, as well as
politically conservative people, as the cause of a nation's problems,
which will degrade to a point they accuse them (us) as un-patriotic.
Pick your nation, that's the spirit behind it.
Look at the progression - it doesn't start as full-blown treason
In
the first 6 months of Jesus' ministry when John the Baptist and He were
ministering at the same time, John 3 says the Pharisees and various
religious rulers stood by and listened to what each said. But things
escalated over the next 3 years to the point of plots against Jesus:
"And they took counsel how they might destroy Him." (John 11:53)
In the USA when The Patriot Act
was passed after the 9/11 attacks, it granted the government freedoms
on spying and arrest that were unprecedented. I asked "What do you think
of this Father?" and He immediately replied: "Laws that were designed
to protect my people will one day be used against them."
#2, Jesus was accused of tax evasion & financial wrong doing
In Luke 23:2 we are told another charge against Jesus: "And they began to accuse Him saying, 'This man perverts the nation, forbidding the paying of taxes to Caesar, and saying He is a king."
Back at the time of the Patriot Act
the Father also told me: "The IRS will be used to persecute my people."
I realize these 2 points are to an American audience, but the spirit
behind such things is common to all governments sliding toward anger
directed at conservatives, Christians, and Jews.
In
this day of electronic communication, finances, and government spying
on citizens to a degree never before possible, realize that any
government so determined could produce convincing evidence of a person's
moral or financial wrong doing just by breaking into accounts and
making them say whatever they want.
Rabbit trail, which means a slight detour off the path - what 666 means
Much ado has been made of the 666 of Revelation 13:18:
"This is wisdom. Let him that has wisdom count the number of the beast:
for it is the number of a man; and his number is 666." The previous
verses say a person cannot buy nor sell without that mark on their
forehead or wrist.
Note
that the first rule for understanding prophecy is that it had to have
made sense to the original hearers/readers, and then also must make
sense to future hearers/readers. In John's time when Rome took slaves
they took away their name and gave them a number instead, branding their
forehead or wrist with that number. This indicated the person was a
slave to Rome and their economic & political system..
A
great trivia trick is to ask 'Who wrote the book of Romans?', and most
will say "Paul". But Romans 16:22-23 says: "I Tertius, who wrote this
letter, greet you...and Quartus, a brother."
Tertius
is the Roman number 3, and Quartus is the Roman number 4, indicating
slave #3 received dictation of Paul's letter to the Romans, and a
co-worker was slave #4.
666 explained
The
666 is easy to explain. We look to Jesus as the truth, and then to
Satan's perversion to understand the 666. So what is Jesus going to do
at the setting up of His kingdom on earth, which will basically be a
777, God's number of completion? (6 being the number of man as man was
created on day 6)
King Jesus will unite these three elements over all mankind: Political, economic, and religious unity. 777.
Therefore 666 is man's government trying to unify politics, economics, and religion - 666.
Dictators,
Kings, Caesars, and to our day, rulers have tried to build their own
666. Rome was able to unify their world politically and economically,
but not religiously because of those pesky Jews and Christians. They got
to 66 but not to 666.
Fast
forward to Nazi Germany. Hitler was able to unify his nation
politically and economically, but not religiously because of Jews and
Christians, though they tried to exterminate them all. Fast forward to
the USSR. Stalin was able to unify the nation politically, economically,
but not completely in the religion of atheism because of Jews and
Christians.
One
day there will be a man in the area of Europe and the Mediterranean,
who will try again to bring the unity of man's perfect government as
seen in the 666. He will unify things politically and economically,
forcing all to be part of the system to buy/sell, and he will seek to
unify religion as well.
Think
of an economic system that would be against people raising their own
fruits and vegetables, thereby side-stepping the system - So look for
future government control over people making their own gardens.
But
again, Christians will be seen as preventing that final '6', and
eventually the nations will seek to destroy Israel as the last obstacle
standing in their way.
I'm out of room for this week, points 3 & 4 and much insights next week, until then, blessings,
John Fenn
www.cwowi.org and email me at cwowi@aol.com
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