Doing Flows From Being

“Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.”
EPHESIANS 4:24

What is the Christian Life? It is leaving our ground altogether and coming onto the ground of Christ. It is deeper than a changed life – it is an exchanged life. Over time we can accomplish a change, but we can do nothing to exchange our life for His Life. This, from start to finish, is God’s work, and it is a work of grace.

What, after all, is Righteousness? What is true Holiness? Christ is not righteous because He does righteous things; He does righteous things because He is Righteousness. Christ is not holy because He does holy things; He does holy things because He is Holiness. His “doing” flows out of His “being” – and OUR “doing” flows out of His “being” as well.

Source: Lord of All by Chip Brogden

Hyderabad, India Seminar on the Blessing of Early Church Practice

Hyderabad, India Seminar on the Blessing of Early Church Practice Monday & Tuesday, August 5-6, 2013

These practices were part of what gave the early church the dynamic and vitality that the Lord used to turn the Roman world upside down. Join us as we explore these critical topics:  1. The Lord's Supper Celebrated as an Actual Holy Meal  2. Participatory Worship & Expository Teaching 3. Elder Led Congregational Consensus  4. First Century Roman Villa Sized House Churches  5. Timeless Apostolic Traditions  The Lord's Supper: A Holy Meal Why did the early church celebrate the Lord's Supper as an actual Holy Meal? What are the future-oriented, prophetic aspects of the Lord's Supper? What role does the Lord's Supper play in persuading Jesus to return? How does the Lord's Supper create unity within a body of believers? What are the fellowship aspects of the Lord's Supper? Many people have expressed that they feel this to be the most significant session of the entire workshop! Participatory Worship If the words "each one" were taken out of 1 Corinthians 14:23 and replaced with the words "one only," which would better describe modern worship services?  Participatory church meetings not only are the New Testament pattern, but are expressly prescribed. Related to church meetings, Paul declared that "what I am writing to you is the Lord's command" (1Co 14:37). Obviously, what we do when we assemble is very important. What kinds of things should go on in participatory worship?  Who is allowed to speak?  Who can teach?  How many different people can address the church?  What about the kids; Are they to be in children's church or with their parents? What size meeting was typical in the New Testament?  Come and find out in this eye-opening study. Elder Led Congregational Consensus Did Jesus really mean that "the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and that the one who rules like the one who serves" (Lk 22:26)? The children and slaves were precisely those in Roman society who had the least authority. How does this apply to elders? In this session, we discuss the relationship that ought to exist between a church and its leaders.  Exactly where does the power lie?  Who has authority over whom?  What is the role of an elder or overseer?  How does consensus work?  We'll argue for leadership by consensus rather than simply command. You'll be surprised at what the Scriptures do (and do not) say concerning church government. Timeless Apostolic Traditions  Some 2,000 years later, how are we to view the way the apostles did things?  Is the New Testament way of doing things merely interesting history, or did God intend for it to be normative for all churches in every age?  This session will examine the various Biblical commendations and commands to churches with respect to the "traditions" of the apostles, as found exclusively on the pages of Scripture. www.NTRF.org

What: India Seminar on the Practice of the Early Church. Sponsored by Stephen David and taught in English by Steve Atkerson, Denton Elliott and Nathaniel Caouette of NTRF. Where: Hyderabad, India Registration:  Please contact Stephen David to register:  friendsofchrist@gmail.com NTRF holds to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith poured into the wineskin of New Testament church practice. Our favorite statement of faith is the 1st London Baptist Confession of 1646.  We also hold to the inerrancy of Scripture, new covenant theology, the doctrines of grace and complimentarian roles for men and women.

Barnabas showed remarkable insight into what actually qualifies someone for effective ministry.

The Barnabas Factor: Focus on Anointing, Not Pedigree

By John Bond So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. ~ Acts 11:26b
READING: Acts 11:19-30
Along with a willingness to forgive whatever God had forgiven, Barnabas also showed remarkable insight into what actually qualifies someone for effective ministry. I’m sure a pulpit committee or ministry assessment team would have quickly pointed out that Paul lacked the prerequisites and pedigree necessary for ministry. Not only did he lack the early church credentials of having walked with Jesus, he also possessed a sordid past, a public record of bad theology and blood on his hands.
Yet, somehow, Barnabas was able to see past all that to dial in on the amazing things God had done and was doing in Paul’s life – and the spiritual fruit that backed it up.
Over the years, I’ve found that many of the most effective volunteers, lay leaders, and staff members of my church are people who likewise don’t fit the ministry mold! Whether it’s a past sin or failure, a lack of formal education in their specific area of ministry, or simply never having taken the time to jump through all the normally prescribed hoops, these are folks who have been literally cast aside or passed over by other ministries that considered pedigree or education more important than anointing. So we picked up the pieces, and they have blessed us beyond measure.
Nothing clamps a lid over volunteers and leadership development like a rigid insistence that everyone must first pass through some man-made, artificial gauntlet of training or experiences before being allowed to unleash the gifts God has given to them.
Father, Help me to see the potential in people. Help me to be discerning about how and where people can minister. Help me to build teams that make a difference for you. Amen.
Dynamic Church Planting International (DCPI) “Equips Leaders to Plant 5 Million Churches Worldwide.” Learn more

John Fenn Big Picture 5

Hi all,

In 1965 the British band 'Herman's Hermits' had a hit song entitled 'Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter', which was on an album I bought in the late 1960's when I was about 10 or 12 years old. (I know, that dates me doesn't it? I turned 55 last month, gulp, yikes!)

 

Even now, I have Herman's Hermits 'Greatest Hits' on my iPhone as part of my 'Easy Listening' playlist.

 

We interrupt this email for an editorial, lol

I've said this before, and I know it doesn't sound spiritual, but I often find it easier to pray in the Spirit and talk to the Father with some of the more mellow songs of the 1960's and 70's that I grew up with playing in the background, than I do with many modern Christian rock that either scream at me or have lyrics that tell me I'm lower than a snake's belly. (But there's a lot of great Christian worship too and I listen to a lot of that!)

 

But some Christian songs (even some 'worship' songs) are like they used to say of some country songs if you play them backwards - you get your truck back, you get your dog back, you get your girlfriend back, you get your job back...

 

Back to Big Picture, lol

You need to know that I've known 'Mrs. Brown, You've Got a Lovely Daughter by heart since at least 1970, and all that time I thought the opening line went like this (in my best imitation of singer Peter Noone's heavy Manchester accent): "Mrs. Brown you've got a lovely daughter, girls who shop as her are something rare..."

 

The song is 2 minutes 24 seconds long, and for at least 43 years I've been happily singing along 'Mrs Brown you've got a lovely daughter, girls who shop as her are something rare...', never knowing why this teenage English boy is admiring some girl's shopping habits  - until last month.

 

That's when I was listening to the Herman's Hermits in the background while talking to the Father about the big picture and praying in the Spirit, when it happened.

 

Suddenly I see

I was receiving revelation about examples in the gospels where Jesus would shift attention away from the person or moment at hand to look at the big picture view for perspective, then zero in again on the issue - He clearly did that to place whatever crisis or failure of the person in the context of the big picture so they wouldn't lose heart.

 

And while I was thinking on that, this song started and the Father suddenly said, "It's like this" as He somehow turned my attention away from Him and onto the background music that now seemed much louder and suddenly very clear: 'Mrs. Brown, you've got a lovely daughter, girls as sharp as her are something rare..."

 

OH...Girls as SHARP AS HER are something rare, not girls who shop as her are something rare!

 

Carry over effect

Since I was 10 or 12 years old I'd been wondering about the shopping habits of some girl from Manchester, when all along he was singing about her being 'sharp' - which communicates intelligence, wit, attractiveness - NOT that she was a good shopper.

 

The Father used this as a teaching tool and made His point clear: The 2:24 second song is like our lives, and often in the opening lines of our lives we learn something wrong, yet because we learned it early we carry it with us all our lives. This causes us to make decisions and form opinions based on that wrong belief, which makes everything built on that belief a bit off and incorrect in nearly every area.

 

That wrong understanding in the opening line of the song tainted the whole song for me for 45+/- years! How often do we think something of ourselves or God that we lay down as a foundation, upon which we build this whole self-image or God-image, only years later we understand the 'lyrics' correctly!

 

Those famous Swiss cows

When Barb and her best friend Kathy were about 6 years old and had probably watched the movie 'Heidi', about a little Swiss girl, Kathy told her she wondered how cows in Switzerland could stand on those steep Swiss mountain sides. Without missing a beat Barb told her that Swiss cows have shorter legs on one side of their body than the other, which allows them to remain level while standing on steep mountains.

 

12 years later and now 18 years old, Barb and Kathy were roommates in a dorm at Indiana University, and they were talking about the theory of evolution and Kathy says, 'You know, like those Swiss cows growing short legs on one side to adapt to their environment.'.

 

Barb was amazed and started laughing and told her Swiss cows don't have short legs on one side - it was just a joke. But Kathy was in disbelief and shock that it wasn't true for she had believed that since Barb told her, and they spent the next hour looking up information on Swiss cows and their legs just to prove Barb was just joking 12 years earlier.

 

Big, small, big, small, big

Luke 22:14-23 is about the Last Supper and the big picture work of the cross. But in verse 24, the very next verse, the disciples did as human nature does, make an important big picture event all about them and what they think about it, which is 'small picture'. Who will be the greatest among them?

 

Jesus helps them get their eyes off 'self' and the small picture, to look at the big picture in verses 29-30. He tells them He gives them part of the kingdom the Father gave Him, and they will judge/administrate over the 12 tribes of Israel in the future kingdom - so stop jostling for position in the here and now.

 

Jesus never changes - He is still urging us to get eyes off self and onto the big picture. But...

 

Then Jesus turns to Peter to sandwich that mighty and amazing future of them judging the 12 tribes of Israel in the kingdom to come, with a revelation that Peter is first going to be sifted like wheat. "Satan has desired to sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that when you have turned again, you will strengthen your brethren." (v31-32).

 

About a 1/2 step off

Peter, bless his heart and completely wrongly timed, tries to go big picture on Jesus: "I am ready to go with you both to prison and even to death!" But Jesus focuses again on the small picture: "I tell you Peter, you'll deny me 3 times before the rooster crows."

 

Looking at the big picture is not a denial of the facts nor neglecting the job at hand and issues that must be dealt with. Keeping the big picture in the back of our minds while dealing with the intense crisis of the 'small picture' keeps things in right perspective and gives us the strength and hope to continue on.

 

That's why Jesus felt comfortable sharing the small picture of Peter's denial of the Lord in context that he would one day sit on a throne administrating Israel in the future kingdom. He always places our problems in context of the big picture, while urging us to deal with whatever issue is at hand honestly and uprightly.

 

And then Jesus moves from Peter's small picture denial to the big picture again as He tells them essentially that He is leaving them so from this point forward they need to go out fully supplied. Then they go to the big picture events of the Garden of Gethsemane.

 

Back to those lyrics and cows

In the first century the teaching was that Messiah was coming to defeat the Romans and restore Israel to world prominence once again as in the days of David and Solomon. It is upon that foundational misunderstanding that many of Jesus' disciples followed Him. One of the original 12 was 'Simon the Zealot'.

 

The Zealot party was a political movement that wanted to incite the people to rise up and force the Romans out. It is believed by many that was the core reason Judas betrayed Jesus, trying to get Him to prove to everyone He was Messiah and put Him in a position to confront the Romans and then have to do miraculous things to defeat them.

 

Even in Acts 1:6 'when they all came together' right before the Ascension, as a group they asked: "Lord, is it now you are going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" They were STILL wondering if He was going to kick the Romans out at that time!

 

All they had seen and heard and done in the last 3 1/2 years with Jesus, now resurrected from the dead, did not undo they foundational 'wrong lyrics' of their life song they thought they knew so well. They still believed Swiss cows had legs on one side shorter than the other so to speak, even though they had been 3 1/2+ years with Jesus.

 

Are we any different?

No matter how long we walk with the Lord in this life we are still relearning the lyrics, relearning that many 'facts' aren't facts at all, but error and traditions of men. Paul said in I Corinthians 14:10 there are many voices in the world, and none without significance. The trouble is that we come to the Lord and His voice which we are following, with other voices still bouncing off the walls of our minds, emotions, and life experience.

 

Being a disciple means rearranging those other voices, those 'small picture' foundations upon which we've built a flawed life, and putting them in correct context and seen from the proper perspective of our future and our citizenship which is even now, in heaven. (Philippians 3:20)

 

Suddenly, the song makes sense. Suddenly you realize those cows are like every other cow out there. And suddenly you see the Father and the Lord Jesus for the goodness that is them, and the love story begins...

 

New subject next week - deal with the small picture from the vantage point of the big picture!

Blessings

John Fenn

www.SupernaturalHouseChurch.org     CWOWI@aol.com

 

Appleseed Travel Journal - Good Times with New Friends

In This Issue... Good Times with New Friends More Recent Articles

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Brooks I think it was last fall I wrote about some of the interesting people I meet along the way. It is fascinating who I get to talk to standing in line or just passing by. Such was the case on our flight from Kitale in western Kenya to Nairobi last week. The Kitale airport has changed a lot in the short time since we've been coming to Africa. Where they used to have a cinderblock building of one room, meat packing scales to weigh your luggage and an outhouse about a ¼ of a mile away, now they have added onto the building making an additional tiny room where about 12 chairs are crammed close together for waiting, TSA attendants greet you at the door and slide your bags through a machine of sorts and everyone looks and acts very official. Just a few years ago going through security meant men went with the male airport employee and women went with the woman. Your bags were slung up on a rickety table and gone through thoroughly … by hand, insuring that the hours you had spent carefully situating everything in your suitcase so it would close were now all for naught. Instead, you were left with a huge, jumbled pile spilling onto the table and floor and trying desperately to somehow cram it all back inside the bag again. So, times have changed and with it losses, but also gains. On this particular trip last week, Fly 540, the airlines we used to use because it was the only one that flew into Kitale, had mysteriously stopped and an airline called East Africa Safari had taken over the duties. Well, most of the duties. They, too, had only one flight a day, but for some reason not on Tuesdays. It seems Fly 540 had gotten quite a few complaints. Some of them apparently had been because if they had picked up extra passengers in Lodwar, the stop before Kitale, then they simply circled over Kitale, checked out the number of passengers on the ground, and if there were too many, they just passed on by. If you were ticketed for that day, no problem, your ticket would still be good for tomorrow. So, as anyone knows, flexibility is the key to traveling, so for today East Africa Safari is what we fly. After all, how bad could it be? My first delightful encounter this day was in the waiting room where, of course, one could easily make friends with just about everyone just because of sheer proximity. There were a number of us sitting there, but it was hard not to notice the very "smart" (nicely dressed) Kenyan woman chatting away in Swahili on her cell phone. Soon another, very nicely dressed, jewel-bedecked (a gold ring of some description on each finger of each hand), robust woman bustled through the door. With lots of "Oooh's and ah's!" and loud greetings, they embraced each other warmly, obviously very surprised at seeing one another here at the airport. So, the two women pretty much entertained the rest of us during our 20 minute wait for our flight. We all tried to appear like we were engaged in whatever bundle was on our laps, but clearly each of us was listening to the lively sitcom going on in front of us. Even Roger and the other men in the room glanced up from their devotion to the Daily Nation long enough to find out what was going on. I couldn't help it. Every time the second lady laughed, I found myself giggling flat outright just because her laughter was so outrageously contagious. Only later would I find out who this woman really was. Putt, putt, putt our plane seemed to be landing, so we all stood up and made our way out the door to the six foot waiting area to walk out to the parked plane. That's when the second lady switched from Swahili to English to engage me in conversation. "I think you like my laugh. Is that right? Where are you going and what are you doing? Ah, is this man your husband (she was now standing between us, her with her rather large self and all her belongings)?" As with many Kenyans, her conversation was accented with much shoulder touching and arm holding and big eyes and squeals of delight. We laughed and chit-chatted about things like where we're from and children and grandchildren. She was happy to tell me that she lives in Nairobi but has a farm in Kitale where she grows maize. Quite obviously she was a very wealthy and confident woman. As outrageously sanguine as she was, her friend, who turned out to be her sister-in-law, was equally reserved and quiet, telling me that she, too, lived in Nairobi and had a bee farm here in Kitale that she had come to check on. She sells honey in stores throughout Kenya. During our little wait, Roger and I kept checking out the plane that had just landed with East Africa Safaris painted across it. Seriously, was this our plane? Our discussion went along the lines of, "Well, it must be our plane. It's got to be the only plane that's going to land here all day, matter of fact for two days since it's Monday." We each reassured each other that yes, we had ridden on such a small, commercial plane before. It was really no big deal. Finally, not being able to stand it, I nonchalantly initiated a little visit with a young woman standing alone waiting with the rest of us. As we were talking, it all became very clear why very few of the passengers had any luggage … just the two dumb wzungus who ended up paying almost the cost of another ticket just because of the amount and weight of ours. We figured this all out by ourselves as a man pulled a metal wagon with our bags (along with a few others) out to the parked plane. There he and another guy stuffed them into small cave openings on the side of the plane, like on a bus, only much, much smaller. Good thing everyone else was traveling light just so there'd be room for ours. Well, wish you could have seen Roger and me just getting into the plane … me with my "purse" (just a bit oversized) and a reusable grocery bag containing a rather large oval basket, a gift given that I couldn't possibly leave behind, and poor Roger with his tall, longlegged self trying to bend over making himself thin enough and short enough to manage the height of the plane and the narrowness of the "aisle." We were trying to manage ourselves, balance our way up the hanging steps onto the plane, and somehow put the things we were carrying in front of us so they would fit. That's when someone shoved a little brown lunchbag at me, saying, "This is for you." Right there at step one a guy stood with a little cardboard box filled with tiny bags. I didn't see that he was doling one out to each passenger, as is the custom on smaller flights, but really??? Do I absolutely need to carry this, too? Disgusted, I already knew my gift included a tiny bottle of water and a white roll, but took it anyway, just out of pure gratitude and a "in-your face United" attitude. We finally managed to get ourselves seated (no assigned seating I can assure you), but I was thrilled to find that one in-law was seated right in front of me, while the other right beside us (ok, across the aisle, which was literally one foot, Roger and her knees even touched each other). So, the conversing and laughing and comments continued. All at once the pilot interrupted us to say that this was indeed East Africa Safari Airlines and we were headed to Nairobi. He told us all about how it was going to be a great day, nice weather and just relax and enjoy. All of us listened intently waiting for any instructions in case of emergency, but none were given as he finished up his spiel and we all sat in silence. But not to worry, my gregarious new friend loudly greeted the pilot, told him thank you for taking us to Nairobi and how nice it was to be with so many nice people and friends. To which, in my surprise, everyone else agreed with the typical Kenyan nodding of the head and a "Mmm" or significant grunt that says, "I agree with everything that you just said." One guy from the back jokingly did yell out, "Would you introduce the flight crew who will be assisting us during the flight today and tell us the location of the restrooms?" Everyone laughed and settled in, men behind newspapers, women talking and shuffling and organizing themselves. My new friend shoved something across Roger's chest into my hand. Taking it, I glanced down at her business card. She in the meantime was motioning that I give her mine in return (yes, I actually have one … ok, it's not really a business card, but it is a card and it does have my name on it and my contact info). So, here's the shocker, as well as the explanation for her bedazzled, out-going self. On her card was the beautiful green, black and yellow emblem of Kenya. Neatly written underneath "Republic of Kenya, Parliament," her name was formally written in bold black type Senator (Dr.) … . Well, who knew I was going to befriend a Senator today?? Yesterday a little bedraggled, destitute orphan living in a remote village, today a Senator … every day holding its own mysteries and surprises. Continuing on our flight, we had to fly at a relatively low altitude because of the size of our plane. This made it very noisy and not very conducive to conversing, so I became entranced just staring out the window. It was pretty magnificent to fly that low over the beautiful western mountains of Kenya and then the Great Rift Valley. I could only imagine the elephants, giraffes, hundreds of different types of gazelles, lions and other wildlife that we were passing over … all of them migrating over the vast, vast plains of Africa. And, then, of course, the Masaii tribesmen who tirelessly move their cattle from one area of their land to another were somewhere down there, too. Lost in the sea of what is only in Africa, only once did I wonder about the reliability of our pilot (see photo below). But, there was no sputtering or diving or rattling so I assumed everything must be ok … with him and the plane. Soon shanties replaced plains and streets replaced roads and finally the tall buildings of Nairobi stood plainly. Our effervescent pilot yelled back to us, "We are approaching Nairobi; it's 25 degrees celsius and clear. We'll be there in about 10 minutes." I didn't really think anything about it as we rolled down the landing strip toward our parking spot in tiny Wilson Field (airport). But, you can be assured that the Senator shouted out, "Good landing, pilot. You've done a fine job today and it's been a most pleasant flight." Either admonished for our lack of politeness or because we really did agree, we all said, "Yes, thank you, asante sana, nice flight," of course accompanied with a few gutteral mmm's which said, "Yes, it was … a nice flight, a nice day!" And, for me, another great experience, living the life, meeting interesting people, and looking forward to reconnecting with some I've had the joy to meet before.

Appleseed Travel Journal - Leadership Mapping

In This Issue... Leadership Mapping More Recent Articles

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Roger Ok, the technical stuff because some (a few of you) like this stuff. And, yes, so do I! We are introducing a new tool to our teams this year called Leadership Mapping. This helps them to understand the progress they are making and where to put their efforts when it comes to developing leaders. It is important to understand that developing leaders for a movement of disciplemakers or church planters is unique in that "leaders" must truly become selfless servants and give away everything they have learned by helping others come up to the same level (or higher) of fruitfulness and effectiveness. Leadership is not viewed in a hierarchical fashion; rather it is understood as influence for the benefit of serving others. By mapping this process, leaders see if they are reproducing themselves effectively and truly giving away all that they can to their disciples. In short form, we define Levels for the purpose of Leadership Mapping in this manner: Level 1: A person has gathered disciples and started a church with others who are learning to love God, love each other, and reach out to neighbors with compassion and Good News. Level 2: A person has started at least two churches and one or more of these churches has reproduced by reaching out to others, making disciples in which a new church is birthed (2+ churches and at least second generation of church reproduction). Level 3: A person has started or reproduced at least 12 churches with at least three generations of churches. Level 4: A person has started or reproduced at least 40 churches with at least four generations of churches. When movements have leaders developing at level 4, it has usually become sustainable and can move into rapidly accelerated growth. When leaders draw out their "map" they often recognize that they are not pulling their disciples up to their own level as effectively as they thought. For example, a level two leader becomes more fruitful (and will automatically move to level three) by helping his team to develop many level two leaders. This happens as he reproduces himself and lifts others to his own level of fruitfulness. This requires them to grow in their own character and develop a selflessness in their leadership which has been expressed by Mike Steele: Did God give us a universal principle for leadership? From my understanding of the Scripture, this ideal can be expressed in the concept of "The apostle who is a father." It is embodied in the saying "A weeping father crying out for his sons to overtake him." Mike Steele Leadership Mapping helps them to see how their spiritual "sons and daughters" are progressing (or not) and how best to support their growth, maturity, and development. But, just to be clear here … at the end of the day, it really is about another person finding freedom from superstitions, legalistic religion, bondages, inner hopelessness, and lifestyles that are destroying them. In fact, while working with a team of leaders in Kigali yesterday, one of the leaders there was sent pictures of a baptism taking place in his absence proving his own commitment to raise up others and allow them to take the lead.

John Fenn - Big Picture 4

Hi all,

I've been talking about how the Lord looks at our lives from a 'big picture' perspective, since He has invested in us for eternity. Unfortunately, we tend to take issues in our lives and make them larger than they should be in the face of eternity.

 

Just a moment

You don't have to live very long on planet earth before someone betrays and hurts you. From playground betrayals to high school soap opera-like romances, and on into adulthood, hurts and betrayals are something we've all experienced.

 

Ministry and church life can be particularly hurtful, and one day a woman in the traditional church we pastored hurt Barb deeply. She took things Barb told her in confidence and shared them openly with others. And it wasn't just the betrayal, what hurt Barb more was that this woman valued their friendship so lightly, as something not to be protected, but rather, disposable.

 

Having her words taken out of context and her heart bared open before immature people who reacted as immature people do, hurt Barb deeply. The woman never apologized, and though Barb forgave her, the emotions still hurt.

 

As she was still deeply hurting some weeks later, the Father broke into her brooding and said: "Don't turn a moment into a lifetime; It's only a moment."

(I have a cd/MP3 series on forgiveness that may help some. Jesus said forgiveness is a decision, not an emotion. A person can forgive a person yet take even years to work through the emotions - that process is covered in the series)

 

The Father's words set Barb free emotionally for she had become so focused on the 'little picture' that was the hurt and betrayal that she had forgotten the 'big picture'. This woman's actions proved she was not ready to be a true friend to Barb, and therefore forced Barb to let their relationship remain dormant until we all get to heaven and it will be 'safe' to pick up the relationship with her again.

 

Something Barb and I discussed at the time was the Father's words: "Don't turn a moment into a lifetime." That statement meant the Father was showing her she had a choice - it was her choice to carry that moment in time's hurt throughout her life, the small picture, or she could step back and see that moment compared to eternity, and let it go. Barb chose wisely, to see the hurt in a big picture framework, and it lifted as a result.

 

Left all?

In John 1:41-42 Peter is introduced to Jesus by Andrew, Peter's brother, with the claim 'We have found Messiah'. Nothing happened at that meeting, but Peter was left to consider the claim of Jesus as Messiah. The next time we see Peter and Jesus together is in Luke 5: 1-11. Peter and his business partners, brothers James & John, are loaning one of their boats to Jesus so He can speak to a crowd along the lake shore, taking advantage of the better acoustics of water.

 

Thanking them for the use of their boat, Jesus tells them to cast their nets 1 more time even though they caught nothing all night long, and gives them a huge load of fish, so much so both boats are nearly sunk and the nets were breaking in the process of hauling them aboard. 

 

Upon seeing this miracle Peter falls to his knees and says; "Leave me Lord, for I am a sinful man!", to which Jesus responds, "Don't be afraid, from now on you will catch men (rather than fish)." And they all gave up their business right then and there, and followed Jesus.

 

Peter, James, and John left the fishing business, leaving Zebedee - the father of James & John - now the senior partner, having to completely reorganize his business without his sons and their friend Peter.

 

I'm going fishing

Yet some 3 1/2 years later after the resurrection we once again see Peter, James & John together with others, returning to the fishing business. And just like it was before Peter saw his first miracle in Luke 5, they caught nothing all night long.

 

And once again Jesus is on the shore giving instructions to cast the net just 1 more time, and when they do so they cannot haul in the net due to the huge number of fish, yet this time the net didn't break. Peter is no dummy, in his deja vu experience he recognizes 'It is the Lord', and jumps into the water to swim to shore. (John 21)

 

I wonder if Peter saw the parable of the net breaking the first time in Luke 5 but not the 2nd, a picture of Peter hopelessly flawed before Jesus came into his life, the net tearing under the strain representing his broken, flawed character that kept allowing 'fish' to escape? (Sins, errors, faults while chasing maturity in God)

 

So here we are the 2nd time, this time the net doesn't break in a parable of Peter's maturity process the last 3 1/2 years with a view to the rest of his life, and Jesus asks Peter a big picture question: "Do you love me more than these?"

 

Not James, John, Philip or Nathanael

Some would suppose Jesus was asking Peter if he loved Him more than James & John and the others loved Him. Or perhaps asking Peter if he loved Him more than he loved his friends.

 

But that would be completely inconsistent with every other interaction between God and man from Genesis through The Revelation. At no time in the Word does God ever ask a comparative question involving people - do you love me more than your best friends love me? Do you love me more than you love your friend? Do you love me more than your spouse loves Me? 

 

In the Old Testament there are some comparisons made between serving idols versus serving the God of Israel, but never a question comparing one person's love for Him versus another's love for Him.

 

No, the context makes it clear Jesus is asking Peter if he loves Him more than fish and fishing. The 'these' are fish. Do you love me more than these fish we just ate, Peter? Do you love me more than your fishing business? Early on Peter had left the fishing business to follow Jesus - he had made a big picture decision.

 

Emotions and the big picture

Jesus once again asks him to make a big picture decision, and He asks that decision be founded upon deep love for Him, asking 3 times, "Do you love Me? Feed my sheep."

 

When the Lord asks us to make a big picture decision as he did here with Peter, notice it is made out of love for Him, and that he doesn't send us to a conference or therapist to work through the emotions of such a big decision.

 

For instance, in John 8:11 when the woman is caught in adultery and Jesus saves her from a horrible death by stoning, He simply says, "Go and sin no more", or "Go and leave your sin".

He doesn't say to go see a counselor to deal with the 'soul ties' she incurred. He doesn't tell her to pray over a generational sin that opened the door to lust that allowed her to enter into the affair. He doesn't sooth her emotions - He just says to stop sinning - break it off and move on with your life!

 

He asks her for a big picture decision - make decisions based on your destiny, not based on the short term.

 

So when Jesus asks Peter for a big picture decision founded upon love for Him, He doesn't go into detail soothing Peter's emotions and answering questions about how to turn the business once and for all over to Zebedee, or to sell the business and boats. He doesn't tell Peter how to tell his wife and kids they are probably going to have to give up their home and live out of a suitcase much of the rest of their lives, and most likely move out of Israel.

 

He does tell Peter something about the ramifications of making the big picture decision: "When you are old others will bind you and stretch out your hands and take you where you don't want to go", thus signifying John 21:18-19 says, that Peter will die by crucifixion.  

 

He always shows us the finished vision

He doesn't tell us how to work through the emotions of a big picture decision, whether that be Barb returning a moment in time to merely a moment in time rather than a lifetime, or Peter making a decision knowing that when he is old he will die by crucifixion. He just puts it out there for us - Will you do this?

 

Saul of Tarsus persecuted the body of Christ in Jerusalem, but Acts 8:1 tells us every single believer in Jesus left Jerusalem except for the apostles. So Saul had to expand the hunting down of these people to other areas, which took him to Damascus one day.

 

The Lord wasn't ready to allow persecution to expand yet, and so interrupts Saul's trip by appearing to him before he can reach the city gates. He had been dealing with Saul for some time, because the Lord comments to him: "It's hard (for you) to kick against the ox-goad".

 

The ox-goad was a pointed stick with which a person walked behind an ox and jabbed him to keep him going a certain direction. The Word was the pointy stick the Lord had been using to try to get Saul of Tarsus in the right direction, but like a stubborn animal, he kept 'kicking' against the Lord's jabs. Essentially the Lord appeared to Saul and said 'Give up!'.

 

The Lord tells Saul to get up and go into the city, where it will be told what he must do. At that point the Lord appears to a another disciple and tells him to tell Saul some things, and mentions this: "He is a chosen instrument to proclaim my name before the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel, and I will show him how much suffering he must endure for my name."

 

The testimony of Saul of Tarsus is found in Acts 9, 22, & 26, with Paul adding or subtracting various details each time depending on who he is talking to. But it is clear the Lord showed him the big picture, the mature ministry, and the consequences of making such a decision.

 

He doesn't help us work through the emotions directly, He puts the decision out there, shows us the cost to make a big picture decision, and then leaves it up to us to decide.

 

Ages to come

A couple in our church were picked out of the crowd and prophesied over every time a guest speaker came to our church, and given the same prophetic word about them going to nations to teach people the Word.Yet one of them got into adultery and the marriage ended in divorce.

 

During a visitation when the Lord was teaching me about prophecy, I asked Him about this couple, saying, "Isaiah 55 says your Word doesn't return to you without accomplishing the thing it was sent out for, so what about all the words over this couple? How will they come to pass?"

 

He said: "Some words spoken in this age won't be fulfilled until the age to come." I said, "I've never heard that before, I need chapter and verse!" He kindly responded: "There are many prophecies in the Old Testament that leap over this age to speak of the millennial age to come, and you believe them, so why is it so hard for you to believe that some prophecies spoken in this age will be fulfilled in the next?"

 

You see, God's Word in our lives WILL come to pass. He shows us the mature vision, the completed work, and then sin and life happen and small picture decisions are made, until one day we look back at how we have failed Him and wonder how we will ever be granted entrance to heaven. Or if we make it we think, we will hear how sorely disappointed and perhaps even angry with us He was our whole life.

 

Yet nothing in our lives has caught Him by surprise, and when He speaks a Word, a vision, an invitation to a big picture decision to us, He did so having seen all the detours and failings in our lives.

 

His big picture Word WILL come to pass in your life. If not in this life, then maybe 100 years from now, maybe 400 years from now, maybe 900 years from now - but whether it comes to pass in this life or the next, know that in the big picture we are already in eternity. We don't die and THEN pass into eternity. You have already started living forever.

 

This life is only a moment, don't make it a lifetime.

More next week, blessings,

John Fenn

www.supernaturalhousechurch.org     CWOWI@aol.com