What's Happening in the World Today...

I've been starting to stress a bit about getting a new post put up but I don't want to write for the sake of writing. I want to have something that I feel the Lord would like me to put up here. Not just empty words.
I feel the Lord laid something on my heart yesterday while I was at work. So, here it goes....
I feel that I should make a comment on what has been going on with earthquakes and such over the last little while... New Zealand and Japan, being the latest hit.

Here's the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew.

¹ As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples pointed out to him the various Temple buildings. ² But he responded, “Do you see all these buildings? I tell you the truth, they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

 ³ Later, Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives. His disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will all this happen? What sign will signal your return and the end of the world?^[a]”

 ⁴ Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, ⁵ for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. ⁶ And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. ⁷ Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. ⁸ But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

 ⁹ “Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers.^[b] 10 And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. ¹¹ And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. ¹² Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. ¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations^[c] will hear it; and then the end will come.

 ¹⁵ “The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration^[d] standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!) ¹⁶ “Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. ¹⁷ A person out on the deck of a roof must not go down into the house to pack. ¹⁸ A person out in the field must not return even to get a coat. ¹⁹How terrible it will be for pregnant women and for nursing mothers in those days. ²⁰ And pray that your flight will not be in winter or on the Sabbath. ²¹For there will be greater anguish than at any time since the world began. And it will never be so great again. ²² In fact, unless that time of calamity is shortened, not a single person will survive. But it will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen ones.

 ²³ “Then if anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah,’ or ‘There he is,’ don’t believe it. ²⁴ For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. ²⁵ See, I have warned you about this ahead of time.

 ²⁶ “So if someone tells you, ‘Look, the Messiah is out in the desert,’ don’t bother to go and look. Or, ‘Look, he is hiding here,’ don’t believe it! ²⁷ For as the lightning flashes in the east and shines to the west, so it will be when the Son of Man^[e]comes. ²⁸ Just as the gathering of vultures shows there is a carcass nearby, so these signs indicate that the end is near.^[f]

 ²⁹ “Immediately after the anguish of those days,

   the sun will be darkened,
      the moon will give no light,
   the stars will fall from the sky,
      and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.^[g]

 ³⁰ And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.^[h] 31 And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world^[i]—from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

 ³² “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near. ³³ In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door. ³⁴ I tell you the truth, this generation^[j] will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear.

 ³⁶ “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself.^[k] Only the Father knows.

 ³⁷ “When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day. ³⁸ In those days before the flood, the people were enjoying banquets and parties and weddings right up to the time Noah entered his boat. ³⁹ People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes.

 ⁴⁰ “Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.

 ⁴² “So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. ⁴³Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would keep watch and not permit his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.

 ⁴⁵ “A faithful, sensible servant is one to whom the master can give the responsibility of managing his other household servants and feeding them. ⁴⁶ If the master returns and finds that the servant has done a good job, there will be a reward. ⁴⁷ I tell you the truth, the master will put that servant in charge of all he owns. ⁴⁸ But what if the servant is evil and thinks, ‘My master won’t be back for a while,’ ⁴⁹ and he begins beating the other servants, partying, and getting drunk? ⁵⁰ The master will return unannounced and unexpected, ⁵¹ and he will cut the servant to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

In this passage of Scripture Jesus tells us what it will look like in the times before His second coming. I can promise you one thing... it will happen exactly the way He said that it will. I know many in pentecostal/charismatic traditions who, when they hear of economic upheaval or the world turning upside down respond by saying that they don't believe those things. They say that God, being a good God (and He is, make no doubt, however as good as He is, He is equally Holy), would never allow such a thing, only blessing all the time. 

Don't be mislead. Jesus' return will happen just the way He said it would... and every day leads us closer, now.

Are these earthquakes and disasters God's judgement?

First of all, God is not particularly angry at Japan or New Zealand. However, imagine for a moment that you gave you child an expensive gift for Christmas or for their birthday. As soon as they freed it from the wrapping paper they threw it on the floor and shattered it into a thousand pieces without taking a second to so much as say, thank you. Would you be upset?  

In the book of Genesis we see God creating all... the earth, the creatures of the sea land and sky... everything! Then he gave dominion to man. In other words He told man to rule here for Him... as representatives of Heaven... like ambassadors or governors. Then we plunged it all into sin.

Since that day all our ingenuity has been used to rob, pillage and plunder God's creation in a fruitless effort to satisfy our greed and lust. So, many of our inventions are eventually used to kill one another or to profit a tiny handful at the expense of the masses.

The laws, principals and precepts that God has given to us through His Word (the Bible) are not given to spoil our fun. Laws concerning generosity and showing love to one another (for example) are laws that, not only bless us by making our lives richer, but also maintain the fabric of creation.

In Romans 8:18-20 it says," ¹⁸ Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. ¹⁹ For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. ²⁰ Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, ²¹ the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay."

This passage says that Adam subjected all of creation under the law of sin when he rebelled against God. Now all of creation waits, groaning under the burden of the law of sin until God restores all things.

Creation is groaning under the load of our rebellion. By living for ourselves and rejecting God's way of doing things we are tearing at the fabric of creation.

The Bible says that the last days before the second coming of Jesus the world would be as it was in the days of Noah. The story of Noah's day tell of how lawless the people were and finally they were destroyed in a flood that covered the whole earth. Today lawlessness is running rampant in the world. We live for ourselves, driven by greed and lust for power... for whatever reason mankind seems driven to have control over one another. Now, just as in Noah's day, when the sin of mankind tore at the fabric of creation until it all came crashing in, our sin is tearing at creation and things like the earthquakes we have been witnessing are but one result.

Just as it says in Matthew chapter 24 it will get worse rather then better until Jesus returns. Things are going to continue to happen in areas all over the world, earthquakes, storms, droughts all resulting in economic upheaval and eventual collapse (the systems that are now in place have to be removed so that the end time system the Bible foretells, one world government, economic system and religion, can take its place).

However, God will take care of His people. Just like He had a place for Elijah to retreat to during the years of drought in Israel, where He provided food and water for him. So, will He have places of retreat for His people all over the world. There He will provide for them... So, don't live in fear of the things that are happening or of the things to come. Remember the message that the Spirit of God was sending out before the coming of Jesus through John the Baptist, "... Repent, for the Kingdom of God is drawing near!"  

This is the same message that the Spirit of God has begun to deliver in our day as Jesus is preparing to return. Repent! We can no longer live for ourselves. We can no longer get by living for earthly gain and living out the plans that we have designed for ourselves, thinking that these things will be the things that will bring us happiness and fulfillment. 

We must draw nearer to the Lord than ever, and set ourselves in pursuit of His plans and His way of doing things. If we do He will lead us to a place of refuge where He will take care of us through the coming times.

Understand that if we choose not to, it wont be as though He will send judgement out to get us. But we will be choosing to be out in the world where everything will be coming apart. We will have, in effect, chosen to be out in the storm rather then coming in under His protective presence. Our lives will come apart and we wont be able to rightly blame Him. It will be because we chose it.

Is judgement coming upon the earth... Yes, and it has already begun. 

Is it happening in specific areas because God is particularly angry with those people... No. At this point its happening here and there but it will cover the whole world.

Now, is the time to draw near to Him, so that we can live in confidence and not fear. He is faithful to take care of His people!!

What its for...

Up until now I've talked about the super-natural and how we should see more of it in our lives as Believers. I've also made warrior type references and I'd like to explain a little bit what I mean by those references. 
First of all, as we've discussed, the super-natural is an encouragement to Believers but the purpose of it is as a witness to the world. The Bible says that signs and wonders would follow in confirmation of the message of the Gospel.
There is also the fact that many of us are in need of healing and other touches from the Lord. I don't know why everyone isn't healed. I know that many have sought the Lord for healing for long periods of time... all I know is that He promised it. So, don't give up (if we suffer from something or even if we die, let's do so believing). However, this is what I believe. I believe that as we (the Body of Christ/the True Church) go through "The Door" (the cross- as discussed in a previous post Galatians 2:20) and die to ourselves a whole new world is going to be opened up to us (Corinthians 15:50). A place in our relationship with the Lord where we will be healed and blessed, just as He promised, but as we have died to ourselves we come to a place where it really doesn't matter to us much anymore. Not out of despair. Like when we go numb after fighting for something for so long (yes, I know what its like:)), but rather, like in the words of the apostle Paul in Philippians 1:20b-24, "... I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die. For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So, I really don't know which is better. I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live..." 
Its this attitude that needs to begin to prevail in our lives whether we're talking about living or dying, or becoming rich or being poor, or being healed of some affliction or living on in spite of it, all the while, keeping in mind what He has promised. Perhaps it sounds a bit like a contradiction but its really just coming to a place of balance and maturity.
Secondly, this issue of militance. When we are born into this world we are born into a war, whether we like it or not. We either learn to fight it or we will live out our lives in defeat, simply running this way and that, seeking the path of least resistance (which, sadly, is what many, at least in western culture, are doing). In Matthew 11:7 it says that the kingdom of heaven allows violence and the violent take it by force. Wait a minute... what kind of violence are we talking about here? Isn't our world being turned upside down by religious violence? Yes, it is and that kind of violence is NOT what we're talking about here.
The Bible says that we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places (Ephesians 6:12).
This was Jesus' purpose (1 John 3:8b), "... For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil."
This violence that the kingdom of heaven allows, then, is not a physical violence but a spiritual violence. I want to show you a perfect example of what I mean.
In the book of Matthew 14:1-14 we're told of the story of when John the Baptist (Jesus' cousin) was executed by King Herod. 
During King Herod's birthday party Herod's wife's daughter (actually, Herod's niece) danced for Herod. She pleased him greatly with her dancing and he promised, with a vow, that she could have anything she wanted. At her mother's urging she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a plater, because her mother hated him. Herod regretted what he had done but brought John from prison and beheaded him, giving his head on a plater to the girl and her mother.
Remember that John the Baptist was Jesus' cousin and as soon as Jesus heard the news, "... He left in a boat to a remote area to be alone..." (Matthew 14 13). But people heard of where He was headed and they travelled on foot from many different towns and met Him there. As Jesus got out of the boat He had compassion on them and He healed their sick.
Here's my point. Jesus' cousin is murdered and Jesus is hurt by this event so He goes away and starts healing people. Jesus discerns where this attack has come from... the devil. He then retaliates against the devil, not "flesh-and-blood" (in this case Herod), and his works by lifting the sicknesses off of the people that the devil is using to try to destroy them. In other words Jesus understands that the attack against his cousin has come from a spiritual source, the devil, and He keeps the fight spiritual by attacking the devil's works.
This is the spiritual kind of violence that the kingdom of heaven allows. To destroy the works of the devil, as we follow in Jesus' footsteps... being imitators of God as dear children (Ephesians 5:1).
We don't have to wait until the devil has struck us before we attack his kingdom. We can intercede on behalf of our communities and loved ones. We can pray for the sick. We can be a friend to someone. We can support ministries that are doing what the Lord would have them do. Whether healing or deliverance ministries or practical ministries of feeding the hungry, providing safe drinking water or housing projects but, above all, reaching out to save the lost. There is no treasure so sought after and valued as the eternal soul of a human being. People are the treasure being fought over between the forces of spiritual darkness and the forces of spiritual light. The devil can suffer no greater loss then to lose a soul that he thinks he's stolen from God.
The next time you feel down hearted or the devil attacks you on some level. Go lead someone to a relationship with Jesus... or at least sow a seed in their hearts. You'll be giving the devil a black eye... and more importantly, you'll be following in the footsteps of Jesus.

Hang In There...

I know that people from all over the world are stopping by and some are even staying and reading for a while. It is a huge encouragement to me to know that, and I pray that some are being touched and finding hope or a reason for why they might be going through stuff. 
I want to remind you that God has not forgotten you. Remember all those promises. Remember all the times He spoke to your heart or had someone give you a message about your future. Promises of blessing... promises of hope, wholeness and healing... promises of power and anointing... promises of joy and well being... promises that through YOU He would touch your world... AND THEN...
Then it seemed as though your life went in the opposite direction... God has not forgotten you! 
Have you lost your job?... God has not forgotten you!
Has your spouse left you?... God has not forgotten you!
Has your joy left you and you feel swallowed up by depression and defeat?... God has not forgotten you!
Has the bank foreclosed?... God has not forgotten you!
Have your friends rejected you?... God has not forgotten you!
Do you feel like Job, sitting on the ashes of what was once your life?... God has not forgotten you!!!
REMEMBER THE PROMISES!!... He's taking you there... and when you get there it will all be yours... Because it says in the Bible that God WILL NOT... NO, NOT EVER... go back on His Word. It says that He holds His word above His own Name, because there is nothing higher than His Name, that He can swear by.
Remember, Shammah. He was the guy that stood in the middle of a patch of peas and defeated the Philistines.
I'm going to take some artistic license and tell Shammah's story... at least the way I see it... then I'll confirm the principal with some Bible, ok.
Throughout the time of King Saul and much of King David's reign there was war with the Philistines. There was no welfare system like we have today in the western world. Philistine raiders and armies would move in around harvest time and destroy the harvest before it could be taken in, in an effort to cripple the nation of Israel's will to fight. People suffered and starvation was a constant foe. 
I see Shammah, a husband, a father, a farmer, working out in his field with a hoe in his hands. By the sweat of his brow, the strength in his back and the blisters on his hands he raised crops to feed his family and pay his bills. Yet, for how many years in a row, now, did he see the raiders come. How many times did he see the amber fields of hope laid black and low as the clods of the soil. How many times did he walk home with hot tears streaking through the ash on his face not sure if he could find the strength to look into the hungry faces of his children and say there would be not crops again this year.
"I'm just a farmer", he would say, "all I have is this hoe in my hands".
"God, why wont You do something!"
"Don't You see how we're suffering!"
"Don't You even care!"
Yet, another year comes and Shammah struggles to trust a hope. Green gives way to amber in his fields... then... over the bluff the raiders come. There, to the west, where the dust and smoke are rising. A larger party then the years before, and his friends begin to mutter. 
"A few hundred more, I would say", he said and turns to see his friends sprinting for the cover of the rocks.
He runs three full strides of his own before a picture in his mind stops him in his tracks. A picture of his wife, who has stood by him, and their children, who have trusted him with their lives. A still, small voice thunders in his chest," STAND... FIGHT!"
With a sense of God's Presence, he turns to face his attackers and raises his hoe to the ready. The Philistine warriors are baring down and Shammah begins to swing his hoe with all his might. The soldiers begin to fall. It could have been moments or maybe days. Time just stood still. When all fell silent, save for the beating of his heart in his ears, the enemy lay there in heaps on the ground.
.... only a farmer.... only a hoe... we remember him today for the deed he did that day and all shame is gone from him, forever.
In Exodus 4:2 the Lord asks Moses," What is that in your hand?"
"a shepherd's staff," Moses replied.
With that shepherd's staff God lead Moses to confront Pharaoh. When he laid it on the ground it became a snake. When he touched it to the water of the Nile the water became blood. When he held it over the sea it parted and let the people of God cross on dry ground.
Just a farmer...
Just a shepherd...
Just a hoe...
Just a stick...
Who are you and what has God put in your hands?
Don't underestimate who you are. Don't despise what God has put in your hands. Though, today it may seem unbecoming, awkward and out of place "a moment" is coming that will make all that He's invested in you and all that you've endured have meaning and all this shame will be gone from you forever.
He's there, right beside you. No matter what you may be going through. Remember His promises... He's taking you there.

Putting Things in Place...continued

I'd like to talk a little bit about one of the reasons that I began this blog.
A question that someone might be tempted to ask is:
Are you trying to convince people to quit going to Church?
The answer is, no.
What I'm trying to do is equip people by teaching them that there is a difference between the church (a building with 4 walls and fancy stained glass windows) and the true Church (the Body of Christ, which is made up of people).
The local church house, down the street is not The Church and most, at least in our western culture, are filled with religion. That is not to say, however, that you can't find The Church within its walls. True Believers who truly love the Lord and are trying the best they know how to be obedient to Him. The reason I'm saying this is to help people understand that when church attacks it is from a religious, man made institution not from Jesus' Body. Also, to help people to shift away from accepting everything that is done and said within the walls of the church as Christian. Churches that are cold and elitist and people who call themselves Christian and yet make a lifestyle of going around attacking others, are probably not Christian at all. At the very least they are very immature and can be really quite dangerous and destructive. 
Remember what I said in the previous post. Read the Bible so that you know its teachings and principals. Walk in close relationship with the Lord. Watch for fruit... Keep in mind that when you find bad fruit in the church house or in the lives of people who profess to be Christian it has no baring on Jesus' goodness or on how much God cares. The fault lies with people not God's character. Also keep in mind that people are not perfect and you will be able to find fault with anybody if you look hard enough... if you're looking that hard, there's something wrong with your motives. Be patient with one another, letting Love govern. 
Lastly, it is important to be connected to the True Church, whether or not you choose to go to the church house on Sunday morning. Seek to be connected with true Believers who are Christ centered regardless of where you may find them. Being connected with the True Body of Christ will help you in your Christian walk, development and growth. Isolating yourself leaves you exposed to all kinds of attack, and should you fall who will be there to help you up again? 
Of course the Lord will help you but a lot of time and energy can be saved by having a True Christian network who can be there for you... and you for them.
So then, whether or not you choose to go down to the church house this Sunday morning or not is up to you. Just be wise, listening to the Lord, watching for fruit and understanding where attacks come from when they come.
Let the law of Love govern you.

Putting Things in Place...

Now that we've talked about religion and spirituality a little bit, I'd like to bring some balance and put things into place.

In the book of Judges, Gideon asks the Angel of the Lord," ... where are all the miracles our ancestors told us about...". 

In the Book of 2 Kings 2:13-14 Elisha cries out," ... Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?"

I truly believe that there is a deep hunger among God's people for the super-natural. If we are to walk in the footsteps of Jesus our lives aught to be full of it.

In the Bible is says that the Believers went about preaching the Good News of the Gospel and signs and wonders followed.

The super-natural in the life of the Believer should be normal and expected. HOWEVER, we are NOT to chase after miracles, signs and wonders. WE ARE TO CHASE AFTER JESUS, and the miracles are a byproduct of our relationship with Him. Here we get into that issue of being spiritually mature, again. The miracles are, of course, an encouragement to Believers as they have physical evidence that God is among them but, more so, they are a testimony to the world. They are given in confirmation of the message of the Gospel... God's signature of approval, if you will. 

Whereas miracles are for the world, one aspect of becoming spiritually mature that is so vitally important for the Body of Christ is something that is woefully lacking in most Christian circles... true, spiritual discernment. In the last days before Jesus' return, walking in true, spiritual discernment will not be optional.

Jesus, Himself, warns us in Matthew 24:24," For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God's chosen ones."

This is why we DO NOT chase after signs and wonders even though they aught to be naturally occurring around us. Our passion is to pursue our relationship with the Lord. Seeking daily to draw ever closer to Him.

So, what is discernment?

Discernment is the ability to determine our spiritual surroundings. We can not do this on our own... are you beginning to see how blind and helpless we really are? We are totally dependent on Him in every way and in aspect of our lives. For this, the plan of God has provided the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. As we've said before "baptism" means to be immersed. Imagine then, that you have been put inside a snow suit... you are inside Him and as you learn to move in obedience you learn to move with Him. When He steps, you step. His movement is matched by yours... Ephesians 5:1," Therefore, be imitators of God as dear children." (I'm trying to paint a picture to help us understand).

When we look we look through His eyes... this is discernment. By learning to move in obedience and move with Him, and by continuing daily, in relationship with Him (talking to Him, hanging out with Him) we begin to see what He sees.

Does that mean we'll start to see demons and angels and such?

Perhaps, in rare moments. On the whole, though, we'll have a sense inside of whether things are good or evil. We'll feel a sense of communion and fellowship in places or with people where God is welcome. Likewise, when we are in places or meet people who keep company with evil spirits there will be a sense of incompatibility. This may very in intensity. You may feel as though you can't get out of a place or away from a person fast enough. Or you may just have a sense that things are not quite right. Don't ignore these "feelings". Take note and observe. Often you'll begin to find things are, indeed, anything but right. 

Also, read and learn the Scriptures. Not necessarily so that you can quote chapter and verse but so that you know what the Bible says and teaches. Jesus said that we would know a tree by its fruit. A good tree does not bare bad fruit and a bad tree does not bare good fruit and knowing the Scriptures will enable us tell the difference. Pay attention. Do you have a good or bad "feeling" about a person or place? 

Remember that the Bible is the final authority because sometimes what we sense can be wrong or simply mistaken. After you have sensed something, observe and watch for fruit. Is it good or bad. Also, remember always, that all of this operates within a living, breathing, daily relationship with Jesus. Outside of this is only confusion and pain, as people hurl accusations at one another.

There is one rule that separates Freedom from Anarchy.... Love... let it govern you. 

In the Steps of Jesus...

Jesus came and lived His life as an example for us. So there are a couple of things that we need to realize.
First of all, Jesus as the Son of God. He was the only begotten Son of God. Meaning His conception was a miracle. He was not born because His mom and dad got together in the usual way. His mother was visited by an angel who told her that she would become pregnant without a man and give birth to a son. She was told that she was to name Him Jesus (which means "deliverer"). This is how Jesus was able to live a sinless life and pay the price, on the cross, that we all owed. He died so that we could go free. Through Him the requirements of the Law of God... without the shedding of Blood there is no remission of sin... were met. In other words, because of what He did for us, our sin is made as though it never happened.  Through Him we are "washed" 100% clean and made acceptable in the presence of God. This is important because, since the fall of man God has longed for the relationship with His creation ( "Man", His sons and daughters) to be restored like it was in the beginning. Now, because of the shed blood of Jesus the way is open to whoever would come.
Now, I am an intelligent and rational man. As such I understand this may sound a bit crazy to anyone who has not made that step in their lives. As with so much of what the Bible teaches, the truth and the life that can be experienced involves a step of faith. You can have a new beginning and it can start right now. Accepting Jesus is who the Bible says He is. Accepting the pardon that Jesus has purchased for you. Accepting that He is the Son of God. That He lived, died, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. Accepting that His Blood was shed for you so that you can be washed clean and begin a new life with Him, will open a door to a life you couldn't have imagined in your wildest dreams... IF YOU GIVE PURSUIT TO HIM... and that right there is was sets those who know Him intimately apart from those who push and shove one another among the church pews. 
Now, after having said that I need to say this... don't condemn people (though it can be really hard not to, sometimes). Some of those people who are pushing and shoving are fakers and some of them are Christian people who have never found leadership who would shoulder the responsibility of showing them the way to maturity. Of the fakers, some will one day find truth. Of the immature, some may eventually pass away...... can you tell who's who?
What is given to us, is to judge the spirit. Through our relationship with Jesus and by observing we can come to a place of recognizing places that are safe for us and places where we might do well to avoid.
Secondly, Jesus as the Son of Man. Here is where I'm going to say some things that may make church tradition go all "heretic hunter". However, it is so important in our growth as Christian people that we understand that Jesus said, "... follow Me...", and in order for us to do so, we need to be able to. What I'm saying is that we can never reach up to a place where we can follow in the footsteps of God. So, God reached down and walked this world with us, AS ONE OF US (Philippians 2:6-8).
As a man Jesus wasn't able to work miracles. As a man He was unable to turn water to wine or open blind eyes or to raise the dead. The evidence of this is in the first 30 years of His life. We don't hear anything about Him from His birth to His baptism other that 1 little story of Him at the Temple at the age of 12. The reason why we don't hear about Him during that time of His life is because He was not unlike anyone else. He nursed at His mother's breast. He got food all over his face when He ate as a toddler. He needed His diaper changed. He fell and scraped His knees and bumped His elbows. As He got older He learned the skill of carpentry and helped make a living for His family.
HOWEVER, everything changed the day He was led by the Holy Spirit to the Jordan River to be baptized by His cousin John. There after rising from the muddy waters of the Jordan River an event took place that rocketed Him into His ministry. The Bible says in the book of Matthew 3:16-17, " After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said," This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy.""
From that moment on Jesus is either going to a miracle or just coming back from one. His life is alive with a Spiritual energy that opens blind eyes and deaf ears. That causes the lame to run and leap and raises the dead. That casts demons from human hosts and fearlessly stands against the system of religion and control that dominates the day.... and to you and I He says,"... follow Me... Walk in My footsteps... Do as I do". The book of John 14:12 records Jesus saying," I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father".
Why was it important that He went to the Father (God)?
Because as long as He was walking among us the Father couldn't send the Holy Spirit (John7:39).
Ok, here's a quick recap. Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends and remains on Him and His ministry begins. He lives a life fill with miracles and the super-natural then says, "... follow Me...".
There's a problem. We know that through Jesus' shed Blood we are saved and restored into right relationship with God but we can't, as mere humans, walk a super-natural life. We need the experience that changed Jesus at His baptism to change us, too. We need the baptism in the Holly Spirit... to be immersed in Him.
In the book of John 20:22 Jesus blows on the disciples and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit...".
In the book of Acts 2:1-4 we are given the account of the disciple being filled with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. The Disciples left that room different people. Rather than cowering in fear, their lives were filled with power as the Holy Spirit rested upon each of them and the True Church,  or Body of Christ, went into all the world just like Jesus did, in power and the super-natural. When Jesus blew on His disciples and commanded that they receive the Holy Spirit, He effectively reproduced Himself and instead of one Jesus to worry about the devil now had thousands. Today there are millions but unfortunately, perhaps, most don't really know who they are. The result is a dying world that is continuing to die, all around us. It is essential, then, that the Body of Christ mature and step into its role bringing healing to this broken world.
Now then, this is the experience of being Baptized in the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:11 says that Jesus will baptize us in the Holy Spirit. The word "baptized" means to be immersed. When we are immersed in the Holy Spirit and are living in close relationship with Jesus, then when He whispers in our hearts to go over and touch that person, for example, and we move in obedience, it isn't our hand that touches that has power to heal but the hand of the Holy Spirit, as our hand is immersed in His.
As it says that Jesus is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, so He did in Acts chapter 2 and He continues to do today, for all those who ask.
This is the only way we can truly bring healing to our world. This is the only way that we can truly fulfill the great commission. This is why it is so important that we learn what it is to mature as Christian people and submit to the process. This is why we need to be willing to go through the Door (the cross, as I explained in my last post) instead of being satisfied to mill around at the threshold, lashing out at anyone who doesn't adhere to our tradition.
   

The Door...

So then, how can we avoid the pitfalls of religion?


How can we avoid the road that leads to the APPEARANCE of spirituality and truly BECOME spiritual?


First of all we need to humble ourselves and admit that in spite of our best efforts, we are helpless to become truly spiritual by ourselves. We need God's help. In Philippians 1:6 it says that He (God) who has begun a good work in you will complete it....


Let's take a lesson from the Scriptures.
In the book of 1 Samuel it talks about David (who would someday become King of Israel) hiding from King Saul in the Cave of Adullum (the cave that gives this blog its name). While hiding here he is joined by his brothers and other relatives. Then others begin to come,"... men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented- until David was the captain of about 400 men."


Note the state of these men... in trouble, in debt and discontented.


Now, look at these same men near the end of David's life (granted, they might have been joined by others along the way but I believe that this was the core of David's men throughout his reign). In 2 Samuel 23:8-17 we are introduced to David's Mighty Men. Note, these ARE NOT fairy tale characters. These men lived and did the exploits recorded here... Yes, they were real!


The first of David's Mighty Men as recorded in 2 Samuel 8-17 was Jashobeam. Who once used a spear to kill 800 enemy warriors in a single battle.


Next was Eleazar who once stood with David against a Philistine army when the entire Israelite army had fled. He killed enemy warriors until his hand was too tired to lift his sward and the Lord gave he and David a great victory that day. The rest of Israelite army didn't return until it was time to collect the plunder.


Then came Shammah. Who once stood his ground in a field of lentils when the rest of the army fled. He stood alone and beat back a whole Philistine army... an army large and intimidating enough to cause the rest of the Israelites to flee!


These were the most famous 3 but there were others.


Abishai, for example. who once used a spear to kill 300 warriors in a single battle.


Benaiah, who killed 2 champions of Moab, chased a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it. He also killed a great Egyptian warrior. Benaiah was armed only with a club but he wrenched the Egyptian's spear from his hands and killed him with it.


There were others still but only their names are given and not examples of their exploits.


Question: What happened to the men who were in trouble, in debt and discontented to make them into warriors like these?


Answer: They died.


No not physically. Read the exploit in 2 Samuel 23:13-17 of how David (their leader and in their hearts and minds, King) remarked longingly of how he would like a drink from the well at Bethleham, then occupied by a Philistine detachment. 3 of David's Mighty Men broke through the ranks of the Philistines, in mid-day, fighting every step of the way, only to draw a bit of water from the well for their King!!


At some point, in the wilderness, these men died to themselves and came alive to their King!
Dead to their selfish motives!
Dead to the plans they made for themselves!
Dead to their pride!
And they lived every moment, from that point on, for the will of their King!


The nation of Israel echoed this as they journeyed through the wilderness for 40 years. All of those who had disobeyed God 40 years earlier laid dead in the wilderness.


What causes us to disobey God? Selfish motives, pride, our own plans, to name a few... in essence our "carnality".


In their place stood a generation who were dead to themselves and alive to their King (God). They crossed over the Jordan River during flood season on dry ground!
They marched around cities and the walls came tumbling down!
So long as they walked in obedience, they crushed every army, every enemy, every obstacle they faced. They were unbeatable, unstoppable! 


They were an entire nation of warriors like David's Mighty Men! Dead to themselves and alive to their King... think about it!


What is the road to becoming truly spiritual?


Jesus commanded (Mark 10:21),"... take up the cross and follow Me." 
Jesus said (Matthew 10:39)," He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life, for My sake, will find it."
Jesus says (Matthew 10:38)," And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."... wow.
Revelation 12:11 says," And they overcame him (the devil) by the Blood of the Lamb (Jesus' shed Blood) and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives to the death."


The door to becoming truly spiritual is the cross.


There are no short cuts and there is no way of faking it. The way to becoming spiritual is to climb up on our own cross and die to ourselves. He lead the way and commanded us to follow.


What does it mean to die to ourselves?


In 1 John 2:15-17 the Bible says," Do not love this world or the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But everyone who does what pleases God will live forever."


This,"... For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions...". Other translations of the Bible say,"... the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life...". This is alive in each of us and it is what we must die to.


In James 1:2-4 it says," My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."


In Romans 5:3-5 it says," And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance produces character and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."


These passages of Scripture speak of the road to spiritual maturity; true spirituality. That road is a road of trials just as the cross is a painful way to die. Because its through trials that we see God's faithfulness and through trails we see how shallow our greed, pride and selfish desires really are. Its where we find that the only things of value which are truly worth living for are the things of God.


Understand that life offers plenty of trials and if we ask the Lord to make us what He wants us to be, He will lead us through all we need to accomplish His desires for us... spiritual maturity. We do not need to go out and act foolish to create trials for ourselves and then try to boast that we are becoming spiritual. The process of our maturity is God's business. Let Him take care of it without interfering, hoping to speed up the process. Or worse yet, trying to draw attention to ourselves, by a religious spirit, to get people to notice or admire us. Religion has a way of twisting and putrefying everything if its allowed to weasel its way into.


What it boils down to is this. Live life, do what God has given you to do and when (not if) trials come don't run but stand and endure. Like with the nation of Israel in the wilderness or David's Mighty Men, a "wilderness" season, a time of trials and hardship is normal and necessary in developing maturity in a Child of God. We are changed by the experience. A little each time until we are ready and He anoints us as His Mighty Men or Women.


I know that you may be hurting and I understand that the stuff that I've said here may not make you feel all warm and fuzzy. But the hardships that you're going through are the doorway (the cross) that is taking you to a place where you don't have the courage to dream the kinds of wonders that are awaiting you...yep, its gonna blow your mind, and the pain that you are feeling now will be forgotten in the light of who you are about to become, when its over....... I'll try and explain some of that next time:).