Libations of Liberation

Posted on March 20, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle:  Thirsty people dwell on their needs; thankful people dwell on their knees.

Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 95 Romans 5:1-11 John 4:5-42

It is very possible to drink so much alcohol that you remember nothing of the events that occurred last night – unless you have a tattoo to reconcile, or a bad relationship to justify. If you drink the libation of this world, you may end up on your knees praying to a porcelain god, but this is not the libations of liberty to which I am speaking this week. Libations of Liberty are the gift of freedom, and it’s free. Everyone loves to drink for free.  There are many reasons why people are driven to “drink” and the simple reason we find in this week’s text is THIRST. Humanity has a built in weakness, thirst. We can live not much longer than three days without water quenching our thirst.  And yet this very “weakness” is the door way by which we enter the strength of the Almighty God, we are delivered from this need, for Jesus is the Living Water and when we drink of his well (will) – we shall thirst no more.  The problem clearly is that most are not enjoying the libations of liberty; rather they are controlled by the libation of lust. In this we have become our own gods.

What is this libation of liberty?

It is the water from the Rock at Horeb. It is the Living Water from Jesus. It is the thirst quenching experience of justification and reconciliation. It is the satisfaction of coming under the care of the Great Shepherd who leads us to still waters so that our soul is refreshed. (Ps. 23)

In drinking of this libation of liberty our weakness is not covered up or simply appeased, rather it is redeemed.  The redemption or removal of thirst is quick, easy and painless, getting to the point to drink of this cup will cost you your life. In Lent we are continually made aware of the struggle and battle which are before our Savior on the way to the cross, in this same way, our battle and trials are full of this cup. Yet in drinking this cup Peace is established prior to the suffering, perseverance, character and hope. It is for this reason we rejoice. Further through this process it is at the height of intensified conflict and crisis, the door is opened for our greatest point clarity. (more on this in a future post)  Meaning:

As we addressed last week – suffering will be a reality, but the reasons for us suffering are truly up to you… you can choose – invitation or imitation as your road to suffering, and if you choose neither – suffering will still befall upon you through intrusion. This is why people must drink! Life is hard, but it need not be difficult – When you choose to walk in the steps of Christ, (imitation) you are filled with the living water and it begins to flow out from your heart. (John 7:38 – notice what flows from Nicodemus’ heart in verse v. 50-51.) Thus you imitate both his actions of grace in suffering and truth in salvation. It is through suffering that perfection is accomplished or made complete.  (Hebrews 2:10, 1 Peter 4:12-13)

When you can’t imagine life getting any worse – you are at the bottom of the barrel, the end of your rope…  I pray that you may see an option that was not clear before. The option is that of the woman at the well, to leave your “jar” behind and forge a new path, based on Living Water.  Some will ask – must we get to this point. It is clear that this point is different for all. But YES – you will experience this point of breaking, often many times prior to discovering the fullness life, then many more times as the Lord leads you to learn of his Grace and to trust in his Truth.  The crucible of life is a beautiful thing – in this crucible – where the fire is most intense the purity of the refinement is most complete.  The beauty of the Scriptures this week is that God is clearly offering the gift of transformation (to be justified and reconciled) as a gift.

Moses must go back out and face the people, the woman must return to the village and declare what has been told; this is done not in strength of ourselves, but rather but the strength in the words of another. The promise of Living Water. It is this same water that rushes over our hearts to which Paul declares that we must rejoice and boast in the hope of the Glory of God for we have been saved!

Do you need a libation of liberty?

  • You do when you are feeling weak, and unable to go forward.
  • You do when you are under so much pressure that all you want to do is hide, sleep, run, or even die.
  • You do when you are alone, lost, confused, worried, troubled and irritated.

You do when you are living each day on your own strength doing what you can to just get through to the next. This cup which we are being offered is the cup to freedom – and in drinking of is not simply a means to get to tomorrow, it is a removal of all that stands against us. This gift is called PEACE and peace comes not from understanding (Phil 4:4-9) but by faith through righteousness.

There are two ways to find peace, 1. numb your body & soul so that it feels nothing, (this is most often sought through the libations of the local bar) or 2. Be filled with God’s love which has been poured out into your hearts through the Holy Spirit. In this your body and soul are redeemed to need nothing for to do the will of the Father is the nourishment and source of hope.

How do I do this:

1. Come to the LORD and Cry out for the waters of salvation. Seek in faith; renewal & replenishment.

2. Respond with joy and thanksgiving for all things in your life. (Declare justification is complete, reconciliation is a reality, and redemption is a gift.)

3. Come and worship, kneel before the Lord our Maker.  (You can join Sunday @ 10:00 am if you like)

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Convicted & given Life!

Posted on March 14, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Convicted by the Spirit=Freedom. Convicted by the Law=Judgment.

Faith does not get you out of hardship; it brings you through unharmed…

Genesis 12:1-4a Psalm 121 Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 John 3:1-17

My kids found the show “Fear Factor” the other day… and the show still has the same draw… do you believe you can do “it” enough to overcome the challenge or – will you simply drop out… for the most part this is a mental game not a physical necessity.  This week we are going to look at the challenge that deepening one’s faith offers to believers. While faith is matter of the heart, it does begin with mental decisions.   Two weeks ago, I suggested that intentions get you no where, while convictions will be proved by actions… this post will picks up that concept and shows that it requires a deep level of faith to discover your convictions. Some will choose to have just enough faith to merely see the Kingdom of Heaven, while others take up the charge to advance the Kingdom. Learn here what the difference is… Power Per-Mission addresses the concepts of being born again and the reality of seeing the Kingdom of God vs. advancing the Kingdom.  Please read that blog before this one, to understand and embrace the necessity of the initiation and work of the Spirit in the process of faith as presented below:

I have said elsewhere – (and not just I, but the Apostle Peter more clearly) that Christians shall not look at suffering with surprise or disdain. (1 Peter 4:12-19) However, are we as followers of Jesus called to take steps to increase our suffering for the sake of the Cross? (This is not a twisted invite or to pick a fight with the enemy) Jesus tells us to carry our cross, (Matt. 16:24) but does that mean that we must carry it any further than Jesus is asking us to carry it? Is it wrong to carry your cross farther than Jesus asked you to carry it? (I hold the conviction that the Holy Spirit will bring deep conviction when we are out of line with the will of God, meaning; you are free to follow your heart, until conviction comes. (John 16:8, 1 Cor. 6:12). This is how God will teach you the purity or impurity of your heart, it depends on if you get your desires or deep conviction (Psalm 20:4, 37:4)  Further, we are called by Jesus to go 2 miles if we are told to go 1 by an “oppressor”…  (Matt 5:41-42) Yet, when Jesus asks us to go 1 mile, how it is that we feel so satisfied without any compelling need to even go 1.5 miles? In this we have chosen to apply the letter of the law to Jesus, rather than listening to the very Spirit of the Law that is within Jesus. (2 Cor. 3:3-6, 1 Cor. 2:6-16)  I believe that when Jesus calls us to go 1 mile – it is a minimum, and the depth of our conviction to listen, learn and love in the Spirit will lead us to know just how far Jesus is opening up the road for us to walk.  All too often we stop to celebrate our arrival at 1 mile, missing the even better rewards which were waiting down the road. The convictions below are demonstrated in the lives of those who pushed on and pursued freedom in faith.

When we choose to do more than is being asked of us – we first must ask, WHY I am doing this….? When my goal is to earn any reward or merit, the work is in vain and we might as well not even go the first mile. However, if in going the distance that the Lord has required, we are motivated and filled with conviction of faith to press on, we must trust our hearts. This is the working out of our faith with fear and trembling. (Phil 2:12) When we do only what we are told, this is not faith, this is obedience. We must learn to do that which is foolish for the sake of the Kingdom.

  • Abraham was clearly foolish to leave what he knew to go somewhere where he was clueless as to where or why he was going.
  • Nicodemous was clearly foolish to compromise his great power, influence and stature risking it all by hanging out with a man who many considered a lunatic. How much more crazy for him to believe that other lunatics and liars that associate with this rebel are on par with him, for he was an educated elite.
  • Paul was clearly foolish to abandon the worldview and religious security, which has established the wellbeing of his family for generations, to follow a “God” that declares to call things into being that are not even there.
  • The Psalmist is clearly foolish to believe that no harm will come to him, regardless of those who pursue him or war against him, believing that not even the heavens can bring harm to his life.
  • How has this foolishness of faith, entered your world and did these individuals become who they are to us today, by doing the minimum or by going beyond what they imagined even possible?

*If you have time – read the PostScrpit section below, I moved it from here – because it was too long… or just keep on reading.

Clearly this type of thinking is madness, in fact it is not thinking, it is believing. These are the convictions of faithful which guide the lives of those who trust the Lord. When a farmer plants a seed, he cannot guarantee that the seed will germinate, but that does not prevent the action based on conviction to move him forward in faith. The seed of faith is at the core of the movement of grace. Grace is the gift of life that penetrates the seed and brings the full harvest to all who worked with the hope of more to come.

Below are 4 expressions of conviction which grow our out of faith rooted in the freedom of the Spirit.  This is not an issue of salvation, for that is an act of grace, this is an expression to the degree that faith is developing deeper convictions  – which lead to actions that unsettle your life and cause dis-comfort when comfort can be chosen. This is not a call to actually “request” suffering in your life – this is a confession that in your intimation of the King – you are embracing an increase in suffering to follow. (Romans 5:1-5)  We have seen that suffering is a reality of life, this embrace moves us from being a victim of intrusion or succumbing to the vice of invitation, to now in our suffering being a victor for Christ thru imitation. (Eph. 5:1-2, Phil 2:6-8)

Conviction 1 – “God gives life to the dead and calls things into being though they are not.” (Romans 4:17) This means I do not need to attack or move offensively to claim or take that which is before me. God can and will call into being that which is not yet a reality. I do not need to earn enough money to cover my expenses; I do not need to ensure my future, for it is secure only in him.  This is an act of stewardship of the Father’s resources, rather than an accumulation of my own resources.

Conviction 2 – “God gives me freedom to move as the wind moves, not knowing where I am going or where I have come from.” (John 3:8)  This means I do not need to defend my decisions; rather I live from my convictions allowing God to defend me and be my advocate when others misunderstand my actions. This is not a freedom to do harm to others, this is a freedom to love ruthlessly and express ecstasy in the Kingdom.

Conviction 3  – “God will bless those who bless me and curse those who curse me; all the people of the world will be blessed through me.” (Gen. 12:3) This conviction took years for Abraham to understand and accept. Along the journey Abraham took matters into his own hands numerous times failing to uphold convictions 1 or 2… but the reality of his life demonstrates that God does not withholding his promise until we prove our worthiness, rather he counts us worthy and then calls up to trust him. In this process as we believe the promise is true and we will grow into its reality. This conviction is difficult to embrace, for it is the true embrace of forgiveness and the release of my “enemies” unto the hand of God. In this it becomes not only possible but a conviction to pray for our enemies, for to be under the curse of God is more than they could have ever inflicted upon you.

Conviction 4 – “The LORD will keep you from all harm; he will watch over your life.” (Psalm 121:7) This is truly a conviction of deep  understanding and perspective. Harm is redefined to no longer be understood as the world understands hardship. In fact as Paul says well, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Phil. 1:21) This conviction is the ultimate freedom to stand and face one’s death in perfect peace. (Acts 7:51-61)

Post Script Section:

When you cut a flower you are removing it from the stem or roots. This cutting is a pruning (John 15:2-4) which represents the freedom to embrace suffering/choice of pain. The seed was planted with the purpose of giving, living and bringing love into the world. If one chooses to retain the flower rather than for it to be given, the flower will fade and die without an increased opportunity of joy. (John 15:11) This is not to overlook the fact that an uncut flower can bring joy, for the call of the seed is to sprout, and it is a step beyond the call of the seed to actually be given in love. So the choice of those who have faith deep enough to believe that more is to come, are willing to give their lives, even to be up-rooted and transplanted to an unknown soil, trusting in the gardener (John 15:1) to care for its needs.

The seed is planted near the surface of the soil, but its roots must run deep for the fruit of faith (seed) to be harvested. This week the Scriptures present a picture of the deeper levels of conviction to which faith can and will attain as it matures.  Advent of Year C (December 2012) created a picture of the seed of faith, anchored in the hope of God’s promises (soil), which produces a growth of righteousness (Joy) yielding the fruit is Peace (and when it is given away) it becomes an act of love.

  • Hope is an anchor –
  • Faith is an action –
  • Joy is an assessment –
  • Peace is an association –
  • Love is an acceptance –
  • You can not produce love…
  • God is Spirit and the Fruit of the Sprit is Love.
  • Love is a by-product of God in you.
  • God’s love breaks through to you  –then it  transforms you as it is expressed back out.

This seed of faith is the very seed of the Father (Romans 4:17) taking root in you – this is to be born from “above” or “again”. (John 3:3-5) The seed is planted in the soil (our hearts – Matt.13:18-19) from above…. Further acts from above are poured out on the seed– water, sunlight and oxygen – to give it life.  To see the spout of the seed is to know that Grace has happened. An act outside of the seed has produced life from the seed.  There is no act in and of ourselves that can lead to salvation. It is always an act of grace through a means of faith.

Christians today bear little resemblance to those of the first century.

We twentieth-century Christians have become soft.

We have become absorbed with the world,

until it is now difficult to tell the difference between the Christian and the worldling.

The Bible teaches that every Christian is to live a life of self-discipline.

We Christians need to tighten our belts

and harden ourselves for the trials that lie ahead.

Billy Graham

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IAM sinless

Posted on March 6, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle:  Sin is destroyed or sin will destroy, your confession determines the destiny

Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7 Psalm 32 Romans 5:12-19 Matthew 4:1-11

The foundation for the blog this week is based on understanding: The purpose of Lent & Suffering. The purpose of test vs. temptation.

In Christ, sin has no power over me; (Romans 7:8, 8:12-13) therefore I confess, my need to be all that more in Christ. This is to be my confession, “LORD,  I need you to forgive me!”  (1 John 1:8-9)When I confess the covering of Christ, I am also confessing my freedom from sin and the power over sin. (Col. 3:5-11) Unfortunately most people are unable or unwilling to make the confession, “Sin has no power over me” for they look at the realities and restrictions of their life, rather than the reality and freedoms of the life of Christ.

Are you ready to confess your Identity, Authority and Motivation in Christ? This is your IAM.  The temptations leveled against Jesus by Satan are an attempt to corrupt his I AM. (see Gospel of John ) Satan begins by tempting Jesus to question his Identity, “If you are the Son of God…. turn stones to bread”. This temptation immediately follows the baptism of Jesus and provided the opportunity for Jesus to question the identity the Father has spoken over him, “You are my Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Jesus confesses his Identity as found only in every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.  Next, Satan tempts Jesus to doubt Jesus’ authority. Again, saying, “if you are the Son the God”… because Authority is relationally established.  Satan is twisting the Scriptures knowing that Jesus has the authority over the angels, but will Jesus establish his will over the Father’s will.  Jesus confesses his trust in the will of the Father.  Finally, Satan calls Jesus to confront his motivation. Does the “end justify the means”, or shall Jesus follow the motivation of Love of the Father?  This love is motivation of Jesus to lay down his life. Jesus confesses based on his Identity and Authority that Satan shall be gone from him and that his focus is alone to worship the Father.  Jesus is establishing that his confessions are not to Satan, rather that this exchange was between he and the Father. This test has been passed and temptation shall have no power over him. Jesus does not empower Satan by having a conversation with him, Jesus has been confessing unto the Father the whole time.  Our confession does not to be verbal; and often we attempt to hide behind what we say,  rather it is about our calling and the expression of our heart.

As seen in the blog regarding test vs. temptation – temptation is not new. Satan tempted Jesus to question his humanity, ( as if he did not make himself nothing, in human likeness – Phil 2:6-11) while Eve was tempted to question her divinity (you will be like God only when you know good and evil).  Eve succumbed to the temptation.  The question of Identity was compromised as soon as Eve took the bait to entertain the question of the serpent.  The twist of the serpent leads Eve to answer in the negative of what God is restricting rather than seeing how God has granted direction and provided freedom. This negative light is the compromise of Identity. It is subtle, and it is as subtle as when we see the 10 commandments as restrictions and taking away our freedom, rather than as a gift of gratitude to lead us to joy and life.  In this same way today, anyone who views the church as restrictive is compromising the Identity that God has given to the Church. It is the truth which sets us free and this freedom comes through the Epiphany of Christ, who is our head. (Review the last two weeks)  Further, Eve oversteps her Authority by adding to the restriction. This again is subtle – but very clear. God did not say “you must not touch it” but Eve did… This is much like the slight exaggeration that proves your point or the white lie, that is really not a lie but it certainly not the truth.  Finally the serpent goes after the Motivation of Eve, never once does the serpent suggest or direct  Eve to eat the fruit, this is the choice of Eve.  The serpent merely provides the context and confusion for Eve to doubt her I.A.M. (Identity, Authority, Motivation). Temptation is not sin. Sin is the action rooted in your heart, (Matt. 12:34, Luke 6:45, Romans 6:17, Ps. 15:2) as the sin is expressed you will either confess the covering of Christ – this confession is FORGIVE ME, or you confess your condemnation which say GIVE ME DEATH.  (Romans 6:16, 23; 1 John 1:8-10)

The key component this week and as we enter in to Lent is the Confession.  Confession is the verbal expression of your Convictions, as opposed to good intentions.  Confession is the articulation of Faith that is held in your heart. (Romans 10:9-11) This confession will result in overcoming Satan’s temptation and will be made in Confidence and Humility rather than Compromise with Haughty eyes.

The Psalm & Romans passages are the key to this week’s Principle: The Lord will hold you up, bring you through, and deliver you according to your confession of faith and trust in Him. The reality is that we all need deliverance; we are all in need to confess our indebtedness to Christ.  It is alone through Christ’s life and perfect sacrifice that righteousness was offered to us. This gift of forgiveness is the call to confess your faith in the great I AM, which has become your I.A.M. This is the true state of Blessedness.  This is the call to be Perfect and the Lord is Perfect. This must be possible not, since heaven has come to earth and we are called to live this life.

THEREFORE:

1. Confession of Faith is a good exercise of your heart.   We are called to share the gospel and be ambassadors of reconciliation. I believe the best tool you have to do this work is your personal story of  Faith. What do you believe, and how will you be prepared to given and answer for the hope that you have.  Lent is a season of preparation for this declaration. In this you are confessing your in-perfection, and declaring yourself as forgiven. This serves to break the chains of the enemy. (James 4:7-8, Eph. 4:20-27; 6:12)

2. Don’t Entertain the Enemy.  The power of confession held in the hands of the person whom you are confessing to… not the confessor. Meaning… If you confess to a crime, but you confess to someone without any power to convict you your confession is empty.  Don’t give Satan any power over you by engaging in his games. This is a battle for your mind. (Phil. 4:8, 2 Cor. 11:3, Romans 8:5-6, 12:1-3)

3.  Open the Gift of Righteousness and Holiness by taking on the Identity, Authority & Motivation of Christ. This can be further understood by seeking the LORD’s instruction and guidance through Prayer & Reading the Scriptures & Memorize them. (Ps. 1:2, 19:14; Col. 3:1-3; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Eph 6:17; john 1:14, 10:27-30; Phil 4:13, Joshua 1:8)

Finally reflect on this – where is temptation hitting you? And where is your battle taking place? – the answer will key you in to how the enemy hopes to thwart Your Destiny  – while the LORD is guiding you to fulfill your IAM.

Watch your thoughts; they become words.
Watch your words; they become actions.
Watch your actions; they become habits.
Watch your habits; they become character.
Watch your character; it becomes your destiny.
Author Unknown

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Road kill on Highway to Heaven

Posted on February 27, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Forget your intentions, forgive others intentions! Proclaim your convictions, and be proved by your actions.

Exodus 24:12-18 Psalm 2 2 Peter 1:16-21 Matthew 17:1-9

Intentions are said to pave the road to hell, and yet I hear often Christians who believe they are on their way “to” Heaven, saying “that is not what I intended to do, say, or have happen”. There is no doubt when AC/DC is singing “Highway to Hell”, they are not trying to hide their intentions, rather they are proclaiming that their actions and intentions are in alignment. However, there is no highway to hell, but there is a reason that people end up there. Rather, than a highway to hell, I think good intentions lead us to become road kill on the highway to heaven. That is as if there was a secret  highway to heaven. (Sorry Michael Landon fans- dating myself) But, if you think you are on your way “to” heaven, this is the road that is marked with good intentions. But as proclaimed many places in this blog,  the reality is that heaven is already here. (Matt. 3:1, 4:17, 12:18, 16:19, 29) (The heavens is also a place called where God dwells, however believers need not try to get there, rather the heavens have come to earth. (Hebrews 1:3, 9:11, 24-25) It is no wonder that believers are the people who struggle most with good intentions, for the war wages within them. (James 4:1, 16) This war is fought on the (mis-marked) road to heaven, and Jesus is calling us to have our eyes opened to see that in Him heaven has already come.

This week we celebrate the Transfiguration. This revelation or epiphany is the experience of the disciples (Peter, James, John) to become eyewitnesses of what it means for Heaven to come to earth in a very real sense. And it the midst of this experience we capture Peter’s good intention but mis-guided thought to build shelters (tent/tabernacle) for Moses, Jesus, & Elijah. But first, let us understand the transfiguration; this revelation demonstrated that Heaven had fully come to earth in Jesus. Most say that it is Jesus that was transfigured; I am saying that it was the disciples who experienced the transformation. You may never have heard that before…so  let me say that again –Jesus was not Transfigured into something new, this was the transfiguration of the eye-witnesses. Jesus was already fully divine and fully human.(Phil 2:6-11 – plus) So if Jesus were to become more divine – we have a problem… he was already fully divine –you can’t get more. Just like you can’t be on your way to heaven, if heaven is already here. Therefore, the transfiguration was in what the disciples were eye-witnesses too. Hence their eyes were opened in the same way the Elisha prayed for the servant’s eyes to be opened to the Spiritual Realities in 2 Kings 6:17. I am saying that Jesus always shone like the sun, but in this moment the disciple saw what was true in a way that they did not before.  Where did Moses & Elijah “go” when Jesus touches the disciples? – no where –they were still right there… but the disciples no longer had their eyes open to see.  To understand this from a scientific understanding regarding dimensions and quantum physics – you can watch this video. The last 4 minutes addresses what I am saying here. Basically, it would take years for Peter (Acts 10:9-23, 44-48) to learn the spiritual realities of the true tent in which we dwell, but in learning this, (2 Peter 1:9-15) his eyes were opened all the time. This is the call of the church today, as we saw last week.

But back to intentions:

What was Peter’s intention when he says let’s build houses or tabernacles. First, he missed what Jesus had already said as captured by the Gospel of John, that the Word became flesh to tabernacle amongst us. (John 1:14) They did not need to build tabernacles they already had them. And so did Peter… his good intentions came from a lack of seeing things as they are. Further, his good intentions were an attempt to express a dis-connect between that which his soul was longing for and what the Spirit was calling for… Peter wanted to capture this epiphany/revelation and keep it forever just as it was… We see in Matthew 16 that Peter’s spirit and soul were at war over who Jesus was and how Jesus was going to proclaim this to the world. (Matt. 16: 13-17, 21-23) Peter knew in his spirit that Jesus was the Christ, but Peter was surely not going to stand by (his soul’s conviction) and let Jesus be crucified. Peter was yet to see the Kingdom as the coming of the heavenly rule of Jesus as the King. (Matt. 16:28) We will see Peter continued to fight this battle with the good intentions. His intent was to follow Christ even to the cross, but this good intention led him to deny Jesus three times. (Matt. 26:31-35)

What are we to learn from this interaction and how are to proceed not with intentions but rather with convictions and action that align and are boldly proclaimed.

The problem is that people have a tendency to judge their own actions based on their “good” intentions, but they “rightfully” disregarded others intentions when their actions do not line up. I say “rightfully”, because intentions are confessions of failure, not declarations of good. If you murder someone with no intent to do so, the person is still dead, and you are guilty of man-slaughter. No one gets married with the intention of getting divorced. No one smokes a cigarette with the intention of getting or giving cancer. Everyone thinks the best of their intentions – the intention of marriage is that it will work; the intention for the cigarette is that it will grant peace or at least bring relaxation and ease stress.  There are also the intentions that most will call “good” like giving money to a homeless person, but they in turn buy alcohol or the “good” intention of inviting friends over for dinner and someone gets their feelings hurt, or the “good” intention of helping a neighbor and they are offended greatly for unforeseen reason.  These are “good” intentions but the result of the action caused turmoil and pain for others. Are we then to say it is the other person’s fault because they did not see my intention… NO – it is your actions that you are accountable for – not your intentions. And while I am not responsible for another person’s reaction to my actions, I am responsible for my actions regardless of my intentions.

Therefore if my actions are causing harm or being misunderstood even if my intentions are “godly” my actions are not good. For this I am to hold myself accountable for, and if another person brings harm to you, but their intention is good, it is not you who must hold them accountable, it is God alone. Our call is to turn the other check, and love in spite of their failure. Their failure is their punishment, they need not our judgment, and they need our forgiveness. However if this person is a believer – it is the call of the church to move in love and to speak truth for the sake of maturity. (Gal. 6:1-10, Eph. 4:14-18) This response will either produce road kill on the road to heaven, or it will bring revelation! If such transfiguration takes place and eyes are opened, the result will be reconciliation leading to revolution in the Kingdom.

1. To struggle with having good intentions is an indicator that heaven is knocking on your heart. (Rev. 3:19-22) For this reason, Good Intentions  have been said to pave the “road to hell”, but the road signs will all tell you it’s the road to heaven.(Remember neither are true.) However intentions do indicate that your body, soul and spirit are not in alignment of with the Will of God. (read more on that here)

2. God does not engage our intentions; (notice Jesus did not even engage Peter’s request) further God discloses his motivations which lie behind intentions, so that we are not left to interpret intentions.  (Trying to defend, interpret, and judge an intention is like chasing shadows, once you step into the light the shadow goes way, as does the intention.) The believer will do well not to trust their intentions but rather learn to articulate them. In this articulation, you will step in to the realm of responsibility for your actions.

3.  When our convictions (spirit driven intentions) and our actions are aligned, our need for the approval of others is removed. (Often we defend our shout comings with “hidden” or “deeper” good intentions as to ensure that others will see our good efforts and accept our actions not based on reality, but rather intentionality.) This effort is done as an act of reconciliation which is based on fear and false identity rather than the forgiveness and love. The true act of reconciliation is done through listening. And this is the charge God gives the disciples in their transfiguration.

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Cracked lenses see a broken world

Posted on February 18, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The church is to be an epiphany (paradigm shift) for the world.

Leviticus 19:1-2, 9-18 Psalm 119:33-40 1 Corinthians 3:10-11, 16-23 Matthew 5:38-48

A paradigm is a lens by which you see the world around you. I am a Stephen Covey “fan” and I follow and teach the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  While I think the principles are great and life changing – the best thing about the book is the clarity by which Covey brings to the power of your Paradigm. You can not follow the principles of Covey’s 7 Habits if your hold to a Paradigm which is at odds with Covey’s. In the same way you cannot live out the principles of the Kingdom as outline in this blog if you hold to a Paradigm that is at odd with the King of Kingdom – Jesus Christ. This means you have to see; the world, yourself, others, and “God” as Jesus sees them, in order to live out these principles.  I have stated elsewhere about the Kingdom having its own paradigm and the required Paradigm-Shift.  To have a paradigm shift – is as simple as choice to call a lie,  a lie, which you once held as a truth. This choice can be small, but have profound effects. (see last week) A paradigm shift may also require you to embrace that the purpose of life is now within your grasp, and up until this point in life, you believed it was not.

Let me briefly share an example of a minor paradigm-shift that took place in Covey’s life:

Stephen Covey tells the story of being on a subway one Sunday morning when a man and his children board a train.  Immediately the kids start running up and down the train car annoying riders, yelling, screaming and knocking papers out of readers hands.  Finally Covey could no longer stand the apparent disregard and discipline this parent was showing.  He said the man, “Mister you need to correct your children, they are bothering the passengers.”  The man looks up from his daze and takes notice.  Oh, I’m sorry.  We just left the hospital where their mother died about one hour ago.  I guess they don’t know how to handle it and frankly I don’t either.

Covey says his paradigm immediately shifted from being critical to being empathic.  The new information changed the way he saw the situation, caused different behavior and got a different result.

Do you see all of life through the paradigm of the Kingdom of Heaven? (Covey’s Paradigm is not wrong, yet it is not a Kingdom Paradigm. – the difference I see is that in a Kingdom Paradigm; the King’s control, King’s happiness and King’s purposes are to be our focus not our own control of events, pursuits of happiness and self-directed purpose. However, Covey’s Paradigm remains vital and valuable to develop the servant leader’s choices within a Kingdom Paradigm.) Those who enjoy and live from a Kingdom Paradigm consider their identity as being rooted established in the Love of God. (Eph 3:14-20) This is simply stated as being a child of our Father in Heaven in today’s text. My wife & I have attempted to teach our children this paradigm by reciting with them every morning before school:

I am a child of God, friend and follow of Jesus, and temple of the Holy Spirit. I will lead, love and listen first today. – My youngest son changed the second sentence saying; I will lead and love through listening first today… I liked that much better and it stuck.

There are two key paradigm shifts of this week’s scripture. First, YOU ARE to be HOLY-  just as God is Holy.  Therefore be perfect as you heavenly Father is perfect. This state of perfection is only possible due to the fact that the very Spirit of God lives within you. Second, YOU ARE THE TEMPLE OF GOD. This shift brings together the paradigm shift that the Church is not a building. We as the holy, pure, spotless body of Christ, are called to build bridges not walls. Further this is not an individual lens or perspective, the YOU is plural, together with all the saints YOU are the church. (1 Cor. 3 is a corporate understanding of being the temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. 6 speaks to you a being individually the temple of the Holy Spirit.) It is for this reason that the church must cry out to God to teach them, give them, direct them, turning their heart& eyes, fulfilling His promises, and to take away their disgrace that holiness may be demonstrated throughout the world. To be Holy is to be set apart, to be Perfect is to be complete. We are set apart, as called and filled by the Spirit, but growth is the call of children and this call is to be mature, fully developed and devoted (perfected) followers of Jesus Christ.

How is your paradigm in line with being Perfect & Holy? (the call of the church Eph. 5:25-32, Rev. 19:7-8) There are two ways to seek this perfection and holiness. By following the law as perfectly outlined in our Leviticus text today… or by following Jesus who fulfilled the law, (but did not abolish it). (Romans 9:30-10:17 outlines this tension well)  The fulfillment found in the life of Christ is the paradigm shift needed to enter the Kingdom.

You cannot begin to love your enemies prior to living in this paradigm, it is contrary to the nature of your soul. You cannot do any other than to love those who love you and greet those whom you already know – for this is a paradigm that the even the “pagans” of the world value.

Below are 10 paradigms shifts offered by the Leadership Network to help churches impact their communities with good deeds and the good news of the Gospel. Which of these below will require the greatest shift for you to embrace? Which of these below do you currently hold as truth? Regardless of the words below – Do you consider your body to be the temple of the Holy Spirit? If not don’t read on… it will simply become another list of to-do’s.

The Church to be pure, holy and spotless must move;

1.            From building walls to building bridges.

2.            From measuring attendance to measuring impact.

3.            From encouraging the saints to attend the service to equipping the saints for works of service.

4.            From “serve us” to service—from inward to outward focus.

5.             From duplication of human services and ministries to partnering with existing services and ministries.

6.            From fellowship to functional unity.

7.            From condemning the city to blessing the city and praying for it.

8.             From being a minister in a congregation to being a minister in a parish.

9.            From anecdote and speculation to valid information.

10.        From teacher to learner.

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Christians in Dirty Diapers… stinks

Posted on February 11, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom principle:  The submission of your heart is a matter of choices in your mind.

The heart of the matter is a matter of the heart… , but you can’t get to the heart of the matter without making a choice to move in that direction.

Deuteronomy 30:15-20 Psalm 119:1-8 1 Corinthians 3:1-9 Matthew 5:21-37

We often talk about life in the kingdom being a matter of the heart – and this is true. Yet we must not overlook, that the matter of the heart is confirmed, sustained, and even simultaneously initiated by small, insignificant choices.  These choices are as impressive as a baby’s first steps, yet as insignificant as one “baby-step” unfolding against the backdrop of life.

Your character began to be shaped and forged the moment the you were conceived. A child conceived out of wed-lock will have unique character forming “issues” both spiritual and emotional presented to them on the journey of life. This is not an condemnation on children conceived out of wed-lock, but the choices of others do have profound effect on us. For in the same way, the child conceived within an abusive relationship will begin to suffer the emotional trauma long before leaving the womb… this child will have unique “issues”  on their journey. The point is that character and life formation begins at conception, not birth, not at 2,3…. 5,  or 18… The choices we make and that are made around us have a profound effect on our lives. This is why the call is to Choose this day – TODAY – NOW – wait no longer…. Make the choice to have life and prosperity, which is a blessing from God.

We all must learn to walk with Jesus, and that walking begins with a first step. Those first steps can be filled with many falls, bruises and mishaps. For this is how we all learn to walk. It is actually healthier to crawl before you take a step. There are studies – (forgive me for not finding or citing them here) that present that crawling makes you a better reader later in life…  It is also true that walking is more difficult while are wearing a large diaper, crawling however is not impeded by a diaper. Further as you learn to stand, which is prior to walking, many episodes of “plopping back on your butt” occur and for this the diaper again serve a dual purpose. But what about those that don’t lose the diaper… will their walking be adversely affected? What about those who breast feed until the age of 4, 5, even 6 or 7 or more… is there a time when it goes too far? Who sets that time?  There are many psychologists who certainly believe they have the answer.  Paul does not set a time table on our Christian walk, but he does go so far to say to the Church in Corinth, “you are infants in Christ” – because you are not growing up.  In a very real sense, you are still wearing your diaper, it is clear you are still drinking milk,  by this time (3-5 years since they converted to Christianity) you ought to be eating solid food and living with discipline.

What if their response to Paul is… “What does it matter… we are in Christ! You said so yourself. You address us as being brothers (and sisters), you call us fellow-workers and at the opening of the letter, you reminded us that we are saints because God makes us Holy.” Then they continue “What’s the big deal? We like to drink milk – it tastes good. It doesn’t bother us if we wear a diaper, all of us agreed – it is just easier this way.” So we say to you Paul, “What’s your issue?– You are not even here with us, How are you to judge us?”

Paul’s issue is – that being the Church is about following Jesus, the Christian life is not about us,  it’s about transformation through the power of Jesus Christ. The Church of Corinth and all too many today have chosen to make “following Jesus” all about our comfort and ease.  The Christian walk is not about misery, but it is filled with mystery, it is not about pain, but it is a demonstration of power. Jesus already called his followers the Salt & Light, and charged them that their righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisee’s if they wished to enter the Kingdom of Heaven according to the law… This call to perfection is the mystery that requires power from on high. But all too often, believers simply settle for – a cheap interpretation of grace that requires nothing and makes all choices depend on my desires rather than God’s decrees.  It is not about just upholding the law – for this is mere child’s-play (do what your told, and you won’t get hurt)… but to truly fulfill the law – this is impossible without God.  Jesus presents this in the Sermon on the Mount… Saying “you heard it said, But I say to you”… this brings Jesus’ understanding and interpretation of the Law into an everyday experience which one must chose to accept and pursue if they are to walk with Jesus. Not everyone chooses to walk with Jesus, many prefer to remain diaper bound sucking on bottle of milk. What will you Choose today?

Do not Murder  – is a major choice of actions which most of us have no problem avoiding, is now understood as an act of anger and how you use your tongue. In this way, when you are offended you have to give account for your choices. But even if you are not the offended one , but it is another – You remain called to seek reconciliation and peace (rather than allowing another to remain uptight – see last week) You cannot pretend that it is okay for someone else to be in a state of conflict with you, regardless of the reason that it developed. This is tantamount to Murder.

Do not commit Adultery – The modern day understanding of this word has been completely lost. (In my opinion)  So let us up-hold a value and an understanding of marriage and monogamy that is established by God. But beware, it is far too easy to commit murder in our hearts against who hold a different view. In regards to adultery; again – the call is to look at the little choices that lead up to the big “sin”. The church is often quick to condemn the big “sin”… but overlook the little stuff,  this is the opposite of what Jesus teaches.  And again – the call is to be accountable and that you are to have no willingness to make a choice that is going to cause another person to be caught under the judgment of the law…

Up-hold all Oaths & Vows – While this may not seem as major as Murder or Adultery, it drives home the point about how important your choices are – especially the ones you make in relationship with others. It is about the little decision that you make today that will lead you to the actions which are expressed tomorrow.  Remember  – let your light shine, be the salt – what you do and how you do it matters. Further you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. As the Temple of the Holy Spirit – your word is to be Truth! Therefore there is no reason to wear by another name or higher power, for the most powerful  source of all life is already with in you.

This is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other. The challenge I hope your catching here is about the renewal of your mind, not the righteousness of your heart.  Make a Choice! Begin to choose life, even if there is wickedness in your heart.  There may be poop in your diaper, but the only way to see change is for you to choose to be changed.

How to move from drinking milk to eating solid food:

1. Read your Bible on your own….  Even if you don’t think you understand it, begin to read it. Set an achievable plan and go for it. Read the Book of Acts in one setting… about 2 hours…. Read a Psalm a day for the month of March. Get an App – that gives you a bible verse every day….

2. Start Praying…. This may be before meals, this may be every time before you get out of your car, this may be for your wants and needs of life. Again set a goal that you believe you can achieve and choose to do it. You may not “know” what to say… but just tell God you don’t know what to say… but you are talking to Him…. If this is no big deal, begin to pray out-loud or in a public setting. I am not talking about street evangelism – but pray out loud with a trusted believer, pray at your desk before you turn your computer on….

3. Ask the Lord, to show you His Glory.  If you really want to move to solid food, you are going to need to see the Spiritual…. The two things above are not to “feed” you spiritually they are physical practices and choices that move you in this direction. You need spiritual food. Jesus calls this doing the will of the Father. (John 4:34) you need to see the movements of God if you are going to feast with Him.

How to move from diapers to discipline and crawling to walking:

1.  Find a mentor or person who will hold your hand…. Babies don’t learn to walk without holding on to something… and everyone has their diapers changed by someone who cares. You need someone in your life who will encourage you to succeed. This person does not need to be a pastor or even “ahead of you on the Christian journey”, this person needs to be honest and willing to hold a mirror up for you when you settle for what is easy and “stinky”.

2. Read a book  – my suggestion is to find one that will encourage your mental formation if you find yourself knowing your want to grow but not being able to follow-through, and one for your spiritual formation if you find yourself now really knowing what it means to learn to walk with Jesus.  But don’t read this book alone… either dialogue with me via this blog or email or find a friend to ask if you to you tell them about what you are reading…(they don’t need to read the book, you are just going to tell them what you are learning.)

3. Finally – Ask the Lord, to teach you his Holiness. By the Lord teaching you His Holiness, you will learn to do your good works in such a way as to bring Glory to God.  This is the process of Sanctification. This is not a work in and of yourself, it is a work of God – being worked out in your as you choose to seek first the Kingdom and His Righteousness.

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The Upright are not Uptight

Posted on February 6, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle:  Spiritual Mysteries breakthrough Worldly Fallacies revealing Kingdom Realities.

Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12) Psalm 112:1-9 (10) 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16) Matthew 5:13-20

May you glean the truth for your life from my recent Worldly Fallacies, which have superseded Spiritual Mysteries from being a reality in my life…

I have been a bit uptight about the blog not getting done on Monday and at the latest Tuesday these past 2 weeks…. Let me boast as a fool. (2 Cor. 11:16) I have overcome various obstacles over 95% of the time up since I began this blog (that’s over two years), regardless of vacation, holidays or other pressing needs.  And yet this last two weeks I have had pressing issues that have “forced” me to choose between writing and serving. Notice how in being “forced” I gave up my power, and become the victim.  In hindsight – I see that these pressing issues have been opportunities for me to let my light shine and to be the salt of the world. So I choose the better! ( You can go puke now…)- this is foolish boasting – because I missed the blessing, the result was I was uptight rather than upright.

This is not a pity party to tell you how hard I am working – (see last week) rather it is a confession that my being uptight is indicating that my upright-ness, is not from God rather it is from my performance, based on standards that I have set.  (Sounds like a Pharisee characteristic deeply rooted in me) My own standard of “this is what I have to do” has taken me out of the opportunities to let my light shine, all the while I was doing more than ever to let that light shine. I did follow-through with the opportunities to serve and be the salt and light of the world… choosing first to put aside my own desires (to get the blog done) and investing in relationship building and the kingdom expansion paths. And yet my efforts while not being useless have not been blessed. I receive my reward, and yet still I feel empty.  I might as well as been driven by religious repetition, and got the blog done.  Instead I “did the right thing” and upheld the relational obligations (a should list) and made myself look good in the process.  Don’t get me wrong- there was good work accomplished and kingdom advancement took place… but not in my heart and life.

I am painfully aware that blessings from heaven which were prepared in advance for me were not afforded to me in because of my attitude regardless or in spite of my actions. These last two weeks have been upheld by my own efforts, energies and expectations. (I have been a martyr for the work that needs to get done, rather than being a servantleader who serves as an expression of their calling for the benefit of others. ) I have been Foolish, not in the Spiritual way as Paul calls us to be:  rather  my worldly fallacies have blocked the spiritual realities.  I have been pressed by the demands of the schedule rather than being guided by the wisdom of the Spirit. You see – I understood that these opportunities were to take priority over the blog, but my attitude (being uptight) about how everything else is going to get done, has quenched or limited the light to shine and made the salt; un-salty (which in the Greek text – un-salty is translates foolish).

So What:

When we are uptight, we are applying a tourniquet to the flow of blessings into and out from our life. We must invest Seeds of Faith,  that lead to Favor, and remember that  Favor cannot be earned it is a gift designed to be given. When you are up-tight, ask yourself, who is in control, and often the answer is you… (Even though at that moment you feel out of control, it is you who is holding the reigns.)

Light is to shine in the Darkness, Salt is to never lose its Saltiness.  This is Power from God, not ourselves.  Surrender control to God. This becomes our reality as we fear the Lord more than the expectation of others or ourselves. The Lord has called us to loose the chains of injustice, set the oppressed free, spend ourselves in behalf of the hungry, and this will be a result of our heart attitude, not our good works and “holy” actions.

Whom did I love this week and last  – Myself over others or the Lord. I ensured that others saw me as self-sacrificing, up-right and able to more than is possible. And it was accomplished…  but it left me uptight. Father, might I return to you in weakness, with great fear and trembling. I am in need of your Power to flow through me once again. When people are constantly praising you, they are not Glorifying your Father in Heaven.

All this is a Spiritual reality, made true to our spirit that which is within us. Father I prayer that those reading this now would receive great revelation from the Spirit who is from God, that they may understand what God has freely given to us.

God has been restoring me – through a process of having me ask for help…. I don’t like to ask for help, and yet how else can I lead from weakness with fear and trembling.

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Working Hard & Hardly Working – Don’t work

Posted on January 31, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle:  The Blessedness of the Kingdom is a gift of foolishness

When you have it, you live to give it away, if you don’t, you work to get what you can.

Micah 6:1-8 Psalm 15 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 Matthew 5:1-12

If you are working hard to make life work… while seeing others simply be blessed; you are on the outside of the kingdom looking in…  If you are hardly working to your life’s work… while others are working hard you are on the outside of the kingdom.

It’s not about working hard or hardly working it’s about being blessed and being foolish. Sometimes in the Kingdom you work 10x harder than others and your only reward is to be working in the kingdom. This may seem foolish; no extra pay, recognition, or compensation. (Matt 20:1-16)  Sometimes in the Kingdom you are hardly working when you are blessed beyond all comprehension (this is called being at rest), however if you are hardly working and while waiting to be blessed – the blessing will never come.  (this is called being lazy)

Being in the Kingdom is to be Blessed… rather than working toward being blessed.  The Beatitudes begin and end (verses 3,10-11) differently than each one in the middle (verses 4-9). Blessed are the poor in spirit and Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness theirs IS the Kingdom of heaven… It is already given. Each other Be-attitude or Blessed are – will be…. Therefore the Blessing of the Kingdom is complete at the beginning and the end. It is already received. Yet – there is an entirely further blessedness that is yet to come and is discovered in the process of life with the King. This leads to the Foolishness of those who claim the Cross of Christ as the Power of God in their lives. The cross is the upside-down means of God. God choose the weak, the foolish, the lowly, and the despised, to demonstrate his Righteousness, Holiness and Power of redemption. It is backwards or a paradox.  God sent His Son to save the world not condemn the world, (John 3:17) and the plan of salvation goes through the cross not a crowd, it’s glory is a crown of thorns, not a crown of jewels.

Who will get this? Who will accept such madness? Who will climb up a mountain side to listen to a wandering prophet? Who will do what is required, when what is required is not even possible by one’s own strength? Who can act justly, love mercy and walk humbly with God? Only those who are wanting to be foolish by the standards of this world. The rest will work hard to overcome the obstacles, or hardly work and consider the whole thing foolish. This foolish is the foolishness of the world, rather than embracing the foolishness of God. For the message of the cross says – Hard work will get you nowhere – Now – Get to work.

All of the texts this week, draw forth one’s ability to express  identity. Identity is found within a person, it is lodged in their soul  and redeemed by their spirit. However, for most people – life is lived just the opposite our identity is found by looking in the mirror and measuring our success on the outside.  When you ask a person to tell you about who they are – most will answer by telling you “What they do for work”…  then proceed to talk about their families (I am married or single, have # kids….)  and other accomplishments (went to this school, worked here for so long…) These are not identity, they are labels and accumulation of idols. (that’s harsh but often too true)  Imagine if a business leader was asked, “Tell me about yourself” and answered: I speak truth from my heart, I do no wrong to my neighbor, I despise a vile person, I will keep an promise even if it hurts me, and I lean money to the poor without interest. The response would be a show stopper, that was not be the answer they were looking for….  In fact if that was your “elevator speech” I wonder how much business you would gain. You might end up “hardly working” and at that very moment – You might receive the greatest blessing the Father has ever lavished on you.  This is madness, foolish according to the expectations of the world.

In this world – If you work for something – enjoy it – for you have received your full reward (Matt. 6:2,5; Luke 6:24). If God gave you something, enjoy it, for it is your reward. Your very life is to be enjoyed as you live into the righteousness of  Christ, and the blessedness of the cross. For God’s  gifts come in the form of  Blessedness, Foolishness, Righteousness, Holiness, and Redemption. Therefore if you have such things boast in the Lord of such things… but remember – You cannot work to attain such things. Therefore what is required of you is to live from place of humility and hospitality,  that your faithfulness displays great acts of God’s favor.  What is required,  is not being required in order for you to attain great acts of God’s favor, for such things are gifts.  When someone is performing what is required in order to attain blessedness, it is empty religion repetition.

Finally,

In this stance of servantleadership our hope grows and is anchored in the power of God to resurrect and redeem what is dead and lost. Therefore we mourn, we are meek, and we hunger and thirst believing that the pain, suffering and struggles of this world is temporary. We have died to this world; our blessedness has already been received in receiving the Kingdom of Heaven. Then as we go out to the world, although it is foolishness we shall be merciful, pure, and peacemakers for we desire alone to dwell in the presence of the Almighty God. For in that place we shall never be shaken.

Where or for what do you wish you didn’t have to work so hard?

What are you working for to receive?  Provision, Protection, Peace or another….  (often a stroke from the world to validate your Identity – which it told you, you could never attain)

The King promises that His presence will be your Provision, Protection and Peace… therefore if you are working hard to attain such things, you are stepping out from under the Rule and Reign of God…. which is to miss the Blessedness of the Kingdom of Heaven. You may think this is merely a foolish thought – and if so – you have just proved my point…  for this is the call of God unto the Kingdom.

Click here to see how the 10 Commandments, The Be-Attitudes, The Lord’s Prayer and Romans 12 all align to proclaim the same truth about Servant Leadership and living a life of love and gratitude.

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Completely Impossible & Critically Important – Be Cross Fit

Posted on January 20, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle:  Unity in diversity is found in the expression of our identity.

Isaiah 9:1-4 Psalm 27:1, 4-9 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Matthew 4:12-23

I spent 3 months at a CrossFit Box… often I left there thinking this is completely impossible, and at the same time I knew it was critically important for my health and transformation. (I stopped at three months with an ankle injury from soccer, but have continued the training on my own – my confession “I need to return”, finances say – something else) The call for the Church to be in unified is also completely impossible and critically important yet it is made possible by the Cross and our being  fit for the Kingdom.

A few summary thoughts:

  • The Post: Jesus, Horseshoes & hand grenades lays the foundation understanding how the Kingdom of God can be close and at hand, but yet missed by so many…
  • Unity of One(self) is required before there can be unity of two (persons). If you are not unified within yourself, as in the concepts of spirit, soul & body… and with your IAM – Identity, Authority & Motivation – you will struggle to find unity with others…. You must be at Peace, before you can bring Peace.  Reconciliation requires Revelation (see last week)
  • Unity must be a centered-set concept based in the power of prayer…. There is Darkness, but we focus on the light, not the distance from the light.  Christ is the Light and our Center.  Darkness always moves away from the Light. Jesus’ call to follow –does not establish a bounded-set approach – you are not in-verses-out, saved verses lost…. Rather you are following, in order to be sent…. There is constant movement in the Kingdom.
  • Movement in the Dark – is difficult, dangerous and disastrous.  We are to move in the light as we are to be the light.  Where there is division, dis-unity and discord – darkness prevails.  The way to overcome the darkness is 2LAF in the power Christ, even if it looks like foolishness to the world.

Paul’s Call to the Church to:

  1. Agree with one another
  2. Accept No Divisions
  3. Be perfectly united in mind and thought (judgment/purpose)

1. To agree with one another is not a call to remove diversity or to resolve all issues of difference. It is a call to agree on unity & identity.  Identity is found in Christ alone. (Galatians 1:1,10, 2:20, 3:26-28, 4:6-7 5:24-25, 6:14), unity is found through Christ alone. (Ephesians 1:10-12,  4:1-3, 11-14) Therefore if one is in Christ, and has the light of the world in them –  affirm what you see. Find the Roots of the Spirit and focus there… If there are no roots, let us not judge, rather let us seek to disciple and model, such that the roots can be established in love – such that the Fruit of the Spirit will grow. (Ephesians 3:14-19) When you can see the Work of the Spirit – There is the rally call for Unity.

2. To have no Divisions, one must never accept divisions as common place or normal. This is the call of reconciliation, to which the Church is called to be ambassadors of such peace.  (2 Cor 5:18-20) To simply take the stance that division is not allowed is to seek affirmation (def.) rather than to allow defamation. (def.) This desire to put down and remove divisions is not possible in the flesh, for that matter, it is the flesh and nature of fallen humanity to destroy one another (John 10:10, Romans 6:17-23) But this call for restoration is rooted only in a work of the Spirit established by the Blood of Jesus in the act of Forgiveness. To have no Division is to seek Forgiveness in all areas of Dis-Unity & Discord. As Saints, it is not by our actions that we are made Holy, but by the Blood of Jesus.  As the Bride, we have been washed in the blood and affirm the power of transformed that is is available for others.  Paul reminds us all of this in his confession that he is chief among sinners.

3. Finally to be perfectly united in mind and purpose is not a call to remove those who “disagree”  as expressed in point #1.  Rather it is to demonstrate and proclaim our call to move in pursuit of the Light. This pursuit requires all the resources afforded to the body.  This is also not a call to avoid discipline, but it is a call to accept the weaker person of faith. (Romans 14:15-23) This call to be united is a call that can only be made in movement and in community.   All this is explained elsewhere by Paul as the unity and identity of the body:  (Romans 12:3-8, 1 Cor. 12:11-13:4, Eph. 4:14-16)

The foot is to be a foot, the hand is to be a hand. When the foot says “I am a foot”, and the hand says “I am a hand”, then the foot can say to the hand, “you are a hand, and I see that you are different than me” – this is to be in agreement with one another.  Where the foot tries to be a hand or vice versa, we have a problem, or where the hand says to the foot, “I am superior because I am a hand”…. We have the erosion of unity and the roots of division. Therefore diversity is not a liability to unity. In fact without diversity no true unity can be enjoyed.  But where division is allowed, unity cannot survive.

For the body to be in movement, both the foot and the hand play a role in balance. When the mind calls out to walk, if the foot says “no” or the hand says “no”…. there no longer is unity. The call here is not to cut off the hand  or the foot, (Matt 5:30) the call is to be without sin. To be without sin is to be washed in the blood, and to be washed in the blood is to practice forgiveness above all else. The most difficult aspect of this is seeing that forgiveness must be applied to both parties, both the foot and hand need forgiveness not simply the “one” that appears to be the problem. This movement of both parties is a matter of reconciliation. Most often – the foot is willing to forgive the hand, from the foot’s perspective, that the hand did something wrong. All the hand needs to do is repent and ask…. But very rarely in that same situation is the foot willing to acknowledge they themselves are in need to forgiveness sin for their judgment is that the hand’s sin was primary or worse. (Matt. 7:1-4)

Drawing it all together – Christ alone is the Light of the World. And yet, Christ has come and given his life, that we too can have the Light of Christ in us. Where this light has come, we are to see the very likeness and purposes of God in others.  Might we come to Jesus , rather than coming to any conclusion about another; Might we follow Jesus, rather than telling Jesus or others what needs to happen next, Might we be ready to be sent out, rather than sending others away.  The Church need not be afraid!

  • Might we seek His face, for in this we will listen and love

so that that Christ will be glorified in our lives…

  • Might we seek His face, for in this we will affirm and accept

so that Christ will be glorified in others lives…

  • Might we seek His Face, for in this we will seek to be forgiven and to forgive

such that the bride will be pure and holy and Christ will be glorified in the world…

This call 2LAF will take you to the edge of the Kingdom.   Revelation Precedes Reconciliation.  Last week focused on Revelation, this week focuses on Reconciliation.

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Speak less & Say more

Posted on January 15, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Enriched with Speech and Knowledge, enables you to speak-less

Isaiah 49:1-7 Psalm 40:1-11 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 John 1:29-42

We are to be called Saints, a Holy People, not because of what we do or say, but because of what has been done for  and spoken over us! Holy people are not about piety or perfection, for them it is about the process of God redeeming and flowing through their life such that others will see God who is holy. John the Baptist – says it well, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30) This became true for the disciples after Jesus ascended and endowed them with power from on high. The disciples did not become super; rather it was supernatural power that was upon them. Acts 4:13 says it this way… “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.” What others saw in Peter & John was “what” they saw in Jesus, and what they saw in Jesus was Power & Authority that was not from this world.  Therefore the disciples had been set apart – To be made Holy or to be endowed with Power, or to be enriched with Speech and Knowledge. If you are set apart – you too demonstrate the Power and Authority to Speak Less and Say More.

Jesus came in the flesh to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom and to heal the sick,(Matt. 4:23, Mark 1:14,21,39, Luke 4:15, 40) in this he destroyed the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8) We are called to walk as Jesus walked, and to do as he did, (1 John 2:6) and to do even great things than Jesus did. (John 14:12) This is the call to bear witness. Much like the call to be “Holy” it is not about what you do, rather it is you bearing witness to what Jesus has done.  Jesus was a witness only to what he saw the Father doing.  (John 5:19, 30) In much the same way we are to bear witness to what we see Jesus doing. John the Baptist was a witness  of and to Jesus, even though all of John’s fame was enough to draw his own crowd, he sought to bear witness to Jesus rather than to have any attention be on himself. While he was enriched and empower by the Holy Spirit with speech and knowledge it is with a simple phrase he has embedded truth in to the hearts of you and me today. “BEHOLD, the LAMB of GOD, who take away the sin of the world.” John in one sentence shifted all of history. It is found only here in the Gospel of John, and nowhere else in the Bible… yet is has had a ripple effect to all understanding of the rest of the New & Old Testament.

One can only bear witness to that which one has seen with their own eyes. (If it is gossip or hear-say– then you are not a witness by definition.  So the pre-requisites to speaking and bearing witness  – giving testimony of the Good News of Jesus – is for your eyes to be opened.  Second  – once your eyes have seen the power of Christ Jesus, God’s Chosen One, the Lamb of God who takes away the Sin of the World, the LORD, The Holy One of Israel, The Redeemer and the Messiah (all names of God present in this week’s texts) then you have opportunity to speak of this  wonder and  wonderful truth. When you do speak, “Speak less” so as to demonstrate the Power & Authority of Jesus and not your own.

Speaking less is made possible through Revelation.  When others receive say you say is an act of Reconciliation. If you feel the need to convince another that you are right, or to defend your vantage point, it will take more words and be dependent on your own demonstration and persuasion.  Rather, trust that the Good News of Jesus Christ will be demonstrated in your Holy Calling, and boast of your weakness and his Great Works. (This is an act of Servant Leadership) In this way your words will be filled with Power, and your message will confirmed and strengthen, through the enrichment and gift of the Holy Spirit. Therefore we return to the need to seek the Power of Jesus Name and to demonstrate acts of Justice to unify the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness. (Matt. 6:33)

We are in the season of Epiphany – this is the season of Revelation: of who is Jesus, and what he will do. He is the Lamb of God (Revelation), who will save the world (Reconciliation). This season culminates into Lent where we encounter the struggle, hardship and wilderness of Jesus to bear the sins of the world.  Revelation opens our eyes to see God, ourselves and others. Reconciliation opens our hearts to God and others. When Revelation and Reconciliation take place in our lives – a Revolution follows such that others see God in us, and even have their own experience of Revelation opening their eyes to see God, themselves and us as we really are.

When is the last time you experienced Revelation from God?

When find yourself wanting to be more convincing –  Seek Jesus’ Power, not your own.

In what ways are you experiencing Reconciliation; with God, others or self?

When are you struggling with reconciliation – Seek God’s Justice, not your own

What does a Revolution look like in your life?

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