Stop – Read First!

Posted on January 23, 2013 by chaplaincasey
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10 Psalm 19 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a Luke 4:14-21

Kingdom Principle:  The body must be disciplined & We are Christ’s body.

The Body is disciplined, developed and directed to be with the King.

Almost anything you purchase today has a warning label that says “Stop -Read First”… often I see this as a waste of paper making sure that if we are to hurt ourselves in the assembly we can’t sue the manufacturer. Beyond this most instructions are so simple and rarely helpful that it is hard to believe they even put it in print. (Except for the “secret” screws that Ikea puts in step 2 for something you will need on step 38). And yet, there are other instructions that without them you are not likely to ever fully enjoy the product you have purchased. The instructions are never expected to replace the product, simply guide us to its full purpose.  I have heard a number of times in my journey with others, reading the Word, “If God wanted us to understand this – why did He make it so complicated?” In jest I have replied, (to younger, single men only) “I see, you are yet to fall in love with a women.” God does not long for us to simply follow a set of rules, nor does he hope for us to treat him like a spiritual genie.  (My comment is not negative, simply an observation of the complicated and delicate nature of love.) Yet, I remember learning that the B.I.B.L. E. provides basic instructions before leaving earth. While this is catchy– I do not hold that the Bible’s message is basic instructions to figure out how to get eternal life. Nor are there 10 steps to a perfect marriage. (But Dr. John Gottman has written great books I value, that tell me otherwise.) Many even attempt to reduce the message of the Bible to principles that can be applied without a relationship with the Creator who set them in motion.  This is never my intent in discovering Kingdom Principles… the goal is to be in relationship with the King.  (I have recently been convicted of this concept in a book called “With” by Skye Jethani , it is simply profound, here is a 9 min video summary). God’s Word reveals the Love of God to his people, and leads us into relationship with the Holy One of Israel, God Almighty, Our Savior – Jesus. (Skye might add, without fear and control creating the boundary of that relationship.)

We have all been taught by someone about God. You cannot be reading this and say that is not so – for in reading this you are being taught. But not all of us have been taught how to be in relationship with God. Not all teaching is good, and yet we are still without reason to know the God of the Heavens. For the creation itself declares the Glory of God. Paul adds this clarification – How can one believe if they have not heard, and how can they hear without having someone to preach  to them? (Romans 10:14) The gospel of John, brings to light the work of the Spirit in this journey, Jesus said, “The Father has sent the Holy Spirit in my Name to teach all things… (John 14:26), and later John further explains, “You do not need anyone to teach you, if you have the anointing of from the Holy One, for then you already know the truth and all things. (1 John 2:20,27). Let us remember, “All Scripture is God breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Tim 3:16) Such things do not happen in a simple reading of the Word rather through instruction and be done in relationship.

Before you go further – reflect on who taught you about the God of the Heavens, and His Kingdom which has been established now and that which is yet to come. Now, reflect on the relationships you are in which demonstrate that this same God of the Heavens, is living with and between you and them here and now. The Scriptures this week declare that the Word of God is instructive and God has placed his Word into the hearts and lives of His people so that they might teach and disciple others to be with Him. There is great reward in keeping the Word of God, and beyond obedience we are to eagerly desire all the God has for us…. but these things are not the sole purpose of the Word. We have previously looked at the individual aspect of a Kingdom Servant whose body is to be disciplined, their soul to be developed and their spirit to be directed, but the concept this week is not individual, it is corporate.  The purpose again is that we might be united with Jesus. This union is as the head is united with the Body, where the head goes, the body follows. In this, we, who are the body of Christ are called to be united in our union with Jesus.  The foot is as connected to the head as the arm, as is the eye, or any other part of the body. This union is open to all who come to Jesus. Jesus proclaimed and taught this using the words of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus has fulfilled the very salvation promised to the poor, the prisoner, the blind, and the oppressed. This is for all, male and female, young and old… while this is made implicit in the New Testament it is demonstrated in our text this week of Nehemiah, as well as elsewhere throughout the Old Testament. There is so much more to say regarding the scripture texts of this week – in a future post we will discuss the healing components of Psalm 19:7-11, but for now, let us be the body of Christ, growing up, in Christ so that there is no division and mutual concern for all.

Who can you encourage and equip (disciple) to grow in the Word of God?

Who is encouraging and equipping (discipling) you to grow in the Word of God?

Is there part of your body that needs discipline or healing? (Did you read that question as an individual or corporately as the body of Christ?) How do the answers differ…?

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The Best Wedding Gift

Posted on January 14, 2013 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The Signs of the Kingdom are given to God’s people (His bride) for the Glory of God.

Isaiah 62:1-5 Psalm 36:5-10 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 John 2:1-11

15 years ago this week – I opened more gifts at one time than at any other event in my life.  My wife & received so many wedding gifts it took us hours to work through it – some we have used and continue to use every day – out kitchen dishes… others remain valued but rarely used – the kitchen aid mixer. God has always used the metaphor of the bride and a wedding banquet to connect with His people. This metaphor is consistent in both the New and Old Testament as well as the faith of the bride not being so consistent. God has chosen Israel to be a light to the nations… and His faithfulness and unfailing love is enough to sustain the bruised and restore the broken. The salvation of God now extends far beyond a single people group and has always been more simple survival and mere existence in the world. God has an abundance of grace to bestow upon his people and his mercy never ends. Our God is a gift giver. For us to experience this gift of grace and trust in this mercy is an act of faith. When we unwrap this gift we see the Glory of the Most High God displayed in our lives. This Glory is seen as the Signs of the Kingdom and in the Gifts of the Spirit. The concept of the Bride of Christ – deserves its own post and I hope to write it soon, today we will focus on the gifts which are given to the bride and their relationships to the Sign of the Kingdom of God.

Jesus began his ministry full of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1), being led into the wilderness to be tempted and to overcome the Devil. In the Gospel of John, we find Jesus’ first act of ministry taking place in Cana where he turns water into wine. This was the first sign of Jesus which revealed his glory, and as a result of it – his disciples believed in him.  Later in the Gospel of John, Jesus is clear that when the Holy Spirit comes upon his disciples (his bride) they will do even greater things than He did. (John 14:12). In the Letters of Paul to the Church, we read the manifestation of these gifts of the Holy Spirit. The purpose of these gifts is to build up the body and bride of Christ for the good of all. However the reality exists that God’s people have mis-used and mis-undertsood this gifting such that is has become divisive and a distraction to the Glory of God.

Below we will look at the passages of Scripture were Paul teaches about the Gifts of the Spirit. There I will share my understanding of the three unique expressions of the gifts which draw us further into our full identity as the Bride. A few points of clarification first – 1. The gifts are not limited to the New Testament. Meaning they were performed prior to Christ in the Old Testament (think of Moses & Elijah). They are always used to demonstrate and confirm the presence of God, and they continue to be performed today for the very same reason. 2. While gifts are a sign of the Holy Spirit, they point to the Signs of the Kingdom. Healing, Miracles, and wonders confirm the primary sign of the Kingdom which is the proclamation of the gospel and gifts of the Spirit are given such that these signs are demonstrated clearly for the Glory of God. 3. Finally – a gift is an expression of the gift giver. Our focus is never to be the gift, nor the person who is blessed with the gift.  A person cannot own or possess a gift of the Spirit, it possesses us and is given by God.

God has placed his treasure in us through the work of his Holy Spirit. God is our treasure (Matt. 13:44) and in discovering this  – everything else fails to have worth…. The discovery of this treasure unveils the glory of God in our lives. Below are the three passages of Scripture that teach us about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We will look at the lists in Romans, 1 Corinthians then Ephesians, in that order.

In Romans 12 we find that all are given according the grace of God given one of these gifts. Either the gift is redeemed in and for the Kingdom of God or remains at work for the Kingdom of darkness. These gifts are called redemptive gifts, and motivate us much like a personality or character trait. The 7 redemptive gifts listed here are as roles we fulfill: prophet, servant, teacher, exhorter, giver, ruler, mercy. (These titles and roles are expanded upon greatly by Arthur Burk.)  In 1 Corinthians 12 we see that the body is uniquely designed to use these gifts in the power of the Holy Spirit, there is a great diversity in the manifestation of such gifts but one Spirit. It is at the discretion of the Spirit as to when and to whom these gifts are distributed, but in all of God’s people, when he is at work in them it is the Spirit which is at work. The list of gifts here are works and expressions of the body; wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, speaking in tongues, and their interpretations.  Finally in Ephesians 4 we see that some are given gifts of mobilization, to equip the body to greater works.  The list in Ephesians 4 is clearly limited and not given to all believers, some have called these leadership gifts; apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers.

In Summary here: There are motivational gifts (Romans) that bring to light the very impulse of God within us. As we discover the God imprint on our lives we discover his workmanship and embrace our uniqueness as His creations. There are manifestations gifts (1 Corinthians) that bring to light the very inspiration of God within us. As we open our lives to the work of the Holy Spirit, he makes himself known to the world through us. Finally there are mobilization gifts (Ephesians) that bring to light the very influence of Jesus within us, to lead the Church as he is the head of the Church. To those whom much is given, much is expected. These gifts are much like the shiny jewels and adornments of a bride on her wedding day. The bride remains the bride regardless of the jewels and adornments, but in pure white and spotless gown all stop and marvel at a bride in her wedding dress. God has called us to be pure and holy and it is only by his blood that we are washed and made new. If you desire to discover God’s imprint on your life, begin by asking the Holy Spirit to open your hears to hear what He has to say… He is the gift giver, so ask, and then begin to listen. (Luke 11:10-13)

Let us embrace the Signs of the Kingdom in our lives, and may the world see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven.

Romans 12:6-8

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

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Sign of the times or Time for a sign?

Posted on January 9, 2013 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The Kingdom is constantly demonstrated and confirmed. The Kingdom is not a secret, yet it is a mystery.

Where the Holy Spirit moves, the Glory of the LORD follows.

Isaiah 43:1-7 Psalm 29 Acts 8:14-17 Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Rick Warren in his book “Purpose Driven Life” begins with a clear call to awareness of the Holy – “it is not about you” … The Kingdom is not about you, this life is not about you, even your purpose is not about you.  Warren continues – “ you were born by his purpose and for his purpose.”  Your ultimate purpose is found in giving God glory. How you go about doing that, is unique to you, and for you to discover, but in giving God glory you must get in line behind the heavenly hosts, all of creation, and the very chosen people of Israel before you get foolishly caught up believing that it might just be about you. HOWEVER – if you are the LORD’s –  a child of the most High God, then your life will be marked with the signs, wonders and miracles of the Kingdom – this will in fact draw the attention of this world and its powers unto you. The Kingdom is not a secret, but it is a mystery. And this mystery is being revealed in this present age, the age you and I find ourselves. (Ephesians 3:10-11)

In a previous post – we discussed that the Glory of God is His Holiness revealed. It is the work of the Holy Spirit that brings this reality unto our world and into our personal lives. Regarding John the Baptist, Jesus declares, “I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” (Matthew 11:11)  John walked in Holiness and Righteousness  (Mark 6:20) greater than another in the age, prior to the Kingdom of God being ushered in by Jesus, under the power of the Holy Spirit.  John was clear about his role and stature – yet he declared the he must decrease and Jesus must increase and that he was even unworthy to until Jesus’ sandals.

How do we reconcile these two truths – “It is not about me”, and “the Kingdom of God is in me” (Luke 17:21)? It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that the Kingdom is demonstrated and confirmed in me and in my life – there will be signs, wonders and miracles that will draw attention to me. The challenge is before each of us as Children of God – an untamable power beyond this world, dwells within me, and yet it is not for me to exercise to my will, but for me to dwell with the Father and for his Will to be my guide. By the work of the Father, in the name of the Son, I am called to have dominion and authority in this world.  Jesus came to proclaim the Kingdom and heal the sick, (Mark 1:14, 39; Matthew 4:23, Luke 4:14, 40-43) in this Jesus destroyed the devil’s work. (1 John 3:8). All this took place by the will of the Father (grace) through the power of the Holy Spirit (truth). Thus Jesus was full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

Therefore – Where Jesus has ransomed us from the hands of the enemy,  grace and truth abounds. We are to live without fear knowing the Holy One of Israel, the LORD our God is our Savior. (Isaiah 43:3) in this we are filled with strength (joy) and peace. (Ps. 29:11) To declare to the world whose we are! This declaration is not in word alone, but accompanied by deeds. (James 2:17) And yet, these deeds are not a work of your own, for it is not about you, these deeds are a work of the power of God which flows out of you.  In this you have become sons and daughters of God and we hear the words spoken to Jesus – You, whom I love, with you I am well pleased.

The call as we begin this year is to not merely to accept the word of God as truth, but to hold to the teachings of Jesus such that we become his disciples and as a result of the truth we shall be set free. (John 8:31-32) This truth is a work of the Spirit, (John 16:13-15) and we cannot contain this work – It must be demonstrated and confirmed – for the holiness of God is to be declared to the world as glory.

As we rise (post two weeks ago) – we need the Lord to be the wind beneath our wings, we must be prepared to do, beyond what we can fathom, and we must ask for what is beyond our imagination.  My prayer for 2013 – is that we will move in the unity of Spirit – as Jesus declared in John 17, trusting in the works and signs of the Holy Spirit – trusting for healing, signs and wonders in our very lives.

Can you attest to the power of the Holy Spirit in you?

Do others see the works, signs and wonders of the Holy Spirit in your life?

What does this mean in regards healing and sickness in the Kingdom of God?

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The greatest need of 2013

Posted on January 1, 2013 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle:  A kingdom servant’s need to give is greater than other’s need to receive.

Isaiah 60:1-6 Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 Ephesians 3:1-12 Matthew 2:1-12

Whoever has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. (Matt. 13:10-12)

In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive. (Acts 20:35)

Why did the wisemen  – travel so far to give their gifts to the messiah? Was it because they were so wise? Was it because they were so wealthy and had nothing better to do? Was it because they wanted to travel? The answer is given that they came to worship him. In their worship they give great gifts of wealth, unfortunately we have focused on their gift and not their need to worship. The wisemen had a need greater than the gift they give – to worship at the feet of the one who fulfilled the words of the prophets.  The gift had great value to Joseph and Mary, but what makes a gift valuable to the wiseman is that is was given from an even greater depth of a need. To not give the gift was to deny that which was in themselves primarily, then second to deny the need for the needy family in a crisis.

For the most part – gifts are given because we (the giver) have a need (desire) to express our “love” to others. We want the receiver to know that we thought of them and value them. If the gift is given out of obligation or in resentment – while the receiver receives a material gift – the giver because of their motivation is not blessed. And in this case it is not better to give than receive. In order to apply the scriptures- the giver must have a greater need to give than the receiver to receive. This is true for God – God had a greater need to give than receive. God is not lacking or needing to receive our worship – God is not egotistically sitting in heaven, in need of our worship. However, God is love and love must be expressed and given to be love at all – therefore God was in need to gift the gift of love.

Now – for you and me today! Are you aware of your need to give? (This is not ability or desire, this is the fact that if you don’t give you are hurting yourself – this is why the Lord established a giving (tithing) system) Are you aware of your need to receive? (Being completely and totally lost without your savior, and acknowledging that each and every breath you take is a gift from God.) You cannot give what you do not have. (Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – these are gifts – have you received them?) As you look out at those whom God has placed in your life and in your reach – what is their need? And what is yours? But beware – we are not to give based on their need – rather we are to give based on our need to give. For example; If you do not move in righteousness – then there will be no fruit – and therefore you lack peace. So you need to move in righteousness to enjoy peace.  And as we pointed out above – God needed to express his Love to the world – in order for God to be true to who He is – an expression of Love. To not express love would be to deny himself…

If we simply give gifts because others are in need – we will give on condition of reception and change. This is a conditional gift, but if we give because we are compelled to give and it is our joy to give, then the gift is not dependent on the reception. This is not self-ish, rather it is purpose.  Let us boast in our neediness, brokenness, and deprave nature (Paul certainly did), then let us be poured out like an offering….. Paul clear give only what he was given, and he gave freely all that he was given. This is not a call to action – it is call to awareness. There are great needs in the world. The greatest of which is for you to be fully aware of how great a love has rescued you. Your need was great – and just as great is your need to give that love away. So – Yes I am actually saying – don’t love others because they are unloved or in need of love – love because if you don’t you are denying the love of God that is in you. You have a greater need to live out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, than those whom will receive this gift from you.

In 2013 – let us not get caught in the trap of meeting others needs, rather let us attempt to recognize our need to give away, all that we have been given in Christ. In this, Justice will be done in a manner which is Righteous. Light will shine into the darkness and the needy will be rescued and the oppressor will be crushed. All this, not because there is a need out there, but rather because there is a need in you – a thirst that cannot be quenched to love and to serve our great Master and King.

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Prepare for take-off

Posted on December 28, 2012 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: It is not about arriving, it is about rising.

Rising points to the direction which we are moving…. Arriving looks back at where we have come.

1 Samuel 2:18-20, 26 Psalm 148 Colossians 3:12-17 Luke 2:41-52

Jesus arrived full of Grace & Truth,  and in life increased (rise) in Wisdom & Stature

No one who puts there hand to the plow and looks back – is fit for the Kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62) No matter what you did to arrive at the kingdom or how hard it your labor – the joy of the kingdom is the same for all… (Matthew 20:1-16)

There is no arrival in this life. This does not mean give-up, in fact this means – never give up! Jesus arrived full of grace and truth (John 1:14) yet he throughout his life increased in wisdom and stature, and favor with God and men. For someone to experience an increase, means that there was room for growth/improvement.  In Christ we discover Grace & Truth which opens the door to the freedom to grow, just as Jesus Christ can increase and grow, so must we. The grace is the provision of learning, the truth is that relationships are dynamic and organic meaning that as we enter into a new relationship there is always something to learn.

You have not arrived, and neither did Jesus even though he was sinless and perfect.  I don’t believe that Jesus rose from the dead because he was perfect; rather it was because it was the will of the Father and Jesus was in perfect submission. Most people are fully aware of the fact that they have not arrived – And all too often they are confronted with failure and frustration in that they have no clue neither how to progress from where they are or how they got there in the first place. (I am not excluded from the company.) Here is the beauty of this post – Every time you are in a place of confusion or frustration… know that you have simple arrived at the end of you – and if you choose  – the beginning of a deeper relationship with Jesus. While the enemy would love to claim victory over you in your defeat, it is at this point that Jesus Christ has the greatest victory with you.

Again this is not a defeating or disappointment message –in fact – this is the crux of the message about freedom– To be truly free by the truth (John 8:32) is to be able to choose growth; to choose to serve the God of Love, rather than being a slave to the Law. Under the Law, growth is not the goal, obedience is the goal. We have addressed before how obedience comes up short in the Kingdom of God. It’s Submission where the goal is growth in relationships – where truth prevails and freedom is won.

Arriving is to manage the outcome of complex situations and to achieve a desired goal.

Rising is to embrace the outcome of all situations and reach forward beyond the present.

However, we cannot grow beyond those who are leading us, teaching us, raising us. For us to rise there must be something to aspire to – The call this week is on multiple levels of growth:

1. To grow as individuals into the fullness of the identity that God has called you to.

2. To grow as parents in raising our children, we must lead the way for their growth.

3. To grow as the family of God into the reality we grow together through hardship and trial.

4. To grow in our understanding that we have true freedom in Christ.

Jesus increased in Wisdom and Stature as well as Favor with God and men… Samuel also increased in Stature and Favor… but there is no reference to Wisdom…

In short – Jesus had his parents model the fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and Samuel did not have such a discipline modeled in his mentor/father Eli the priest. Further this is made clear in  that Jesus knew who is true Father was – God almighty. This is not simply because Jesus was begotten of the Father – rather it is the placement of Jesus in submission to the Father above. For we too are to become children of God.  In the text this week we see how Joseph and Mary had in 12 short years forgotten to be lead by the Father, and so Jesus is now growing beyond them  – led by the Father.

In this season of the lectionary  – we are in preparation of what is next. The birth is complete – but the ministry of Christ is yet to begin. Where is your focus today? On what you have learned, accomplished, and arrived too.  Or –  Where you are headed, what challenges are yet to overcome and how to rise to the occasion as Christ leads the way.

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Love; to be broken!

Posted on December 17, 2012 by chaplaincasey

Updated on 12/18/15

Kingdom Principle: Loves does not make you strong, rather it breaks you.

Micah 5:2-5a Psalm 80:1-7 Hebrews 10:5-10 Luke 1:46b-55

In the wake of tragedy, crisis or lose – most seek for a way to be strong.  To be strong for others, to be strong in their faith, to be strong that evil would not prevail… but he way of love is brokenness. (It is actually Joy which makes you strong…)

“Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”  C.S. Lewis

Mary, the mother of our LORD, sings her magnificent out of brokenness. Micah proclaims hope to the broken amidst inevitable defeat and destruction. To celebrate our Savior – is to be confronted with our need to be saved. Israel was broken and restoration was alone in the hands of Yahweh – the LORD God Almighty:   Are we today any different? Jesus came to embody the Good News which John proclaimed. This good news is a reversal of fortunes. Obedience and offerings are the way of the Law, and the Law does not lead to salvation of soul. Jesus has come to redeem and restore His people – Is it your will that His will be done? If so the way of Love is the only way. And the way of Love is the way of Brokenness.

The fact that you are reading this – means that you are educated –and most likely you are reading this on via computer which means you have a wealth that most of the world knows nothing of…. It is my guess that you cannot remember the last time you were forced to skip a meal due to there not being substance available to you and again, you have no true concept (as I do not either) of being forced to do anything truly against your will – unless you count childhood correction, or an encounter with a police officer both with are a result of our rebellion.  Further, for the most part when we suffer a consequence for our wrong doings – we are quick to justify and rationalize  the circumstance due to our intentions not looking at the true impact of our actions. If these thoughts echo your life and current experience – then beware of what Mary’s Magnificent means unto you:

Those who find comfort in their thoughts, will be scattered. Those who exert their will over others, will be brought down. Those who are full, will be sent away empty. And those who hope alone for God’s Power have not learned to be thankful for His Mercy; Almighty God forgive us that we might come near to your love.

How might we right this wrong? We must be confronted with our own wrong and strong headedness – and be willing even wanting to be broken. Cry out for Forgiveness – that the Lord might cover you in Holiness and that your unrighteousness will be redeemed with his Blood.  What is love? – but that you might lay their life down for another. (John 15:9-14) Mary laid her life down, that Christ may be born. John laid down his life to prepare the way of the LORD. Jesus laid down his life that all who come unto him might be saved.  Do you long for love to rule your life? Then you must no longer be the ruler of your life- your security will come from Christ the King alone. Not Christ and your savings account, not Christ and your home, not Christ and your family, not Christ and your church, but how much more is Christ calling you to give of your money, your home, your family and your church. We are not to look to these sources of security as love, rather we are called to give up these sources of security because we are loved.

This 4th Sunday of Advent – we look to the love of the angels in the anticipation of Christ the King. The angels are messengers of Christ’s love, or they are not – there is no in-between. (Angels who are not messengers of Love, are messengers of Lies  – the demons of the Deceiver.) Much of the world is gray to our eyes – but to the heavenly it is black and white. The angels embody love or they do not! (In response to the shooting in Conn.  – we don’t see gray there, how might the Lord be teaching us to see black and white..?) True love evokes fear in those to whom the message of Good News is brought, but at the same time it drives out fear with the Hope of Salvation. (1 John 4:11-21) You cannot Love, without Hope. (for to embrace suffering and brokenness – one must see the signs.) And Peace & Joy are a means by which the message of Hope to be anchored in this world.

Love then is the culmination of such things – but you already knew that….. Therefore you are willing to give your life as a witness to this love, knowing that it is only through death that true life (culmination of advent) can be found.

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Take Heart, Joy comes in the morning

Posted on December 12, 2012 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Joy flows from the Heart, and is affected greatly by the circumstance.

Zephaniah 3:14-20 Isaiah 12:2-6 Philippians 4:4-7 Luke 3:7-18

As Righteousness is to Peace (last week) – Holiness is to Joy.

As Ambassadors of Righteousness we are called to go out and be in relationships of reconciliation.          This reveals our peace.

As Vessels of Holiness we are called to live our lives as an act of worship set a part form the world.          This reveals our joy.

Righteousness & Holiness are “positions” under the covering and reign of the King.

We cannot earn or get more righteous or holy, but we can grow into the covering given to us in Christ.

Peace and Joy are “produced” and “process” within the covering and reign of the King.

We must seek to nurture and grown the Peace & Joy in our lives, out of Righteousness and Holiness.

The difference between Peace & Joy… (All verses below are in reference to Joy)

Joy is a filling within yourself, Peace is a filling within relationships  (John 15:11, Phil. 2:2, 2 Tim 1:4)

Joy is granted by the faith in Holiness of God, Peace is grown by faith in the Righteousness of God. (John 16:24, Acts 13:52, 1 Thess 1:6, Luke 10:21)

Joy is rooted in the Heart, Hope is the anchor of your soul, Peace ever before you (Ps 19:8, Ps 97:11, Pr. 12:20, 27:11)

Joy can be lacking or filled (affected by circumstance), Peace can be lacking or harvested (affected by others). (Matt. 2:10, 1 John 1:4, Ezra 6:22, Pr. 15:20, 23, Isa 24:11)

Having one without the other…

You can have Joy without Peace….

You cannot have Peace, unless Joy is present in your heart.

Having Peace, does not mean that your Joy is full or complete.

If you have Joy, but not Peace, then pray for Grace & Favor.

If you have Peace, but your Joy is lacking – pray for Mercy & Wisdom

 

Both Peace & Joy are fruit of the Spirit and Expression of the Kingdom of God.

Posted in Advent, Year C | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Lacking Peace? You may have a missing Piece!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by chaplaincasey

Updated 12/1/15

Kingdom Principle: The peace of the prophets is limited only by their righteousness

Malachi 3:1-4 Luke 1:68-79 Philippians 1:3-11 Luke 3:1-6

Building on last week– as a prophet I will see the signs in the sufferings, but that does not mean I am at peace with either the signs or the sufferings. The peace of the prophet is in relationships to the righteousness of the prophet. Let me remind each of us – we are not relegating the prophets to ages past who did crazy things and knew the future. The prophets are God’s people who hear and respond his Spirit and carry that message to the designated recipient. The name Malachi is simply a name which translates to messenger – (The Hebrew word mal’ak means ” messenger” –– similar to the Greek word angelos in the New Testament). We as God’s servants are called to be his messengers “aka” prophets. This week the text focuses on the most famous New Testament prophet – John the Baptist or Evangelist or simply John the cousin of Jesus, son of Zachariah.

The message this week is that the peace we have in this life is in direct correlation to the righteousness that we enjoy. In fact Isaiah 32:17 tells us that the “Fruit of Righteousness is Peace”.  So if you want peace in your life – you cannot simply look for it, or earn it,  nor accumulate it, further Jesus did not even come to bring peace… (Matthew 10:34) So where do we find it or how do we get it? Last week we wrestled with the necessity of Hope. If you joined us on Sunday – we then took that a step further to discover the truth that Hope precedes Faith. And that Hope is the anchor of my soul (Hebrews 6:19) being rooted in the promises of God, but does not move us to do anything. Rather, it is the belief in this hope that produces faith, which is a movement of the Spirit and demonstration of the hope that is within us.  If you desire Peace, it is going to require righteousness, and if you seek righteousness (Matt. 6:33) it is going to require faith, which as we were just reminded is rooted and requires hope.  What then is righteousness? Righteousness is to be aligned with justification, which unfortunately will not help most of us understand what it is… Back in Oct – we defined justification as the step which was taken on our behalf by God the Son to completely wash our sins white as snow and make us right with Him. This is what Jesus came to bring – access to be with God – to be “right” with him. Righteousness is found by faith (Romans 1:17, 3:22, 4:13), and faith is found by hearing and believing in the hope of the promises of God.  Therefore we know that righteousness is not our right actions, however obedience & training in the scriptures (Romans 2:13, 2 Tim. 3:16) demonstrates that righteousness has taken root and will not be uprooted (proverbs 12:3). So we can cling to hope, yet our faith may be dead, we can be justified by faith but still lack peace – and this is not where we want to find ourselves – yet often we do. Hoping for a miracle, but doubting it will come, knowing that God is doing something in our lives but resenting Him in the midst of it – THIS SHALL NOT BE!

Rather, let us become slaves to righteousness which leads to holiness. (Romans 6:19) This choice to seek His righteousness by faith is the road to peace, (Romans 5:1) which means not to worry (Matthew 6:25,33). This week the scriptures confirm that to be pure and blameless) will result only by the fruit of righteousness that comes from Jesus Christ. (Philippians 1:10-11 And that as the prophet John the Baptist was called in a time of worldly peace, he came to prepare the way for a peace that is not of this world.  We can know this peace as we walk in righteousness and holiness serving God without fear. (Luke 1:74-75)

Therefore – What is peace? Is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) which when it is rooted in us, we will not be afraid (John 14:27). As you embrace of your calling (Col. 3:15) to be slave of righteousness and prisoner of the Lord, peace is something that exists between you and others (Ephesians 4:3). Joy also precedes Peace(next week) and it is the opposite of envy (Pr. 12:20, 14:30). Therefore let us be peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God (Matt. 5:9) and reap a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18) – meaning we shall have wisdom from heaven that leads us in the practice of confronting chaos giving people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins and to shine our light on those who are living in darkness and in the shadow of death. (Luke 1:77-79)

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God does not keep secrets

Posted on November 26, 2012 by chaplaincasey

Updated 11/25/2015

Kingdom Principle:  The prophets see signs in sufferings, the rest only see the sufferings.

Jeremiah 33:14-16 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 Luke 21:25-36

How do you feel when someone keeps a secret from you…?  Most of us take the nobel path to that question and say it’s fine if that person is not supposed to tell me… But what about it someone keeps a secret from you and that secret causes you great pain and sorrow and how much more if they were supposed to tell you but didn’t?

Do you consider yourself to be chosen by God? Are you a Servant of the God most High? Do you walk with the Lord such that He considers you His friend?  If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions  – then might you and I  proclaim boldly the secret that God has placed inside of us. The Hope of the Advent Season – is that people will see that Christ the King is coming as a babe to save the world from sin. God has placed his people through all the ages to proclaim his deeds. Unfortunately, people don’t care to listen to this message of Hope…– Why Not?

Hearing the words of the prophet , is possible in direct relation to you having a discipline body – or else the words of God will simply sound like a resounding Gong….     Listening and understanding the words of the prophet, is in relation to you having a developed soul – or the words will be regarded as foolish and not move you to action. Responding as called to the words of the prophet – is in relation to a having a directed spirit… You may hear and understand and you understand and not respond as called….

But then, how can it be so, that the Spirit of God speaks to the prophet, to speak to the people who are not listening to God. Yet only those who will respond to the call of the prophet are those who themselves are being directed by the Spirit.  This is the plight of the prophet, and reason which the prophet must have hope beyond oneself.  Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in Mark 4:12 declaring “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”

The call of the Prophet is to bring the Just and Righteous ways of God to a people who are not walking in His Justice or Righteousness – for the foundation of the Kingdom is Justice and Righteousness. (Psalm 89:14) Each of the prophet voices of this advent in this are speaking to a unique situation:  Micah (wk 4) proclaims the destruction to come at the hand of the Assyrians (around 730 BC); Zephaniah (wk 3) proclaims  the coming judgment  to Israel before they go into Exile at the hands of the Babylonians.  (around 640 BC); Malachi is the last book of the Old Testament, proclaims that even after the Jews have been returned to Israel, they have returned to empty rituals. (around 420 BC). The text this week is a glimmer of hope amongst the conquering arm of the Babylonians,  and Israel continually fails to hear, listen or respond the warnings of Jeremiah, even as they go into Exile, they choose not to submit to the ways of Yahweh. (around 600 BC)

Is the time of the Prophets come and gone? – I THINK NOT! Amos who was one of Israel’s earliest prophets emerged from very unlikely sources and proclaims “Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) Jesus renews this message in the Gospel of John, stating   “I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.” (John 14:29) Jesus plays the role of the prophet to his people, then deepens the relationship to a new understanding, calling his disciples to be “prophets” servants who know the mater’s business. “ I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)

You and I have become the message of Hope to a lost and broken world. This message is being sent to those who are far off, this is the very reason we must be sent…. That they might turn form their wicked ways and move in the direction of the King. While it is true that only God can move the heart of his people, and a movement of the spirit is required for any to come into relationship with God, this is not the concern of the prophet. It is the message to which the prophet is obedient and to deliver such message that reveals the heart of submission to the King.

The signs have been given, and continue to be given by God’s servants so that the hearts of those who are weak might be strengthened. In much the same way that the Kingdom is “already” and remains “not yet”, so this is true in each of our lives regardless of where we find ourselves in our journey with God. King David can look back and see where he has learned and changed his ways– yet he remains indebted to the LORD to teach him and to guide him in truth. God does not avoid the sinner or condemn the lost, rather he sends his servants with a message of Hope.

Today – are you a servant with a message of Hope or are you in need of a message of Hope.

If you are such a servant – then walk boldly before the Throne of God most high that you might receive the very message that He is asking you to proclaim and to whom it is to be directed. (Be Aware –God is not above testing the discipline of your body and the development of your soul – to give you a message with the orders not to deliver it, or to grow your patience to give you no message at all)

If you are looking for such a message of Hope at this time – then recognize that a disciplined body and developed soul will prepare you to receive such a message that comes from the Spirit of God. Wait no longer for such a message, submit yourselves to God and he will come near to you.  Ask, Seek , Knock and you will find what you are looking for…..

Posted in Advent, Year C | Tagged , , , , | 16 Comments

Just to be clear – this is confusing

Posted on November 14, 2012 by chaplaincasey

Updated 11/10/15

Kingdom Principle:  The Kingdom of God is a Paradox.

1 Samuel 1:4-20 1 Samuel 2:1-10 Hebrews 10:11-14, (15-18), 19-25 Mark 13:1-8

The word paradox is often used interchangeably with contradiction. Literary and other artistic uses of paradoxes imply no contradiction and may be used to describe situations that are ironic. A. W. Tozer has captured well the paradox of our faith. “A real Christian is an odd number. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another; empties himself in order to be filled; admits he is wrong so he cannot be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible; hears the inaudible; and knows that which passes knowledge.” As we journey through the Scriptures we are discovering the principles of the Kingdom of God.  Over the next two weeks we are closing out the season called “After Pentecost” as well as the end of Year B, there are 3 years to the lectionary calendar.   This marks the first complete year for which Kingdom principles have been extracted for this blog. One may quickly think we are over a third of the year through figuring out how to deduce the Scriptures to a simple set of principles by which others can base their life. However we must contend with the reality that the Kingdom is a Paradox. And when you reduce the Kingdom to Principles they may lead you back down the path of obedience and Obedience will bring you to the door.  However – as we have seen Obedience is not enough, and submission is required. It is required because without paradox, then faith is obsolete.  Therefore – The Kingdom is not ours to solve or reduce to simple patterns of life. The Kingdom is within in our life and before us all as an expression of faith, placing our trust in the King. In this season of After Pentecost we have wrestled with such paradox’s as:

  • Those with prosperity no longer are considered servants.
  • With faith you have peace and prosperity.
  • To be a servant you must have faith.
  • To be great you must be a servant.
  • Favor is granted to those who walk in submission.
  • Those who walk in submission are willing to give everything away.
  • Therefore those who have favor, give it away.
  • The Power of the Kingdom is opened to you by faith alone.
  • Faith is only possible by the seed of the Father, being born in your spirit.
  • In order for you to be born of the spirit, you must first die to the flesh.
  • The Father longs that all might enter the Kingdom being born of the spirit.
  • Why then are not all in the Kingdom, if God is all powerful.

This week we return to the beginning of 1 Samuel to hear the story of Hannah – she is barren, and therefore shamed and shunned. Yet, Hannah is loved by her husband, and she Hannah cries to the Lord for a child, and then immediately promises to dedicate and give the child to the priest to raise – yielding her again without child. The Prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2 demonstrates the reality of paradox long before our time that lays the foundation for the Kingdom of God.  The disciples ask Jesus in Mark 13 – to help them to understand the signs of the times… and yet the answer they seek is still not given. The answer is captured in Hebrews 10:23 – “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”  And because of this truth – the Kingdom is opened and we move forward in submission to Jesus – for he is our Great Priest, Prophet and King. Paradox is a part of our lives – yet we find ourselves confronted by the Paradox of the Kingdom and cry out in complaint rather than confession.  To further understand the paradox’s of our time – from a perspective of this world – you can read the words below, or watch the video…. http://youtu.be/Lru9i0Za-q8.

  • The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers; wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints; we spend more, but have less; we buy more, but enjoy it less.
  • We have bigger houses and smaller families; more conveniences, but less time; we have more degrees, but less sense; more knowledge, but less judgment; more experts, but more problems; more medicine, but less wellness.
  • We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry too quickly, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too seldom, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
  • We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We’ve learned how to make a living, but not a life; We’ve added years to life, not life to years.
  • We’ve been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor. We’ve conquered outer space, but not inner space; We’ve done larger things, but not better things;
  • We’ve cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul; We’ve split the atom, but not our prejudice; We write more, but learn less; We plan more, but accomplish less.
  • We’ve learned to rush, but not to wait; We have higher incomes, but lower morals; We have more food, but less appeasement; We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever, but have less communication; We’ve become long on quantity, but short on quality.
  • These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion; tall men, and short character; steep profits, and shallow relationships. These are the times of world peace, but domestic warfare; more leisure, but less fun; more kinds of food, but less nutrition. These are days of two incomes, but more divorce; of fancier houses, but broken homes.
  • These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throw away morality, one-night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer to quiet, to kill.

As we seek to further develop our relationship with God, each other and the world. We seek to do so by uncovering our Patterns that produce our Paradigms in order that we may practice our Principles as an expression of Worship. Pattern:       Repeated way of approach or process Paradigm:   Way of viewing reality and understanding the implications of a pattern Principle:  A determining characteristic yielding fundamental direction in any paradigm Paradox:   When a principle conflicts with paradigm, resulting in a new pattern. So what shall we do: Embrace Paradox and Confront Chaos (hence the name of this blog)…. Chaos is to be without order under the rule of a Tyrant. This is only confronted with Peace. To have Peace is to be able to embrace paradox. Our Principles guild us, even when it requires faith to make a leap of understanding. As the disciple wanted a clear answer – what they were given by Jesus was, hold fast and don’t be alarmed. Be rooted and grounded in what you have received. So let’s today make a list of what you have received. Where can you point to places in your life where God has intervened? God has set a pattern by which we shall follow – and yet God is not bound to the pattern nor our interpretation (paradigm) of that pattern.  Where in your life is a pattern being challenged? How might you submit the pattern of your life to discover a new principle by which the King will reveal himself unto you?

Posted in After Pentecost, Year B | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments