Holy Cows are Vegan

Posted on October 14, 2014 by chaplaincasey
Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 99 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 Matthew 22:15-22

Kingdom Principle: Worship & Service are a response to the King’s Presence (not a demand for it)

When Holiness is equated with perfection and moral supremacy the Church becomes filled with Holy Cows to which others point and say “How Cow!” This declaration is reverence or repulsive…. Either way; it declares I don’t want what you have. Further, no one other than a “calf” (Ex. 32: 4) and those outside of the church ever wants to become a Holy Cow. However, when Holiness is identified as being touched by God, setting you free from the pain, suffering and condemnation of the world –a Holy Christian becomes a distinguishing mark as one who has been set apart finding favor with God. This favor is a gift from God and can be given away to all who seek it.

Holiness is a gift which we cannot earn, but we can express it and share it.

Holy Christians worship & serve out of an abundance and overflow, or we have nothing to give as an act of offering. (You can’t give what you don’t have.) Holy Cows are not sacrificed they themselves become worshiped. One challenge of the church today is that holiness has become an obstacle or hurdle for un-believers to overcome, rather than an invitation to which we all profess we have been given as a gift.

Below are many sets “buzz” words are expressed in the Kingdom of God. Some might equate holiness with being able to define, demonstrate and disciple other to do the same, however the Kingdom is a paradox explained through a wild mix of parables and metaphors. And while each of these words has value, none has the ability to bring Holiness to your life.

Good & Evil, Right & Wrong, Rule & Reign, Heaven & Earth, Power & Authority, Grace & Mercy, Blessings & Curses, Peace & Prosperity, Presence & Provision, Servant & Leader, Tests & Temptations, Sufferings & Pain, Control & Comfort, Humility & Hospitality, Credibility & Character, Confidence & Conviction, Calling & Commission, Forgiveness & Freedom, Obedience & Submission, Favor & Flow, Prayer & Purpose, Fear & Wisdom, Confession & Repentance     (The temptation to feel elite if you can define and demonstrate these words, maybe even add a few, is why there are so many Holy Cows in the Church.)

Overall – These words are filled with potency to transform the lowliest of lives into the redeemed Gifts of God. You can read these themes through-out the Scriptures, you can track them through this blog, you can sit in your church all your life, but if you miss this next line, it may amount to nothing:

You are loved by God, for he has chosen you! (1 Thess 1:4) It is this which sets you apart and makes you Holy!

No amount of knowledge, skill or resource can match the simple truth of God’s love for humanity. This love is selective and directed not by chance but by decree from the Almighty King. It is this decree which makes it a gift, yet it is a gift that must be opened and received. For when the power of the Spirit moves on our hearts, a deep conviction wells up in those whom God is calling, in this way we respond by turning away from idols, worship and serving the living and true God. Our faith is made alive as we wait upon the day which we will be united with the Glorious and Resurrected Son – Jesus – the King of the Kingdom.

And all this is not because you or I made it happen, rather it is as an act of love from the One who rules and reign the Kingdom and has invited us to be rooted and established with him in love. (Eph 3:14-19) What shall we say then – Nothing-Other than the LORD our God is Holy! And at the same time we declare that we who were once enemies of God, the worst of sinners in this world have also been made Holy by the coming of his Presence to overcome all that stands against us. The Holy Presence of God moves us to be Holy, and in this Glory is given to the King. (1 Peter 1)

This type of advancement is divine and is truly beyond us… yet because of it we are moved and filled to fulfill our destiny. Moses discovered his destiny;

  • from wandering in the desert –to- standing before a burning bush;
  • from running as an outcast –to- becoming the deliverer;
  • from tending sheep –to- leading millions;
  • from acting fearful –to- beaming radiant and feared
  • from being known by God –to- knowing God!

And yet… he still cried out:

  • God, will I walk with you always….!?
  • Teach me your ways…!?
  • Show me your Glory.!?

This sounds like the cries of many of us today, and yet we don’t see our lives as impressive or as set apart like that of Moses. What Moses had was intimacy with the King, but I don’t think Moses knew of it in this way. God loved and chose Moses; therefore Moses was welcomed and invited into the Presence of the King. God loves and chooses you… do you imagine you have intimacy with the King? Moses had favor with God– which others often see more clearly that we do ourselves. In this blog it has been put for that we too can and ought to have favor with God. Do you want favor? If so, read this first.

Paul has a confidence and conviction that surpasses most any other figure than Jesus in the Bible. It is from this place that Paul declares “follow the pattern I have set before you” (Philippians 3:12-4:1) This pattern was not a book Paul wrote, it was not a discipleship pathway or plan… rather is was the pattern that the God writes on the hearts of those whom he chooses and loves. Paul is not advocating for us to become Holy Cows based on a program or discipleship pattern. Rather, God outlined this pattern for Moses in its most tangible form – the Tabernacle. (Exodus 35-40, is the answer to Moses’ questions to God- see above) God sent Jesus to be the very Tabernacle (pattern) for the whole world. (John 1:1-14) Thus the pattern is none other than to come to the Father through the Tabernacle. (Hebrews 9) It is for this reason that Paul can say to the Thessalonians – “You have become imitators of us and the Lord, and a model to all the believers.” This model is one of transformation from ungodliness to holiness. God described it to Moses in this way, “Make this tabernacle and all its furnishing exactly like the pattern I will show you” (Ex. 25:9) Then God says I will meet with you between the Cherubim (Angels who guard God’s Holiness) in innermost part of the Tabernacle, the Holy of Holies, above the Ark of the Covenant. Here I will give you all my commands for the Israelites. (Ex. 25:22) God it is not building or requiring a model of perfection, for that was the model that the Pharisees were advocating, rather it is a pattern of being perfected in relationship with the One who rules and reign. This relationship is the pattern and it is expressed in being upright not uptight.

Jesus our model and tabernacle and invites us to dwell and abide with him so that we might see the Face of the Father. (Heb. 8:1-6) We are not to look to the faces of “man” to find our identity, security or purpose, rather we know that we are God’s chosen and loved, and therefore we have been set apart (made holy) to demonstrate his Glory, through our worship and service.

  • Do you struggle to believe that you are set apart in this world?
  • Do you try hard to fit in with others or to be uniquely different by the Lord’s decree?
  • When others point out what makes you different does it make you doubt who you are or build your confidence?

These questions help indicate if other’s are noticing God favor you have in life? Favor is not a bonus feature like an eared gold star – read hear to be reminded of what favor is… Favor is the mark of a Holy Christian. And Holy Christians know they are set apart, they do not expect to fit in, rather they find comfort in the unique desire and destiny as given by the Father.

The principles and patterns outlined as word pairs at the opening of this post either help to reveal this favor or restrict it from flowing.  Favor is not given in exchange for Worship & Service, rather Favor is a distinction, a mantle that you wear as you are worshiping and serving. Favor is not something that you possess. Rather it possesses you at every moment you move in the Kingdom. The most intriguing aspect of the Favor of God is that it is more noticeable to those outside the Kingdom…  (This is not to say that those within the Kingdom do not notice, but it is either attributed to God and therefore Glory is given, or it is a source of jealous and contention and rebuke is given.)

Therefore: if you confirm you have the favor of the King, go and be in relationship with people who do not know the power of God and are now walking in the rule and reign of the Kingdom. It may take time to build trust and relationships, but rest assured, those who do not know the King will declare with their lips (either in praise or disgust) you are different – Set Apart even. If you are not different, then you are one of them… this then will lead us to ask a different set of questions.

The King will pour out His favor upon you, not for your benefit (for you lack nothing in Him) but for those rather to display the power of God to those around you.  Then the question truly becomes, not “Do you want more favor?” rather “To whom do you want God’s favor to be revealed?”

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

Anxiety Alienates – Alsan Assimilates

Posted on October 7, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The King rules and reigns the Kingdom.

Are you anxious about the things of this world or rejoicing with the angels?

Exodus 32:1-14 Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 Philippians 4:1-9 Matthew 22:1-14

My kids were not allowed to play tag at recess in elementary school because someone might get hurt. No more swing sets and if you go on the money bars… don’t act like a monkey, you must play safe! The rules of the playground are better understood as a playground ruled by safety. Our culture opts for a principal and principle that plays it safe to ensure security, rather than a King that establishes freedom to rule and reign. Do we want a King that rules and reigns over the Kingdom or do we want a King that ensures safety and security?

C.S. Lewis describes the King in the tales of Narnia. In the Lion, Witch and Wardrobe, we learn that, “Aslan is good, but Aslan is not safe” later in Prince Caspian we learn “Aslan never does anything the same way twice”.  Aslan the Lion, is the King over the Kingdom of Narina. We do not live in Narnia, and much of this world has been held captive by the illusion of control and need for safety. Edwin Friedman – calls this the “failure of nerve” and hence forth describes why much of leadership today is without effect – leaders are hand-cuffed by anxiety and the need to choose the safe path, rather than one that is willing to step out and lead against the existing norms. The King of the Kingdom has nerve and moves with decisive and clear act of leadership… and is calling us to be his servantleaders of the Kingdom. This places us in the crucible of conflict, where we discover our convictions and identity.

The King of Heaven & Earth does not focus on safety as a motivation for our well-being. In the Kingdom it is about peace regardless of safety. In fact the King focuses more on taking risks and presenting us with challenges that can develop us rather than to prevent us from experiencing failure. The Kingdom of God is the place where God rules and reigns, and with His rule and reign; comes challenge, change and crisis which are the teaching tools of life. In these passages we are confronted with truths about God’s rule and reign of the Kingdom.

The King is in control, but that control can be experienced in many ways. When my wife & I take control over what our kids eat (which is our right and responsibility) and then let them choose whatever they want to eat while they are at home – Is this a contradiction? Not at all, we are responsible for what is in our home. When I reign over the food in my home, I can also rule to let them choose. (some may argue this is no choice at all…) Now if a child says – I want to bring a new food option in to the house – is it their choice to do so? Not all! (again – they have choice but not control, but they can make a request and it just might be granted, they can sneak it, but then there is punishment) The focus is that we as parents don’t allow food in the house which we don’t approve of… It is not their house and the choice they have been given is to eat freely from that which is in the house. When they choose to go “out” to eat, then they have ventured outside of the household. It is here that they discover the choice to eat as they wish, but they need not choose contrary to the pattern set before them, they can choose to abide by the rules of the house, if they do so, then they have chosen to expand the reign of the household.

When I as parent control everything, (meaning I never let them eat outside of my control) then the child has learned nothing but to depend on me to keep them safe. God is not a controlling parent; rather God is a merciful King. God even put the tree which they were not to eat from in the garden. This makes God good by not always safe. God opts to create the opportunity for us to choose, which brings the risk, challenge and change we must encounter to truly learn to walk according to the pattern of the Kingdom. The Lord invites all into the Kingdom, and at the same time upholds the rule and reign. The error of the one who enters the “wedding banquet” in the wrong clothes is the same for one who enters my house to eat foods that are not according to the pattern we have established. This place is not for them. (My kids ages 9,11,& 13 have the freedom to eat as the wish, but the pattern has taken root…. Their desire for soda is absent and they have each learned what their body responds well to and not so well) We are neither bound to legalism nor abandoned to lustful passion. Rather we are called to rejoice always and to be filled with peace remembering all that that the Lord has done for us. When we reject this invitation, we venture on to the path that leads to destruction, rather than the path of life.

There are two paths that are being contrasted in the passages this week – last week Paul called us to follow the pattern that he has set before us – Thankfulness! This week he further explains that fruit of this path. Rejoicing! The two paths or patterns are set forth as focusing on the things of heaven or on the things of this world. (There are two Kingdoms humanity is not the ruler of either…)

The fruit on path of the world is conflict, destruction, rebellion. It is greed and idolatry which moves us down this path. The fruit on path of the kingdom of heaven is conviction, gentleness, and understanding. It is righteousness and peace which move us down this joy filled path. (Romans 14:17) Aaron forgot the conviction given from Yahweh and therefore was overcome with conflict, which then gave birth to destruction and rebellion. Paul demonstrates conviction that overcomes the conflict of Euodia & Syntyche… and urges them to pursue peace by means of gentleness.

The Kingdom of God is before us all, we have been invited, what we must discover is the conviction to come under the rule and reign of the King. This is to be clothed by the Righteousness of Christ. These are no garments we must find or create; rather they are given unto us so that we can enter the banquet without fear. It is for this reason that simply following the rules is not enough nor will following the rules lead you to transformation. We are going to be ruled either by are sinful desires or we are to be rule by the freedom of the Kingdom.

  • In what ways are you convicted to advance the Kingdom… proclaiming the rule and reign of God as a freedom to celebrate rather than restrictions to keep and control?
  • When you make decisions, are you filled with anxiety or peace? If anxiety you may be best served by the King, by “eating at home” for awhile – to do this is to focus your thoughts on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable excellent and praiseworthy. Peace is deeper than understanding and it found as a fruit of righteousness.
  • Do you wonder if there is a pattern or path to a better life with the King?
  • Is your life marked by “conflict, destruction, and rebellion” OR “conviction, gentleness, and understanding” if the first three – then the answer to the last question is YES!
Posted in After Pentecost, Year A | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

Buddhists can be so close & Christians so far

Posted on September 29, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Kingdom Fruit is produced from Kingdom Root.

Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20 Psalm 19 Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46

Kingdom Root is Thanksgiving.  Kingdom Fruit is Compassion. Obedience is the process by which the root produces fruit. We must strengthen the roots, rather than stretching for the fruit.

I have and continue to work closely with the organization Tzu Chi in our city. In my opinion, Tzu Chi is the Buddhist expression of what the Christian Church calls Missional Church. Tzu Chi means Compassionate Relief. There is much “we” (Missional Christians) can learn from Tzu Chi, but at the end of the day… I do believe there is one very key thing the Tzu Chi needs to learn from “us” – Compassion is a renewal resource only when it comes from the true source. Just to be clear – if there is any one organization that I believe is the best at stretching for the fruit it is Tzu Chi… but we are not called to stretch for fruit, rather we must strengthen roots.

The experts of the Law knew the right answers about the Kingdom of God but that did not get them “in”, the Tenants of the Vineyard knew how to produce the fruit, but they never enjoyed its produce. The “Dogs”, “Evildoers” and “Mutilators of the Flesh” whom Paul is speaking of – are not those outside the church rather they are those who are within its walls using the Law as a means to control, rather than seeking Christ as a means to grace. These dogs mutilate the flesh cutting “it” in such a way that it looks on the outside “like it is supposed to” without achieving the hoped for result – inner transformation. Inner transformation is the call of the Kingdom, where the old is gone and the new is born (again) from above. Obedience can look on the outside the same whether or not there is transformation. Thanksgiving is the expression of the root which leads to the fruit of Compassion which redeems obedience an act of the Kingdom.

When I live a life of obedience to the King and expect to be rewarded for that – I have stretched for the fruit, without the strengthened root. The roots are strengthened when they are tested and challenged. The roots strengthened when they are fed nutrients and watered. The roots are strengthened as the fruit is harvested in the right season (for the right purpose). Elsewhere we have addressed the roots of the Spirit. While these roots are a part of this process, here we are addressing, the roots of kingdom obedience which develop character and credibility. The roots of the Spirit lead to the Fruit of the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-25) the roots of kingdom obedience lead to the fruit of favor and flow.

Many serve in the name of the King only to give up wondering why the fruit they expected never produced. They ask themselves how can the right answers be given and the right actions be taken, yet miss the fruit and joy of the Kingdom of God. The reality is that we must strengthen the roots, not stretch for the fruit.

The 10 commandments are the taproot, and they are designed to be an act of gratitude not a means to guilt. Obedience motivated by guilt never produces a fruit of submission. Obedience that is motivated by thanksgiving will result in compassion. Paul in obedience presses on toward the goal win the prize. This man, who has been caught up into the heavens to see Jesus face to face, knows that there is so much more for him to attain and be obedient unto citizenship in Heaven. It is for this reason that he calls us to follow the pattern that he has set out for us. (Phil 3:17-20). This pattern is the way of love and forgiveness. The irony is that this way of life is enjoyed and understood most clearly as an act of obedience. Yet, it is not work for Paul to follow Christ… it is not work for him to up hold the law… it is not work for him to serve the church. Rather it is an act of love. Where we are working hard to produce the fruit of the Kingdom, the reality is that whatever we produce is in fact not of the Kingdom of Heaven, it is of our own kingdom.

When I love my wife because I made a vow – then my love is rooted in obedience (and yes it is good), but if I made a vow to my wife because I love her – then thanksgiving is my motivation and compassion is the result. (Elsewhere I written on this as the motivation of love verses fear) The first does not bear fruit beyond obedience, the second yields a crop of much greater reward. When thanksgiving is the motivation, the compassion will never run dry. So often we never look at what motivates us to action we simply justify our actions and conclude it was good enough.

Have you ever gotten tired of serving and following the King? (I know I have… but this is part of the test and discovering of the pattern – so it is a good thing to learn.) When we tire, our rest is not in the Lord (Matt.11:28-30) and you may be simply reaching for the fruit. In the Parable the fruit of the labor is for the landlord, not the tenants who are stewards, but what happened is that tenants saw the fruit and said “we want the fruit for ourselves”.

Conversely have you ever served in obedience and others begin to ask you where do you get your energy? And don’t you ever tire of doing this…? Compassion is a renewal resource of the Kingdom that is produced when the elements of the thanksgiving and obedience are merged in our lives. (If you worship with us on Sunday you will see how we have arranged our time together to increase this reality) We as servant leaders are the vineyards that produce such fruit. But don’t miss sight that his fruit is not ours, for in the same way that the heavens and skies proclaim the works of God’s hands, so our lives are to proclaim the marvel of his grace in our lives. This production is rooted in the alignment of our lives (body, soul, spirit) and the alignment of the law (see Psalm 19:7-9: 7 – 8a is alignment of our soul – mind, will and emotion; 8b-9 is alignment of our spirit – conscience, intuition and communion according to the Word). Our reward in the Kingdom is being in the Kingdom with the King. We don’t produce compassion for our own good; it is for the good of others.

To increase your compassion – begin to search for the things in your life to which you are not thankful. Ask God to show you why they are in your life and to teach you how to be thankful for them. Then in obedience ask God what to do about those situations and your willingness to respond will result in compassion – maybe not to the situation in question but as a by-product in other areas of your life which will increase thankfulness… and the cycle continues.

Posted in After Pentecost, Year A | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hate Losing? Remember…

Posted on September 22, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Alignment of your relationships increases your Authority.

Alignment of self is body, soul & spirit

Alignment of relationships is past, present and future

Exodus 17:1-7 Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 Philippians 2:1-13 Matthew 21:23-32

Where & when was your defining moment with God? That moment when you were so blown away by; Who God is… What God does… How God does it…. Maybe even – Why God doesn’t do other things… If you do not have one of these moments, I hope you have one-hundred. If you have neither one nor hundreds, then I fear your lack of rootedness in the past has increased the potential of ruthlessness in the future.

In the texts this week –

  1. God draw Moses back to the burning bush and the promises which he was given. God will be with him, amidst this grumbling people. (Reference to Horeb in v. 6 – takes us back to Ex. 3:1)
  2. Paul declares to Philippi, Jesus remembers where he came from, while releasing it all to go be in relationship with those who need him most. Remembering refocuses our purpose.
  3. Jesus being tested by the Pharisees– who wish to prove their rightness in rejection Jesus are re-directed back to work of John the Baptist. Jesus is establishing the core truth that Authority is rooted in relationships. In the parable the son remembers his relationship accountability.
  4. The Psalm calls us to carry the message of God from one generation to another, sharing the story ensuring that the great mystery & majesty of God is not lost or mis-understood.

This is the call to remember; to remember is to celebrate a relationship. Remembering a relationship is an engagement that bridges the past, present and future. When we remember we are drawing the past into the present with the hope that it will change our future. Henri Nouwen calls us to re-member our memories as we go forward after great loss. To re-member is to re-arrange and to re-locate, the most precious memories so that they are not lost. In this way we re-claim that the members of our lives need not be lost or forgotten, but they must be re-membered. This is not to “simply not forget” it is to release that “something” that once was and is no longer, has not been lost. To re-member I reaffirm that the members (parts of me) of my life are now re-connected in such a way that I can see them impacting my future.

Therefore as reminded above and addressed elsewhere in the blog, relationships are the foundation of Authority – the more you re-member your life according to the works and words of God, the more authority will God entrust to you. Moses can run away – but he rather Yahweh calls him to re-member the burning bush and to reconnect himself with these people. Jesus re-members himself to be with humanity. Paul re-members even while he is chained in prison, and therefore he shares with them in one-mind, one spirit and one love.

Because of this… I no longer wonder why Israel, after they crossed the Red Sea and were delivered from the Egyptians, “suddenly” forget and begin to grumble. For, I am an Israelite at heart. I can appreciate how the  more you see the hand of God; move you, rescue you, forgive you, save you, etc…. the more likely you are to be faced with the heart of Israel in you – grumbling for more of His provision and His deliverance rather than to face your own inconvenience and challenge. Rather I remember that this crossroads to re-member rather than to resent. To resent is to remember what has been done, but to return to an entitlement attitude. Re-sent sends the members away and rather than discovering through enlightenment the great work that God has done. This simple act of resentment verse remembering – leads people to either be blessed or bitter later in life. – Choose today to be blessed!

Israel saw God move and wanted more. The Pharisees saw God move and wanted it to stop. The first son of the parable answers with impulse and freedom yet moves to remember his allegiance to the father and in obedience he resume his responsibility to do the work he was called to do. The second son answers with lip-service and rightness, yet resents the obligation and does not reengage the work. The Pharisees answer the question correctly yet fail to remember this answer when it comes to repentance and therefore are missing the Kingdom of God which is before them.

  1. Where have you said no to God, and He is nudging you to look again?
  2. Where have you said yes to God, and have failed to move into action?
  3. How might you re-member your past? May God entrust you with greater authority, and may bitterness be redeemed into blessedness.
Posted in After Pentecost, Year A | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Jesus raises the our-ly wage

Posted on September 16, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The Purpose of Peace & Prosperity is to give it away.

Want More Peace & Prosperity?                                                                                                    Giving it away is the only way to increase what you currently have….

Exodus 16:2-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45 Philippians 1:21-30 Matthew 20:1-16

Jesus redefines the concept of minimum wage in the Kingdom Parable of Matthew 20:1-16… but Jonah lived this long before, and Paul preaches this long after… the same answer appears in very different expressions:

God is Generous – has given his servants abundance (peace & prosperity) to give away to others!

The problem that most of us encounter is not that God is lacking or that God does not give in abundance, rather it is that God does not give according to our expectation. (This was Jonah’s dilemma – he didn’t think Nineveh deserved abundance.) The workers in the parable do not have a problem with the land owner contracting them at the given wage – the problem emerges when they lose their peace over the expectation that “it is not fair” they worked harder therefore they deserve more.

The dangerous buzz words that we all must steer clear of are: expectations and deserve. When we are focused on what we think we deserve – we must understand the power of the “De” as it has a latin root – which denotes the going out, departure, removal, or separating of an object from any fixed point, which denotes a mere external departure, and ex (“out of”) which signifies from the interior of a thing.   Therefore to focus on what we deserve… is to move us away from or depart from serving (de serve) in any manner at all. But this is just a fun word play – the parable gets to the heart of the matter, and Paul captures this theological truth in ways that ought to rock our world and our understanding of life and death.

Paul has abundant peace. The Parable’s landowner has abundant prosperity. Israel lost their peace and their prosperity therefore God had more to give to them… We are often comfortable with the concept of God having more to give US – but when it comes to giving other we like to use the deserve word again…. So let’s look at our own lives and how this impacts our thinking and living:

First: Would you rather work for 12 hours or 1 hour and get paid the same wage?  

The beauty of the parable is that those who worked 12 hours agreed on a wage, while those who worked 9 Hours or as few as 1 did not. So – the expectation of the 12 hour worker was actually set – and it was their understanding of what they deserved in comparison (another dangerous word) to what others worked which caused all the dissension. But at the end of it all most will choose 1 hour of work.

Second: Would you rather live a long life (filled with peace & prosperity) or go to be with Jesus now?

The promise of a long life with the benefits of prosperity and health (peace) are quite enticing for most but the reality is that these 2 questions move you us in unique directions that actually compete with our understanding of the gospel. Most will choose the long life with peace and prosperity – but as I just was saying the questions are in conflict, for to choose the long life with peace and prosperity is to also choose to work for 12 hours rather than getting more for less. Here’s how:

When you consider the first questions we are looking at what we can get. We have been trained by this world to desire to get more for less. (It is so hard not to super-size when it’s Free!) The second question focuses our attention at what we already have. The answers to these questions will reveal our understanding or lack of understanding of our purpose. When you discover the purpose of life is “to live is Christ” (a “WITH” not “for” concept) both questions have very easy answers; my God is generous to give me work regardless of wage and I choose life regardless of peace or prosperity.

Since the purpose of your work is to be an act of worship and the purpose of your life is to bring glory to God, we need not worry about choosing life or death nor 12 hours or 1… we are to be grateful to have 1 hour and more grateful to have 12. We are to be grateful to have life and more grateful to have eternity after this life has passed.

The Father has an abundance of both peace and prosperity which he longs to give to his servants. But the King is neither shy nor secretive about the test for both peace and prosperity. For God provided in abundance to the Israelites in the desert, but the test revealed their hearts. The test moves us from entitlement to enlightenment. This movement is one we all must make if we are ever to have peace and prosperity together. And I remind you that peace and prosperity are marks of the Kingdom. Therefore we must pass the test to fully enjoy the Kingdom which is being given to us.

Entitlement is captured by words   – deserve, comparison, and expectations

Enlightenment is captured by words – mercy, compassion, and expectancy (grace)

Enlightenment moves us to Seek Peace & to Redefine prosperity.

To seek peace in the Kingdom is to release my control over the outcomes of my efforts. To release my pursuit of prosperity is not to become lazy or indifferent, rather because of my pursuit of peace which surrenders the outcome to God, I find new measures of prosperity in all my work. It is not about a paycheck – it is about a relationships. It is not about a return on investment – it is about an exchange of life and lessons learned. Pursuing peace can even decrease my need for prosperity altogether.

When the Lord provided the Manna for the Israelites, it was daily bread so that they would remain dependent on God and increase their peace to know that he will provide. This peace was essential key to entrance into the Promised land (prosperity). As Paul stated, “for him to live is Christ and die is gain,” he is proclaiming the peace he has in life, that his life is not his own. And for the sake of others and their peace and prosperity it is better that he remains in their lives.

Paul gives us 3 defining marks of those who know their purpose:

  1. They Stand firm in the Spirit as one body.                                                                     (It is going to take many workers – both weak & strong)
  2. They Strive for the Salvation of others.                                                                           (There is one Gospel, get on board early and work hard)
  3. They’re Steadfast in Suffering as Christ.                                                                        (Releasing expectation of control/ Realizing Peace & Prosperity)
Posted in After Pentecost, Year A | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Christian Karma…

Posted on September 10, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Forgiveness without Freedom, is the Cross without Christ – meaningless

Exodus 14:19-31 Psalm 114 Romans 14:1-12, 15:1-7 Matthew 18:21-35

I most often hear the cry of Karma not from Buddhists’ or those who practice eastern religion, but rather from “pagans” who declare that you had “it” coming. Those who adhere to Karma as a “law” of causality, meaning; that if you do good, then good comes to you and if you do wrong them wrong will come back at you, realize quickly that the “law” of reciprocity for Christianity – is not for them.

  • Reciprocity : a situation of relationship in which two people or groups agree to do something similar for each other, to allow each other to have the same rights, etc. : a reciprocal arrangement or relationship

For what reason shall you continue do good, when you are repaid with evil? The Christian call for reciprocity follows to answer this manner. It is because of the flow of the blood of Jesus that makes forgiveness possible also leads to the transformation and renewal of the mind, such that Christians are no longer called to keep score or to please themselves rather they are called to please and build up others. The call of reciprocity means that no matter how many times you forgive (a good thing), you are called to do it again, even if someone else does evil 490 times over and over again against you…. Forgiveness is the Christian Karma… For the Christian; the cycle of forgiveness is not based on the reception or response of the other, it is based on the resurrection of Jesus!

A quick summary of this week’s texts:

  • The Israel has been covered by the blood, and now they are set free.
  • The unmerciful servant was given forgiveness, but failed to live free, which led him back to be bound by debt which he was once free.
  • Paul in Romans 14 & 15 is addressing a way forward in some of the most difficult circumstances the church finds themselves in both in its 1st century as well as today in the 21st
  • The Psalm draws our attention to the power of the hand of God. There is nothing that God cannot re-create – the creation, the nation of Israel, and our lives today are to tremble ONLY in the presence of the Lord. God is our King, yet dwells mightily with us…

How this impacts us as the church as we advance the kingdom: We are called to trust the King as our master and ruler of our lives, in this King leads us to trust in his freedom and forgiveness. Foundational concepts have been addressed elsewhere:

The concept and power of Forgiveness, The Freedom & deliverance from Sin, Our convictions and conscience as the spiritual root of our heart, and that our Faith is tested and formed in midst of Chaos.

The servantleaders of the Kingdom are called to (both) Forgiveness and Freedom. (but it is easier to practice them separately than to integrate the concepts) Unfortunately, many practice Forgiveness a part from Freedom; this looks like;

  • I forgive you, if……      or   I forgive you, but……      or    I forgive you, when…..

The true gift of forgiveness is not bound by our hands in judgment or condition, rather our hearts are bound by love to offer forgiveness freely. The fact of the matter is – forgiveness is a gift of the Father given to us, to give away. Therefore forgiveness is not ours to make conditional or to control. However, it is the Father ‘s to give to all in Jesus Name! Therefore where the Father does put a condition on it we will do well to listen closely and act accordingly– you are forgiven as you forgive. (Matt. 6:12-15)

When we separate freedom from forgiveness, it becomes a license to do as I please. Paul covers this in depth in Romans 6,7, & 8 and says “By No Means” is this true. There is a price to freedom and that price was paid for your forgiveness. Therefore – while we are free to forgive and we are free to withhold it, (we have that right) but to withhold forgiveness is to bring our own condemnation. Therefore the call of Christianity is to forgive (Eph. 4:32, Col 3:13) as well as to live free. (John 8:31-32, Romans 8:1-2)

What is “it” that we are to forgive? It is Sin! It is always the guilty, broken and the captive that are in need of the freedom of forgiveness – therefore a person is always involved, but truly, it is sin which is forgiven. (1 John 1:9, Micah 7:18-19, Psalm 103:12) When the focus of forgiveness is not on the removal of sin, but rather the failure of sinners, we have made a sinner’s identity on par with their sin. Our Identity is found in Christ’s actions not our actions. The Freedom of this week’s texts takes us as kingdom servantleaders beyond forgiving those who “need” it. And specifically challenges us to withhold judgment as to “who” it is that needs it. Rather we must freely forgiven and move forward with Mercy. The choice of forgiveness while being essential is also only the initial choice to being the church. This has been addressed as choosing 2LAF as a way of life.

The Church is called to afford each other the same rights that they individually desire and claim to have in Christ. This is true freedom. In the Romans text– Paul is addressing food laws & sacred days, but it is clearly a stressing point for today’s church which finds itself divided on a number of issues: worship attire and liturgy, woman ministers, baptism and gifts of the Spirit, homosexuality, end times, marriage, leadership power and systems, and those are just the ones I have addressed with my co-laborers who are in leadership this year alone. The key to addressing these matters is to see that while each may be disturbing & disputable to one – to another they are a matter of fact. Overall, they may not be solvable simply because they are perpetual. Meaning both sides have clearly established, based on Scripture, their defense to promote their point of view – and both sides (of any issue) are convinced in their own minds that not only are they right but they are also holding the superior or stronger view. To this Paul says, the strong must not hold the weak with contempt and the weak must not judge the strong. This is the hard part, because God has accepted them both – the weak and the strong! (Romans 14:3) I am not advocating here any one view on any one topic – rather I am addressing the need for us to value freedom of conscience as much as we value forgiveness of Christ. It is my opinion that our willingness to give freedom is reciprocal to our awareness of receiving forgiveness. It is for this reason that Paul considers himself amongst the strong. He has fully come to grips with the weight of his sin which has been forgiven. (1 Tim 1:15, Romans 7:24-25)

To fully grasp the Kingdom is to practice reciprocity with both forgiveness and freedom. This expereince is to be set free from the judgments of all others, and to be accountable to God and our conscience. (Romans 2:15, 1 Cor. 4:1-5; 8:9-10, Titus 1:15, 1 John 3:21) While this poses a great risk to some (the weak), others to whom it is not a risk (the strong) are not to use this conclusion to hold their perspective as overruling (against the weak). In short forgiveness and freedom drive us deeper in our allegiance to the King, giving account to God for our lives; for we belong to the Lord.

A very simple conclusion to a complicated matter: Freedom & Forgiveness are marked with Thanksgiving.

  • Does your Freedom lead others to give Thanksgiving? This becomes a test if you are seeking to please yourself or to build up and to please others. Yet this still puts your actions to be dependent on others affirmation or approval…. Therefore
  • Do you give Thanks for your Freedom? At the end of the day – do you say “thank you” to God for the choices you made today? This may include choices that other consider wrong or sinful…
  • Do you say Thank you to God for your glass of wine?
  • Do you say thank you to God for your choices in regard to how, when, where you worship? (meaning if your not at church on Sunday – do you feel guilty or free, and does   that freedom draw you closer to God or to altogether forget about Him?)
  • Do you say thank you to God for your freedom in relationship, both to engage and cut off? This is not to advocate either, but is thanksgiving a part of your freedom to choose?
  • Do you say thank you to God as you eat meat sacrificed to idols? (Because you don’t know who touch or prayed over your meal before you sit down to eat – a good reason        to pray before you eat….

Finally – does “Thanks be to God!” – dominate your thought life – if so – your conscience just may be clean.

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The Bloody Truth

Posted on September 3, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The power in the Blood of the Lamb flows for the purpose to overcome.

We must be overcome by the Blood of Jesus so that:                                                 Forgiveness Overcomes Fear, Good Overcomes Evil, & Love Overcomes Hate – in us!

Exodus 12:1-14 Psalm 149 Romans 13:8-14 Matthew 18:15-20

Because I am not British when I say “The Bloody Truth” I mean something very different than Gordon Ramsey, but I do mean something very similar to the cry of Bono. As the rebellion of ISIS continues to rise (see my note at the end) there is new blood being shed to advance their religious cause. The Bible is also bloody book, from the first acts of sacrifice & worship, to the final acts blood is involved. (Gen. 3:21, 4:3-8, 15:1-15; Rev.12:11, 17:14-18, 19:1-9) It is no wonder that Jesus; who is at the center of all that is Biblical, it is his blood which redefines everything that has comes before and which shall follow after Him.

There are 2 things that stand out to me in this week’s texts:

  1. The call to articulate– who’s in and who’s out… the understanding of the assembly and community of faith.
  2. The call to radical transformation. Matthew chapter 18 is all about the power of Forgiveness and how it changes everything. (Forgiveness overcomes Fear) Israel is having a new beginning, moving  from a state of Slavery to a Nation state. (Good Overcomes Evil) Romans 13 & 14 continues to explain how love is the transformation that we must all seek. (Love Overcomes Hate)

What’s even more interesting is that we can see the radical transformation in what it means to understand who’s in and who’s out – when we apply the law of love to the community of faith. In other posts I have explained the concept of a bounded-set verses center-set. Here we see that the Passover (Ex.12) creates a bounded-set which determines who shall be saved. You are either “in” by placing blood on your doorpost or you are out. Exodus 12 is first time in Scripture the word edah is used; and in Psalm 149 we find kahal these are the two Hebrew words for “assembly/gathering of community” each is used and will be translated into Greek (New Testament) using the word ekklesia (which is what we understand as “church”).

As we turn to Jesus, a new sacrificial system has been put in place. His Blood is no longer  temporary (yearly sacrifice) or limited in power (by the Jewish Law only). And it is the flow of his Blood that releases power to overcome the previous system of salvation. In the age of the Kingdom we operated in a center-set – where the flow of love determines who is “in the flow” verse who is “against it”. Jesus died for us while we were enemies of God (against) but by the gift of this grace we have been washed in the blood and forgiven. (Eph. 1:7-9, 1 John 1:7, Matt 26:28-29) And in Matt 18 is the second and last time we hear Jesus use the word church (ekklesia). It is no longer a measurement if you are in or out based on a bounded set which create a dividing line – rather it is a measurement of relationship; are you moving in the direction of Jesus being carried by his Blood.

God has clearly established his laws and decrees through the lives of His people as they wandered in the Wilderness. We as His people are called to live into these laws even today. Jesus fulfilled the law in His life, death and resurrection; therefore He is our now Passover Celebration. Thus the law is now fulfilled in our lives through the debt of love – which we are called to live out in all aspects of our life – both in obedience to the King and His Kingdom as well as to all of the faithful servants of the King. We must in the same way that Israel practiced the Passover with precision and purpose; practice forgiveness of one another as we trust in His Grace. To separate Matt. 18:15-17 from the rest of the context Matt 18:1-35 is to place us back in the steps of the Law verses the application and expression of Love. Sin must be confronted and overcome, but this is only done in relational reconciliation through love. Through this act of Love – we are established as His Witnesses and we trust in the mighty judgments of the King over his Kingdom. It is only from this place which we can begin to enjoy the power of Matt 18:19 – the call to pray and ask for anything in Jesus’ name… with the power of 2-3 witnesses. (So often this is used out of context to get what we want, rather than to call us to be the people of God to those in need.)

  • Forgiveness overcomes Fear – the power of the blood flows to purify us
  • Good overcomes Evil – the power of the blood flows to empower us
  • Love overcomes Hate – the power of the blood flows to purpose us

It is easy and impulsive to hate. It is natural to seek revenge. It is the way of the world to blame and hate The way of love is purposeful and requires patience. The Psalm describes the faithful people with a word that eludes God’s long-suffering patience creating a reality were we are saints are filled with mercy. This is a high calling and yet only from this point can Love overcome Hate. When you read Matt 18:17 quickly, you may (as I) have a tendency to read it as a Pharisee might; understanding that if your brother or sister fail to reform even after your repeated attempts to reconcile with them through the church– then you are to treat them as a pagan or tax collector. But the meaning for them is quite different than Jesus. For the Pharisee it means to put them outside of the church and isolate from them. But look again at what Jesus says in Matt. 18:4, 14, 21-22,32-35; forgiveness is the only way and you are to never give up on this pursuit. So in humility pursue the lost as God has pursued you.

How did Jesus treat the pagan and tax collector… ? He Loved them. Last week we said the way to overcome Evil with Good is to “live loved” and “love life”. Hopefully you are seeing how this all “flows” together. Love must overcome the hate in you, before you can overcome evil in this world. It will be Forgiveness, by the blood of Jesus that moves you in power to overcome in this world.

Questions for your further reflection:

Is there any event or person that you are avoiding because dealing with it/them will be difficult?

God does not avoid the difficult; rather in love he embraces them. What does it look like to embrace a difficult person or event in love?

The Bullet points below on the 20 things the Blood of Jesus does is an excerpt from the book, Jesus Now: Unveiling the Present-Day Ministry of Christ. By Frank Viola             Here are the 20 Things the Blood of Christ Does

  1.      It remits sins (Matt. 26:28).
  2.      It gives life to those who consume it (John 6:53).
  3.      It causes us to dwell in Christ and He in us (John 6:56).
  4.      It is the means by which Jesus purchased the church (Acts 20:28).
  5.      It is the means by which Jesus becomes our atonement through faith (Rom. 3:25).
  6.      It justifies us and saves us from wrath (Rom. 5:9).
  7.      It redeems us (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Rev. 5:9).
  8.      It brings those who were far away from God near to Him (Eph. 2:13).
  9.      It grants us the forgiveness of sins (Col. 1:14).
  10.    It brings peace and reconciliation to God (Col. 1:20).
  11.    It has obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:12).
  12.    It cleanses our conscience from dead works to serve the living God (Heb. 9:14).
  13.    It is the means by which we enter the most holy place with boldness (Heb. 10:19).
  14.    It speaks a better word than the blood of Abel (Heb. 12:24, NIV).
  15.    It sanctifies us (Heb. 13:12).
  16.    It makes us complete for every good work (Heb. 13:20-21, NKJV).
  17.    It cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7).
  18.    It bears witness in the earth along with the Spirit and the water (1 John 5:8, KJV).
  19.    It is the means by which Jesus washes us (Rev. 1:5; 7:14).
  20.    It is the means by which we overcome the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:11).

Summary: Thank God for the “precious” blood of Christ . . . the “sprinkled” blood of Christ . . . the blood of “the new covenant” . . . the blood of “the eternal covenant” (1 Pet. 1:19; Heb. 12:24; Luke 22:20; Heb. 13:20).   “The life is in the blood” (Lev. 17:11).

BONUS MATERIAL: Take notice in Ex. 12 who the plagues were against – it was not Pharaoh or the Egyptians themselves, rather against the Egyptian gods. We must know what evil is and is not – or else we will struggle with the issue of forgiveness. Evil is the Spiritual force of the Enemy which we must stand against. Evil people are those who dedicate their lives and efforts to Satan, but all others while being difficult to love are the very people who need Christ’s love the most. Further and on a much deeper conversation – notice that one of the Egyptian gods bears the name of Isis. This god is the god of fertility – the holds the power of life and death in Egyptian worship…. (I’ll let you make the connections to the modern day situations in Syria & Iraq.)

We see God overcome this god in the 10th plague… which is in our text this week. Rather than post deeper in this direction –ask yourself: When have you gotten off track blaming a person for a problem? Might the problem be better addressed as the reality of evil? If so, do they worship of evil, how might you help them to experience love and to encounter life? This shift allows us to engage in warfare and to battle in the spiritual realm rather than our focus to be on flesh and blood.

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ISIS & Racism are evil – what can I do about it?

Posted on August 28, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: There are two kingdoms, Satan rules his kingdom through the spread of evil.

Exodus 3:1-15 Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b Romans 12:9-21 Matthew 16:21-28

How do you decided if something or someone is evil? If they disagree with you and you call them evil for having a differing opinion – I think that makes you the evil one. Can you decide what evil is – outside of a moral absolute? Can you decide what evil is outside of a Biblical mandate? (what about when we disagree on the Biblical mandate interpretation?) If you are doing good (helping the widows and orphans of the world – James 1:27) yet doing so in the name of another god – does that make the act evil? George Bush had no problem calling the terrorist activity of the Middle East evil – was he right? – Obama has avoided all such rhetoric is he wrong? – recently he addressed ISIS as cancer, while John Kerry is not so subtle – he spoke up to call them the face of Evil.

So was ISIS evil 6 months ago – or is it only evil when they act out to steal, kill and destroy. (John 10:10) What about a man who rapes ? Is he Evil? What about a man who looks at Porn? Evil?

What about a woman who gossips, back stab’s or manipulates? Is she Evil? What about a woman who posses for porn – is she evil? merely lost? Lacking a true identity? Or what about the one who enslaves her? Evil?

What about a child who has been forced by circumstance to steal for food and kills to survive? Evil? Or is the circumstance evil? Or are the absent parents evil?

I raise these questions to get us to think about how do you decide if something or someone is evil, and conversely what about if something or someone is good? What do you do that is good? And what makes that act good? What if we do an action with the intention of it being good, but in the end it does harm? The elders, chief priest and teachers of the law were the ones doing “good”, but also the ones who were going to kill Jesus… does that make them evil, or again just the act they performed is evil?

Paul calls us this week to hate evil and cling to good, further to overcome evil with good. Therefore we must be able to not only know the difference between the good and evil, but also how to engage and interact between them. The list of Romans 12 explains the steps of living loved (humility) and loving life (hospitality). Verses 9 – 16 highlight our interactions with those who we share fellowship of the gospel, while 17-21 speak to the reality that no everyone shares in the fellowship of the gospel. I wish I was going to be able to give you an more clear answer –but it may just have to be enough that the true measure of your goodness is found in your humility and hospitality.

This concept of identifying evil gets even more tricky when you enter in the Gospel passage of Peter rebuking Jesus out of pride and arrogance. (1 John 2:15-17) Peter passed the test last week (Matt:16:15-16) but he failed the temptation this week. (Adam as well passed the test and failed the temptation, here Moses is clearly struggling with the test). In light of Peter’s rebuke (a failed temptation) Jesus addresses Peter as if he were Satan – the very presence of evil. For that is exactly who Satan is –the master of evil who had moved against Jesus and Peter had played the part of the vessel. What does this say about the questions I asked above? Is the man, woman or child evil or is it actions that they take? Are the actions evil or is it only the source of power by which they move and dedicate their movements. I have elsewhere written of the difference between sinners, fools and evil people as well as the difference between tests & temptations. Here the question is how to identify evil, so that we can overcome evil with good. What is the good that those around the globe can engage for those who are fleeing for their lives– the Muslims, Yazidis and Christians…. The problem is that we are faced with the temptation to divert our efforts & energies elsewhere.

The thrust of this post is not intended to be political or to solve the crisis of the Middle East, much rather to ask us to address the realities of evil in our neighborhoods and in our own very lives. (Can you say Ferguson? Do I dare ask where the evil lies there….?)

Jesus gives us the insight he gained from being confronted by evil through the temptations of Satan in the wilderness. (Matt4:1-11)

  • Temptation 1 – Satan says, “Turn Stones into Bread”. Jesus overcomes, saying, “ feed only on the Word of God”. To the disciples Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Evil will fill your flesh, but it will not satisfy your heart.
  • Temptation 2 – Satan says, “Throw yourself from the Temple”. Jesus overcomes saying, “don’t put the Lord to the Test”. To the disciples Jesus says, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their live for me will find it.” Evil will promise you greatness, but it will leave you empty handed.
  • Temptation 3 – Satan says, “Bow down and I will give you the kingdoms of the earth”, Jesus overcomes saying ,“worship the LORD only”. To the disciples Jesus says, “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Evil will re-direct your worship, and in doing so it thwarts the will of God.

To be tempted is not sin. Temptation is the way of the enemy. The renewing of our mind helps us to see temptation for what it really is – an invitation to engage in sin.

For us, Evil is not to be feared or retaliated against, nor shall we find ourselves conversely embracing evil, for each of these is sin. Evil ought to repulse you, but not repel you. For if you are repelled by evil then there is no way in which you can overcome evil with good. Evil has no power over you. (1 John 4:4) Prior to the burning bush, Moses had run from evil in Egypt, I believe God is calling Moses back to confront the evil from which he ran with good. When we turn away from evil –it spreads, when we call evil – for what it is –we must overcome it with good.

Therefore how do we know evil when we see it – the only answer I can thoroughly defend is discernment & wisdom– both of which are gifts of the Holy Spirit. If breaking a law is evil – then Esther – Jesus and Martin Luther King Jr. are evil…. This is not so! If Killing is evil – then God is evil and this is not so…

God is Love and we are called to sincerely Love without hypocrisy. This love must come from deep within at the core of this is our Identity and behind our Identity is the act of Revelation leading to Reconciliation. (read the 4 posts leading up to this one…)

The like between Reconciliation is Identity is how you see your self – “Who am I?” as well as how you see God and others– “Who are you?” These are both questions Moses poses to God at the burning bush. He is wrestling with the very questions I am posing here! How do I know what do to? What is evil? What is good? Moses was raised, cared for, and valued by the very system that now he sees as evil – does that make him evil?

These are hard questions (hence the long post) But returning up to the theme of last week – Worship – notice what God tells Moses will be the sign that God has sent him. Moses will worship! To be in worship is to align yourself with the will of God. Therefore to not be in worship is to either be moving against God’s will or at least stagnate in the process. Therefore let us return to Paul in Romans 12– Humility & Hospitality are how to move everyday of your lives in worship. Character is at the center of both Hospitality and Humility.

Hospitality welcomes another into your place. (how else can good overcome evil) Humility demonstrates you are aware of your place without a need to advance or take another’s place. (when we have a conquer mentality, rather than knowing that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. (Romans 8:37) Humility is not thinking less about yourself, it is thinking about yourself less. (therefore there is no fear) If you practice Hospitality without Humility – when you are welcoming others – you will defend your place or try to find your place at the same time. (therefore there is not a need to declare what is evil, rather move in worship doing good.) If you practice Humility without Hospitality, then you greatly decrease your chances of Credibility (read here to connect Character & Credibility).

To SUM it all up: Evil exists and the Evil one is the Enemy. (Eph. 6:11-12, Matt 6:13) We must focus our attention on being in alignment with the King and his Kingdom.(Col. 1:10-14) When we focus our attention to diagnosing what is evil, we are eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. The Tree of Life is available for us only through the power of the Holy Spirit and there is no good outside of what is given to us by God.(James 1:16-21)

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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Stand tall- from your knees

Posted on August 19, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: The King’s will is that; we (the King’s servantleaders) will advance his Kingdom as an act of worship.

Know where you stand. Stand for what you know.

Exodus 1:8-2:10 Psalm 124 Romans 12:1-8 Matthew 16:13-20

There are many reasons we are driven to our knees: we can be overwhelmed with pain or flooded with excitement; we maybe un-voluntarily offering ourselves to a porcelain throne or in supplication to the throne of grace; we can be begging for our lives or we can be bowing in adoration. When was the last time you were on your knees?

Servantleaders advance the Kingdom from wherever they are and most often from their knees…. We need not go somewhere or change our location to advance the Kingdom. We must only change the focus our hearts to be on the King. In fact, as far as it depends on us – it is our character which is at the core of our engagement in Kingdom advancement. A couple weeks ago we addressed how servantleaders accept this responsibility. However we must not forget the Kingdom is only advanced by Power through the Gifts and work of the Holy Spirit. In order for us to advance the Kingdom we must be aligned with the will of God and be aware of the other kingdom which seeks to oppose us.

This week we find:

  • Jesus & the disciples are in Caesarea Philippi. (A location dedicated to roman rule & pagan gods)
  • The Israelites are in Egypt, long after Joseph’s rule has finished. (The Nile is the center of a pagan god worship)
  • Paul is proclaiming the Gospel to Gentiles in Rome (the farthest from Jerusalem the New Testament will travel) who are moving in the power of God not according to the pattern of this age and world, yet by the transformation and renewing of their mind. (The Greeks valued the mind, but disregard the body as having any value – here Paul proclaims our bodies are central to our worship)
  • The Psalm declares that no matter where you stand, stand with the LORD and you shall be saved.

The narrative of the Israelites under the persecution of Pharaoh demonstrates how we can be advancing the Kingdom even as we are losing our rights. This process of discovering our Identity which matures throughout life, truly begins with our own death to this world. What inspired Moses mother to place Moses in the river? How is it that the midwives resisted the demands of the Pharaoh, This question is answered in Romans this week. By the renewing of their mind. This renewing took place (while not stated in the text) through some form of revelation of God. Beyond the revelation they overcome the test and received a promotion.

OKAY – I know I have added more links in this post than in any other single post and I strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with them– but there is a direct implication for us this week:

Worship is our highest calling and greatest privilege. Worship is to include every aspect of our lives – this is a holistic view of life and service unto the King. Further, linked above (and here) is a post on the spiritual gifts; living and serving out of our spiritual gifts is an act of worship. If you see worship as something you do on Sunday – here’s another link – but the crux of the message this week is that we are called to move in Power; our lives are to be an act of worship, and we are to live our lives binding and loosing as an act of power. This motion of binding and loosing is done in worship and is rooted our receiving and responding to the revelation of Jesus as Lord and Savior. Who do you say that Jesus is? How does your life reflect that answer?

In order for our confession of “who we believe Jesus to be” and our expression of that answer in our lives is to be in complete alignment, the key shift is going to be in the renewal of our mind. God’s will is not hidden from us, nor is it held from us – rather God’s will is present that we must test and approve that we are aligned with it. This testing and approving is worked out in the way we live our lives as an act of genuine worship and spiritual service. (everyday) Worship draws us to our knees which is a mark of Humility & Character (linked above and here)

We are each called to give an account of who we believe Jesus to be – and this answer will directly impact the power flow of God through us. This ability to participate in the transformation of the world, is first and foremost rooted in heaven. This is why Jesus taught us to pray that the Will of the Father will be done on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matt 6:9-13) Therefore the question regarding where you are standing, and not about going somewhere to advance the Kingdom, it is really a question of do you see yourself as standing in Heaven or kneeling on earth. The reality is that both are necessary!

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Back-to-School learning the 3 “R’s”

Posted on August 12, 2014 by chaplaincasey

Kingdom Principle: Revelation + Reconciliation opens the door of the Kingdom to all!

Redemption, Repentance & Revolution overcome Regret, Rejection and Regulation in the Kingdom.

Genesis 45:1-15 Psalm 133 Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32 Romans 11:11-24 Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28

Education used to teach the 3-R’s (reading, writing, & arithmetic) each as a separate discipline. Now –Common Core has all be united these and merged the lines so that one can not do math without reading and one cannot do writing without critical thinking. This merge is not being accepted by all, and even less are all understanding what it means and how things are going to work. This is a gross over simplification, but yet it is also true –the call of the gospel has three R’s as well – redemption, repentance, and revolution. At one point the law was very clear and kept things separate regarding how things would proceed be taught. Yet in the New Testament, we see in the Revelation and Reconciliation of Jesus (review) – a merging and changing everything – much like Common Core.

I am not suggesting that Common Core is the answer to our educational woes, only that while many have rejected or resisted Common Core as it merges all things. The Gospel was rejected and resisted for it to caused a change that moved people out of their comfort zone. Many will choose comfort or control over change. To choice to embrace change is to choose a life marked by prayer, for prayer is the means by which we can cause change. But let us be reminded that the change that is taking place in prayer is change in our lives.

  • Redemption changes everything which has taken place in the past. Removes Regret.
  • Repentance changes everything which is taking place in the present. Removes Rejection.
  • Revolution changes everything which will take place in the future. Removes Regulation.

Redemption overcomes regret for Joseph and his Brothers. The text this week is dependent on our understanding of the context and story of Genesis 39-44… what we have in here is the culmination of the story. In short, God revealed the power and purpose of dreams to Joseph and this became the means by which both he advanced in Pharaoh’s house as well as in deepened his relationship with God. Through pain, suffering, loss and loneliness God redeems all aspects of Joseph’s life. Revelation matched with reconciliation brings redemption. Joseph proclaims this over his brothers even before they are repentant and seek his forgiveness; the relationship is restored due to the redemption which God has made complete. The brothers also represent the story of the Jews in the same way they will reject Jesus. God has always been extending his hand unto them, (Romans 10:21) but they will need to come and receive it. In the same way the brothers come to Joseph, (not even knowing it was him) no longer angry or punishing his brothers; yet even the revelation of Joseph causes great fear even though the hope is for reconciliation. Joseph declares God’s redemption in the text this week as he explains the movement of God in all of his life. (God sent me – v. 5,7,8) in the 22 years since he was shoved in a well and sold into slavery, salvation had come to his story!

Repentance overcomes rejection of the Gentiles and the Jews. In Romans 9-11 we have Paul’s explanation as to what God is going to do with the Jews… Is He finished with them? – BY NO MEANS! Revelation has been given, but it was not meet with reconciliation and this is on the part of the Jews – therefore God opened the door to the Gentiles, so that in their repentance the Jews might also be moved to repentance. Paul is very clear that the Gentiles have been grafted in (through their repentance) as a wild branch, in the same way that the Jews as the natural branch are yet to be grafted in. And if it is possible for the wild branch to be united with the root, how much greater and glorious will it be as the natural branch is united. We all have been bound in our disobedience, and repentance is the celebration that freedom is received. This freedom is the express of revelation matched with reconciliation.

Revolution overcomes regulation with the Canaanite woman and the Pharisees. The Canaanite woman falls on her knees and confesses that she sees the Revelation of God in Jesus – He is the Messiah. She longs to be reconciled unto him, and that her daughter might be saved. Jesus’ response (to the disciples, not to the woman- no less) is that he is called to Israel (not to the Gentiles). Pause! – First, you have to ask; Isn’t Jesus being rude and harsh to this woman? It is nothing near compassion… And if Jesus only does what the Father does, (John 5:19-20) could it be that this experience was in conflict with the truth as Jesus has known it up until this point. Is the Father revealing something new to Jesus, a new revelation that confronts his truth. Since we know that Christ was without sin… what is going on here? It certainly is Jesus’ truth that he was not sent to the Gentiles, but was he Right? Is being wrong a sin? Is Can Jesus be wrong? ignorance -sin? What if Jesus who had never traveled this far from Galilee did not do so, because he felt no reason to do so… could it be that the Father had something to reveal to Jesus… I think you can guess my opinion, let’s just say I believe this exchange captures the humanity of Jesus – but that it is not sin. I’ll just leave that there. But it is interesting that paired in the lectionary is Jesus call to Israel as well as Paul’s calling to the Gentiles (v. 13), and he we find Paul proclaiming to the Jews and Jesus to a Gentile. This is the great revolution of Romans 9-11, God’s mercy is for all. Faith is a matter of the heart – and that is the heart of the matter.   The Pharisees who represent Israel are offended and it is their heart which is the problem. To them Jesus has been just as rude and harsh – but we don’t see it as clearly we see Jesus as Upright and the Pharisees as Uptight – Jesus in vs. 11 is revolutionizing the very identity of the Jews. Eating Kosher is one of the key elements of being Jews, (along with keeping the Sabbath and Circumcision laws) and Jesus is saying – no longer does that count as what defines and defiles a person. Could it be that the Father is revealing to Jesus just how “hard” and difficult his teachings are to the Pharisees by confronting Jesus with a Canaanite woman…. We must be confronted with a revolution and this is only possible through the revelation and reconciliation of Jesus.

  • Revelation + Reconciliation = Redemption

Jesus gave his life that new life might be given to all.

What is keeping you from seeing your Identity as found in Jesus?

  • Revelation + Reconciliation = Repentance

Jesus was never out of control, rather he was Spirit-Controlled.

What is keeping you from total surrender unto Jesus?

  • Revelation + Reconciliation = Revolution

Jesus started a revolution by being in relationship with people.

What relationships of yours are in need of revelation and reconciliation?

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