Very Interesting...

This is *quite* remarkable.
http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3365757&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/index.html

An angel caught on video tape with a miraculous healing?? Here's Fox News discussing it...

Connection

There are two paradigms. The first is to note that I am doing well in the Lord when I am connected to Him and to others and to note when I am disconnected. I will define disconnected as the inability to have relationships with others that are mutually edifying. It would come from approaching relationships with others from the standpoint of getting something from them (approval, validation, acceptance, attention, understanding, needing to be needed, or whatever) rather than to build into people or have mutually edifying relationships. This does not mean that one needs to feel like they have to build into every single person they come in contact with (what a recipe for burn-out!) or anything like that. It only means that in those that a person has contact with, that they are connected for mutual edification rather than out of selfishness to get something out of that person (this is also not to say that when one has a need that they can't go to someone that can help... my point is living life from the standpoint of selfishness or using others). Unfortunately, many in the church live very, very few moments of their life in deep connection with God or others, whether due to pride of not wanting to be vulnerable, devaluing of relationship with God or others (due to a wrong set of prioritizing what one thinks is important or satisfying), not understanding that it is possible, or whatever.

Some only realize that this is possible when they go on a missions trip or a retreat or conference or for about two hours after some powerful touch from the Lord (like watching The Passion of the Christ or hearing an incredible message). However, they sometimes rationalize that people weren't meant to always live on a spiritual high (defined as healthy connection) and that they have to get back to living life as normal. However, I would argue that nothing could be further from the truth. I think that what makes these events spiritual highs is nothing more than being connected with God and connected with others. We were made to live this way.

The religious counterfeit twists this. This mindset thinks to be a good Christian is to put on a mask, act nice, pretend that everything is perfect, and so forth. (There is nothing wrong with having a good day and responding and saying so or to treat others with kindness... I am not referring to this). This mindset thinks that doing well as a Christian essentially involves acting in a complete disconnect between what is externally communicated vs. what is internally occurring. However, since no one can act fake all of the time, invariably, the real side shows up when they are around people that they do not feel the need to spiritually perform for. Therefore, the things of this world come out in those settings. The religious person thinks that they are doing well while acting spiritual, and doing poor while not acting so. This is certainly off as both are messed up just with different underlying root sins: spiritual pride, etc. vs. spiritual apathy, carnality, and so forth.

What people do not understand is that the religious paradigm was not the paradigm we were meant for. We were meant for the connection paradigm. I am convinced that as one starts to experience true connection they will start to realize that there is nothing else that compares. This is what Christians were meant for. While none of us live perfectly connected all of the time, this realization of how life is meant to be causes one who is growing in the Lord to notice what things stop this connection from occurring and what things cause it to grow. Reading the Bible and learning from others with some spiritual maturity can also be valuable in this process of growth of learning about what aids in connection (as well as being of value IN connection!). I am convinced the process of sanctification has much more to do with the process of maintaining healthy connection (since He is the source of everything good) and having life changed as this occurs from only erratically to much more frequently, rather than in merely trying to do more religious behaviors, attitudes, or actions that can only perpetuate disconnect.

***************************************************

I thought it was very interesting. Bill Johnson spoke last week on how whenever he used to live in introspection in his desire to become more holy, he always felt discouraged but when he just let go of that and lived in celebration and rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord life went well. He finally realized that for the sake of those around him, he needed to approach life from the standpoint of rejoicing and thanksgiving rather than introspective witch hunts. He could simply approach life that all is well between him and the Lord until God shows Him otherwise. When He does, Bill could make quick changes and continue rejoicing.

I loved this message. It prompted me to look at my concordance (note: it isn't very thorough: I only used the little one at the back of my Bible). What I saw was that when I looked for the word search, the Bible seemed to focus that the searching was on God or His attributes, not internally. While it is important to understand what negative mindsets creates the negative fruit that is occurring in one's life and why one does what they do, the goal is not to spend one's life searching internally, but rather to God, wisdom, and the other things that God says to search out. Truly, the Christian life is about Entering His gates with Thanksgiving and His courts with praise (Psalm 100:4).

Impartation

So this was simply a few thoughts I had towards Bill Johnson's message today at school. Those at school today can certainly feel free to comment to let me know if I am coming to a more proper understanding...

Bill talked today about three ways to get impartation - through the laying on of hands, through word, and proximity. He talked in different ways about the latter, but I have a sneaking suspicion that this is what he is getting at. However, feel free to correct me.

When a person hears an annointed, powerful message there are a number of different responses which can be less than the best. One can respond in admiration and put the speaker on a pedestal. They can think that this person is far above them spiritually and all that really occurs is admiration. Another response is guilt or self-condemnation. One hears a message and because they were impacted by the message they feel guilty or they condemn themselves that the same things are not occurring to them. Sometimes (note: not even close to always) this can be based in an inferiority complex where they view that they could never have God do something special in or through them.

Another response, can be intellectual assent. They can be excited that new ideas were preached and happy to become smarter. The ideas get tucked away in mind somewhere. And while Bill is excited that people are studying things and growing in intelligence: if this is all that one gets from the message, they still will be missing out. Another response is that of one in relationship with the Lord where the revelation (what God is speaking through the speaker) comes with an empowerment because of the grace the Lord releases into the life of one in abiding relationship with Him. Therefore, the Lord will quicken this back to their thoughts as needed and it will become a part of Him. While I think this last part is part of what Bill is getting after I do not think it is all of it.

I think what Bill is looking for is a life alignment. Even though I may never have a conversation with the speaker, I can still grasp their heart for a situation or how they relate to God. And this is ultimately the real gold. To hear a mind-blowing testimony or way that God works that dismantles the box I put God in is of some value in that it will expand my view of God. However, it is of much greater value if I can understand the way that the speaker relates to God and come into alignment with that in order for the possibility of a similar situation occurring in my life.

This is the difference between being fruit chasers (or admirers or skeptics) and being established in similar manner to have the possibility of the Lord producing similar fruit through His grace.

It reminds me a bit of when I had cancer. I had all sorts of caring people ask how I was doing and pray for me. This was excellent and I was blessed by it. However, I remember meeting only one person whose immediate response was to find out how the Lord was changing, growing, and teaching me. I remember sharing with that woman (I think I met her only briefly at the health food store) and walking away deeply impressed with her. She knew that all I could do was spend time with the Lord and with that much of Him coming into me, that I probably was learning/changing quite a bit. For her to learn what I did without having to go through what I went through was remarkable. This is more of the root issue stuff that I think Bill was going after...

Thoughts??

Thanksgiving

Over the years, I have come to realize that thanksgiving is the answer for nearly every situation. Perhaps this is why Paul tells us to be thankful for everything in Ephesians 5:20. I am firmly convinced that while all of us have numerous unresolved issues, the way to keep them in God's hands is not through surrender 500 times a day (although surrender is certainly important), but through thanksgiving. As we take thoughts captive with thanksgiving, it releases control from us to Him. Instead of a worry of "what if ____ happens" I can instead choose to think "I thank you God that you are in control of _____." Thanksgiving not only is of benefit in control issues, but also in humility. Where pride wants to take credit for something that occurred thanksgiving acknowledges the source. Instead of a prideful thought of, "I really did well when I... ", I can take the thought captive with "Thank you Lord for how you did ___ through me" or "thank you Lord for putting these people in my life that helped train me to have ______ go so well." Thankfulness deflects glory to where it is rightfully due and is not self-seeking. When I realize that pride is what makes me look more like the devil (what caused him to leave heaven) than God and is what causes me to be opposed by God in James 4 and 1 Peter 5, this becomes very important knowledge! The last thing I want to do is shut myself off from the love of the Father being in me (1 John 2:15-16).

I think thanksgiving can also pull stuff into being. There are times when I look at things and am unsure of my motives. (If my motives for doing something are clearly wrong, I need to ask the Lord's forgiveness). However, I am referring to those times where I am unclear. I can simply thank the Lord for how He is taking care of the situation and rest in peace. I think the Lord will also give those times where, if we are living in a deep abide, where He will loosen His grip on us for a split second to evaluate if I am walking in humility or pride. When I thank Him for the humility He is giving, it will continue. If I turn inward and try to conjer up ways I did things wrong, I will probably have a slow spiritual death by introspection, rather than focus on Him. However, this last point could be disregarded if one never has experienced living in the rest and peace of having Him fight the battles for you because thanksgiving has become a way of life.

Thanksgiving is of value in prayer. Sometimes we are interceding for something that the Lord has already given previously. Bill Johnson recently preached a powerful message on how this is the case. He said, "A lot of times what we think is an answer to prayer is stepping into what has already been given." He continued by saying that sometimes what he had been contending for a very long period of time did not come. However, when he simply changed his thinking so as to approach the issue as though it had been done was when He walked into breakthrough. [1] I know that this has been true over and over in my life. Even when something happens that I need to process before the Lord, I can simply process it and then walk in thanksgiving for how He is taking care of it. However, this has also been true on other issues too. However, in these cases, as one approaches in thanksgiving, they should also act on what they are thanking God for! Perhaps not all of the answer has arrived but part of it has.

This should be obvious, but thanksgiving should not excuse passiveness. There is a time to act and one should not sit around and do nothing and merely walk in thankfulness. For example, if I need a job, I should be willing to apply for jobs, not merely walk in thanksgiving for how the Lord is going to work things out. However, there is a role in doing our part, which is not being a workaholic (reminder to self), but then walking in thanksgiving for how God is going to take care of the situation.

another post for seminary finds its way here...
1 Bill Johnson. Sermon at Bethel Church in Redding, CA on 11/16/08.

The root issue

I had this sudden epiphany today. However, to get to it, I will need to give some background.


Six years ago when I reached the rock bottom point of my life due to cancer, I did not know how long I had to live. While I had made repeated deals with God (do this and I will do that) before that I had virtually never kept, I realized, at that point, that I probably should not make another deal with God that I could not keep, so I made the closest thing to it. I had looked back at the 21 years of life that I had had so far and realized just how much time I had wasted. I came to realize that probably all of the good that had come from my life could have probably occurred in a year or two and the rest was just a waste of living life for myself. At that point I really, truly realized just how empty and narcissistic my life was and was thoroughly broken and wept at how I had wasted it (yes, that is right - I had a mid-life crises at the age of 21). At that point I essentially vowed that however long I had to live that it would be lived for God as well as to leave a permanent impact into the lives around me rather than for self. While I have blown numerous promises to the Lord (and still am perfectly capable of blowing this one), I would have to say that the Lord has been very merciful in not letting me get too far off track thusfar.


Now then, today at the School of the Supernatural, Danny Silk addressed the student body on the importance of living in a wealthy mindset instead of a poverty mindset - which as he noted, has very little to do with money. The poverty mindset lives life to survive or have pleasure for oneself. A big screen tv is nice because it gets admiration. So is a nice car, a good sense of humor, a significant other that is considered a catch, seeing God do a miracle through oneself, and so forth. It is truly a narcissistic reality. The wealthy mindset does not mind having nice things, but the focus of their life is much more about leaving a legacy to impact lives. They are not simply concerned with the here and now and survival. While they do care about the present and those in their vicinity, their ultimate goal is to impact the lives around them and to leave a legacy that impacts generations. Danny's challenge was to change one's mindset. That is when things made sense. God could care very little about empowering a person who is using Him to walk in pride. They will probably see Him work very little. However, God does love to flow through faith operating through love. This is the wealthy mindset.


When I thought back to some (note: not all) of the different people that I was invited to speak into their lives who are interested in going into ministry, I realized that I thought that by virtue of their going into ministry that they had come to this place of realizing that ministry is not about preaching a sermon to get admiration or trying to get God to show them something cool or do something cool to impress the people around them with. I simply could not understand why some people made the choices they made (wasting tons of time on entertainment and things of no lasting value, wasting tons of money on things that are only to get others attention, and so forth), until I realized that these people in ministry are still living in the poverty mindset. Their desires for ministry have far, far more to do with people seeing them than about seeing God touch the lives of those around them. This is clearly obvious by how they do not back their choice with their time and resources. This is such a fundamental issue. I think I counseled people on a lot more peripheral issues when the core issues of loving God and loving others were not their ultimate desire (meaning this is what controlled them, not their feelings, happiness, hormones, and so forth). To try to communicate someone how doing this or that is of value when they value pleasure for self more than leaving a legacy does not work because the two sides are simply talking in completely different languages. Often times, they would simply feel guilty like they needed to be doing more, but not want to do so because that would deprive them of pleasure in some other area. Consequently, they were torn because they still lived for self and only wanted God to be apart of their lives to the extent that was either a) fun (like missions trips that are fun), b) they felt guilted into, or c) they had nothing better to do. I often could not fathom why people approached God and others the way they did while completely deluding themselves into thinking they were ministering to others, but now I realized that the ultimate desire of their heart and what they truly lived for had very little to do with God (although they thought so). Until one's heart is sold out to the Lord, time with Him will likely only be based on guilt, if one feels like it, or some form of manipulation to get something out of Him. And they will probably be at least somewhat frustrated with how they feel God is holding out on them.


I think this class (I wrote this for seminary) really helped me to come to this realization. As we have studied the life of Jesus over and over, one can see how this man was gripped by a thorough passion for God and those that the Lord led Him to minister to. This would be the only thing that would cause someone to go 40 days without food or water, face intense persecution, and eventually get crucified. Clearly, the desire of Jesus' life in every aspect that we have studied (and I could go through each one but this is getting long), was to leave an impact on the people that He came in contact with. As ministers of the Gospel, if we expect the Lord to annoint and empower us, this must be the same. One has to realize that there is a far greater pleasure than the praise of man or the things of this world. While there are nothing wrong with these things, they pale in comparison to the joy of knowing in greater intimacy the God of the universe or seeing Him radically change another's life.

The Simmer Portion of My Brain

Here's another post for seminary. I figure I just keep tossing these things up here and those that like to read a lot can try to keep up with these as fast as I need to turn them out for school. I have been very blessed by the idea of a simmer portion of my brain...

*******************************************
While I am not specifically addressing any one issue brought up by this class I am addressing how learning can occur in general. I guess this is brought on by the Jesus, the Jewish Theologian book that I am reading for this class due to being here in Seminary. While reading this book some information presented seems obvious or information that I had already learned. I agree with it and so there is not too much to work through. However, there is some information related that really changes the way I viewed aspects of Jesus' ministry. It is not that I am challenging the book or saying that the book is wrong. Quite frankly, it is probably right. However, I think as Christians we can severely rob ourselves in growth if we feel like we have to come to a conclusion about things right away.

I remember hearing Bill Hybels speak at a Willow Creek Small Group Leaders Summit in 2001 and he spoke on Self-leadership. In his message, he shared how he had been presented information on self-leadership that was so revolutionary to his thinking that he could not initially accept it (note: this message is found in his book Courageous Leadership which I could not more highly recommend). However, he did not reject the information simply because it was not what he was used to. Rather, he let it sit in the simmer portion of his brain - as he called it - and let the Lord show him in other ways over the following months and years how that information was right. [1] When I heard Bill share this, I learned something that really revolutionized the way that I learn. There is a need to not feel it necessary to have an opinion about everything that comes my direction. The Lord was showing me today that the need to either accept or reject everything is really based in pride and would severely stunt my spiritual growth if I were to allow it simply because someone ministered, prayed, presented information, etc. in a way that I would not. This pride says that I already know everything that is right and wrong and consequently, will only allow information to be taught to me that I agree with. I would venture to say a large amount of the things that I really value that the Lord has taught me have come from letting things simmer. The reason for this should be obvious: the information that I immediatly think is right probably will not make as profound of an impact because it will probably be in some way similar to what I know. However, the things that are simply outside of my box or grid that I do not feel like I have to have an opinion about are some of the things that I really appreciate today because they have impacted me more because of how different they are. Those are the things that seem to make the biggest difference in my life because they probably stretch me or grow me in ways that I need to grow. This is not to say that everything in my simmer box gets accepted. Much does not. But I am extremely thankful for the idea of a simmer portion of my brain as well as a number of people of wisdom that I respect from a variety of backgrounds that I can go to and ask questions of to help come to the conclusions that the Lord would have for me (note: not necessarilly the same as the conclusions I want to arrive at). This process is of tremendous value because many times there are multiple perspectives to different issues and it is of tremendous value to understand all sides (or as much as I can) of what is occurring in order to not accept one thing that one person says and then get talked out of it a week later by someone with a different view. When I can truly understand a variety of reasonings, it really helps me come to a much more solid reason for why I believe something. For example, the Jesus, the Jewish Theologian book says this in regards to the feeding of the five thousand: "Before eating Jesus surely would have said a blessing. Jewish readers would have understood that the blessing was praise to God for the food. Then the bread was broken and given to the disciples. At an early period Christians somehow developed the idea of blessing the food instead of God. As was pointed out to me by David Flusser, in one important Greek manuscript of Luke 9:16, there is a distinct reference to a reading which may describe how Jesus blessed God for the food." [2] Clearly, the idea of blessing God instead of blessing the food is outside my box. I do not doubt that this is right, but for now it will probably go into the simmer portion of my brain until I can either research it more fully or until I can hear more information about it so that my explanation for it is not simply that I read it once. I think that this goes along with Acts 17:11 and the Berean church who were able to receive, but then could research the Bible and come to conclusions of whether Paul's message was of God.



1 Bill Hybels. Message to Small Group Leaders at Willow Creek Community Church. South Barrington, IL. 2001
2 Brad H. Young. Jesus The Jewish Theologian. (Peabody, MASS: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 123

Grace and Trust

Maybe this is obvious to everyone else but me, but believing God's grace is taking care of a situation actually involves living like it/trusting that it is. If I believe something, I need to act out what I believe or the truth really has not become me. I had a ridiculous amount of schoolwork (what else is new?) and felt a fair amount of pressure. However, instead of trying to rush out, I actually just kinda went on that God was going to take care of it and I could simply work hard, but be at peace. It was so refreshing and I got so much done - much more than normal.

I guess this is kinda like a person who sins and feels like they have to keep away from God and punish themselves for a certain length of time. They know they are forgiven in their heads, but they do not actually live out what they know to be true. So they do not live what they believe to be true about God's grace...

Maybe these are applications of faith without works being dead (in a non-salvific way)? Just kinda tossing out ideas...

*************************************************
The Awfuls
I think we can very easily have the "it would be awful if..." run our life. I think the first time I ran into that thinking came from Telling Yourself the Truth by Backus (STRONGLY recommended). For example, it would be awful if people made fun of me if I was public speaking so I won't. It would be awful if I got rejected so I will not ever ask anyone to do anything. It would be awful if this person got mad at me so I will try to say and do everythig just perfect in the hopes that they don't criticize me. It would be awful if I failed so I won't even try. It would be awful if... And so forth. Essentially, 'the awfuls" just keep people in a fear world where one truly isn't living for anything but living trying to avoid something. What an unhealthy existance!

I think part of love is seeing things from another's perspective. While I still think it is unhealthy to let the awfuls control my life, it helps put things in perspective if it changes from "It would be awful if I asked to pray for that man with the cane in the store and he told me no and thought I was weird" to "It would be awful if I refused to pray for that man in the store with the cane and he would have been healed and had his life changed." Now, like I said I still am not a fan of the awfuls, but I am realizing it puts things in perspective and allows me to not be as selfish (since the awfuls seem to care far more about my comfort, feelings, and fears than how others might be helped if I were to take a risk) if I can see things from someone else's perspective a bit more. I still do believe that I need to live my life proactive, not respond to mine or other's cases of the "awfuls." God, grow me up in this! May I live what I am writing by Your grace!

For Seminary

When I write these responses on forums all of the time for Seminary, I figure I may as well copy and paste them over here so that anyone else that wants to read them can...

****************************
I love how practical The Gospel of the Kingdom is. Far from a book that one just intellectualizes and even detaches themselves from their faith, this book is riveting with application.

Here are a few examples:
"We are a disobedient people. We argue about the definition of world-wide evangelization and we debate the details of eschatology, while we neglect the command of the Word of God to evangelize the world." [1]

"The biblical idea of knowledge is not simply the apprehension of facts by the mind. That is a Greek idea. Knowledge in the Bible is far more than intellectual apprehension. Knowledge means experience. Knowledge means personal relationship. Knowledge means friendship. I know my friend John. That does not mean that I have read a sketch about him in Who's Who and can recite some facts as to his place of birth, his age, his wife, children, profession, etc. I could recite all of these facts and yet not know him. I could know much about the man and still not know the man. To know a person means that I have entered into fellowship with him, that I have a relationship with him, that we have shared each other in the mutuality of friendship." [2] (italics are the authors)

Truly, the former refers to a false concept of Christianity. It is essentially the view of religion. The more spiritually mature one is is based on how much head knowledge they have. In this case, the Bible is not something to be applied half as much as it is something to be intellectualized, debated, and so forth. While there is obviously nothing necessarily wrong with studying the Word of God and debating with others, there does become a major problem if there is a major disconnect between what one intellectually knows and what they truly know (as defined by the second quote). I think that there are two things that are essential: One needs to act on what they know (for example, if one knows that evangelism needs to occur but it is not existing in their life, they need to make a change. They do not need feel guilty about it. They do not need to spend the next five years studying and debating in committees on it. And they do not need to feel compulsive that all they do is evangelism and they burn themselves out running around. But rather to simply and actually apply it. This works for whatever things that need to occur just simply are not in operation, and I would venture that if we are too busy doing things that have no lasting significance to do the things that do have lasting significence, that there are probably some priorities that need to get shifted). Secondly, I think there is a real need for humility. When one starts being stretched it seems to teach humility very well, but even in regards to what we know, it is important to not let that hold us back. Bill Johnson has said, "What you know can keep you from what you need to know if you are not a novice [having a child-like heart]."[3] And "It is nonsense to fill yourself up with theory without experience to back it up." [4] Consequently, in this stage of mass amounts of learning in Seminary, my application will be to not let what I learn only be something that I give intellectual assent to, but rather truly, in the biblical sense, KNOW!


1 George Eldon Ladd, The Gospel of the Kingdom (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing: 1959),136
2 Ibid., 72
3 Bill Johnson Preaching on 9/17/08
4 Ibid.