Looking into the Unseen

I recently had the privilege to participate in Celebration NW. It was inspiring to be gathered with other folks from the Newfontiers family of churches. It was a great event with activities for the whole family and punctuated with great teaching. Terry Virgo spoke in the first two sessions and spoke of the need for truth and a commitment to walk in it. John Lanferman spoke on prayer and made a stirring point that caused me to sit up and take notice. He said “A church that does not pray, is happy with what they can accomplish through the flesh.” I am struck how many times we don’t stretch our faith and reach for the really big things in God. There is a reality that we are in a spiritual conflict, and the enemy of God is doing every thing in his power to thwart the plans of God. There is no way that we can accomplish the vast mission that we have been given without prayer. How quick we are to give up when we don’t see immediate answer to our prayers. I was reading in Daniel 10 where Daniel had been praying for 21 days with out seeing any result. Then an angel appears and tells Daniel what is to come. What strikes me is that we get a glimpse of the struggle that takes place in the spiritual realm. The angel says that God had sent him the first day that Daniel prayed but a angelic principality withstood him. For 21 days the conflict raged, until God sent Michael the arch angle to intervene. Many teachers have built large amounts of doctrine on this account and that’s is not my intent here, but I do believe this account gives us a peek behind the curtain of the natural to see the battle that rages in the heavenly. How many times do we pray and not see an immediate answer and our faith fails. We begin to doubt God and His intent for us. If we understand that there is a very real adversary, and that our chief weapon is to pray in faith, we will see things happen! We can be confident in the fact that God hears our prayers and moves on our behalf. In my own heart I have committed to pray big prayers, the ones that seem impossible, that only God could pull off.

Prayer and Forgiveness

I have been giving a lot of thought to prayer and have been pressing into increasing my personal prayer life. This has led me to look at forgiveness as it relates to prayer. Jesus linked forgiveness to prayer on more then one occasion. In Mark 11:24-25, "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they shall be granted you. 25 "And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your transgressions. "But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions." Many times we look to this story for insight into faith yet Mark tells the story to lead into profound moral teaching. The power of faith is linked to having a clean heart in regard to others. So profound was Jesus’ teaching upon His disciples that all would write of the same truth. Peter like us was perplexed and troubled by the extremeness of Jesus’ remarks. Jesus remarks required a generosity of spirit that seemed unreasonable. If we forgive, we will be forgiven, if we don’t forgive, we will not be forgiven was more than Peter could fathom. Peter asks for clarification and receives even a greater challenge. Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Matt 18:21-35) Paul would later write that we should model forgiveness because of Christ and his work in us. He would point out in Col 3:12 how we were chosen by the grace and mercy of God and we were to act like Christ. James in his direct and (some would say harsh way) lays out the importance with no wiggle room whatsoever. “For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.” (James 2:13) With all this emphases on the subject of forgiving it begs the question of what does it mean to forgive. As a verb it means to stop blaming or to absolve from payment. As an adjective it means inclined to show mercy. It is a position of moral strength that lives above the circumstances of life. All relationships has great possibility of offenses. Yet there is a way to live above the fray. We gain insight when we look at motivations for not forgiving. • Vengeance – We have a secret desire to punish or see people hurt. • Self-protection – We build a wall so that the offender no longer has access. • Manipulation- Victim status gives opportunity to rally support and pity. All of these are corrupt and lead to the ensnaring world of bitterness. Our life becomes consumed by the offense. Unforgiveness is described as unwilling to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty, grim determination or harsh and severe. In our desire for justice or vindication we can hinder the grace of God in our life.

How do we identify an unforgiving spirit in ourselves? First we examine our thought life. Do we review an offence over and over again? Do we have fantasies of vengeance? Are we judgmental? Second we evaluate our current relationships. Do we hold people at a distance? Do we tend to keep score? Do we justify our actions towards others? Do we harbor a grudge? All of these are symptoms of unforgiveness. Lastly we must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal problem areas of our heart. If we recognize ourselves any of the above attitudes we must take responsibility and move toward real change.

How does one forgive those who have hurt us or offended us? It starts with seeing the need and working to bring our hearts and mind in agreement with God. Meditate on His love and faithfulness toward you. Realize how much Christ has extended Himself to you. Think of the result of your sins and the extravagance of grace given to you. Grace can be described as God’s unmerited favor designed to draw His enemies to Himself. He sought you even when it was your actions that led Him to the cross. Seek to understand God’s involvement in your life. Evaluate your life today in light of God’s faithfulness. Recognize God looks at the larger picture and he is committed to your development. Ask for the Holy Spirits help and repent of bitterness and resentment. Think of simply canceling the debt that another owes to you.

Prayer and Other Thoughts

It is my belief that in these last days God is restoring many of the truths that believers in the early Church understood and practiced. The Lord’s desire has always been that His church would be equipped to do the same work, with the same heart that moved Him to lay down his life for the world. We are called to invade this earthly realm with the supernatural reality of God. We are alive with the Spirit of God by His mercy, we have a testimony that Christ is alive. We have experienced His touch, His love and forgiveness. We have the inward witness of the Holy Spirit. We know the transforming power of God!! We are to be the agents of heaven invading the kingdom of darkness. All that because of the new life we have received in Christ. With that new life comes a new call. Peter in his epistle would write...

"you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for {God's} own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Pet 2:9)

How do we proclaim? How do we make Him known? How do we bring the reality of a living active Savior to this world? I believe it is by being willing and by moving forward on Holy Spirit-revealed strategies.

With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, (Eph 6:18, NAS)

Prayer and fellowship were significant parts of the culture of the early Church. Much of the believer’s life was centered on meeting together and prayer. It was an exciting time; there were those who actually witnessed the death and resurrection of Jesus. They knew He was alive and had a hope that He was going to do something great. They were a people who experienced God. The Holy Spirit was active. They moved forward by the leading of the Spirit of God, revealed in prayer.

The Spirit teaches us how to pray. Of all the responsibilities of the believers, this is one by which we can’t go wrong. If we are interceding for others we are participating in the leading of the Spirit. Prayer releases the resources of heaven to accomplish what we have been commissioned to do. In a real sense it causes heaven to invade earth.

Abetter Way

A Better Way?
I want to share some conclusions about the most effective way in which to evangelize the world. First though, I have to admit my bias. After 32 years of ministry, I have come to the conclusion that the local church is God’s best plan for reaching into a local area. God’s people gathering together to worship, to fellowship, and to be equipped is a powerful testimony of God’s grace in action. I know that there are those out there who are quick to criticize the church as out of date or ineffective, yet Jesus refers to it as his body and infers that it is his bride. If you believe the Bible is an accurate revelation of God’s heart, you can’t help but see that He cares deeply for His Church, local and universal. I have always believed that the answer to a bad church is a good church, not no church!
Everywhere the early apostles went they established new churches; vibrant communities that were stirred and shaped by the remarkable grace of God. These communities were known for their good works, care for the poor, and their love for one another. They weren’t perfect, yet were loved by God and moved forward by His Spirit. Ephesians 4 states that Christ gave leadership gifts to the church for the equipping of the saints for works of service; encouraging every believer to discover their gifts and calling for the purposes of God. The end result is the building up of the body of Christ and the reaching of those who are outside the faith.
Paul, in writing to the local Corinthian church made a startling statement, “… you are Christ's body, and individually members of it. (1 Cor 12:27-28 NASB )” Each local church is a living representation of Christ in their neighborhood or city. As a leader, I have had to take a hard look at what I am trying to accomplish in leading a local church. The primary reason leadership exists is to get people “into the game”, serving each other and those who are outside if the church. The church is called to make Jesus known throughout the whole world, and yet much of “ministry” today is focused on meeting the needs of Christian consumers. We build bigger buildings and staff more people to meet the perceived needs of those who attend our churches. Leaders feel the pressure to increase numbers, to build programs as the proof of their ministry. All of it looks good in our American mindset, but it seems ineffective at equipping and getting people involved with those who are far from God. I believe there is a better way! Churches in the New Testament invested heavily in planting new churches. Early Christians were scattered by persecution and everywhere they went churches sprung up, communities who were outreaching and madly in love with Christ. The churches they established then in turn planted others.
Church planting offers the same opportunities today. It has been said that in most churches 20% of the people do the work and the other 80% watch. That is not true in a church plant, 80% are working and 20% are checking it out. New churches, by their very nature, need all hands on deck. New churches tend to be out-looking in their attitude for their very survival depends on it. If the goal is to equip and release people into service, church planting is the most effective method of getting people involved. Because the future of the church plant is at stake, people invest their prayers, their time, and their energy to reach out. Their whole ethos is different than the “I go to church to have my needs met” mentality.
Many church plants are more efficient in terms of finances as well. They can meet in schools or other rented space, and can therefore invest in people who are serving in the kingdom instead of buildings which sit idle much of the time. There may be a time when a church needs to have their own space to facilitate ministry and it is appropriate to do so, but not at the expense of reaching out. How much more could be accomplished if a majority of churches in the NW would invest the time, effort, and money to plant a church. Hundreds of believers would be mobilized. Their people would be leaving familiar surroundings, going into new cities, having to make new friends. These transitions force believers out of their shell and into the community.
Church planting can revitalize mature congregations through the faith and effort it takes to launch a new church. It’s time to embrace a new view of what success looks like in our churches. Lets get people in the game!

Tragic Mistake

I remember in my 20’s in the early years of my journey as a follower of Christ I heard a teaching that prayer was a vital discipline for anyone involved in ministry and that anyone serious about serving God would pray an hour a day. There was much talk about being mighty men of God and being sold out. So I tried to join an intercessors group led by a very anointed woman who was in her seventies. I will never forget my first impression as I went into this group. First of all I noticed it was primarily women present, some attractive gals that I was infatuated with to be sure, but no men. You can imagine the scene, chairs in a circle, some kneeling, soft music in the background. There was a lot of wailing and “standing in the gap” for various loved ones and people with problems. I was stunned, what on earth could this accomplish? I was used to being out on the streets in Arcata California preaching the gospel. Most of my friends and I were into the ‘in your face’, confrontational type of evangelism. So here I am with a bunch of ladies, and in my mind, wasting time. Being young and dumb, I expressed my dismay at the lack of mission that I saw at this meeting. Where was the prayer for justice, conviction, for the overthrow of the kingdom of darkness? As you can imagine I was not welcome at that prayer meeting any longer. Of course my perspective of what they were doing was flawed, I had come at a time just set aside for praying for individuals. Other times that group would pray and fast for the church, for the sending of church planting teams around the world. Many church planters attributed their success in making inroads in the cities they were sent to the prayer of this woman and her prayer team. In my youthful zeal and pride I concluded that prayer was overrated, I was about doing the stuff, I would pray for the sick, but I wasn’t going to “just sit around”. What a tragic mistake.

A few years later I was given the responsibility to be a part of a leadership team leading a place called the Lighthouse Ranch, a Christian community in Loleta California. It was in state of decline and was in serious financial trouble. The people were discouraged, the leadership was tired and had lost their passion for leading, it was a pretty hopeless situation. It was clear that we needed help, so the leadership asked David Drieling to come and oversee the ranch. I remember the first leadership meeting with Dave, he announced that the first thing that we would implement is that as a team we would pray for an hour each day for the Lighthouse community. I was stunned, I thought “you got to be kidding don’t you see this boat is sinking!!” He was serious though, when some of the leaders would not attend because they were to busy, he would reduce their responsibilities, when they still wouldn’t participate he relieved them of all responsibility. It became clear real fast that the work was moving forward under a different paradigm. It was in this context that I learned to pray. David’s passion was infectious, his prayers fervent and sometimes loud, but the results were amazing! In 28 days that community, which was discouraged, downcast and almost bankrupt, had begin to attract new people, the atmosphere was electric; worship times were over the top, financially the Ranch was in the black and owed no one. Those who would pray with David where jokingly called “David’s mighty men”. This man had demonstrated by his example of what prayer does. I will always be grateful for the time that I served with him.

What does my rambling have to do with today? I believe that we need to pray more. You know the passionate, infectious, fervent kind of prayers. Not just in our personal time but corporate times with other believers. Much of the early churches time was spent in praying together. I believe that God responds to a praying people. Prayer can bring change to any circumstance, it leads to help in times of trouble, it helps us trust God.

Restoration.

It has been a while since I have had time to write. The church that I serve has been growing steadily, with new people added each week. It is thrilling time, I have been spending time getting to know new people and have had a heavy social calendar. As I ponder the season we are in two realities become clear to me. The first is that circumstance is not the measure of God's favor, as I have been meeting new people and hearing their stories I am stirred by the faithfulness of God. I have been hearing real stories of blessing, of disappointment and loss. I visited with one man over lunch, and he shared how he lost his career through a dishonest boss, as he shared the details of how this individual tried to destroy his reputation, I found myself getting angry on his behalf. As our conversation progressed I was struck by his lack of bitterness. There was pain, but there was also real hope in his heart. You could sense it, it was real faith. The reality is that Jesus is with him, strengthening him in the inner man was evident. His friends stood by him, the love and grace of God is working on his behalf. I found that I want to get to know this man better.

The lesson is this; God's Spirit is straining to help us. God manifests His love in the good and bad times, we only have to stop and look through the challenges and draw upon our relationship with him. As I thought about the season that Journey Church is in I have to ask myself is God more pleased with us now that we are growing, is it because of some secret key that we stumbled on by accident? The reality is that He is always for us, and seasons of blessing are to be enjoyed, but they are not the proof of God's favor. The cross is the only proof we need. The apostle Paul wrote "what can separate us from the love of Christ" and then lists half dozen extremely difficult situations and then concludes that "we are more than conquers in Christ Jesus." My new friend is living proof!!

The second reality is that Jesus loves people, no, that’s not strong enough, He adores people. He gave so much so that we could have real life. A life blessed with real relationships, real confidence and hope. Margi and I have become friends with young man that we have come to love. He has been involved in ministry and has experienced a major failure in his life. He has felt the pain of being cast aside, friends distancing themselves and being left to sort it all out for himself. Even when he seemed to have hardened his heart, again real pain, real regret, yet Jesus pursued him and the love of God broke through. There was genuine repentance. God loves to takes the solitary and put them in to families, where the healing grace of God reveled through the love of God’s people. I'm thankful that I am a part of church that lives it.

The scripture is full of stories of people who failed in some area, and God brings restoration. I am convinced that it is time we stop treating those who have had problems as traitors. A mentor of mine who is now advanced in years said pragmatically “sin happens, that’s why we need a savior”. It is so easy when we see someone we respect stumble, to dump all our disappointment on that person. Sometimes we react if their failure is a deliberate personal insult to us. How different was Paul’s approach, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” He would warn them not to fall in to the legalistic trap of comparing themselves. “Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else…” (Galatians 6:1,2,4 from New International Version)

Let us be determined to be an agent of restoration.

A New Approach

I recently connected with an old friend that I had not seen in a number of years. Our parting of ways had been painful in that I saw this person reject counsel and watched their life self-destruct. For years I ‘just’ assumed that this person was in the same place that we started. I saw this person at a worship event and noticed how passionately this person was worshiping God. Hands raised, heartfelt expressions of love for God. Every sermon about the grace of God ran through my mind and the Spirit’s conviction weighed heavy on me. At the same meeting was a pastor that had been removed from his place of ministry because of integrity issues. A young lady that came over and said that she felt that the Lord wanted me to pray for this man. I struggled with the feelings of judgment, as I was aware of the many details of this man’s ministry. Again the Spirit convicted me with the scandalous grace of God.

I am amazed on how quickly we can write someone off. Sayings like "Bite me once, shame on you, bite me twice shame on me" have a pragmatic wisdom about them. We will observe a failure of character in an area of life and then make a lasting value judgment concerning that person. I have found in my thirty plus years of ministry that many who rejected counsel, sinned against the church, ruined their marriages, the list can go on and on, yet many have come to their senses and humbly returned to Christ. The problem arises when we continue to see that person solely through the lens of the flesh. We may not of been part of the solution of the problem and still view the person through the lens of offence or failure.

I am committed to getting past that mindset. It is important to see where a persons been, but it is more important to see where they are going. Grace is the divine influence on the human heart and God does not give up easily. There is a song we sing that has a line that says of God, “ you wrestle with the sinners heart” The scripture is full of stories of people who failed in some area, and God brings restoration. Jesus taught his followers to have a different attitude toward those who brought offense. Pray for those who use despitefully use you”, “turn the other check”, forgive as I have forgave you” are the commands to those who are near to God.

The apostle Paul wrote “he knew no man after the flesh” I want to live like that!!!!