Power and Presence

Jesus commanded in Matthew 6:33, But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. But what does He mean; since He told Mary that only one thing was necessary, why does He tell us here to see 1st two things? Are we divided in what to pursue as first priority?

Not really. I think Jesus meant for us to seek first His presence (as opposed to seeking to be justified apart from Him by conforming to a code or law) (for He is The Lord Our Righteousness) and His power in all of the affairs of men. His presence and His power in our lives - that is to be our preemptive desire.

Some want the pleasure of His presence, but do not desire His power to be influencing their worlds; others seek His power, but find justification in some other way than Him.

Seeking both is what it means to seek Him in spirit and in truth.

Hunger and the Hunt

It was the opinion one of my spiritual fathers (ask) that clergy and churches were conditioning common folk to become the laity that neither God's word nor God's Spirit birthed them to be.

When I reflect on the DNA which makes me and those whom I admire different, it is easy to see that we were all trained with a firm belief in the priesthood of the believer and the need for every Christian to individually labor in God's Word for his own edification, and to have a ministry to those in his world. Most protestants are in practice (if not theory) in agreement with Roman catholics (RC'ers, pronounced like drinkers of the cola) in that the real work in the Word should be done by (paid professional) pastors.

"Sunday school" is (largely, not completely) a feeding program designed to give congregants Bible bites pre-digested by an approved denominational authority. Q. Does this increase, or decrease real spiritual hunger? The answer should be obvious. The work performed to get nutrition is as necessary to survival and strength as the food. Sunday School placates and pacifies, and gives Powers That Be sufficient opportunity to nullify the Word of God by indoctrinating the traditions, making men not just less hungry, but incapable of preparing their own food.

A song given to me by my roommate Anthony Burke has these lyrics Peaches come in a can, they were put there by a man, in a factory down town... because I love peaches, but not the skins or work required to eat a fresh peach; I preferred them from the supermarket isle 7. What this attitude produces in America is a diet deficient in non-soluble fiber and Acid Reflux disease; that is, it actually causes bodily harm to the human digestive system. What is true in the natural, is true also in the spiritual.

These are the very practices which abhorred Jesus Christ on the earth. We need to stop it. Seriously. Let we earn the anger of Him who sits in heaven by practicing the deeds of those whom He abhorred on earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

Content Creation

Initially, there was fear within the Brazos Valley House of Prayer organization about opening up a wiki that anyone could edit. I lobbied for wide open editing, requiring only that the anonymous editor give some name, without any kind of authentication or authorization. Others wanted a full account auth system with logins and passwords, like the Joomla website we had before. We compromised by having a wiki with a single, site password which we told to anyone who asked.

Our experience confirmed what wiki operators worldwide know: the problem isn't in regulating all the people who want to write on the website at all. It is rather encouraging anyone to write anything. Some weeks, even a spam or two would be welcome, letting us know that the system is at least operational and waiting, even though nobody is writing.

Why is the majority silent? Creative expression requires something original to say, instead of just forwarding someone else's email. By definition it gives the author exposure: making her vulnerable to others reading the content. And of course, the reader may have an opinion or judgment about what she reads, perhaps unfavorable; there is that danger. So, there is a definite cost to prophetic, or let me generalize by substituting the word creative, expression.

In 1 Corinthians 14, scripture commands to seek after love, and you should truly want to have the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. Those who prophesy are speaking to people to strengthen, exhort, or console.

Yes, God's desire and the Bible's instruction is that we need to pay that cost, bear that burden, and use the talents and gifts we have, especially creating content having verbal expression, which edifies the believers in some way; and this command is given by an apostle directly to the common person in the congregation.

Yet the ratio seems to remain about 100:1 consumer to producer in the Body of Christ. How can we reward and encourage creative expression of this sort, desired by God to edify the Body?

Circuit City's Shame

Getting this story out makes me glad. My roommate Scott worked as a salesman at this company, and resigned for ethical reasons. They smeared his name, and yet he refused to disclose the details, merely saying that what they'd done was wrong. I have been and am so proud of Scott; I'm so glad to have known him as a roommate; and I'm glad now that the truth has come to light and the company's misdeeds are known by shareholders, customers, Americans, and everyone.

I thank God that on this side of heaven we have foreshadowing of the justice which is to come, in the form of revelation of these shameful deeds. More judgment is to come, for sure; we'll leave the vengence to God. But as for purchasing... well I'm not buying from Circuit City anytime soon; will you?

Christmas - whose birthday is it?

Many consider the Christmas holiday to be a celebration of the birthday of Christ. The Roman Catholic origin of the event traces to the RC observance of their religious rite of mass, remembering the death (not the birth) of the Christ. However, He is alive. Might we might do well to consider what He might want on His birthday?

What do you imagine He thinks of people spending thousands of dollars on each other for presents wrapped in paper, placed under an ornately decored tree?

In Luke 14, He says,

When you host a party, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.

This Christmas, if we indeed seek to honor Christ? let's remember to invite whom He loves, and is concerned about. But let's be honest - hardly anyone really cares what He thinks or feels, on this day or any other day. Right?

The will of Christ for Christmas is clear. He would have us to focus on and think about those less fortunate in health, finance, friends, or family. This is true for every person, family, and church.

I'm proud that my family has a tradition of inviting others to our celebration, but I wish that my church provided a way for "lay" people to connect with those in nursing homes and shut in without relatives this holiday. Church is an institution which encourages and facilitates us to do the will of Christ, both personally and corporately, in our community.

Offense and Judgement

The ministry of condemnation, as with most evil strategies, operates by deception; demons have no inherent authority on earth except what is granted by men (men are the agents of God created in the image of God and vested with the authority of God to judge and rule the earth). So, the dark ones lure humans (by the corrupt nature within them) to heap judgment on one another: which gives them an opportunity to "help" enforce these condemnation.

Romans 14 says,

Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he stands or falls; and he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself.

For if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

The context of this chapter regards people taking offense at brothers having different beliefs, style of worship, consumption of food & beverages, or holiday observations. Beware of offenses! and remember to speak first to the Lord about a person, to obtain His opinion and advice.

Kidnapped!

As we head into the Christmas holiday season, and families are preoccupied with materialism, greed, and traditions of men, the Enemy has mounted a full military press against any individuals which can be taken out. The two spirits I'm discerning in use for this kidnap/kill operation are 1) condemnation and 2) manipulation.

If you know any singles, internationals, or anyone with recent family/friends loss, keep them in your prayers and encouragements during this difficult season. Satan is trying to isolate and kidnap them from their destiny, church, friends and family; the intensity of this offensive is extreme, too. Sound the alarm! It is time to pray and intercede with more than words; lest Christ's dearly beloved suffer harm, or worse, kidnap.

Get the Prize

The week my pastor preached a sermon about "running the race," I heard a word when in intercessory prayer for the congregation and meetings (prior to the sermon) to the same effect: Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize 1 Cor 9:24. This word was accompanied by a vision: the runners were mounted on horse.

Interpreting the message, I infer that running refers to fulfilling one's calling, whereas horses represent gifts, technologies, or ministries which help to bear one toward the goal. Whoever is faithful in a small thing, will be faithful also in more (Luke 16:12,19:17); I believe the horses are not yet received, but available to any footman who runs well; this is a qualified grant, accessible to but not appropriated by all, as it is written, many are called but few are chosen Matt 22:14.

Scripture strategy for getting the prize:

Realize there is a race, and a prize to win by those who compete (1 Cor 9:24);

Believe that God is and is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebr 11:6);

Accept and retain identity as "my Father's son" (Hebr 12:1);

Set aside every sin or hinderance to winning my race (Hebr 12:1);

Enter strict training, involving proper diet and exercise (1 Cor 9:25);

Avoid persons, sins or distraction that dissuade me from the straightest path (Galatians 2:7);

Play fair (Hebr 12:1).

I'm currently failing in several of these points, and I humbly ask for your prayers, presence, and co-participation, so that I may get up and run again. As it is written: Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12

Vacancy

Vacancy - a position, office, or place of accomodation that is unfilled or unoccupied. To a weary night driver on the interstate, this is a welcome sign! But to an apartment manager, it means lost revenue. A time and/or space ready for something yet non-allocated, under-utilized, empty.

Is there a vacancy in your week for God? Is there a vacancy in your circle of friends? Is there a vacancy at your family's table?

Make creative vacancies for God to fill with little ones He wants to bless or to bless you; see how He loves to fill a vacancy! Tho remember, His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. He is holy, and He is higher.

A hollow for the Hallowed! In honor of God. Are you thinking about those less blessed this holiday, who may not have a warm hearth or family?

There was no vacancy at the inn when Jesus' family came to Bethleham for His birth. Do our lives have a place for someone He loves dearly and watches? His eyes are ever looking, looking, for someone who will be a host to what He wants to birth into our world. So often, so often, we send them away!

My baptism

For some reason, the Lord is leading me to reflect on the pivotal influences in my life, and to remember to continue to give thanks for those men whom He used majorly in me.

Before the blogosphere, there was the BBS. When I was 19 and hungry for God, a man named Danny O- met me through a local bulletin board system in Dallas Fort Worth, and met with me for an afternoon to "talk God," and specifically about the topic baptists are forbidden to discuss but really want to know about, The Holy Spirit.

The result of Danny's ministry to me was powerful hunger to know God and have closer intimacy and knowledge with Him. I did something no living person I knew had ever talked about doing much less done (only characters in Bible stories did), I fasted and prayed to seek His face. My prayer was TO KNOW HIM and to be conformed to Him and to encounter Him in a way which would change me FOREVER. My prayer was heard...

After 24 hours of fasting and prayer, when I was laying on my back alone on the trampoline, I opened my mouth to adore and glorify and praise God sincerely (another 1st), and it felt like the light of all the stars poured into me, only I knew that I was getting filled (baptized? whatever!) with the Holy Spirit. It felt really good.

After my senses awakened beyond awareness that I had never felt so good ever, I became acutely aware of union with Jesus Christ. I knew He was in me. And I knew for the first time that He and the Father, and the Spirit, were ONE (understand: the doctrine of the trinity had seemed unreasonable to me before, but now in my tasting and seeing, I knew that He was Three in One; I just knew).

Perceiving that this was (perhaps) the baptism of the Holy Spirit the elders of the church had earlier prayed for me to receive, I remembered that I should prophesy and speak in other tongues: and so I did, each. Later I found out that my prophecy was actually in the Bible in John 17 and Romans 5 and Galatians (go figure, the Lord was speaking to me about baptism through scriptures I had neither read nor understood previously). I also asked for a physical sign so I would know later I was not hallucinating; I got it within 24 hours, which confirmed the experience was a real and not imagined encounter with the Living God.

Two decades later I remain convinced that that day was an important pivot point of my life, where God came into my life in a real way and my relationship with Him got going (I already had Him as a savior and lord in a distant, baptist, intellectual assent kind of way; but now it was real), and I give thanks for the man God sent, Danny O-. Where ever you are, Danny, God bless you.

Pay God First

This is what the Lord All-Powerful says, Think about what you have done. You have planted much, but you harvest little. You eat, but you do not become full. You drink, but you are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but you are not warm enough. You earn money, but then you lose it all as if you had put it into a purse full of holes. Haggai 1:5-6

In this passage God is rebuking people for being selfish i.e. not thinking about Him and His house. Clearly, God expects to receive the first 10% of our spending. When we meet His expectation in this, He promises to break curses, rebuke devourers of our wealth, and open the heavens.

Yet many people just cannot find any money at the end of the month left over to give to God? That's the problem, as He so eloquently puts it: He wants to be paid first.

Making ends meet? Consider your ways.

The Remainder is the Lord's

This evening after singing before sermon, I heard this rhema from the Lord: "The remainder is the Lord's." The thought which came on my inquiry as to what it meant was doing division like we learned in early grade school e.g. 13 divided by 4 is 3 sets with 1 remainder. What is your interpretation of this word? I took it as a message of acceptance, holiness and love for those with a special calling or connection with God which creates a vacancy in their life/lives which cannot be filled, try what may. The vacancy and set-apart-ness is from the Lord and for the Lord! "The remainder is the Lord's!"

He also allowed me to gather and pray with two other brothers, who were also wearing green. We were very reluctant prayer partners, because communion and respect are lacking between us, yet there we were and I knew it was right, so I had a volunteer attitude to pray and join together. God puts us with people we wouldn't normally choose to mix it up sometimes, and we have to be open to that. I observed that we were all wearing green; for me this was a departure, because the Lord has told me that I am to predominantly be wearing blue, my favorite color. The green was prophetic of new growth and new seasons we're entering into! "He makes all things green." He who made Aaron's rod to bud can surely bring new life and fruit to happen with us! So let's go green :).

The Lord showed me shielding wings over me, His protection and guardianship, and this vision was confirmed in the sermon too. Later, I kept seeing His wings. Still later, I saw His wings gathering His chicks, the way a mother hen draws her little ones in to her. And I heard "How blessed are you, for you knew the day of your visitation." (c.f. Luke 13:34, Luke 19:44, 1 Pet 2:12)

I kept singing about how the Lord surrounds His people like the rings surround Saturn; the idea was one of beauty in the heavenly realm.

Dancing in my new ultra lightweight gekkos was fun.

Dusk Preceeds Dawn

Recently I've heard several people express that the Harp & Bowl "movement" is going into a "dying out." Where they are mistaken, I believe, is thinking that the biblical model of prayer is somehow a fad that God blessed for a short time.

Where they are correct is that God's days always begin in the afternoon and end in morning. When He gives a man a power or revelation, the afternoon may be glorious, and the evening great, and the sunset enjoyable, but night will come.

John 12:24 "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life."

Night always precedes the dawn, and God will kill every banner bearer. Here's a secret, shhh: he's really into the cross and resurrection. Shall we not be conformed to the image of His own Son?

So yeah, alot of mixed motive was involved in men who held the Harp & Bowl banners in the evening. Is the "movement" at sunset? No, I contend: just some men who saw it as a vehicle to personal gain. This is not a criticism; it is a fact true of every man, movement, and organization; Consider Philippians III.

Prayer's Purpose

A man who has demonstrated real interest and leadership in prayer in our local community recently summarized the purpose of prayer as revival. While to an unrevived soul (e.g. me in 2006) that objective sounds great, on further reflection, if revival is the purpose of praying, what happens when the spiritual drought ends? so does prayer.

We must be motivated by something other than selfish desire for increased comfort brought by revival. We must be motivated by the mission of our leader, King Jesus, and the reasons He gave us for being vigilant and prayerful, in the holy scriptures.

Revival is a poor goal for prayer. Revival should be a side effect of prayer, and one which should increase fervency and interest in praying. But having revival as our prayer group's finish line was a serious doctrinal error with now serious practical consequences: considerably decreased attendance at prophetic intercessory meetings.

Power, or a Good Show

I've seen manifestations of my own heart recently which make me very comfortable and proud to be me. I'm not saying this to boast, but rather to confess that I realize I need to be more transparent here. I've been trying to act like what I'm called to ultimately become; but that's just not something incarnate in me, yet, and so when I behave like that, there is no resonance. Being comfortable in your own skin is a very good thing.

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:3

Yes, there are times where we need to put on an accurate performance according to our calling (not feelings). But, heaven nor earth nor hell is going to mistake faith for possession: when you got it, you got it, baby. We are justified by faith, and we live by faith, but we rule by the reality which is already present. See 1 Cor 4:18-21. The kingdom of God is not just talk.

So, all that to say, I'm comfortable in my own skin, and I'm comfortable that I'm not fully the me I'm called to be. What I am is valid and substantial, and I can be that while owning up to not finishing the race yet of my calling. The kingdom of God will not suffer from lack of a good show; it's not about show; it's about meekness and power.

Party for 6-9 hours

Yesterday, I went to another one of those dinner parties that last for hours and hours, like the kind my parents used to host when I was little. There was nothing to entertain us but us, and nowhere to go. There's something very healthy about such parties, and the church should have more of them. That's the kind of context and atmosphere where people can really get to know one another: in a home, over a meal, for hours and hours and hours. No easy escape, and no excuses for not socializing, and no ability to put on an act or any mask, because nobody can keep that up that long, with nothing but conversation and some drinks to keep you going.