so my ramblings turned out a little like this
A religious spirit is very similar to the taking on of an idol. Both of them steal the relational aspect of a personal God. Both of them allow the individual to manipulate, and make deals with God based on behavior and sacrifice.
Characteristics of a religious spirit can be broken down into as small as three parts, and as many as 25. I broken down to a number somewhere in the middle.
First if religion is taking over relationship in a specific area of your life outward appearance becomes very Important. What you say and what you do is evaluated by those who watch you. What other people think about what you say what you do becomes of greater and greater importance as a religious spirit grows.
Second there is a greater sense of condemnation and fear in your life. The idea that you need to get things right in order to be right. Also if you don't make things happen you may be a failure, or God's plans may fail.
Third would be pride, this comes from believing there is only one right way and you have it. There's also a pride in developing standards for yourself that you believe to be better than the standards of those around you.
Fourth would be a concept of judgment. There is judgment tied into religious spirit because if you're right then you judge others to be wrong. It is also a judgment that if you have the highest standards and other standards must be lower or lesser than yours.
The fifth one was legalism. This is where methods replace the relationship with God. This is seen as somebody who is walking close with God starts taking their behavior and turning it into a method by which everyone can be close to God. Legalism comes in as that method now becomes required for anyone who is close to God, or wants to be. In legalism the Holy Spirit's guidance is no longer desired on a moment by moment basis but maybe occasionally for big decision regarding a specific method or program, or personnel and after that the methods will take over again.
There is a need to figure out God, so that the individual can explain God. And tradition becomes more important than what the tradition was meant to remember.
All of these things take place within the context of people who love God or make that claim. They are people that at one point walked closely with God but a religious spirit slowly began to separate them from the personal moment by moment interaction that a relationship needs in order to grow.
If you sense a separation from an intimate relationship with God and religious spirit may be what the enemy is using to pull your part.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
elevate July 7
on this holiday week/weekend I just wanted to talk randomly about a couple themes that seemed to be running through my head.
One is in the area of religion. The line between religion and relationship becomes more insidious the older I get. It used to be a clear definition in my head, there was religious people and there were those who had a great relationship with God. But as I've gotten older it's become obvious that you can become very religious about your relationship with God. Then my crazy head began to think that maybe most religious people started out with a great relationship in their excitement over how wonderful their relationship was the God they became religious in order to protect that relationship, and used programs and tradition in a miss informed attempt to help others develop a relationship with God. (That was a really long sentence, and I'm guessing it technically isn't a sentence)
in general religion seeks to separate. In this is where Satan wins so many battles because he uses Scripture to justify the separation. And people in a great relationship with God begin to divide over some of the silliest things. Some of these divisions are over being right, which sounds like an excellent thing to divide over but many times it is based on fear and pride and not out of love and honor. We divide over a fear that if we were wrong then we were wrong about everything so in pride we tell everyone else that they are wrong and if they were really were good students of Scripture they would agree with us.
Well more thoughts like these thoughts and many more like them are running around my brain right now.
The second thing that has been dominating my mind wanderings, is the idea that many people prefer someone else to be really close to God. I Picked this up on a recent study of Moses receiving the law. People didn't want to be too close to the mountain, they wanted Moses to be the one who spoke to God and relayed the message is to them. Got offered the opportunity for everyone to surround the mountain ,feel his presence and hear his voice, but they refuse and backed far away from the mountain. Then when they thought Moses was never going to return they built an idol, not really to replace God but to replace Moses. They wanted somebody else to intercede for them with God. They wanted something that wouldn't die on the mountain as they thought Moses had.
As I look back over my life I can see this ringing truer then I would prefer to admit. And although I have separated myself from an entire ministry that is built around the concept that the leaders were the close ones to God and all we had in do was obey them, even now I find myself at times apprehensive about just how powerful and life-changing a close relationship with God can be. It's tough sometimes to keep walking deeper and not compare myself to others and just be satisfied that I judge myself to be closer to God than they are, so let's just hold up here and get comfortable. It is tempting to come under the covering of a spiritual father and ultimately just let the spiritual father communicate to God for me and let me know what he thinks I should do next.
While these are my current ramblings,
I hope to see this Saturday at elevate, where maybe some of these ramblings will start to make sense.
:-)
Remember elevate begins at 6:30 p.m. with an awesome café, with coffee fruit and some form of cake . Programming begins at 7:00 p.m.
One is in the area of religion. The line between religion and relationship becomes more insidious the older I get. It used to be a clear definition in my head, there was religious people and there were those who had a great relationship with God. But as I've gotten older it's become obvious that you can become very religious about your relationship with God. Then my crazy head began to think that maybe most religious people started out with a great relationship in their excitement over how wonderful their relationship was the God they became religious in order to protect that relationship, and used programs and tradition in a miss informed attempt to help others develop a relationship with God. (That was a really long sentence, and I'm guessing it technically isn't a sentence)
in general religion seeks to separate. In this is where Satan wins so many battles because he uses Scripture to justify the separation. And people in a great relationship with God begin to divide over some of the silliest things. Some of these divisions are over being right, which sounds like an excellent thing to divide over but many times it is based on fear and pride and not out of love and honor. We divide over a fear that if we were wrong then we were wrong about everything so in pride we tell everyone else that they are wrong and if they were really were good students of Scripture they would agree with us.
Well more thoughts like these thoughts and many more like them are running around my brain right now.
The second thing that has been dominating my mind wanderings, is the idea that many people prefer someone else to be really close to God. I Picked this up on a recent study of Moses receiving the law. People didn't want to be too close to the mountain, they wanted Moses to be the one who spoke to God and relayed the message is to them. Got offered the opportunity for everyone to surround the mountain ,feel his presence and hear his voice, but they refuse and backed far away from the mountain. Then when they thought Moses was never going to return they built an idol, not really to replace God but to replace Moses. They wanted somebody else to intercede for them with God. They wanted something that wouldn't die on the mountain as they thought Moses had.
As I look back over my life I can see this ringing truer then I would prefer to admit. And although I have separated myself from an entire ministry that is built around the concept that the leaders were the close ones to God and all we had in do was obey them, even now I find myself at times apprehensive about just how powerful and life-changing a close relationship with God can be. It's tough sometimes to keep walking deeper and not compare myself to others and just be satisfied that I judge myself to be closer to God than they are, so let's just hold up here and get comfortable. It is tempting to come under the covering of a spiritual father and ultimately just let the spiritual father communicate to God for me and let me know what he thinks I should do next.
While these are my current ramblings,
I hope to see this Saturday at elevate, where maybe some of these ramblings will start to make sense.
:-)
Remember elevate begins at 6:30 p.m. with an awesome café, with coffee fruit and some form of cake . Programming begins at 7:00 p.m.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Elevate June 19
covenant versus cohabitation.
Briefly the difference is this.
Covenant brings two parties together that are willing to sacrifice everything they have for the other party.
Cohabitation brings two parties together that are interested in what the other party can give them.
Cohabitation is something that is used by the enemy to disillusion and dilute our commitment to God.
It is easy to see the difference in those who cohabitate before marriage. Usually those who cohabitate are looking to make sure that they fit together. To make sure sexually they have good chemistry. To understand how each other operates in a living arrangement so that they don't marry someone before they know everything about them.
This argument sounds almost like it makes sense.
But you see the marriage is a covenant relationship.There is no option in which leaving is easy as finding a better deal .
So no matter how long you live together you know there is always the option to hold something back on your partner or ultimately leave for a better deal.
In a covenant relationship
leaving for a better deal is never an option. Because a covenant partnership brings everything you all are to that other person. And if they lost everything it wouldn't matter because the partnership is a covenant partnership so everything you brought is there is for the partner. If for some reason in a covenant relationship one of the partners can no longer provide what was available at the beginning of the partnership it does not affect the relationship. Because a covenant relationship is sealed by blood and lasts until death.
This is why so many people who live together before marriage still end up splitting after marriage. Because living together/cohabitating is not the same as a covenant commitment.
In our relationship with God it is designed to be in covenant. Everything God is he makes available to us. It is a unique covenant because we literally bring nothing to God. What he makes available to us allows us to be everything he wants us to be. He gives us all of himself because he desires a relationship with those that he loves.
Many believed they cohabitate when God.....Well many behave as though they cohabitate with God. They keep God around as a good option unless somebody offers them a better option. They believe that their behavior dictates the response of God, and if their behavior becomes bad God will leave the relationship.
These lies about our relationship to God are from a miss understanding of what a covenant relationship is. There is nothing in a covenant relationship that gives you the option to pull out because you think there are better things somewhere else. In a covenant relationship there is nothing you can do that will make God pull out because a disappointment or anger.
Briefly the difference is this.
Covenant brings two parties together that are willing to sacrifice everything they have for the other party.
Cohabitation brings two parties together that are interested in what the other party can give them.
Cohabitation is something that is used by the enemy to disillusion and dilute our commitment to God.
It is easy to see the difference in those who cohabitate before marriage. Usually those who cohabitate are looking to make sure that they fit together. To make sure sexually they have good chemistry. To understand how each other operates in a living arrangement so that they don't marry someone before they know everything about them.
This argument sounds almost like it makes sense.
But you see the marriage is a covenant relationship.There is no option in which leaving is easy as finding a better deal .
So no matter how long you live together you know there is always the option to hold something back on your partner or ultimately leave for a better deal.
In a covenant relationship
leaving for a better deal is never an option. Because a covenant partnership brings everything you all are to that other person. And if they lost everything it wouldn't matter because the partnership is a covenant partnership so everything you brought is there is for the partner. If for some reason in a covenant relationship one of the partners can no longer provide what was available at the beginning of the partnership it does not affect the relationship. Because a covenant relationship is sealed by blood and lasts until death.
This is why so many people who live together before marriage still end up splitting after marriage. Because living together/cohabitating is not the same as a covenant commitment.
In our relationship with God it is designed to be in covenant. Everything God is he makes available to us. It is a unique covenant because we literally bring nothing to God. What he makes available to us allows us to be everything he wants us to be. He gives us all of himself because he desires a relationship with those that he loves.
Many believed they cohabitate when God.....Well many behave as though they cohabitate with God. They keep God around as a good option unless somebody offers them a better option. They believe that their behavior dictates the response of God, and if their behavior becomes bad God will leave the relationship.
These lies about our relationship to God are from a miss understanding of what a covenant relationship is. There is nothing in a covenant relationship that gives you the option to pull out because you think there are better things somewhere else. In a covenant relationship there is nothing you can do that will make God pull out because a disappointment or anger.
Monday, June 14, 2010
elevate June 12
we had a nice opportunity to reconnect with each other and elevate this week. It's been several weeks since we met, and it was good to see all those who were able to come.
We did start out by announcing that we would be going to a conference in Boston. September 17 and 18th. This is hosted by "the international House of prayer" is called a One Thing Conference and although the conference is free we will have to work out details regarding transportation and housing. Although these things may be left up to individuals we would like to experience a conference together so we would love to meet before and after each meeting as well is it in the meetings together.
The message focused on the idea of covering. This idea/principal of God is example throughout Scripture We as followers of Christ should come under the covering of older/mature followers of Christ.
We used two examples.
Joshua and Moses.
Joshua was a highly capable leader who came under the covering of Moses.Throughout the story of Moses we see that Joshua was present at multiple key points. He was there to oversee the Army ,on the mountain with Moses when the covenant was written, and in the tent when Moses would speak to God as a friend. Joshua had a clear call from God to be a leader, but he was willing to follow Godly principle in wait until God exalted him into leadership.
I believe every time the people wanted to kill Moses Joshua had the opportunity to take over leadership. And yet every time he supported Moses and was there to hold him up before the people.
Elijah and Elisha. in the final walk of Elijah , Elisha has given several opportunities to take on his own Ministry.other substantial servants of God wanted him to stay and become their leader, but he chose to follow Elijah until the end.
He walked away from individual promotion and waited until God put him in a place of leadership.
Often in our culture the spirit of individualism steals the sustaining opportunities of revival in our land.
Individuals receive a call of God on their lives, and instead of coming under the covering of other fathers and mothers they strike out on their own. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to learn what has been taught to other fathers and mothers. So therefore as individuals they must relearn lessons that could have been passed down to them. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of those in a gone on before them and therefore reach higher places in the spiritual realm. By striking out on their own many times when they die there Ministry guys with them.
All of these and other myths steps could be eliminated if younger people were willing to come on to the covering of spiritual mothers and fathers.
Joshua was able to become a leader of a nation and possessed the promised land for the people of God.
Elisha was able to request a double portion of blessing from God, he got it, and twice as much is recorded in Scripture regarding his ministry than that of his spiritual father Elijah.
By coming under the covering of a spiritual father of mother, I believe God is able to work on behalf of your call. And when he calls you into leadership you will not waste time learning things that others have learned. You will be able to step out on the shoulders of those who've gone before you, and reach a higher place.
We did start out by announcing that we would be going to a conference in Boston. September 17 and 18th. This is hosted by "the international House of prayer" is called a One Thing Conference and although the conference is free we will have to work out details regarding transportation and housing. Although these things may be left up to individuals we would like to experience a conference together so we would love to meet before and after each meeting as well is it in the meetings together.
The message focused on the idea of covering. This idea/principal of God is example throughout Scripture We as followers of Christ should come under the covering of older/mature followers of Christ.
We used two examples.
Joshua and Moses.
Joshua was a highly capable leader who came under the covering of Moses.Throughout the story of Moses we see that Joshua was present at multiple key points. He was there to oversee the Army ,on the mountain with Moses when the covenant was written, and in the tent when Moses would speak to God as a friend. Joshua had a clear call from God to be a leader, but he was willing to follow Godly principle in wait until God exalted him into leadership.
I believe every time the people wanted to kill Moses Joshua had the opportunity to take over leadership. And yet every time he supported Moses and was there to hold him up before the people.
Elijah and Elisha. in the final walk of Elijah , Elisha has given several opportunities to take on his own Ministry.other substantial servants of God wanted him to stay and become their leader, but he chose to follow Elijah until the end.
He walked away from individual promotion and waited until God put him in a place of leadership.
Often in our culture the spirit of individualism steals the sustaining opportunities of revival in our land.
Individuals receive a call of God on their lives, and instead of coming under the covering of other fathers and mothers they strike out on their own. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to learn what has been taught to other fathers and mothers. So therefore as individuals they must relearn lessons that could have been passed down to them. By striking out on their own they miss the opportunity to stand on the shoulders of those in a gone on before them and therefore reach higher places in the spiritual realm. By striking out on their own many times when they die there Ministry guys with them.
All of these and other myths steps could be eliminated if younger people were willing to come on to the covering of spiritual mothers and fathers.
Joshua was able to become a leader of a nation and possessed the promised land for the people of God.
Elisha was able to request a double portion of blessing from God, he got it, and twice as much is recorded in Scripture regarding his ministry than that of his spiritual father Elijah.
By coming under the covering of a spiritual father of mother, I believe God is able to work on behalf of your call. And when he calls you into leadership you will not waste time learning things that others have learned. You will be able to step out on the shoulders of those who've gone before you, and reach a higher place.
Monday, May 24, 2010
elevate may 22
we had fun at Elevate this week.
We were combined with a weekend conference here at the church. The team of ministers from Redding California were led by the main speakers Steve and his wife Wendy Bekleand.
they had many excellent things to say but let me briefly reviews some of the main concepts.
Re: Hope/hopelessness.
To be filled with hope means we are believing something that is true. When we have hopelessness we are believing a lie.
This is sourced in God's character. There is no situation in which God is hopeless, so there is no situation we are in where there is no hope. If God is true to his character than any time we have a circumstance or situation where we think all hope is lost we are believing a lie about God's character.
The enemy loves to do less with lies about God's character. He loves the steel hope and replace it with hopelessness.
There are no hopeless situations only hopeless people. So the circumstances are not the problem it's the conclusions that we put on it. When we look at our circumstances and conclude that there is no hope we have the problem.
This takes us to the idea that the highest form of spiritual warfare is in our thought processes. What we believe is more important than our behavior. Our conduct flows from our beliefs. If we believe situations can be hopeless we will behave as though they are hopeless. We need to change our belief system to mirror God's character, and we will begin to act as though all of life is filled with hope.
Regarding our mind and our spirit.
Our mind creates opportunities to diminish the importance of the Spirit. We were created to be more spirit than flash. We need to bring our flash into alignment and allow it to be trained by the Spirit. Our spirits should not be in balance with our minds, but rather our spirits should be in balance with God. When our minds are trained by our spirit our minds believe all things are possible, and we can do anything God wants done.
How we see something is more important than what we see. When we allow our eyes/mind to be trained by the Spirit we see things as God sees them. So it doesn't really matter what we are looking at, it matters how we look at it, our perspective.
We can sabotage the very blessings of God by viewing them through a negative stronghold in our mind. Any relationship, circumstance, or possession that God has blessed us with can be viewed negatively and even sabotaged into a curse because our minds filter it through a negative stronghold that God is not good, or good things cannot happen to us.
Regarding our imaginations.
If our imagination is at odds with our will be imagination will always win. If we use our willpower to lose weight, but we always imagine ourselves as being fat we will be fat. If we really want peace and kindness to rule our homes, but we can never imagined everyone getting along, then there'll always be arguments.
The examples go on and on. It is important to understand that the imagination does a win right away. Over time if our will and imagination argue with each other ultimately imagination wins.
In our imagination we understand, if God has done it at any time he can do it now. If God is done it anywhere he can do it here. If God has done it through any one he can do it through me.
So many things in our lives can be traced back to an improper alignment of our minds we Gods spirit.we must relentlessly pursue the renewing of our mind. We must look to God's Spirit to cleanse our mind of negative strongholds, and human rationale. As the Spirit of God reveals streams of thought that need to be changed, repentance needs to be a pattern in the renewing of our mind.
Even though our official elevates service will not be meeting every week, I will continue to try and blog each week.
We will see you a second and last Saturday in June, July, and August.
We were combined with a weekend conference here at the church. The team of ministers from Redding California were led by the main speakers Steve and his wife Wendy Bekleand.
they had many excellent things to say but let me briefly reviews some of the main concepts.
Re: Hope/hopelessness.
To be filled with hope means we are believing something that is true. When we have hopelessness we are believing a lie.
This is sourced in God's character. There is no situation in which God is hopeless, so there is no situation we are in where there is no hope. If God is true to his character than any time we have a circumstance or situation where we think all hope is lost we are believing a lie about God's character.
The enemy loves to do less with lies about God's character. He loves the steel hope and replace it with hopelessness.
There are no hopeless situations only hopeless people. So the circumstances are not the problem it's the conclusions that we put on it. When we look at our circumstances and conclude that there is no hope we have the problem.
This takes us to the idea that the highest form of spiritual warfare is in our thought processes. What we believe is more important than our behavior. Our conduct flows from our beliefs. If we believe situations can be hopeless we will behave as though they are hopeless. We need to change our belief system to mirror God's character, and we will begin to act as though all of life is filled with hope.
Regarding our mind and our spirit.
Our mind creates opportunities to diminish the importance of the Spirit. We were created to be more spirit than flash. We need to bring our flash into alignment and allow it to be trained by the Spirit. Our spirits should not be in balance with our minds, but rather our spirits should be in balance with God. When our minds are trained by our spirit our minds believe all things are possible, and we can do anything God wants done.
How we see something is more important than what we see. When we allow our eyes/mind to be trained by the Spirit we see things as God sees them. So it doesn't really matter what we are looking at, it matters how we look at it, our perspective.
We can sabotage the very blessings of God by viewing them through a negative stronghold in our mind. Any relationship, circumstance, or possession that God has blessed us with can be viewed negatively and even sabotaged into a curse because our minds filter it through a negative stronghold that God is not good, or good things cannot happen to us.
Regarding our imaginations.
If our imagination is at odds with our will be imagination will always win. If we use our willpower to lose weight, but we always imagine ourselves as being fat we will be fat. If we really want peace and kindness to rule our homes, but we can never imagined everyone getting along, then there'll always be arguments.
The examples go on and on. It is important to understand that the imagination does a win right away. Over time if our will and imagination argue with each other ultimately imagination wins.
In our imagination we understand, if God has done it at any time he can do it now. If God is done it anywhere he can do it here. If God has done it through any one he can do it through me.
So many things in our lives can be traced back to an improper alignment of our minds we Gods spirit.we must relentlessly pursue the renewing of our mind. We must look to God's Spirit to cleanse our mind of negative strongholds, and human rationale. As the Spirit of God reveals streams of thought that need to be changed, repentance needs to be a pattern in the renewing of our mind.
Even though our official elevates service will not be meeting every week, I will continue to try and blog each week.
We will see you a second and last Saturday in June, July, and August.
Monday, May 17, 2010
elevate may 15
this week we looked at some opportunities to get sidetracked when participating in God's work.
If we are not constantly developing the character of God, that is going through the process that God has is walking through we can get sidetracked and cause negative ramifications.
The first one we will call "speed without skill" it really has to do with the concept of maturity. Having one really good gift and being very singularly focused about that gift may get things started but without more training could get you killed.
We drew an example from 2 Samuel 2:18-23 .
There we saw a soldier with incredible speed. The soldier was able to spot the opposing general, and began to chase him down. The opposing general while running away made it clear that if the runner insisted on chasing him he (the General) would kill him. The runner remained singular and focus and with great speed close the gap on the much more experienced general. The general as promised killed the runner.
Many times people take off with a gift that God has given them. And they take on far more than they should. They decide to attack, or try to overtake a much larger aspect of the enemies territory than their experience in training would warrant. They even refused to listen to warnings that people throw their way. Ultimately the ministry is killed off by the opposition, and sometimes their gifting is lost forever.
The second one we will call "messy messenger" and he really has to do with not rushing into an assignment in which you are not fully informed.
We drew an example from 2 Samuel 18:19-33.
After a very long and strategic battle and message needed to get back to the king regarding all that it happened. The first messenger who wanted to go desperately wanted to be the first one to share the victory.
The second messenger was someone who had observed all that had occurred throughout the day was fully informed.
The general sent the fully informed messenger. The general knew that just reporting the victory was not enough. The messenger needed to be able to recount a full day's battle to the advisers that would be sitting in the room with the king.
He knew though the message might get their a little slower it needed to be complete.
The first messenger continued to push and beg the General to send him.a general finally relents, first runner is faster and those shortcut, and arrives to the King before the other runner. He informs the king of the victory, but cannot answer any of the Kings questions. As the other runner arrives the king pushes aside the first runner.
It is vital that our desire to be noticed, or to bring our message doesn't override the wisdom of those in authority over us. We must be willing to wait for God's timing so that we can be a trustworthy messenger. If we arrive first, we may be noticed but if we cannot answer questions and our message is incomplete we will not be considered a trustworthy messenger. We may be pushed aside by the king.
A third warning we looked at as the idea of being sensational with no substance" here we drew from the book of Judges chapter 16. It's the story of the capture of Samson. Although Samson's story seems complicated the common thread through all of it is pride. Samson did sensational things when the Spirit of God came upon him. Samson never had the substance of God's character to recognize God's Spirit, and took credit for what he thought he controlled.
So wrapped up in pride Samson believed God needed him to accomplish God's will on this earth. When God lifted the gifts of strength from Samson, Samson didn't even notice. Without the spirit of God upon him he was blinded, bound up, and imprisoned by the enemy. If Samson had had the substance of God's character within him, he would've recognized God's Spirit when it was upon him is what gave him the strength, and he definitely would've noticed when God's Spirit was lifted.
In essence we said this
when you put gifting over character, or position over processed you are in danger of,
being blinded, being bound up, being imprisoned, being killed, or being pushed aside.
When you put character over gifting, and process over position you receive,
God's heart, victory over your enemy, freedom to be successful in God's call, you are seen as a trusted messenger.
If we are not constantly developing the character of God, that is going through the process that God has is walking through we can get sidetracked and cause negative ramifications.
The first one we will call "speed without skill" it really has to do with the concept of maturity. Having one really good gift and being very singularly focused about that gift may get things started but without more training could get you killed.
We drew an example from 2 Samuel 2:18-23 .
There we saw a soldier with incredible speed. The soldier was able to spot the opposing general, and began to chase him down. The opposing general while running away made it clear that if the runner insisted on chasing him he (the General) would kill him. The runner remained singular and focus and with great speed close the gap on the much more experienced general. The general as promised killed the runner.
Many times people take off with a gift that God has given them. And they take on far more than they should. They decide to attack, or try to overtake a much larger aspect of the enemies territory than their experience in training would warrant. They even refused to listen to warnings that people throw their way. Ultimately the ministry is killed off by the opposition, and sometimes their gifting is lost forever.
The second one we will call "messy messenger" and he really has to do with not rushing into an assignment in which you are not fully informed.
We drew an example from 2 Samuel 18:19-33.
After a very long and strategic battle and message needed to get back to the king regarding all that it happened. The first messenger who wanted to go desperately wanted to be the first one to share the victory.
The second messenger was someone who had observed all that had occurred throughout the day was fully informed.
The general sent the fully informed messenger. The general knew that just reporting the victory was not enough. The messenger needed to be able to recount a full day's battle to the advisers that would be sitting in the room with the king.
He knew though the message might get their a little slower it needed to be complete.
The first messenger continued to push and beg the General to send him.a general finally relents, first runner is faster and those shortcut, and arrives to the King before the other runner. He informs the king of the victory, but cannot answer any of the Kings questions. As the other runner arrives the king pushes aside the first runner.
It is vital that our desire to be noticed, or to bring our message doesn't override the wisdom of those in authority over us. We must be willing to wait for God's timing so that we can be a trustworthy messenger. If we arrive first, we may be noticed but if we cannot answer questions and our message is incomplete we will not be considered a trustworthy messenger. We may be pushed aside by the king.
A third warning we looked at as the idea of being sensational with no substance" here we drew from the book of Judges chapter 16. It's the story of the capture of Samson. Although Samson's story seems complicated the common thread through all of it is pride. Samson did sensational things when the Spirit of God came upon him. Samson never had the substance of God's character to recognize God's Spirit, and took credit for what he thought he controlled.
So wrapped up in pride Samson believed God needed him to accomplish God's will on this earth. When God lifted the gifts of strength from Samson, Samson didn't even notice. Without the spirit of God upon him he was blinded, bound up, and imprisoned by the enemy. If Samson had had the substance of God's character within him, he would've recognized God's Spirit when it was upon him is what gave him the strength, and he definitely would've noticed when God's Spirit was lifted.
In essence we said this
when you put gifting over character, or position over processed you are in danger of,
being blinded, being bound up, being imprisoned, being killed, or being pushed aside.
When you put character over gifting, and process over position you receive,
God's heart, victory over your enemy, freedom to be successful in God's call, you are seen as a trusted messenger.
Monday, May 10, 2010
elevate may 8
At elevate this week, we continued our study on the concept of revival.
One of the words that often gets used in the context of revival is the word "repentance". The concept of repentance is one that I believe has suffered from the modern approach to Bible study. In the modern era everything was boiled down to its lowest common denominator. By simplifying the definitions there was a hope that everyone would be a will to agree on foundational truths. This did not occur and actually resulted in multiple divisions amongst believers as well as a lot of ugly fighting. This is not what this blog is about but I'm pretty sure I covered it in an earlier one.
We took the word repentance and expanded or some would say complicate its definition by looking at the book of Acts Chapter 2.
The key idea of repentance was broken up into three concepts. The first one is the idea of Revelation, the second repentance, and the third turning. We also want to make clear that repentance is not something only the unsaved person can do. Repentance is something all of us should participate in regardless of our relationship with God
Revelation is sourced in God. It's the idea that God starts the process of repentance through the prompting of his spirit. Now revelation can occur directly to the person from God's Spirit. Or it could be brought to him through some other source like a person, a miracle, some form of the arts, an aspect of God's creation, all of these things can be used to start the conversation between the individual and God.
Repentance is more than "pain of the mind" it is really a change of mind. When you repent because of some pain that you are in , humiliation, embarrassment, or just plain feeling bad, it's not a bad place to start but true repentance doesn't end there. Repentance allows you to see things from God's perspective. Repentance when done as God intended allows you to see what you've done from his viewpoint. God does not use guilt, manipulation, humiliation to make you do what he wants done. The self inflicted repentance uses those things.
So if we have responded to Godly revelation in a Godly way, the end result will be true repentance where we see ourselves or our sin the way God does.
Which leads us to the third part the turning, The turning is just that it is a new direction. The old direction is the direction of self, pride, intellect, reason, but God’s way he does not use those things. God's Way the way that we turn to when we repent produces godly characteristics and our lives. We seek God's will/plan on earth.
When the first two aspects are in repentance the last thing we do, "the turning" is something that becomes very natural. Doing God's will is so easily stepped into that people may think we are under some sort of chemical influence because of how uninhibited we are in the way we present God in everything we do.
One of the words that often gets used in the context of revival is the word "repentance". The concept of repentance is one that I believe has suffered from the modern approach to Bible study. In the modern era everything was boiled down to its lowest common denominator. By simplifying the definitions there was a hope that everyone would be a will to agree on foundational truths. This did not occur and actually resulted in multiple divisions amongst believers as well as a lot of ugly fighting. This is not what this blog is about but I'm pretty sure I covered it in an earlier one.
We took the word repentance and expanded or some would say complicate its definition by looking at the book of Acts Chapter 2.
The key idea of repentance was broken up into three concepts. The first one is the idea of Revelation, the second repentance, and the third turning. We also want to make clear that repentance is not something only the unsaved person can do. Repentance is something all of us should participate in regardless of our relationship with God
Revelation is sourced in God. It's the idea that God starts the process of repentance through the prompting of his spirit. Now revelation can occur directly to the person from God's Spirit. Or it could be brought to him through some other source like a person, a miracle, some form of the arts, an aspect of God's creation, all of these things can be used to start the conversation between the individual and God.
Repentance is more than "pain of the mind" it is really a change of mind. When you repent because of some pain that you are in , humiliation, embarrassment, or just plain feeling bad, it's not a bad place to start but true repentance doesn't end there. Repentance allows you to see things from God's perspective. Repentance when done as God intended allows you to see what you've done from his viewpoint. God does not use guilt, manipulation, humiliation to make you do what he wants done. The self inflicted repentance uses those things.
So if we have responded to Godly revelation in a Godly way, the end result will be true repentance where we see ourselves or our sin the way God does.
Which leads us to the third part the turning, The turning is just that it is a new direction. The old direction is the direction of self, pride, intellect, reason, but God’s way he does not use those things. God's Way the way that we turn to when we repent produces godly characteristics and our lives. We seek God's will/plan on earth.
When the first two aspects are in repentance the last thing we do, "the turning" is something that becomes very natural. Doing God's will is so easily stepped into that people may think we are under some sort of chemical influence because of how uninhibited we are in the way we present God in everything we do.
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