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Good post today on Overcoming Self-Criticism from my eldest - Caleb. Check it out.
If you miss me, remember, I’m still posting more frequently here.
I may philosophize here a bit… Watching things grow is both fascinating and frustrating. The fields all around my place are today seven feet tall with corn - we’ve seen days with six inches of growth in one day. The garden is another amazing thing to slow down and watch grow. Early on things were tentative as stressors (even enemies - deer, rabbits, bugs, wind) fought against growth. Weeding, strategically placed bullets, staking, blocking wind, watering, fertilizing all helped the plants press through key stages.
Watching my kids grow is both fascinating and frustrating. There have been days I wish they were further along and days when time flew by and I’ve lamented they grew up too quickly. Watching church growth, or working toward church growth, has taught me more about the patience of God with us than anything else. But on our end, I’m struck by the simple observation that things grow when they are planted. Kids grow better when planted in stable and loving two parent homes (every study confirms this). Churches grow better when people settle in and love and serve God and each other for the long haul. There are many who want to grow, or who think they are growing, but resist being planted. Jesus spoke about us (you-plural) being branches that must abide and remain in the vine (himself).
Most human growth, I’m told, happens at night. Of course, this is a time when no one is watching. Spiritual growth is no different - it happens when no one is watching, and even especially during the dark moments. Interesting how those key growth moments are the moments people tend to pull away from others in the Body.
One of my frequent sayings at CATG is that it’s not God’s Will you be in the same place spiritually you were last year this time, or five years ago. I suggest we “mark the wall” every year and measure ourselves against that mark several times a years. Ask the hard questions, why am I not growing? Make sure you are growing evenly - in wisdom, stature, favor with God and man. We can grow smarter but lose our tender heart toward God. Strategically place “bullets” on that which is stifling your growth. Really, kill it or it’ll kill you. Never pull yourself away from environments that facilitate growth. Monitor your growth in God.
Ted Haggard always used to talk about how some churches make happy people sad and turn nice people mean. Two churches in the same town could come from the same denomination and have the same doctrinal statement but one is small and full of tension and the other is full of people and life. I’m tempted to blow this next sentence up to about 120 in terms of font size so we don’t gloss by it… It’s not about doctrine, those who have been with Jesus don’t emerge with correct information about him, they emerge with his loving heart. The church is missing the mark in a huge way on this point.
I’ve already elaborated on one of five kinds of kindness - 1) Reciprocating Kindness. Here are four more for your consideration.
2. Random Kindness - Jesus was indiscriminate with his love. I know he was strategic, but I’m not sure everything he did was calculated. Do you calculate how many kisses you’ll give your spouse today? Probably not. They just happen and they happen more the more your heart is full of Jesus’ love for people. This kind of kindness is the most fun. It’s a blast randomly blessing people. And you’ll discover it’s really not fully “random” as God so often will sovereignly see to it that you “touch” someone who desperately needs love and encouragement today. Be careful of favoritism, especially the trap of being nice only to those who believe just like you.
3. Radical (or Ridiculous) Kindness - I also thought to use the word wreck-less because so often we are timid and miserly with our kindness. It’s as if we are bringing someone a small gift in our really nice car - we don’t want to scratch the car now do we? Radical kindness gives them the car and walks home. It’s about being willing to go out of your way and gladly letting the needs of others inconvenience you. Radical kindness is costly. Is it said of you that you are EXTREME-ly kind?
4. Rabid Kindness - I’m trying hard to keep the “r’s” going so I know “rabid” falls a bit short. But I’m trying to express a contagious kindness. In the presence of kindness, more kindness comes forth and soon an environment is saturated with Jesus’ love. But somebody has to start it off. Parents who are negative and nasty toward others produce kids of the same nature. The opposite is also true. I believe we are responsible for the environment around us, to see that it’s salted with kindness.
5. Real Kindness - Kindness is like a round peg in a round hole. It fits and feels right all the way around. However, when we come at people with insincerity, its evident and obvious on each end. I’ve had to reflect on this one more than the others because I want to say even if you don’t feel it in you to be kind, fake it. But that is disingenuous. So here’s a better way… don’t fake it, force it. Force yourself to repress your nasty nature and let the nature of Christ in you to come forth.
And here’s a key to being REAL-ly kind - eye contact is a connecting point for real kindness. Pulling off the interstate last week I rolled up to an old man with a cardboard sign. The kindness of Jesus came over me and I rolled down the window to hand him a $20. He reached out to grab it and I held the bill for a moment which caused him to look up and make eye contact with me. I let the love flow through my eyes for a moment and then told him the source of that love. He stepped closer to my car door, got teary, discovered trying to say something to me his voice choked out, and so he just hugged my entire arm. Somehow the eye contact thing communicated to him that God sees him and loves him. It was an interesting moment. Perhaps I’m making too much of this but I really had the sense that deliverance power was present in that moment and had I taken a few more moments the fullness of God’s love and power would have come on the unsuspecting brother.
Imagine the brother getting laid out in the Spirit right there beside the road, people would have thought it was a drive-by shooting…. and I guess it would have been a drive-by of sorts!
I’ve been reflecting on kindness for a couple weeks - it’s a rare thing to find on the internet especially. Although I’m posting this on the internet, my real aim is to stir up more kindness in the Body of Christ - in our church, in your church.
A few of us have been talking about how so few of us reciprocate kindness. You know what I’m talking about… we invite people over, they never invite us over. We call them, they don’t call us. I believe kindness is a form of mercy and the Bible teaches that we can stop the flow of mercy if we don’t share it ourselves. Kindness that comes to you must quickly flow through you. We kill it when we keep it. It has a short shelf life.
To reciprocate means to return in kind or degree. I’ve been thinking of the reasons we don’t reciprocate kindness. I hope you can add to my list and that you’ll be brutally honest…
1. We are too busy or tired, or we assume they are (Are you giving off a vibe that you are too busy for somebody? Maybe it’s like the pretty girl who never gets asked out on a date. Maybe people are incorrectly assuming your social calendar is already full and so they don’t call you. I struggle with the flip side of this - fatigue - how many more people can I call? Really, I’ve answered 50 emails since my kids left for their two week internship a week ago last Sunday, and yet I haven’t emailed them. If we can’t meet our family commitments, how can we do anything more for others?
2. We are embarrassed to have people in our home - too messy? Or, we don’t have the money.
3. We’ve been hurt or rejected before
4. We possess a sense of entitlement, others are there to bless us.
5. We don’t want to open the door to one who needs more from us than we are willing/able to give.
6. We are unaware of what we have to offer
7. We are irritated by other aspects of those being kind to us.
If you are one who has extended yourself to others and kindness has not been reciprocated back to you, how do you keep from being offended?
If you are mad at God, struggling to forgive others, otherwise discouraged, sad, miserable or stuck spiritually, I encourage you to read The Shack by William P. Young. (It came out last year and I’m just now getting around to reading it.) Actually, everyone who wants to know more of what God is like and what God is thinking would benefit, but I especially commend The Shack to those who’ve known pain, loss or who’ve been hurt by others. The author himself suffered great loss as a child.
If you have a hunger to plummet the depths of God, skip seminary and spend a few days with this book. Really, from one who has been to seminary, and read the book, I recommend the latter (and not just because it’s cheaper). William P. Young, aka Willie, has been given a deep and profound revelation of God, the human condition (suffering), and even some new light on the mystery of the Trinity. Prophetic people will discern the voice of God throughout. There are layers of depth here, one read is insufficient. Young is either a seer who has been in the Realms of Glory himself, or God dictated some of the detail of that environment to him. It’s fully fictional, and a number of you know I’m not much for fiction, but this transcends fiction - I found it to be theologically sound and hugely stretching at the same time. I’m hesitant to pronounce something a “classic” before time bears out that fact. However, my sense is this book will occupy a special place for some time far removed from the ocean of Christian fiction out there today.
Expect The Shack to help you set religious expectation aside and usher you into greater intimacy with God. This book is about the Presence of God and the purposes of God. It uncovers God’s heart for relationship with us. The dimensions of love are sketched out here. The Cross and why Jesus died are explained in paradigm shifting ways. The judgments of our own heart against God and others are exposed, as is the shallowness of our understanding and the self-centeredness of our complaints.
I hope the book becomes a movie, the website says it’s so, but I’m not sure this is capture-able in that format. It’s a revelation, maybe with a capital “R”. It’s a mystic book - in the good way of testifying to a genuine encounter with God.
The Shack hit #7 on Amazon.com sales. That’s remarkable really. Here’s my theory… God is involved in this book and we are heading into tough times here at the end of the age. The Bible says many will fall away under the pressure of the End Times. That is, people now standing with Christ will become bitterly offended by him… how could a “loving God” allow such trauma to come upon the earth? My sense is God is preparing people for these times by releasing a revelation of intimacy and greater understanding to the Bride of Christ.
For years now I’ve been answering questions each week that people email me in relation to what I’m teaching or what they are learning about the things of God. Some I can answer quickly, others I spend more time on. I call this D-MAIL for discipleship mail. The blog is a perfect place for me to let many others in on what we are talking about so we can grow together in our understanding of God and Scripture. This question came via a recent comment on one of my Todd Bentley and the Florida Healing Outpouring blog posts.
QUESTION: Pastor Steve, I saw a teaching Bob Jones, Todd Bentley and Patricia King did on the third heaven. I searched the Bible on this and could find only one scripture (2 Corinthians 12:1-5) where Paul lightly touches on the third heaven, yet they have made whole teachings on how to get there etc. Could you explain to me if there are any other references to a third heaven in the Bible and what exactly are we talking about here and how it is possible that going up to the third heaven 3 times a day (as Bob Jones and Patricia King say they do) can be a better substitute than just reading and obeying Gods written Word?
MY RESPONSE: Paul’s reference to his third heaven Read the rest of this entry »
The Great Awakenings in early America (that evangelicals love to romantically look back upon) were scandulous and freaky to the mainstream church of that day. The revival leaders were heralded as “false-everything,” the manifestations made the news. Yet today we look back quite fondly on those “special times” God visited our nation. Today, May 1, is the National Day of Prayer. People are gathering all over America asking God to visit us again.
Let’s be honest… if God were to “visit” our churches today in similar fashion, half of yous would walk out and spread a bad report. Am I wrong? Before you judge what is unfolding in Florida, ask yourself this question… what will it look like when God shows up? The self-appointed, unaccountable, anonymous, bitter and fruitless doctrine police on the Internet are already having a heyday with Todd Bentley and the Lakeland Florida outpouring. They shoot their arrows from places of concealment. They sit in the seat of scoffers. They bother me because their methods and message are far more unBiblical than anything unfolding in Florida. The Bible cautions against those with forms of religion but who deny the power. Anyone else want the power? I do.
Come out of your cave and stand there and wait for God to pass by. You thought he’d come in a storm or a whirlwind didn’t you? Nope. He came in a still small voice. To all of you now standing outside your cave waiting for a still small voice, I’m guessing he’ll come now in the storm and many will miss his coming. Do you think he’s forever locked into passing by in only one fashion?
Some of us have been praying and fasting for years for God to come in power. Personally, I’ve been fortunate to have been in some recent outpourings - Kansas City being our hometown, Kristen and I experienced the early years of the Kansas City Prophets and saw God move mightily in those gatherings. We were dating at the time and that’s what we did for dates - go hear Bob Jones! There was good and not so good and, long story short, we bolted to Chicago for a few years to settle into safer ministries. But I love the Narnia line about Aslan the lion/Jesus… “Is He safe? No. But he’s good.” In 1996, the Spirit rocked us again. Since then I’ve been to Pensacola/Brownsville, Toronto, Nigeria and Kiev. Last summer my son Caleb and I, and friend Andy, went on a prayer journey to Herrnhut, Germany to tap into an ancient awakening there.
I believe in cross-pollination, transferable anointing and impartation. Historical revivals spread up and down the east coast of our nation because people traveled. I’m bummed some of the aforementioned outpourings didn’t last or, in any tangible way, transform the city in which they occurred. I believe we are learning more each time about how to steward a move of God. There are God visitations spoken of in the Bible that were soon quenched by carnality, pride and the like. I know we are to inspect fruit, but the Bible doesn’t discount the authenticity of a visitation just because the people afterwards veered off course.
And now something has broken out in Lakeland, Florida. With many others who also have their ear-to-the-track regarding the End Times, I’ve been waiting for something to pop somewhere and for it to go national, indeed global, in just a few weeks through the wonders of technology and transportation. In the 80’s back in KC we held on to prophecies that God would one day fill stadiums with prophetic healing meetings. This is happening tonight in Florida. Meetings that were only intended to go for a couple days have now been ongoing daily for weeks - they are outgrowing every venue they’ve moved into and tonight they will be in Tiger Stadium.
For these reasons I’m watching Florida really close and watching my tongue lest I speak against something God is doing. Friends who have gone have come back powerfully healed. Others report some misgivings. I certainly have some misgivings of my own but they are easily overcomeable. Each night our family has been watching via GODTV. A few guys in the church have talked with me about going. I probably will. I think you should do what Zack Hensley is thinking of doing - driving down with a buddy just to kick your skepticism in the face. Let’s be people who bless not curse. Thanks Zack for this blessing prayer:
Bless Todd Bentley, Bless those in Lakeland Florida. I pray that the Lord continues to give him a spirit of wisdom and revelation, that they would know the hope of which Christ was called. I pray for all those touched by the Lord in healing and salvation that He would complete the work he has started in them. That they would be counted worthy of His calling and that the grace and peace of Christ would sustain them until the end. amen
I’m not worried about being deceived. I trust God’s ability to keep me more than the devil’s ability to deceive me. Here’s what I fear more… missing a move of God because it came in a way that made me uncomfortable.
I share Randy Bohlender’s sentiments…
Revival is always a polarizing event and this one is no exception. I don’t feel compelled to answer for ministry styles or personalities any more. I do know this - our friend, Kelsey Hayes, was dramatically healed (is there an undramatic healing?) last week. My guess is her parents didn’t worry too much about the ministry style. Do I wish people did things a different way? Of course…but not enough to reject something if God is in it.[SH: Read a news report of Kelsey's healing here. I highly, highly recommend you read this testimony/news report.]
Do desperately hungry people get real picky about how and who hands food to them? No.
Numerous CATGr’s are quite familiar with the main personality in the Florida outpouring - Todd Bentley. A year ago I led a group of 30+ people through a study of his book on the Supernatural World. It was a great upgrade for those of us ready to “set our minds on things in heaven, not on earthly things.” Others have been to conferences where Todd has ministered. Same story… some powerfully touched, others report misgivings.
Personally, a few of his antics and of course, the observables (tattoos and piercings) don’t make much sense to me. But here’s how I’ve overcome that… I asked myself what the 21st century equivalent to eating locusts/wild honey and wearing wild camels hair and a belt might be. What do you think it is? Wearing wild camels fur put John the Baptist in league with the outcasts and unclean. I’m thinking today’s equivalent might be tattoo’s, t-shirts and piercings. Lou Engle once commented about the young generation that God is raising up today that is so full of piercings. Frustrated, he told God… they “look like fishing lures.” God responded something to the effect, “Precisely, and I’m going to use them to reel in the nations.”
What should a “man of God” look like? Do I fit the bill? In other nations, cultures and camps probably not. Twenty two years ago when I entered ministry the “man of God” wore a blue suit and a red tie (that is if you had any holy role on the platform). But I started to move in other circles and discovered a camp where the “man of God” had to have a $3000 suit to show off his anointing. If I’d have shown up with my $100 blue suit/tie they’d have kept me off the stage and cast the spirit of religion off me and tried to introduce me to the new wineskin.
Today we are active in the ARC and in the prayer movement. Last week we were in Birmingham for the ARC conference and repeatedly saw how the “man of God” wears an embroidered untucked shirt with the sleeves barely rolled up, jeans and dress shoes. At IHOP, frankly, anything from Goodwill will work. They don’t care down there because the knees will wear out soon anyway from hours in the prayer room. Dressing like that in the house of God is “offensive” to some - where’s the reverence and respect?! I say, lighten up. In the case of female attire, at least they exude a modesty I’m not seeing in suburban evangelical youth/college ministries. My son Caleb graduates high school in a couple weeks and is heading to IHOP’s Forerunner School of Ministry in the fall. After four years of buzz haircuts for Marine Corp JR ROTC, he told us this AM his hair is going to get longer and that he is thinking about a tattoo on his arm of the Hebrew letters for the word “Nazirite.” I told him to hold off on the tattoo but I was delighted that he has the heart of a Nazirite. Maybe I need a tattoo. When I cut my long hair a few years ago many CATGr’s were relieved. One of our worship team peeps commented to me the day I cut my ponytail off… “good, now I can invite friends again to church!” Maybe I’ll put my earring in again.
One of our praying people at CATG once told me regarding Heidi Baker that “she offends the natural mind before she even opens her mouth.” If you’ve seen her you know about the twitching and jerking. It does… it offends the natural mind - many probably think “this lady is a certified nut.” But, no. No, no she isn’t. God is using her to minister to the discarded children of the world - to start thousands of orphanages and churches. She is going to the hopeless places in the world the scoffer has yet to go and, unlike the scoffer, she is bearing eternal fruit. And, buckle up for this… she is literally seeing things in her ministry like the feeding of five thousand with a single bowl of soup.
One things I know about a genuine move of God, it will offend the natural mind. If you can get past that you can get into the supernatural.
I hope you’ll also read my other posts on Todd Bentley and the Florida Outpouring.
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley and the Seat of Scoffers part two
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley and the Seat of Scoffers part three
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley and the Angel Emma
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley, Violence and the Kingdom of God
Florida Healing Outpouring - Todd Bentley, the manifestations of the Spirit or Kundalini?
It never fails. Having read the Passion passages countless times and having preached seemingly every conceivable angle of the Easter Story each year these last twenty years, it never fails… God shows me something new. I’ve devoted these last couple weeks in the pulpit to the ugly side of Easter - the betrayal, the blood. A few days ago I spoke on the forsaking of Christ and how its happening again today in the America church.
Rather than just jump right to the verse from the cross where Jesus cries out - My God, my God, why have you forsaken me - I pointed out how the forsaking actually started earlier that week. In the Garden after Judas betrayed him we read “all the disciples deserted him and fled.” Then Peter disowned Jesus. But there is a key moment even before these key moments.
Right after Jesus foretells that Peter will betray him three times, Jesus is in the garden crying out in agony to God asking for this cup of suffering to pass. He returns and finds his disciples sleeping. The Bible tells us this happened
three times. Three times!? Hmm. Here’s the part I hadn’t seen before: “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter.” HE ASKED PETER?!?!
Do you see it? Before Peter ever forsook Jesus publicly, he forsook Jesus privately in the place of prayer. In the end times, the Bible says, many will turn away from Christ. I’m convinced prayer meeting attendance is a better indicator of the victory or defeat of the American Church, not anything else. Once we forsake Him privately in the place of prayer, it’s only a matter of time before we do it for all to see.
Hate to admit it, but fourteen years ago I moved to this city to start this church intentionally planning to NOT bring up things like the Cross and the Blood of Jesus. It was the seeker-friendly “model” to go out and create neutral, non-religious atmospheres where the unchurched wouldn’t be “offended” by our symbolism or perplexed by our weird language. That phase lasted about two years. Today, the Cross and the Blood are big deals at Church at the Gate. In fact, they are our only hope. A year ago January, the Lord spoke to me on this again - that I should offer communion every Sunday because lifting high the chalice of the Blood of the Lord Jesus will usher our people into a greater freedom. We’ve been offering communion (at least on a self-serve basis) every weekend since. There is power in the blood!
On my 12-city state tour a couple weeks ago, my friend Matt Lockett (Exec. Dir. of Bound4LIfe) told me God told him to not take his eyes off the blood this year. So, Matt has himself in an intense study of the blood of Christ. I invite him to add his two cents to this post. Matt said he’s asking pastors all over America this question… “You went to seminary didn’t you? (Yes.) Well, I went to art school so maybe you can help me with this… why did Jesus have to shed his blood?” Matt reports the majority bumble a response but have no real answer to this question.
A bit nervous now that it was my turn to answer his question, I gave just a few sentences and a few scriptures and asked if I passed the test. He said yes. So, here in post two of this mini-series the Ugly Side of Easter I turn your attention to:
WHY DID JESUS HAVE TO SHED HIS BLOOD?
The Bible says “the life is in the blood” and that “the wages of sin is death.” Scripture also says “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness for sin.” Therefore, to pay the penalty for sin somebody’s life would be required. Jesus, in our stead, gave his life and shed his blood on the cross so we could live. His shed blood speaks a better word than the shed blood of Abel, of any other man, or the blood of bulls and goats. In the Old Testament, high priests would enter the most holy place and sprinkle the blood of the sacrifice on the atonement cover (mercy seat) of the altar. There was no access to this place of God’s presence without a blood sacrifice. The blood provided the only adequate covering (atonement) for human sin. Jesus’ blood was the ultimate sacrifice. Full forgiveness for sin, and full access to God is available only through his shed blood. If there were another way or multiple ways for people to enter into a right relationship with God besides Jesus dying on the cross, God would not have let his Son go through the agony. That’s a hard word for people who want to believe all religions will lead to God, but nothing but the Blood of Jesus washes away sin.
There is a great download on the Bound4Life website of the old hymn - What Can Wash Away My Sin? The story behind the hymn is that it’s been around for years but these past 3 1/2 years it’s been sung every day in front of the Supreme Court by intercessors praying for the ending of abortion. They plead a better blood than the shed blood of 50 million unborn babies. They are pleading to a higher court. After taking communion they sing this hymn. I’ve been there with them… God is all over this. The hymn originally was set in a major key but they shifted the old hymn to “a minor key because the minor key opens a different door than the major key has in the past.” I believe that door is contrition and true repentance. Hope this song and these thoughts really help you focus on the Blood of Jesus this week and next.
Most contemporary Protestant churches today skip Lent altogether and jump in for the Easter celebration. This is fine as there is nothing written that says you have to reinact this all every spring - preachers should really be preaching the cross twelve months a year. I want to devote a few posts these next few weeks to the ugly side of Easter - the betrayal, the blood, etc. Buckle up.
Some good stuff for those who’ve known betrayal…
Here we are in Easter season and I had the thought to watch the Passion of the Christ again last night. Instead I just decided to read it right out of the Bible. Judas popped off the page at me and the whole pain of betrayal thing. Probably because I had read this earlier in the day:
“Embedded somewhere, in each act of betrayal, is the purpose of God waiting to be discovered.” Garris Elkins
My two sons (17, 15) are excited to follow my steps into ministry for which I’m grateful, but recently my daughter (13) announced she wanted nothing to do with it. Not that she wants nothing to do with God, far from it. Her comment was in specifically in reference to ministry - and hearing her explain why made me want to send a couple of “thank you” cards to a few people who’ve “kissed” me as Judas did Jesus. I don’t know how to explain or justify to her how it is people you try to bless and help so viciously turn on you and even orchestrate an aggressive and unbridled but Scripturally-forbidden slander campaign with the hope of ruining you. It’s nothing short of evil. Every Christian leader deals with it, though those on the front lines more than the rest.
The danger for the betrayed is to succumb to the spirit of vengeance and seek your own vindication. Again to quote Elkins, “the spirit of vengeance wants to attach itself to betrayal and lure you into the betrayer’s dark place. It’s the strong desire to see the betrayer punished. Hell wants to help you tailor a plan to punish your betrayer. Darkness wants to lure you into the hardness of heart where an unwillingness to forgive exists. You don’t have to go there.”
Twice the Apostle Paul mentioned how he had to “turn [someone] back over to Satan.” Wow. I’ve never been able to do that. But I have prayed, “Lord, I’m hurting too much to deal with this in a Godly way, I release them to you. If you want to show them mercy - praise be your Name. If you decide to discipline and deal with them harshly, I can certainly understand.”
My secret over the years is to stay in a place of prayer and pray Psalm 64. There have been seasons where Kristen and I have done this daily for months on end.
Elkins has this to say to the betrayer, “know the sin of betrayal plans to take you somewhere. For Judas, John 13:30 tells us that betrayal took him “out into the night.” Betrayal repositions you into a dark place. The only way back into a lighted place is through confession and repentance.”
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