Rise Up!

What happens when 170 Christian men from all over Victoria gather together for a weekend of teaching and fellowship?  For some, new friendships are formed.  For others, past acquaintances are renewed.  For most, the time away leaves them inspired.

What would happen if the same 170 Christian men returned home from such a weekend filled with the Holy Spirit?  They wouldn't just be inspired but would be transformed!  

Imagine the impact on their families, churches and communities!

During the final session of teaching the guest speaker invited the men gathered to "Rise Up in Power" and suggested that "Men need today a baptism of the Holy Spirit.  There are men in our churches who live somewhere between the Resurrection and Pentecost.  They have experienced the empty tomb but not the upper room."

That was the thought that resonated deep within my spirit!

It is time for men of faith to move beyond a knowledge of the Resurrection towards an experience of Pentecost where the power of the Holy Spirit is unleashed so that we will 'rise up' and become the husbands, fathers and leaders that God has ordained us to be!  

It is time for men of faith to desire more of Jesus than of ourselves so that God has total supremacy of our lives.  

It is time for men of faith to no longer "live according to the flesh [with] their minds set on what the flesh desires; but [to] live in accordance with the Spirit [and] have their minds set on what the Spirit desires" (Romans 8:5).

It is time for men of faith to 'rise up' and take a stand!
 

Be Careful What You Sing For!

Like other Salvationists from all over the world passionately engaged with the #Boundless2015 Congress, both in person and online, I too was inspired to hear the collective cry in our worship for God to "Send the fire today" and the corporate desire expressed through song that "We need another Pentecost" in The Salvation Army!  

But do we really want it?  Are we prepared for what it might look like?  Can this fresh outpouring of the Spirit be fully released within our existing structures?  Will we ride the wave or will we erect breakwaters to protect the harbour?

When we sing "Look down and see this waiting host" - how expectant are we?

When we sing "We need another Pentecost" - how well did we respond to the first one?

When we sing "And make us fit to live or die" - what price are we willing to pay?

When we sing "To burn up every trace of sin" - do we have a truly repentant heart?

When we sing "The revolution now begin" - will we try to risk-manage it?

When we sing "The fire will meet our every need" - how does that influence our fundraising efforts?

When we sing "For strength to always do what's right" - is that in spite of unpopularity?

When we sing "For power to walk the world in white" - will holiness precede tolerance?

When we sing "To make our weak hearts strong and brave" - are we prepared to be persecuted?

When we sing "To live a dying world to save" - do we still believe the world is in need of salvation?

When we sing "Oh see us on Your altar lay" - does that include what we have always done?

It is easy to sing such stirring words in the security and affirmation of a united gathering, but living such words is quite another story when immersed in the trenches of mission, navigating layers of bureaucracy or soliciting community and government support!  

While it is true that The Salvation Army ministers in challenging and complex times, it is equally true that "His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness" (2 Peter 1:3).  

Therefore, when we sing "Send the Fire" let us dare to allow Holy Spirit to consume the dross and reignite a Christ centred, Spirit empowered, faith driven, and prophetically guided movement that repositions God's salvation message as central to our mission!

Engaging With Other Religions

Over the past three years, I have been on an extraordinary journey of discovery as I have dared to entertain the idea that God is at work through other religions.  Even now, writing such a realisation still feels a little strange as I have grown up in an evangelical culture that says, 'you are either of God (as Christians understand Him) or of the devil,' and there was no grey area to allow for the possibility of divine revelation occurring in an interfaith context.

Scripture unmistakeably records God declaring, "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 5:6-7); Jesus affirming, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  No-one comes to the Father except through me"  (John 14:6); and the Spirit's relationship in the Godhead, "When the Counsellor [Holy Spirit] comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me [Jesus]" (John 15:26).

As a Christian, I hold firmly to these Biblical truths and an uncompromising belief "that there is only one God, who is infinitely perfect, the Creator, Preserver, and Governor of all things, and who is the only proper object of religious worship" (The Salvation Army, Doctrine 2).

However, I also recognise that "since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities - his eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" (Romans 1:20).  I understand that faith comes from God:  "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no-one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8); "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith..." (Hebrews 12:2).  And I affirm that Holy Spirit is already at work in the world - "in the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people" (Acts 2:17) - revealing Jesus Christ - "He [Holy Spirit] will bring glory to me [Jesus] by taking what is mine and making it known to you" (John 15:14).

Therefore, I have come to believe that Holy Spirit has planted a seed of faith in all people, and religion is a human response to a partial revelation of God, forming a framework of understanding around what has been revealed.  This means that my interaction with other faiths is not to bring God where He is already present, but to discover where God is already at work and join in a conversation that has already begun.  From this posture I can share a fuller revelation of God by pointing people to Jesus Christ, because "in Christ all the fulness of the Deity lives in bodily form" (Colossians 2:9) and "the Son [Jesus] is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word" (Hebrews 1:3).

For me, this has radically changed my view of and approach to evangelism!   Evangelism is not so much a proclamation of truth, but an interactive relationship that gives witness to the incarnational truth that "the Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us" (John 1:14) so that "whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).  Clark Pinnock describes the nature of such a relationship: 

“We should watch for whatever Spirit may be teaching and doing among them. This posture creates the possibility of a dialogical relationship. We can enter into the faith of others and acknowledge truths and values found there. These are our fellow human beings, seeking truth as we are. God is reaching out, and people are responding. So let us watch for points of contact and bridges of communication” (Pinnock 1996, The Flame of Love, p. 205).

From this vantage point I now find certain "evangelical" language an affront to the Spirit's presence and activity in other faiths.  To suggest that people are 'heathen' or 'godless' is to deny God's sovereignty.  To renounce the 'god' of any religion or to pray against the 'demonic spirit' of a religion, dishonours other people's spiritual journey, dismisses the work of the Spirit, disregards a partial revelation of God, and does little to foster a dialogical relationship where Christ can be revealed.

• What if the 'god' of a Muslim is a partial understanding of the Creator of the universe?
• What if the 'faith' of a Buddhist is a genuine response to prevenient grace?
• What if the 'religion' of a Hindu is an attempt to live out a divine consciousness?

Let me be very clear at this point!  I am not suggesting for a moment that other religions are an equal or alternative pathway to God.  I am not denying the reality of a spiritual battle between the God of heaven and "the god of this age [who] has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 Corinthians 4:4).  Nor am I suggesting that all aspects of religious practice are Spirit-led or God-honouring.  Every religion, including Christianity, has embraced false or incomplete beliefs about the Creator and have demonstrated behaviour that is contradictory to a holy and just God!  Pinnock expresses well what I am suggesting:  “We have to say yes and no to other religions.  On the one hand, we should accept any spiritual depth and truth in them.  On the other hand, we must reject darkness and error…The key is to hold fast to two truths: the universal operations of grace and the uniqueness of its manifestation in Jesus Christ” (Pinnock 1996, p. 202).

With a new wave of religious extremism emerging in our world today, we must be very careful not to reject the work of the Spirit in fear of the work of Satan.  We must not assume that people seeking God through another faith perspective are the enemy.  We must be careful not to shut down the dialogue with people from other religions or cultures.  We must seek to strengthen relationships with people on a faith journey rather than segregate ourselves from them.  We must not exchange a spirit of humility for a spirit of superiority.  We must keep a posture of learning and openness to wherever and with whomever the Spirit is moving.  We must "in [our] relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:  Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross…that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Philippians 2:5-11).

With eyes wide open to the ministry of the Spirit within other religions I am better positioned to “seek [and] discern the Spirit’s presence and activity in other faiths” (Amos Yong 2005, The Spirit Poured Out On All Flesh, p. 247) and recognise that “The Spirit’s mission is to bring history to completion and fulfilment in Christ" (Pinnock 1996, p. 194).  Then, like Paul who dialogued with the men of Athens about their altar "to an unknown god" (Acts 17:22-27), we might evoke a similar response from our interfaith dialogue, "We want to hear you again on this subject" (Acts 17:32).

I'm Dreaming Of A Holy Spirit Revival!

Every time I sing the Brooke Fraser song Hosanna I am captured by the words, "I see a near revival, stirring as we pray and seek, we're on our knees, we're on our knees."  And when I hear the song Revival by Robin Mark my heart beats a little harder in sync with the rhythm as I sing the words, "I feel it in my spirit, feel it in my bones, you're gonna send revival, bring 'em all back home."

We are currently in a season of ministry where God is stirring a 'Holy Discontent' deep within our spirits and repositioning our church for a mighty movement of His Spirit!  In such a season a spiritual battle is raging personally and corporately as resistance to the work of the Spirit is being confronted and blockages are being revealed to make way for a Holy Spirit revival.  

We are being called back to submission to the authority of God's Word.  

 

We are being challenged to engage in passionate corporate prayer.

 

We are being confronted by the presence and power of Holy Spirit.

The other night I had a dream about a Holy Spirit revival that was so vivid: I dreamt that I was attending a large gathering at the Melbourne Town Hall where there was a loud commotion going on in the main auditorium.  Those gathered in the foyer were clearly concerned by what was going on inside and there were people trying to block the doors and prevent others from entering.  As I tried to get a look at what was happening I too was physically blocked from going inside.  I pushed my through the obstruction and forced my way past the person blocking the doorway into the commotion inside.  What I found was a hall full of people slain in the Spirit with many manifesting various other signs of the Spirit.  There was a loud noise and it became clear that there was a mighty movement of Holy Spirit going on!  As I progressed down the aisle I was overwhelmed by the presence of God and what was happening around me.  When I exited the rear of the building I was left pondering the meaning of what was happening both inside the auditorium and in the foyer by those who tried to prevent me and others from seeing this movement of the Spirit.

Normally when I dream, the details are sketchy and I rarely remember the dream beyond waking up.  There is conservative part of me that is even a little reluctant to read too much into dreams, but the Scripture clearly says, "In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams"  (Acts 2:17).  Now, let me be clear - I am not an old man!  However, I did dream a dream that has left a strong imprint in my mind and on my spirit!  As I have reflected upon and prayed about this dream over the past 24 hours I believe it reveals our current spiritual reality locally and beyond.  In a season where God is wanting to unleash Holy Spirit revival, I feel this dream confronts me (us) with some powerful questions:

• Who or what is obstructing me from seeing and experiencing Holy Spirit power in my own life?
• Who or what is obstructing us from seeing and experiencing Holy Spirit power in our church/es?
• Are we standing on the shores watching the wave of the Spirit pass us by or are we in the water riding that wave?
• Who are those around us acting as gate keepers trying to contain the movement of the Spirit?
• How hard are we pushing through that which is blocking this movement of the Spirit?
• Do we really want to see Holy Spirit revival in our lives and our church/es?

 

My dream and desire is to experience the fullness of the presence and power of the Spirit and for a Holy Spirit revival to be unleashed in our church and across the entire movement of the Christian church!!

Spiritual Seekers

This weekend I had the privilege to again partner with The Salvation Army ministry team at the Mind, Body, Spirit Festival at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.  This is my second year of witnessing scores of people feast on a smorgasbord of spirituality in search of something to fill that 'God space' in their lives and my second year of witnessing miracles as some people allowed that space to be filled by an encounter with Jesus!

Amidst this melting pot of conflicting spiritual ideologies I felt something of the tension that the Apostle Paul might have felt in Athens:

^"While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there." (Acts 17:16-17)

From the group of private school students on a class excursion and the wandering Christians uncertain about their faith, to the spiritually skeptical and curious, it was disturbing to see so many people looking in all the wrong places to fill their spiritual void.  But what an opportunity!  Like Paul we looked for points of connection and sought the Spirit's guidance to speak into the gaps in the faith journey of these seekers.

"Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: "People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious.  For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.""  (Acts 17:22-23)

Into this space...

We proclaimed the name of Jesus.

  

We gave witness to the power of Holy Spirit. 

We spoke into peoples lives through prophetic prayer.  

As we listened to what the Spirit was already saying to those seeking we discovered an openness to a revelation of Jesus Christ.  

"When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, "We want to hear you again on this subject.""  (Acts 17:32)

Once again I find myself amazed at the spiritual receptivity of people who are searching for spiritual fulfillment.  And once again I find myself wanting to awaken the church of Jesus Christ to get on the spiritual wave of Holy Spirit movement and ride a tsunami of salvation towards revival in our city!!

Wilful Desires

I love those one liners that capture your attention and cause you to sit up and take notice when you are sitting in a class, listening to a sermon or attending a conference.  A couple of weekends ago, we were blessed at our church to be under the ministry of Major Marney Turner at our Spiritual Retreat weekend.  There were many powerful and Holy Spirit inspired words spoken at the retreat, but it was this one liner that confronted me with an uncomfortable truth.

"When we deliberately sin, we are not weak, we are wilful."

Major Marney Turner

I immediately connected it with an equally uncomfortable Scripture that reminds us that we cannot be tempted by what we do not desire.

"but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed."

James 1:14

When we connect these two truths together we are challenged with the reality that deliberate sin is a wilful pursuit of what we desire!  Ouch!!  This is very difficult to justify or defend if we are to make an honest assessment of any perpetual sin we may struggle with. 

• Adam and Eve desired the forbidden fruit and wilfully ate it, despite being told not to.
• Jacob desired the birthright of his brother and wilfully deceived his father, despite the inevitable conflict to follow.
• King David desired Bathsheba and wilfully pursued her, despite knowing it was wrong.

If you have ever raised children, you will be all too aware of how this works every time they wilfully pursue what they desire even when they are told 'no'.  Or, if you have ever struggled with an addiction, you will know the power of an unhealthy desire that drives your will, despite all the warnings about the dangers. 

The paradox of wilfully pursuing what we desire is that if we change our desires by submitting them to God, then we can wilfully pursue the Spirit instead of sin.  This is affirmed by Paul in Romans 8:5, "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires."

So, we have a choice:  Instead of wilfully pursuing sin that is driven by misplaced desires, let us instead, wilfully pursue the Spirit of God who transforms the desires of those whose minds are set on Jesus.

An Unstoppable Force

I'm sitting here watching the movie "Unstoppable," starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine about an unmanned runaway freight train that is under full power.  It is an intense and action packed movie showing the desperate attempt by authorities to regain control of the train and avert a potential disaster.

I can't help to wonder about the potential for the local church to be an unstoppable force if it too was moving under full power.

Despite all the programs and activities that are coupled together to form the church, it seems that the church is largely running far from full power.  In fact, I think it is fair to say that some churches are just coasting along and others are at a complete stand still.

For churches to be a movement under full power, they must be churches full of the Holy Spirit!  Churches full of the Spirit will be an unstoppable force that can never be derailed by the enemy nor controlled by the religious.  Holy Spirit driven churches will be a movement with such power that strongholds will be broken and lives will be radically transformed. 

This is where the analogy with the movie ends, as churches moving under the full power of the Spirit will not cause a disaster but prevent a disaster of people who are not yet saved spending eternity outside of a relationship with Jesus Christ!

Divine Conversations #3

Lord, I am reminded again of a quote by Dr. Stuart Robinson, from his booklet, The Prayer of Obedience:

“The degree to which we are convinced that all real growth is ultimately a supernatural process and are prepared to act upon that belief, will be directly reflected in the priority that we give to corporate and personal prayer in the life of the church.”

It is from this conviction that we turn to you O Lord, for it is you alone that changes lives; it is you alone who transforms society; and it is you alone who will bring revival to this church!!  The question is, how badly do we want it and are we prepared to stay on our knees until we get it? 

The way I see it, we can labour in vain or we can let the creator of the universe build His house (Psalm 127:1-2).  This is why you told your disciples to wait until the Holy Spirit came before they went out to establish the early church.  And what did they do while they waited?  They prayed together – with one heart and mind!  And what happened when the Holy Spirit came?  3,000 people were added to their number that day!!  And what did they do in response to that growth?  They kept on meeting together in fellowship and prayer!  And what did you do Lord?  You “added to their number daily those who were being saved”!! (Acts 2)

We worship the same God who took on human form “and made His dwelling among us” (John 1:14); we pray to the same Jesus who commissioned the disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19); and we receive the same Spirit who filled the disciples at Pentecost (Acts 2:14)!  It seems to me that for this church to experience Acts 2 growth, we need to practice Acts 1 leadership:  “They all joined together constantly in prayer” (Acts 1:14). 

“Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you”  (Joshua 3:5)

To read more of Divine Conversations visit http://divineconversationsbook.blogspot.com.au/
 

Keep In Step With The Spirit

  

"If you place 32 metronomes on a static object and set them rocking out of phase with one another, they will remain that way indefinitely. Place them on a moveable surface, however, and something very interesting (and very mesmerizing) happens."

A friend of mine posted this amazing link on Facebook and I couldn't help seeing beyond the physics of this demonstration and connecting it to a spiritual principle that is at work in the church.

When Christians who are living out of step with the Spirit gather together, they resemble the metronomes on a static object, in that there is discord and disunity amongst believers who live according to their own desires.  In this static, immoveable environment where the status quo is unchallenged and there is nothing to facilitate a change of momentum, there will never be unity in the church. 

In direct contrast, when Christians who are living in step with the Spirit gather together in a dynamic environment where the movement of the Spirit brings the heart and minds of believers into alignment, the church moves in unison with each other.  Like the metronomes moving in perfect harmony, a church moving with the Spirit generates a spiritual momentum and power that transfers to anyone sharing the same space.

I strangely found watching the metronomes coming into alignment an exciting representation of the potential energy and power of a church that moves in step with the Spirit!  The Apostle Paul understood this when he wrote to the churches, urging the believers to keep in step with the Spirit:

"Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." (Romans 8:5)

"Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all." (Ephesians 4:3-6) 

"So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want...Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit." (Galatians 5:16-26)

Just as the "energy from the motion of one ticking metronome can affect the motion of every metronome around it," the motion of Holy Spirit in the life of one believer can effect the motion of every other believer in proximity.  Imagine the impact of the collective motion of an entire church that is keeping in step with the Spirit can have on other churches...the whole community...a nation...or even the world!!

What Is Your Church Full Of?

“More than churches full of people, God wants (and the world needs) people full of the Spirit.”  (Clark Pinnock, Flame of Love)

As a church leader I understand the want to see your church full of people.  Empty seats hardly inspire or compare to the thrill of a large crowd gathering for worship.  However, is there more to church than a crowd?  Is there a more important want and need for the local church than full seats? 

Churches full of people look great, but churches full of the Spirit are great!

The church growth movement has offered churches helpful strategies to make congregations more contemporary, outward focused and seeker sensitive.  Are good strategies without the Spirit enough?

Church governance has organised churches with systems and structures to effectively manage congregations to be efficient organisations.  Are good structures without the Spirit enough?

Church programs provide opportunities for churches to socially connect congregations with community through a variety of activities.  Are good social connections without the Spirit enough?

More than size, strategies, systems, structures and social connections, the people of God - who are the church - need to be full of the Spirit of God to be a powerful and positive influence in society.  When the people of God are full of the Spirit the growth and impact of the church cannot be contained, as evidenced at Pentecost when 3,000 people were added to the church that day!  

We can strive for growth or we can submit to the Spirit who provides the harvest.  Results will come through human effort, but REVIVAL will only come when the people are filled with the Spirit and there is a Holy Spirit anointing upon the church.

Jesus At The Center

Every once in a while you hear a song that makes a soul connection with the core of your being, evoking strong emotions while stirring something deep within your spirit.  Recently, I had a spiritually transforming experience at a conference I attended, where I encountered such a song that I just can't get out of my mind!  The words are simple, yet powerful.  The melody is beautiful and the message is clear. 

Jesus at the center of it all

Jesus at the center of it all

From beginning to the end

It will always be, it's always been You Jesus

Jesus

What does it mean for Jesus to be at the center of it all?  

The lyrics of the song further expresses a passionate desire and declaration that unpacks this meaning - "Jesus be the center of my life" and "Jesus be the center of Your church."

Jesus be the center of my life
Jesus be the center of my life
From beginning to the end
It will always be, it's always been You Jesus
Jesus

When I sing Jesus be the center of my life I am desiring to give up complete control of my will, my desires and my passions, surrendering everything I am to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  In other words, 'it is no longer I who lives for myself, but Christ who lives in me' and through me for the glory of God.

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Galatians 2:20)

So Jesus be the center of Your church
Jesus be the center of Your church
And every knee will bow
And every tongue shall confess You Jesus, Jesus
Say His name, Jesus, Jesus...

When I sing Jesus be the center of Your church I am declaring Jesus to be the foundation of His church, submitting everything I have to build up the body of Christ.  Jesus is the Rock upon which He builds His church and calls the people of God to be 'united together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.'

"...built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone." (Ephesians 2:20)

Nothing else matters, nothing in this world will do
Jesus You're the center, everything revolves around You
Jesus You
Nothing else matters, nothing in this world will do
Jesus You're the center, everything revolves around You
Jesus You

From my heart to the Heavens
Jesus be the center
It's all about You
Yes it's all about You

Composed by Adam Ranney, Israel Houghton, Micah Massey
Copyright Columbia/Integrity Music

 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utTvlqjAhtM

The deep connection I have made with this song testifies to an experience I had during worship where I surrendered myself completely to Jesus through a liberating encounter with Holy Spirit.  I can truly say with conviction that Jesus is indeed at the center of it all!

An Untameable God

The words of Chris Tomlin's song Indescribable are a powerful poetic description of the awesome creative power of God who created the beauty, vastness and complexity of the universe. Yet, in the very title of this inspiring worship song is the paradox that, despite the best efforts of the song writer, God is indeed indescribable! Our language is inadequate to describe Him, our expectations too small to contain Him and our strength too weak to tame Him. In the presence of such a God, "Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God." 

Today, while attending the "Dwelling in the Spirit" conference in Melbourne I encountered the "indescribable, uncontainable, untameable" power of God as I fully surrendered myself to the presence of God's Spirit during an awesome time of worship. What made this time of worship so powerful, apart from following an amazing afternoon and evening of teaching and the tangible presence of Holy Spirit, was that there was absolutely no attempt to contain or tame the movement of God by those engaging in worship. There was an air of expectation and a deep desire to experience ALL of God, however that manifested itself. 

At times, I have been one of too many Christians who have tried to contain God to a size and image that fits our intellect or theology and have tried to tame the movement of God to that which is rational and controllable.  As I continue to witness God move in mighty ways, breaking through spiritual, emotional and physical barriers, releasing people from the bondage of sin to freedom in Christ, why would I (or anyone else) want to contain or tame that?! 

When Jesus gave His commission to the disciples, He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20) Contain that...NO WAY!! 

When God sent His Spirit at Pentecost, Peter witnessed to the crowd that, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Acts 2:17-21). Tame that...NO WAY!! 

Friends, it is time to stop restriction God's work in your life and His Church by reducing Holy Spirit's movement to something describable, containable or tameable! It is time to fully surrender to God, to fully embrace Holy Spirit and to be fully devoted to Jesus, allowing Him to radically transform your life and use you in ways you could never imagine!! It is time for the Church to remove any blockages that prevents Holy Spirit from being unleashed in worship, mission and ministry in Jesus name and to the glory of God!!!

It is time for every Christ follower to be "Awestruck" and "fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim You are amazing God."

Published in October/November 2013 edition of JAC:  Journal of Aggressive Christianity

Armed & Equipped

"From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other..."  (Nehemiah 4:16-17)

This passage of Scripture was shared as a devotional thought in a leadership meeting I attended last week with the reminder to defend ourselves against the enemy while doing the work of God.  As leaders of the church engaged in Christ's mission to establish His kingdom on earth we encounter all the forces of darkness that are working in opposition to kingdom values.  While the war has already been won through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, we continue to battle "against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" as we live between the times until the consummation of the kingdom of God when Jesus comes again.

To live victoriously and work successfully between the times it is essential to be well armed with the Word of God and well equipped to fulfil the work of God.  

To be well armed means to "put on the full armour of God" and to "pray in the Spirit on all occasions" (Ephesians 6:10-18).  To be well equipped means to "continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of...so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:10-17).

God has equipped us with every resource we need to fulfil His purpose and has given us His Spirit to empower us to complete His mission.  We are indeed well armed and well equipped to successfully live and work as the people of God!

Interfaith Conversations

Listen to what I shared with our congregation about the conversation I had with a Muslim man during the "Celebrating the Vision" segment in our morning service to celebrate the way Holy Spirit is opening opportunities for us to engage in interfaith conversations.

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I Am A Muslim

Recently, I was invited into a relationship with a Pakistani Muslim man who asked me to discuss Christianity with him.  After our initial conversation an invitation was extended to me to continue this journey of discovery with him in his home, where we were joined by one of his Muslim friends.  Together, Tahir, Mubashar and I discussed the commonalities between our faith perspectives and they inquired about what is attractive to me about my faith experience through The Salvation Army.  As I described to them what it means to belong to The Salvation Army, including a summary of our articles of faith and our covenant relationship with God, Mubashar enthusiastically grabbed my hand and exclaimed, "You are a Muslim!"

Before anybody thinks I have run off and converted, what transpired in this conversation between three men of faith was an acknowledgment of what we share in common, rather than an argument about what divides us.  Too often when we discuss Christianity with people with different faith perspectives, we use our differences as a platform for our proclamation and call it evangelism.  The irony of this approach is that our evangelism devalues relationship, contradicting the foundation of the message we are trying to share.

While there are indeed many differences in our faith perspectives and world views, when we choose a foundation of relationship that celebrates what we do share in common, we create an environment of trust that allows us to explore our differences, without giving false testimony to a relational God.

My conviction that Jesus Christ is "the way and the truth and the life" and that "no-one comes to the Father except through" Him is solid.  However, my commitment to genuine relationship is strong enough to allow me to explore a partial revelation of God with people on a faith journey so that I may have the opportunity to share a complete revelation of God through Jesus Christ! 

It is my earnest prayer and passion that all Christ followers will be mature enough in their faith to engage in a conversation that has already begun by Holy Spirit in the lives of those who are on a faith journey and seek common ground to develop a relationship where Jesus can be revealed.