In The Meantime

The morning after Christmas I was sitting in my living room drinking my coffee, watching the sun rise as my husband and children slept.  I thought about the miracle that we celebrated the day before, the miracle of Christ's birth.  As I watched the sun rise, I imagined Mary the day after Christ's birth.  I imagined her tired and her body sore, lying on a mat on a dirt floor in a stable for animals.  I imagined the baby Jesus crying from hunger and Mary trying to breastfeed Him.  I imagined the searing pain of a baby latching onto a sore nipple.  I imagined the frustration of trying to learn how to breastfeed, to get into the right position, all while a baby is screaming with hunger.  I imagined Joseph, frustrated and full of angst because he desired for his beloved to be in more comfortable conditions.  I imagined what it must have been like for him to look upon the baby that came from his wife, knowing with certainty that it didn't come from him, and choosing to believe in faith that it came from God.

What happens after a miracle?  The next day.

The next day happens.

And then the day after that.

Scripture gives us highlights of glory, but between those glories, between those paragraphs and pages, between Abraham's commission and Isaac's birth, life went on.  Between Jacob's ladder and Judah's reign, the daily grind continued.  We tend to get caught up in the highlights of the narrative and forget about the next day.  God works miracles and gives mankind staggering commissions, but in the meantime, those things are worked out in the mundane.  When God calls us to service, the call might be profound in the long-run, but that call is worked out day by day in the menial and obscure.  Mary gave birth to the Savior of Creation itself, the most glorious task ever given to a human being outside of Christ, but most of her time on this earth was spent doing daily human tasks.  For her-- "noble service" was worked out among "necessary task".  She breastfed her baby and changed His diapers.  She cooked meals for her family and she laundered clothing.  She was a wife to her husband and a mother to her children.  Scripture records the "Magnificat" at Luke Chapter 1:46-55, but is silent on the "meantime".

All ministry to the Lord is this way.  God places a call on our life and that call is worked out little by little, day by day.  We may have the occasional meeting with Him on the mountaintop, but most of our time is spent navigating the rocks on the way up and down.  Tedious, strenuous, methodical.  Times which we will become frustrated and tired.  Times which we may stumble and skin our knee.  Times which we may become discouraged and overwhelmed with the size of the mountain.  And even times which we may become disillusioned with the mountain and try to find a way off.

All too often I have become frustrated when I don't "feel" like I'm doing much for God.  When my service to Him looks like vacuuming the church sanctuary, updating the church registry, working someone's shift in the nursery or picking up the church mail.  We so easily get addicted to emotional highs or powerful moments, that is why ministries which focus on such are so dangerous.  Yes, God can and will reveal Himself to us on the mountaintop in powerful, spectacular ways, but more often than not, there is the mountainside of "in the meantime".  "In the meantime" is where God really does His greatest work in us.  It is where He teaches us patience, perseverance, compassion, understanding, persistence.  "In the meantime" is where God refines our character and burns away the dross. 

Do not get discouraged when you find yourself "in the meantime".  Surrender to God's work in you to create a steadfast spirit.  For it is the steadfast spirit which has the strongest foundation.  The steadfast spirit is well-equipped to weather the storm.  The steadfast spirit digs in deep and is in for the long-haul, regardless of the circumstances.  The steadfast spirit cannot be tempted away by the wiles of the enemy, nor driven away by his fiery darts.  The steadfast spirit follows hard after the Lord, full of the confidence of His presence no matter how much darkness surrounds.  The steadfast spirit has not built its house on the sand of emotional highs or the fleshly appeal of power, but on the steady rock of "in the meantime".

"Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain within me a willing spirit." (Ps 51:10-12)

"I gave my back to those who strike me and my cheek to those who pluck out the beard; I did not cover my face from humiliation and spitting. For the Lord God helps me, therefore I am not disgraced; Therefore I have set my face like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed." (Isaiah 50:6,7)

"On my bed I remember You; I think of You through the watches of the night. For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. My soul follows hard after You; Your right hand upholds me." (Psalm 63:6-8)

"Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance produces character; and character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, Whom He has given us." (Rom 5:3-5) 

Feet That Are Wont To Wander

I often get caught up in wrong thinking.  I stray into the mindset that I must do this or that, or pray for so many hours to be worthy enough for God to use me or speak to me.  Like, He will only work through me when I have fulfilled my part.  It is the poisonous mindset that I have to meet God halfway, as if somehow I could work my way into His favor and make myself usable through my own strength and by my own effort.

I stray into this mindset because I know that scripture says that if I will turn away from wickedness and cleanse myself from what is unfit, then He will use me for a special purpose (2 Tim 2:19-21).

I stray into this mindset because I know that scripture says that it is the pure in heart who will see God (Matt 5:8).

I stray into this mindset because I know that scripture says to make every effort to be holy, because without holiness, no one will see the Lord (Heb 12:14).

I stray into this mindset because I know that scripture says God upholds those who follow hard after Him (Ps 63:8) and to seek Him with our whole heart, and only then will He be found (Jer 29:13).

I stray into this mindset because Christ tells us to make every effort to enter through the narrow door because many will try and not be able (Luke 13:24).

I stray into this mindset because God's word to us implies a level of obligation and obedience on our part.  

We are told over and over again in scripture to turn from wickedness, to pursue holiness and that our love for Christ would be evidenced by our obedience (John 14:15-26).

But when it becomes more about my own effort, than about His sustaining grace, I lose my way and veer off the narrow path.  At Luke Chapter 12, Jesus said to seek God's kingdom and He will provide all our needs (12:31).  The parallel account at Matthew 6:33 expounds upon Jesus' meaning of seeking God's kingdom by adding, "..and His righteousness."  As Christians, we should long for righteousness in our heart.  That is an indicator of the genuine presence of the Holy Spirit in a true believer.  As a believer matures, that longing for righteousness will intensify.  And as that longing intensifies, so does that believer's ability to turn away from wickedness and sin.

When Jesus says that God will provide all our needs when we seek His kingdom and His righteousness, we tend to limit those Godly provisions to material needs, but He also meant that God would supply all our spiritual needs as well.  Our longing for righteousness is placed within our heart purely by the grace of God through our faith in Christ.  And we know that it is put there purely by His grace and through no effort of our own because immediately after Jesus instructs His disciples to seek God's kingdom, He tells them, "Do not be afraid little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom" (Luke 12:32).  As if He already anticipates our frustration at trying to obey His command through our own strength.

My problem is, sometimes I forget this.  Sometimes I forget to actively place my faith in the fact that God is on my side-- that He is rooting for me, not against me.  That He is not placing obstacles in my path, but removing them.  Sometimes I get caught up in seeking His kingdom like I am trying to obtain it through some sort of spiritual obstacle course, and forget that He has already freely given it.  Jesus isn't telling us to work for it like we are trying to earn it or obtain it, but like Matthew's parallel account points out, Jesus is telling us to make it our primary devotion-- to let our lives revolve around the pursuit of righteousness, for God and His holiness to be first in our lives and in the desire of our hearts.  God is after our heart, because it is our heart which will ultimately drive our efforts.  God is after our heart, because it is our heart that leads to the opening of the narrow door (Luke 13:24).

It is a very narrow path between the mindset of trying to earn God's kingdom on the one hand, versus the mindset of "I am covered by His grace, therefore no effort on my part is necessary" on the other.  Both are equally wrong and both are equally spiritually damaging when the pendulum swings too far toward one side or the other.  The only way we can walk such a narrow path is to be in intimate fellowship with our Savior.  Without such intimate fellowship, a believer-- and even the church itself-- falls out of balance, off the narrow path and onto the broad road leading to spiritual deception, and ultimately, spiritual destruction.  Many in the church today are on such a path-- a path on one side of the narrow way or the other-- because of gross neglect of prayer and spiritual intimacy with their Savior.

After Jesus tells the Disciples to seek God's kingdom and that it is the Father's good pleasure to give us the kingdom, He then tells them, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:34).  Therefore, if your heart longs for the narrow way, it is God's great pleasure to enable you to tread it. Thus, it is not about our ability to walk such a path in our own effort, but rather, it is about the longings of our heart.  The longing within us for righteousness and obedience and our surrender to such longing, which will ultimately drive our efforts.  The longing that is placed within us by His grace and a longing that can only be fed through intimate fellowship with Him.  And when I remind myself of that, as I often have to do, my straying feet are once again pointed back in the right direction.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me.  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in Me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in Me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be My disciples." (John 15:1-8)

Looking For A Stallion...Finding A Donkey

For almost 15 years I worked in an industry where I witnessed a lot of jockeying for authority, a lot of abuses of power, and a lot of lust for recognition and importance.  A lot of self-righteous superiority and inordinate concern about who was greatest or most in charge.  And although I am describing my experience as a Petroleum Landman in the oil and gas industry, I could just as easily be describing the church.  Just as much now as I did then, do I see many people looking for stallions to ride around on when we should be looking for a donkey.

The church has lost its vision of what true leadership and authority are supposed to look like.  Authority, leadership and headship have become idols in the church because we live in a culture that idolizes power, authority, influence, and recognition.

Zechariah gives a portrait of what righteous leadership looks like according to God:
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
     Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
     righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
     on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zech 9:9)

Donkeys are beasts of burden.  They are used to carry heavy loads

They are docile and humble. 
They are unassuming-- they are not pretentious and arrogant, but humble and meek. 
They are secure and un-bothered by their status as servant.

They seek out people to serve, not people to follow behind them.

They are essential to get the work done, but they are often overlooked and taken for granted. 

Yet it was a donkey that Jesus rode upon when He entered Jerusalem as king (Mark 11:1-11).

The Apostles argued among themselves as to who was greatest on more than one occasion.  Luke Chapter 9 tells us that when they began to argue, Christ-- knowing what was in their heart-- took a child next to His side and said, "..for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great" (Luke 9:48).  The parallel account at Matthew 18 gives us an additional record of Christ's words, "Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:4).

At Luke 22, we are told again that a dispute arose among the Apostles as to which of them would be considered the greatest and Jesus corrected them and said, "The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called 'Benefactors.' But it is not this way with you, but the one who is the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like the servant." (Luke 22:25,26).  The word translated as "Benefactors" is the Greek word EUERGETAI (yoo-erg-et-eye), which was a perfunctory title of honor conferred upon someone who was considered to be doing a service, which in this case that "service" was lording authority over a group of people.  It was a title for those seeking a title.  It was a label for someone who coveted importance and recognition.  In Jesus' teaching to the Apostles, He contrasts those who seek authority, recognition, and leadership, with those who are humble and whose service is often obscure and menial. 

When Jesus tells them that "the greatest among you must become like the youngest," He is telling them that they must take the lowest rank.  The culture that Jesus was dealing with ranked authority according to age.  Elders were highly respected and their age-accumulated wisdom was highly valued and honored.  Those who were the least respected or valued and those with the least influence or power, were the youngest.

Jesus goes on at Luke 22:27, "For who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But I am among you as the one who serves."  What Jesus does here is point out worldly assumptions and juxtaposes them against heavenly realities.  He asks them, who do they generally regard as more important, the one who is served or the one who serves?  Then He answers His own question with what is typically assumed according to our worldly reason, and then points out the incorrectness of that worldly assumption by saying, "Yet here I am, the greatest of the great, in the role of a servant and without a superficial title.  What do you make of that?"

When we read of Jesus' life, we read nothing of worldly glory or honor, we read nothing of bravado, machismo, or swagger.  When we read Isaiah's prophecy of the Heavenly King that would come to earth, we read words and phrases like:  no stately form or majesty, despised, forsaken, man of sorrows, acquainted with grief, no esteem, stricken, smitten, afflicted, pierced, crushed, chastened, scourged, oppressed, slaughtered, cut off, anguish, poured out unto death, bearing the sin of many (Isaiah 53:1-12).  This is the picture we are given of authority and leadership in God's kingdom.

Likewise, when we read of Jesus' birth, we read nothing of what the world would consider a grand entrance or dignified procession.  Instead of blaring a royal trumpet, the angel simply says of the Savior of the world, "You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a feed trough." (Luke 2:12).  According to heaven, the throne of God looks like a manger.  Do you get what I'm saying here?  The throne that God placed His Son upon was  a wooden trough used to feed animals. 

The embodiment of the glory of heaven and earth, the ultimate in authority and leadership was enthroned in a barn and His reign announced upon the back of a donkey.  Yet, in the church, we far too often emulate the Apostles and their concern about who should be in charge or who should be over whom more than we emulate Christ and His willingness to get on His knees and clean some nasty feet.  Far too often we seek to be greater than our Master (John 13:16).  Far too often we seek a stallion to ride around upon, when we should be looking for a donkey.

If you had asked any of those men that I once worked with in the oil and gas industry if they were humble, every single one of them would have told you, "Yes."  That type of self-deception and self-righteousness is the reality of our wretched condition.  The church is eat up with it.  In the church, we've coined the term "servant leader", but that term isn't given to us in scripture.  I think that term makes us more comfortable because, like the Apostles, we don't wanna let go of our idolatry of leadership, headship, and authority.  So we attach "leadership" to "servant" to make us feel better, but Jesus just left it at servant.  And when we just leave it at servant, it more accurately describes what Jesus was trying to communicate.

"If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." (John 13:14-17)

"Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, 'Come at once and recline at the table'? Won't he rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.'" (Luke 17:7-10)

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to cling to, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death--even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place, and gave Him the Name above all names, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil 2:3-11)

"Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matt 11:29)

Seated In Love

My six-year old has been sick this week.  The days she has been home sick, she has spent most of her time in my bed watching Christmas shows while I piddle around the house.  Throughout the day she wanders out of the bedroom to look for me.  She follows me around for a little while and then I usher her back into my bedroom where she stays for a little while, then inevitably wanders back out again to find me, follow me around for a little while, then I usher her back into the bedroom, and round and round we continue.  This morning I put on a movie for her so I could go into my closet and have some much needed quiet time with God.  I spent some time praising Him and had just begun to pray when she peeked her head through the door and crept in to see what I was doing.  A little irritated, I asked her what she needed and she replied, "I didn't know where you were so I looked for you."  I told her that I was right here, literally within feet of her the whole time.  And she responded, "But I can't see you, and when I can't see you it feels like you're not there." 

So often I have felt this way with God.  I often feel like my daughter-- content for a little while with the thought that He is near, yet inevitably succumbing to the desire to begin wandering around trying to find Him because when I can't see Him, it feels like He's not there.  But just like I am literally within a few steps from my daughter, God is always within arm's length from us.  My daughter may not know where I am, but she is safe because I know where she is.  She is safe even though she can't see me and may feel like I'm not there.

I think of the affection I feel for my daughter when I see her sweet, seeking face come around a corner or into a room and the look of relief and comfort that washes over her when she sees me standing there.  I am not angry with her because she gets anxious and doubtful.  I don't say, "Why don't you trust me?  Why don't you believe me?" I don't say these things to her because I understand that she needs to feel the comfort of my presence.  If I feel such affection, mercy, and understanding toward my daughter, I think of how much more understanding, mercy, and affection God must feel toward us.  I want her to feel safe and I want her to feel loved and I want her to trust me and know that I am trustworthy and I want her to know that my love for her is real.  I am prone to temptation and sin and if I, flawed and prone to such, feel such wonderful things toward my daughter, how much more does God, in His utter perfection, flawlessness, and holiness, feel those things toward us?

Jesus promised us, "...surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matt 28:20).  He also said, "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).  The word translated as "home" is the Greek word MONEN, which means dwelling place or abode.  It literally means a place where a person remains or abides.  A place where someone is at home and can always be found.  Jesus promised those who love Him, "Surely, I can always be found with you because I dwell with you, I am at home in you, seated in your love for Me.  Your faith is My abode."

"My God, I cry out by day, but You do not answer, by night, but I find no rest. But You are holy, You Who inhabit the praises of Israel." (Psalm 22:2,3)

"In Him the whole building is fitted together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together into a dwelling place for God in His Spirit." (Eph 2:21,22)

"Do you not know that you yourselves are God's temple, and that God's Spirit dwells in you?" (1 Cor 3:16)

"What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.'" (2 Cor 6:16)

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me." (Psalm 139:7-10).

Both Faces Of God

When I look at contemporary Christianity, I see a lot of vanity, distraction and ignorance.  I see a lot of ugly, hard truths that need to be faced that we don't wanna face.  I see plastic smiles and plastic platitudes peddling a plastic Jesus.  I see a lot of Band-Aids being applied to mortal wounds.  There are many hard, ugly truths that need to be faced in the church, but one which seems to consistently prick at my soul is the ugly, bitter pill of truth that the church is not a fraternity and was never meant to be one. 

We must move past the mindset that the church is a fraternity. 

The church is a family of brothers and sisters.  It is not a club for men who want authority, a title, recognition, power, or an order of brotherhood.  If your desire to serve Christ is fueled by bravado and an appeal to your masculinity, then it is a desire rooted in vanity.  The answer to liberal feminism is not glorified masculinity.  Christ never appealed to the men He chose by telling them that they were destined for greatness because they were men.  He never encouraged them in any way by a vain appeal to their gender.  Christ spoke to their soul.  He taught them to use their minds and hearts as human instruments of God, not as warriors on a God-given conquest.  Our identity in Christ isn't prioritized by how manly or womanly we are, it is prioritized by how pure our heart is and how teachable we are (Matt 5:8; 20:25-28; 23:10-12; Psalm 24:3,4).

There is brotherhood to be found in the church, but it is encompassed in the context of the unity we are to have in Christ (Gal 3:28).  Which means that along with brotherhood, there is also sisterhood and both are supposed to work together in unity and in mutual submission toward a mutual goal (Eph 5:21).  Recognize it or not, there is latent misogyny in the evangelical church and many are not willing to address it, whether out of ignorance or of fear of being labeled as a progressive feminist Nazi.  It is a misogyny that is masked with a veneer of patriarchal self-righteousness and a smug, misguided scriptural purpose.  Many churches are filled with gifted, intelligent women, who are systematically discriminated against and ignored simply because they are not men.  Don't waste your breath saying that women are of equal value and importance in the church when your actions speak otherwise.  God doesn't fill women with the gift of leadership to just be the church secretary or run the nurseries.  God doesn't bless a woman with the circumstances and ability to acquire a Master's Degree in theology to just pick out Sunday School curriculum.

We must apply an even hermeneutic.

How this is worked out in each church will be different, which is why women's roles in the church are considered a secondary issue and many churches will have different interpretations of the proper application of scripture in our time and culture.  The reality is, we don't apply an even hermeneutic to how we interpret scripture on this issue.  Case in point, most of the evangelical church disregards almost all of 1 Corinthians 14 as no longer applicable, except for two verses.  Which means that thirty-eight verses are thrown out, except for the two that talk about women being silent in the church.  1 Timothy 2:8 is cast aside into the pen of extinct cultural application, in favor of staunch legalistic adherence to 2:11 & 12 without any regard to context.  Paul's example of Eve's deception at verse 13 is interpreted as an eternal restriction upon women, even though he uses the same analogy at 2 Cor 11:3 as an example of the susceptibility of deception within the church as a whole.  Such inconsistency is reprehensible. 

All scripture that is interpreted as restrictive upon women--which is, in actuality, a scant few verses-- is didactic in nature.  The "letter" genre of scripture--which encompasses all of Paul's writings-- is didactic, which means by nature, it is situational and occasional.  It was written to address specific situations during a specific frame of time, which means not only that the theology being discussed was written for the task or situation at hand, but also means that we have to be aware of cultural relativity.  Meaning, we must apply good exegesis to determine what applies to the original audience alone, versus what spiritual principles are being taught that transcend culture and are a word to be applied for all seasons.  Good exegesis reconstructs the original situation the author was addressing, so that correct context can be determined.  Correct context is critical for determining proper application.

This is not a moral issue.

How women function in the church is not a moral issue.  And sin is not a cultural issue.  Sin is sin and God's view of sin does not change with the culture.  Homosexuality, adultery and fornication are moral issues.  They are sins and they will always be sins no matter what the cultural context is.  Sin is never a secondary issue because sin affects salvation and the working out thereof.  Thus, to put women's roles in the church in the same category as allowing homosexuality in the church or overlooking adultery and fornication among the men is not only utterly absurd, but also grossly out of context.  It is argumentum ad hominem. 

We must look at the bigger picture and focus on the central Biblical message.
The reality is, that there are scriptural applications which must be interpreted by looking at the overall Biblical witness and message and by applying an even, consistent hermeneutic based on that witness and message.  Slavery, which scripture was used to justify, would be included in such an application (1 Cor 7:21; Col 3:22; 4:1; Eph 6:5-9; 1 Tim 6:1,2; Titus 2:9,10; 1 Peter 2:18).  Also segregation (1 Kings 11:2; Deut 7:3,4; Joshua 23:12; Ezra 9:2; Nehemiah 13:23-25; Psalm 106:35), not giving women the right to vote (Eph 5:22; 1 Pet 3:1,2; 1 Cor 14:34; Col 3:18), and, believe it or not, even restricting pain prevention during childbirth was once justified by scripture (Gen 3:16).  Many times we interpret scripture pursuant to our personal perspective, feelings or opinions, and this is not an appropriate hermeneutic.

 

The fact of the matter is that half, and in many circumstances, over half the church is composed of women.  Yet in most evangelical churches they are woefully underrepresented and many feel that they have no voice.  In many evangelical churches, women are completely unrepresented in visible leadership roles and all church decisions are made by men.  People are leaving the church in droves and we must take an honest look at ourselves and ask why?  And I don't believe there will be a single answer.  But I do believe that part of the answer "why" will include our insistence to continue following vain methodologies and empty traditions rather than the leading of the Spirit, which was the fatal flaw of the Pharisees.  I believe that the mentality of "the women serve the men as the men serve Christ" was never Christ's intention for the church in the first place.  I believe that God will bring revival to the church and it is a revival that will be composed of both men and women working together, lifting each other up, encouraging each other, serving each other, doing nothing out of selfish pride or ambition, but in humility considering others more important than themselves, not looking to their own interests but putting other's needs before their own (Phil 2:3-5).  It will be a church without compartmentalization and without division, structured around Christ and Him alone.

I do not covet the pulpit, nor do I desire to have authority over men.  Honestly, I have no desire to have authority over anybody because I have four daughters to raise and a farm to maintain and Bible college to finish and a church to serve and I ain't got that kind of time.  But I will say that I am neither complimentarian nor egalitarian because for me to categorize myself into one camp or the other would be to categorize God.  It would be for me to assume that God is with one camp and against the other, which would be to further exacerbate the ingroup/outgroup mentality that pervades the church.  It would be for me to encourage the "us versus them" attitude.  Paul says about secondary issues in the church, to be "fully convinced in your own mind" (Rom 14:5).  Which means that churches which interpret scripture one way on the issue should not be condemned or criticized by those who interpret it another way.  There are copious amounts of theological pontificating on both sides of the argument, both presenting reasonable arguments, both resolute in their "correctness" of interpretation, both of which should let the other be, until Jesus comes back to sort out the details. 

Any form of discrimination not rooted in moral preservation creates, fuels, and fosters division in the church and opens the doors to bitterness, resentment, contempt and needless despondency and discouragement.  Regardless of how either side interprets scripture, God is most fully and gloriously represented through both men and women, which is why He created both genders and not just one.  He created them both to each be equally dependent upon the other, each voice and each perspective indispensable to the other, which means that each voice and each perspective are also dependent upon each other and indispensable to the other in the church.  In every area of the church.  Which means that men and women--both faces of God-- must work together in unity, rather than in exclusion, and in mutual submission rather than singular submission, toward a mutual goal of sharing the Gospel, making disciples, and building Christ's kingdom.

"God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.'" (Gen 1:27,28)

"Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ." (Eph 5:21)

"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3:28)

"For we are members of His body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This mystery is profound, but I am speaking about Christ and the church." (Eph 5:30-32)

"...But God has composed the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its members should have mutual concern for one another. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ and each of you is a member of it." (1 Cor 12:24-27)

Rise Up

Monday night I was falling asleep and I heard in my mind, "Pray for sinners."  I bolted up in bed and as soon as I realized what had just happened, I thought to myself, "That's it?  Pray for sinners?  God You could have told me anything, but You picked this?"  It seemed so mundane, and to tell Christians to pray for sinners seems like a foregone conclusion.  I thought, "God surely You don't expect me to just tell everyone You said, 'Pray for sinners', because their reaction is gonna be like, 'Well, duh.  Thanks for the earth-shaking revelation.'"

It is extremely rare that I hear the Holy Spirit that clearly.  So rare, that it always catches me off guard.  And so far, on those rare occasions in which I have heard the Spirit in mind so clearly, the words I hear don't seem very earth-shaking.  But that is exactly what we see in Scripture.  Scripture tells us that God uses the weak and foolish things of the world, the lowly and despised-- the things that are not, so that He can bring to nothing the things that are-- so that no one can boast in His presence (1 Cor 1:27-29).  That is why God changes the course of history through nondescript mangers.  He pours out Living Water in the isolated, scantly populated deserts of Galilee.  He redeems through unknown Carpenters.  One thing I have learned though, is that when God does speak, He is always communicating something important, but He wants us to seek Him further for the true depths of understanding, because that is how a conversation works and that is how you have a relationship with someone.  So, although in my own thinking and understanding I didn't really know what He meant by "pray for sinners", I knew He would give me the deeper understanding I needed if I were to faithfully seek His presence through prayer.  Which is exactly what I did over the next couple days, and this is what was laid upon my heart by the Holy Spirit to communicate to believers:

The misguided and misdirected among the human race are not your enemies (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60; Eph 6:12).  They are the pitiable slaves of your true enemy [Satan]. 

Just as scripture says that those in Christ are slaves to righteousness (Rom 6:18), those not in Christ are slaves to wickedness (2 Peter 2:19).  They are the children of their father, the devil (John 8:44). They are children of wrath (Eph 2:3), sons of disobedience (Eph 2:2, Col 3:6), and workers of iniquity (Matt 7:23).

Pray for sinners because you are going to be tempted to hate them, despise them, feel contempt and bitterness toward them, and feel discouraged by them, which will tempt even more believers into apostasy (2 Thess 2:3).

Pray for sinners because the devil works through them to batter the church and wage war on the church.  The weapons of your warfare and defense are not carnal, but divinely powered to demolish strongholds, arguments, presumptions and wicked machinations in the spiritual realm (2 Cor 10:4).

Pray for sinners because you are the only ones who will.  You are the only voices in heaven crying out to the Advocate on their wretched behalf (1 John 2:1).  You are a nation of priests, you are the sons and daughters of Your heavenly Father, crying out for the salvation of those who hate you (1 Peter 2:9; Matt 5:44,45).

Pray for sinners because beware you think you stand, lest you fall (1 Cor 10:11-13).  Pray that you yourselves are not tempted (Luke 22:46; 2 Peter 3:17).

Pray for sinners because they are lost and do not know the way.  You are the representatives of the heart of Christ, Who came to seek and save the lost and call sinners to repentance (Luke 5:32; 19:10).

Christ fought the greatest battle that has ever been won, and He waged it through prayer.

He defended Peter through prayer (Luke 22:32).

Christ would remove Himself from the crowds to pray (Luke 5:16; Matt 14:23; Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:28).

His prayers were intentional and done in isolation, and He purposefully sought the presence of God.

The night before His death, He covered His disciples and the mission which was entrusted to them in prayer (John 17).

The early church operated through prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42).

God has been really burdening me with the understanding that we will not spiritually survive the days ahead without prayer.  I cannot stress this enough.  You cannot underestimate your enemy and for crying out loud, we have got to get out of the mindset that we are just supposed to twiddle our thumbs while we wait for Christ to take us home.  WE ARE AT WAR PEOPLE!  And we're DYING OUT HERE, while lukewarm, armchair Christians try to convince everyone that we're just supposed to "rest in Christ" until He returns.  Paul clearly teaches that we are in a battle we are expected to fight in.  Why would we need armor IF WE AIN'T FIGHTIN' NOBODY??  Paul teaches that we are at war with rulers, authorities, and powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms "therefore put on the full armor of God so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand" (Eph 6:12,13).  Well guess what....WE ARE LIVING IN THAT DAY OF EVIL.  That "day of evil" has come, we're chest-deep in it, and there aren't many of us out here swinging a sword because nobody has time to pray.  If you ain't prayin' then you ain't even on the battlefield.

For the most part, Western Christianity is abysmally lacking in powerful, consistent, heartfelt prayer.  You are lucky to find a church nowadays that even has prayer meetings, and for those few that still do, it is usually only the same few people that actually show up.  Heck, you are lucky nowadays to even find a Christian that consistently goes to church (Heb 10:25).  The key element about the term "Body of Christ" is that all the parts need to be together to work right.  There are too many people trying to have an isolated relationship with God and they have no spiritual accountability to other believers (Prov 27:17; James 5:16) and are thus, spiritually ineffective and inert.

Throughout the last week or so, the phrase, "Rise Up", keeps going through my mind over and over.  The other day I was sitting at my computer working and the thought entered my mind, "To Rise Up, You Must Begin On Your Knees."  Indeed, we rise up to the throne of God to present our supplications and requests by getting on our knees in prayer.  We rise up against rulers, authorities and powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms by getting on our knees in faith that our Father has given us the victory.  We rise up in victory, by humbling ourselves before the throne.

Rise Up.

"The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.  I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." (Rom 8:16-18)

"Now we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this surpassingly great power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor 4:7-9)

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.  With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." (Eph 6:18)

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Col 4:2)

"Pray without ceasing." (2 Thess 5:17)

"Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." (Eph 6:14-17)

The Gospel Of Exile And Rejection

A few years ago when I felt God leading me to start my blog, I had big plans.  In 2012 He had led me to a small rural church where I started discipling under the Pastor and eventually started leading a women's Bible study group.  I was determined to grow the group, so we did mailers and I went around and placed announcements on people's car windshields.  I put up posters around town and regularly posted Facebook announcements.  Our church wasn't growing, not one visitor in almost 3 years, but I had determined in my heart that I was going to grow it, even if that meant we had a church full of women.  Besides, I figured I had "a lot to offer God", and I had all sorts of innovative ideas.

When I started the blog, I was ready to market it, advertise it and promote it.  God had given me the gift of writing and I was ready to use it for His glory....and mine.  I could easily write on topics that were captivating and engaging.  I could easily capitalize on the human tendency toward emotional appeal and prostitute my creativity toward cultural conformity.  I could easily weave together familiar culture and just enough Jesus to make it marketable.  But God said "No", and fortunately He helped me recognize it for the common temptation it was, and is, for many in ministry. 

When I first started this blog, God laid on my heart that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone that I was writing it.  There would be no promoting, no advertising, no marketing.  He also laid on my heart that the only thing I would ever write on here was what He laid on my heart to write.  I can't tell you how many articles I've started and never finished, or finished and trashed.  I can't tell you how many of these articles I've published and been hesitant to publish, for fear of what people might think.  For the first six months I wrote silently, the only person who knew was my Pastor.  For those six months I often whined to God, feeling like it was pointless and a waste of time to be pouring my heart out to no one.  Then one day, after six months of obedience, I felt led to put a link to an article on my Facebook page.  Ironically enough, it was to an article that I didn't feel comfortable sharing. Another hurdle of obedience.  And so it's been ever since-- one hurdle of obedience after the other.  God's way, God's timing, God's purposes.

The reason I'm sharing this is because of an article I read this morning about Benny Hinn's nephew. He tells about growing up in the worldly fruits of wealth and fame that come from the prosperity gospel.  He tells of the extravagant lifestyle afforded to those whose ministry is based on emotional appeal and capitalizing upon the human tendencies of desperation, greed, and naiveté.  He tells how the truth of the real Gospel message of meekness and humility and rejection mercifully brought the whole facade of the prosperity gospel crashing down in his life.  He tells of coming out of the confusion of the prosperity gospel  and into the clarity of God's true vision for His people, which is evangelism and discipleship that "transforms lost souls into found saints." 

Many of us are already aware of the illegitimacy of the prosperity gospel, so this comes as no new news.  However, what many of us are not aware of is the illegitimacy of any ministry that seeks the road of conformity and appeal.  There are many ministries which have thousands of "followers" because they are well-marketed, emotionally engaging, culturally relevant, or intellectually captivating.  The raw, bitter, and unmitigated truth which most won't admit, is that this draw toward being appealing is a temptation of everyone in ministry.  We are all susceptible to the draw of appeal, which ultimately ends up as self-promotion disguised as Gospel promotion.  Everyone in ministry feels the pull to "grow the church for God."  But what everyone in ministry doesn't admit, is the tempting pull to also grow a following.  What everyone in ministry doesn't admit, is the temptation to validate their ministry by how many people seem to follow or listen to them.

But God doesn't need us to sell His Gospel.  He doesn't need us to make it appealing, or marketable, or popular, or well-liked.  If truth be told, God really doesn't even need us to grow His church because He is fully capable of doing it Himself by the power of His Spirit.  However, God chooses to use us for this task.  He chooses, in His wisdom and grace, to work through us, for whatever reasons known only to Him.  God doesn't need our big plans and innovative ideas and the proven track-record of effective evangelistic methodologies.  I've said this before and I will say it again, one of the hardest things I've ever done is walk away from my own plans to grow God's kingdom and submit to His.  The deception of our own plans is so subtle, so reasonable, so justified.  As far as deception goes, the devil can't hold a candle to self-deception.  With self-deception, the enemy is in our own camp.  It is the treasonous coup of our own misguided will. 

What I have learned over the last five years since God called me into ministry, is that humility, meekness, patience, perseverance, and total, utter dependence upon God are the fruits of those who are truly called to Christian ministry.  I have learned that rejection and ridicule are the markers of those who speak genuine, soul-stirring truths.  I have learned that you cannot measure the validity of the ministry to which you have been called by how many people who agree with you.  Jesus said no disciple is greater than his teacher, nor servant greater than his master (Matt 10:24), and He preached more sermons at the dinner tables of sinners than He did to a stadium full of saints. 

He said the world hated Him first, therefore it will hate us too (John 15:18).  He said we are sheep among wolves (Matt 10:16), chosen out of the world to bring a message of salvation and hope that would be scorned and rejected by most because it is wholly unappealing to the intrinsic nature of sinful man.  A message that reminds us we are sinners who have no hope in this world or the next, without intimate devotion to Jesus Christ.  A message that demands the perpetual denial of self and of all the things the world tries to convince us we "deserve."  A message that chastises us when we wander away from the holiness that God desires in those who follow Him.  A message that turns a citizen of this world into an exile and sojourner.  A message that magnifies our flaws and weaknesses, and yet the message itself being the only answer to fixing them.  A message of hope, a message of humility, a message of things to let go of, but of great joy to come.  A message that cannot be sold and does not need to be marketed.  Because it is a message from God Himself, with the power to transform the human soul.

"Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, exiles scattered throughout..." (1 Peter 1:1)

"Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul." (1 Peter 2:11)

"Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves." (Luke 10:3)

"Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him." (John 13:6)

"He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem." (Isaiah 53:3)

"For many will come in My name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many...Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and killed, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. At that time many will fall away and will betray and hate one another, and many false prophets will arise and mislead many." (Matt 24:5,9-11)

"Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." (Matt 7:15)