Fire And Grace - David Johndrow: 2011

Thursday, November 24, 2011

I Am Thankful Today

On Monday, April 4th I was admitted to the Heart Trauma Center with congestive heart failure. You can read that story HERE.

On Tuesday my pastor drove down to visit me. I was on 12 liters of oxygen per hour. Daryl and I had a nice chat, and he prayed for me just before he left. As he prayed I could feel the anointing of God and I had a picture (internal vision) in my spirit. It was my heart and swirling around it were my heart enzymes. In that still small voice I heard the Lord say, "You will completely recover." I shared it with Daryl and he agreed, "I am not worried" he said.

I made tremendous progress that day. My ejection fraction went from the 20s to the high 30s!

Five days later I was home, although I went back the following day due to chest pain.

Nearly a month passed and I was recovering at home; resting, exercising, and eating right. One Sunday morning I took a shower and was heading for the YMCA to do my tri-weekly mile on the treadmill. It was 5 minutes to nine, the Mother's Day breakfast in bed was a success, and I wanted to get to the local church for the 10:30 service. I heard the Lord prompt me, "Go to the 9 o'clock service." I swapped my sweat pants for a pair of jeans and headed to the Vineyard.

I sat through the acoustic worship, then a sermon on forgiveness - you know, the f-bomb. Both were introspective. I was in the lobby getting ready to leave and one of the elders gave a word of knowledge. "There is someone here this morning with a weak heart which I believe God wants to heal." I didn't even hear him, but a woman that I know came and got me. I went up for prayer. There were only about 20 people there that morning, and God had a plan for David!

A few days later I sat in the cardiologist’s office. I could hear the nurse whispering to an aide. "Oh my God!" At first I thought something was wrong. I later found out that she had been comparing my EKG from the day I was admitted to the ICU to the one from my appointment that day, and there was a drastic difference! The cardiologist confirmed it with my echo-cardiogram saying that my heart function was now completely normal!

In fact, I went for my 6 month check up a few days and he said not only was my heart completely normal, but that I had made a full recovery.

Today I am thankful life itself.

What are you thankful for?

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Apostolic Reform

I have written many times about issues in the church, but today I want to offer some solutions for free! You may download a copy of my book.

How good/pertinent is my book? Well, I'd love for you to have a copy and give me some feed back. But before you do, here is what my friend Mark had to say.

David is part of a emerging generation of Equippers. Apostolic Reform takes a look at the 5-fold ministry with fresh eyes. The book opens the conversation about the importance for New Testament churches and leadership models. This book is a good introduction to the reformation happening in the Ecclesia at this hour. The focus of the book is the Body being equipped and coming forth to fulfill her destiny.

I recommend that all believers read this book at allow it to challenge you toward a fuller understanding of Apostolic Reformation and Kingdom living.

- Sr. Leader Village Church, NH

They say a picture paints a thousand words; likewise, without using many words, this
work by David details the 5-Fold ministry gifts of the church, and lays a foundation for a
much needed discussion concerning Apostolic reform. Projecting a vision which honors
the gifts God has placed in others, and activating them in the framework of a relational
team, reinforces the supernatural origins of the 5-Fold.

History reveals that "small unknowns" have both challenged and defeated giants. While this mini-book may look small, it contains revelation of a topic which can topple non-relational, institutionalized religion, which has held relational power infused Christianity captive for centuries. As my dad, who being small in stature says, "I may look small in size, but I am a big man inside", likewise this book contains greatness.

My hope is that church leadership will catch the heart of this work, embrace its contents, and begin a much needed discussion towards change.

- Daryl Nicolet, Sr. Leader, Faith Worship Center Pepperell, MA

Download Apostolic Reform - A Fresh Look at the 5-Fold Ministry right HERE.

Friday, October 7, 2011

My Destiny, and the Passing of Steve Jobs

I had a friend that wept when Ansal Adams, the famous landscape photographer, passed away. Some famous people that I have identified with in life have passed on during my life time: Keith Moon of the Who, Stevie Ray Vaughn of Double Trouble, Tommy Bolin of the James Gang and now Steve Jobs.of Apple.

I never met Keith, or Tommy Bolin, but I did meet SRV in New York in the 80s. I also met Steve Jobs in Boston in the early 90s. He was talking about the Internet, and his user-friendly Linux operating system NEXTStep. He had been banished from Apple and was not far from his alliance with Pixar (Toy Story etc.) NEXT was perfect, yet like so manything Steve Jobs, too far advanced for the average person.

Steve was just plain intense. Check out the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley.

Why am I emotional about the death of Steve Jobs? Well, 4 reasons.

-1 I think he was a genius because of his innovation. One does not need an IQ of a bajillion to be innovative. Certainly we owe every cool advancement in computers from the mouse, to the iPad to Apple. Microsoft and Google pale in comparison to innovation. I'm just sayin'

-2 The most amazing ad during a Superbowl.

-3 God used Steve's invention, the Macintosh to change my life, my career, and give me a testimony. It was even prophesied. HERE is the story of me, God and a Macintosh (pictured upper right).

-4 Eternity: I am not a universalist, and I don't think I will be seeing Steve in heaven. That makes me sad. Life is but a vapor, be eternity is a long, long time.

I would like to add that cancer sucks, and just maybe, Steve had an epiphany.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Prophetic School

I just finished teaching a Prophetic School at my church in which there were 60-75 students. It was exciting to see people that have never met one another, deliver a message with amazing accuracy; some of them for the first time in their lives.

I want to share a couple of other things which were pretty cool.

My friend, Mark Sanchez came down to the school along with my brother Lee and they were wonderful - edifying, and a real blessing. They are a great prophetic team. I am looking forward to ministering with them again in the future.

Another of my life events started when I felt I was supposed to go to a conference with my pastor. A year later I received a phone call from a guy that I have never met face-to-face, but we have talked to on the phone. His name is Bill Miracle. He called me about a month or so ago, and said: "One of us is going to California." We talked for a little bit and I received the word.

A few weeks later, I was asked by my pastor to attend a conference in California. I committed to go without having the funds to get there. My friends had been praying for a plane ticket. Not long after I received a word from a woman that I also have not met face-to-face; she lives in Vancouver. Here is her Facebook message to me on September 22:

"David, I was praying for you this afternoon, and I felt God say that the money for your ticket was going to come from your church, an honorarium, for teaching the course, perhaps?

I could have heard wrong (it's happened lots before), but I'm practicing hearing God and I have faith for you. Let me know how God provides."

At the end of the school, my pastor decided to do an offering. It was unusual because I attend the church and do classes for them all the time. In all the classes I have done we have never had an offering - well until this one. It was enough to fund my trip and also my wife as well.

I'll let you know how things go in California!

Monday, September 19, 2011

The New Direction

If you look back over the years of posts here at Fire & Grace, you'll see that God is at work in my life. I am going somewhere, and the next step is pretty well established. I am teaching at the Apostolic School. It is really what I love to do. In addition, it looks like there are some other opportunities as well. I could not be more excited!

So what is the new direction?

David is taking a new direction in his walk with Christ - no I am not going to become a Buddhist or a recluse, praying night and day - I am being promoted - the Lord has called me to some other areas of the Kingdom which have been on my heart for years! Like any good web site, no one wants to read all the fine print, so here are some FAQs:

Q. Are you quitting blogging?

A. Mostly, yes. I have been writing blogs since 2005, and there are now over 1000 of them on the Internet somewhere. I am sure you haven't read them all. In addition my weekly contribution on Kingdom Bloggers, the ones I have written on my own site, Fire & Grace, and recently post a few wise cracking blogs about weight loss on MyFitnessPal , there is lots of me to go around for some time to come.

Q. What will you be doing with your extra few hours a week?

A. It's a good question. I am devoting more time to teaching and ministry, which; is a great honor, privilege and joy. I had a prophetic word about returning to my second love (ministry over a year ago), it is just time. I have written a second book (the first one is free online HERE) which is out for editing. I hope to publish it as soon as I can afford to.

On a personal level, I am taking care of my health, my marriage, and my family. The heart trauma put a stress on every area of my life. I get up and run 2 miles pretty much everyday, and have dinner with my family every night. It's all good.

I will be posting from time to time - but there won't be a schedule for now.

Q. How can find out how all that is going on with David?

A. You can follow me on Twitter (or my ministry), that is the best way. I am going to be writing 140 character blogs on a regular basis, as well as updating those who care. You be able to see my progress working in the Kingdom, the details of my new book, and probably what I had for dinner - I often post grill pictures! Facebook is a good option too- but that is more about posting pictures of my family with goofy expressions.

Q. Will you miss blogging?

A. Of course I will, but what I loved about it the most was the people, not the words. Please stay in touch, and be blessed. As soon as the Lord gives me a street address in Heaven, I will be sure to post it. Until then, you can find me at FireAndGrace.com.

Q. Is there anything else?

A. Yes, the teaching and ministry requires travel, and I could use your prayer support. A couple of people asked if they could give financially, and the answer is yes. I need a plane ticket for late October.

Friday, September 9, 2011

5 1/2 Getting Down

I have some good news today!

Here is where I am heading!

The good news is after prayer at church my viral panel came back negative, completely healed! As I wrote about a few months back, after being called out with a word of knowledge at church: "someone with a weak heart", 3 days later I had a confirmed echo-cardiogram showing my heart was back to normal.

Two healings, two major ones! Wow!

I have found that I have two more health hurdles, and I expect the same from God. One of them is potentially serious, while the other is just a knee injury for which I am getting and MRI for later today.

You can pray for both issues if you like.

The other good news is that I am down 60 pounds from working out, and eating a bit differently. I have 25 to go.

Here are 5 1/2 things I am looking forward too:

1 Buying new shoes that tie, now that i can see my feet.

2 Putting on my old 32x34 black jeans.

3 Not wearing 40x32 pants with elastic waist bands.

4 Putting on a regular length tie that does not miss my belt line by 4 inches.

5 Getting completely off my blood pressure medication! (I am half way there)

5 1/2 Never seeing my weight start with "2"

Tell us about a change in your life that you are happy about?!

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

What is Sin Really? Why We are All Hypocrites

I started this post years ago, and it caught my eye again. I am need of a post, and this one was almost done.

To listen to a traditional evangelical preach the Gospel, we are quickly aware of the following points.

- We are all sinners (Romans 3:23)
- We all need a personal Savior: Jesus to be exact. (John 14:6)
- The Bible is law and our guide to God's will. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Those particular points ask the following questions:
- What is sin, and who says so?
- What happens when we sin after we are "saved" and have a personal relationship with Jesus?
- Why does it seem OK for some to sin?

What Is Sin?
1 John 3:4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.

Sin is breaking the Law, missing the mark set by God.

The word "sin" is a translation of the Greek word "hamartia" which means to miss the mark.

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Religious tradition labels many things as sin which the Bible does not. People make up all kinds of rules based on what they think is right. But God is the judge and only God can decree what sin is.

Mark 7:9 And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!

God has not left us to wonder what sin is. The Bible reveals it to us. We don't have to guess, or make it up as we go.

Just because you do something someone else thinks is wrong does not mean it is a sin. So don't let people condemn you over things the Bible does not clearly say are wrong. God is the judge.

Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Another error is to think being tempted is a sin. Temptation itself is not sin. You cannot help being tempted. Even Jesus was tempted - but He never yielded.

Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin

A common mistake is believing that having a desire is a sin. It is not a sin to be tempted with a bad thought. It only becomes a sin when we embrace those thoughts as our own and decide to act on them.

James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

God is against sin because it is deadly. Sin brings forth death, not life and blessing. God loves people, so He is against everything that harms people.

All sin harms people. (Just because you don't see how a sin would harm anyone, does not mean you know more than God.)

But no human can be right with God by never sinning. We have all fallen short and need a Savior. It is only by God's grace and His forgiveness that we can be right with God.

Romans 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

We can be glad because Jesus came to save sinners, and He paid the price for the forgiveness of all sins by shedding His blood.

Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

So what if we are saved, what about those sins?
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

It's a pretty good plan!

What do you think, is you faith in Jesus enough to receive His eternal grace and heavenly presence?

Friday, September 2, 2011

The Call of the Wild

Don't you find it interesting that a lot of Christians see ministry as a vocation? I belong to a Christian discussion group on Linked In and there was a big to-do about all this. It did make me think, why do people get in the God business any way? Are there folks in ministry that God did not call? Are their folks in ministry that he did call, and they are dormant because they don't fit the religious molds of the church?

Here is what David thinks about all this:

The indicators of calling are spiritually discerned. If someone is called they would know it in their spirit. For others to recognize the call - in particular a very young person (IE: King David) - it would have to be revealed by the Spirit.

I teach about being called in our 5-Fold School of Ministry. Here are some of the points I believe are the building blocks of "calling.".

- Ministry is not a vocation.
- Ministry is not a position.
- Ministry is not a title. (I think that some folks have concentrated on the "office" and not on the role.)
- Ministry if filling a God-given role in the church.
- Those who don't recognize their call are often in religious structures that do not permit, or recognize the role they are called to. There is no one to model it, or a lack of teaching. (The very reason we did the 5-Fold School)
- Intimacy with God defines our call (or the lack of it) I likened it to salvation. There is a point where we cross the line (called), however; we have to work it out and mature.
- Relationship also helps define our role. Paul was in relationship with Timothy and Barnabas. Those relationships helped define the role that he was called to. The same was true of Phillip the evangelist.
- The fruit of ministry confirms a person's role in the church. IE:
The apostle's fruit is sound doctrine, tasks and teams.
  The prophet's fruit is revelation, focus on the living word.
  The evangelists fruit is salvation and the watering of the saved.
  The pastors fruit is is the healing and wholeness of people.
  The teachers fruit is imparting the knowledge of God,
  They are the equippers for all other roles in the church.
  The elders fruits is teaching, and corporate healing.
  The deacons fruit is service.

Those that are called often go through a process:
-1 The Call (Hearing God)
-2 Submitting to Leadership (Learning to be obedient)
-3 Trained through Trials and Testing (Maturing)
-4 Desert Experience (Doing the right thing when no one is looking.)
-5 Reentry into the Church (Doing well in the little things, being a servant.)
-6 Appointment by Elders (Public recognition of the call)

I believe intimacy with God is the key. If we cannot see what the Father is doing, it is going to be really tough to do it.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

How Come God is not Logical?

I am back from blog vacation! I confess, after many years of blogging weekly, I didn't miss it. It gave me time to think more deeply about new topics, and rethink some old ones... my newest topic has been grace and I am actually teaching and online Bible study on Facebook entitled "The School of Grace", feel free to join me for 8 weeks.

I really hate legalism, wooden literal-ism, liberalism and super-intellectuals when it comes to Bible. I am serious, I have listened to so much "educated" mumbo-jumbo in 35 years I don't know where to start! To top it off I have heard 102,834,727,237,283 people say "I think", followed by a comment that you could't come close to making up with even the most liberal interpretation of the scriptures Therefore; today, I am going to take a look at how Jesus, Peter and Paul interpreted the Torah. It is quite enlightening when you really look into it.

Here is an example of Jesus interpreting the Scriptures:

Matthew 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'

And what is with Peter, a little too much new wine?

Acts 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘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.

Folks we need to ask ourselves this question: How the hell do we know what any of the Bible means? We read the books, study the Greek and Hebrew, listen to our seminary educated pastors and teachers, and yet religion prevails, and God is imprisoned in the minds of many.

Much of Christianity spends time pouring over the Scriptures as did the pharisees and the Scribes. And many just like them become educated in everything but the ways of the Spirit. We are taught that when Paul called his past education rubbish (Philippians 3:8), that somehow he is speaking of his past life, when in fact he is talking about all the education he had which did NOT bring him to the knowledge of Christ.

The relationship with the Spirit of God, the inner working of the Holy Spirit and knowing the voice of God are essential for understanding the Scriptures.

Romans 8:14 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

If you read the rest of the the Devil's discourse, and the other places in the Bible where the Torah is quoted, you would think that it was taken out of context - and in truth, it sure seems to be!

Jesus is very clear about who follows him:

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

God is not logical, He doesn't care if his ways follows scientifically proven "facts" of men, He does't care about your pet theologies, no; He wants you to know Him, to hear Him and to obey Him.

1 Corinthians 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

How about you, do you hear God?

Friday, August 26, 2011

...and the Oscar for Christian concepts and sybolism cleverly hidden in a secular film goes to...

Even though I’m completely responsible for this weeks Kingdom Blogger theme, this was one of my most difficult weeks. Not because I didn’t have anything to say…the problem was picking just a single movie/television show to focus on and dissect.

Those who know me (or regularly read Tony C Today) are already rolling their eyes and waiting for the Lonesome Dove or The Godfather breakdown. Sorry, Not today. While I often spew quotes from either movie like idioms on commitment to family and friends, I want to go with another one of my favorite classics…

The Shawshank Redemption

Has it been done before? Probably. Is it a tad overt? Maybe. But, the scene in the picture here alone warrants a closer look at how a prison movie can depict Christian values/themes.

The main character, Andy Dufresne, is as Job-like of a character as you will find in modern-day cinema. Convicted for a crime he didn’t commit, Andy is sent to his own person hell at Shawshank prison. But Andy isn’t completely innocent either. While he didn’t actually pull the trigger that kills his adulterous wife and her lover, he did contemplate the act in the movie’s opening scene (Matthew 5:28) and left himself open to incrimination and circumstantial evidence that lead to his judicial fall.

Upon arriving at Shawshank, Andy is first met by the Bible-thumping Warden Norton who professes to believe in two things: discipline and the Bible. The problem, as we come to realize, is Norton has very little self-discipline in his own life and doesn’t really apply the principles found in his beloved Bible to his life. He may know the Bible…but he sure doesn’t live the Bible. Norton would have made a great Pharisee.

After a rough start to prison life, Andy quickly accumulates the right kind of friends…well…as prison friends go that is. One of those friends is an old convict who most of the other inmates look up to called Red. Sentenced as a teenager for murder, Red is the prison ‘go-to’ guy if you need something. Andy’s first encounter with Red is to request a rock hammer which completely baffles the older con. When Red finally fills Andy request, they both share a laugh at the absurdly small hammer and the thoughts of someone being able to dig their way out with something that small.

The Shawshank Disciples

I believe the rock hammer is symbolic of Jesus for several reasons. First, Andy is in desperate need of Hope, and for him, the rock hammer represents that Hope (Romans 15:4). Red initially rejects that Hope stating Hope is a very dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane. Later in the movie, Andy leads Red to understand Hope by providing him a incentive to continue on with life once Red is released back into the world. Andy writes to Red- Remember Red, hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.

Jesus is my rock...hammer.

The symbolism is further carried out between Andy and the Warden. Despite coming to knowledge that Andy may in fact be innocent of the convicted crime, Norton keeps the information buried because he knows too much about his dirty dealings. During one exchange the Warden discovers the seemingly innocent tool handing it back to Andy with-I'd hate to deprive you of this. Salvation lies within. Later the Warden discovers Andy had, in fact, used the small hammer to dig his way out of his cell while all along hiding the tool in a carved out space in his Bible (which happens to start in the book of Exodus if you pay attention closely). Hope, coming from within the Bible, leads to salvation. Hmmmm. Andy jabs back at the Norton in a letter left for him that states- Dear Warden, you were right. Salvation lay within.

One last point (and I’m skipping many others), the closing scene shows Red reaching Andy
on a beach in a scene many would say looks like Heaven…or at least the Sea of Galilee.

Watching this film, it's easy to forget this is actually a Stephen King story.

Friday, August 19, 2011

It's the Truth - Grace

I am eventually going to be teaching at the The School of Grace. It is an awesome opportunity, and a good chance for me to dig into my own understanding of grace. This is one area where I have relied on the teaching of others, and now it is time to go deeper. Even if I don't actually teach on this, grace is part of the freedom I possess by faith.

I don't like to get too Bible about all this, but this is the central truth of the message of grace, and about who we are in Christ.

1 Corinthians 16 Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. 17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 18 Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them.

The Spirit of God in us, which has sealed us for the day of redemption, which has regenerated us, the very one that raised Christ from the dead; who is alive (the Spirit that miraculously co-mingles with ours when we came through the door of faith) is the new man!

If we can simply grasp the very fact that our spirit-man is Christ, that he is seen by God as completely perfect and completely glorious, then we will begin to see how this truth not only set us free, but it sets us free from the law of sin and death!

The Good News of Jesus Christ is not eternal salvation, but that by faith He comes to dwell in us in his fullness capturing our soul and creating a new man (or woman) that has all the qualities of Christ; for which there are many!

For many years I have been taught 2 things which are suspect. 1) That somehow my sin nature affects my spirit man, and 2) that there just might be something that I need to do to make my relationship with Christ better.

As it turns out, both are untrue. My regenerated spirit man (new man) has everything that the Kingdom has to offer - the inheritance of the riches of Christ. From the moment I was born again, every bit of Christ was manifest in me. My natural body may not have been aware of it all, but that doesn't make it untrue.

The work of the cross - salvation - is complete, and there is nothing that I can do to add anything to it. Nothing!

What is holding us back? Releasing the new (spirit) man by a conscious choice so we may connect with the good works for which we were created to do by faith. This becomes easier from spending relational time (not religious time) with the our Father.

What do you think, is the work of Jesus Christ complete? Tell us what hinders you?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Who the Heck do You Think You Are?

Last Friday I wrote about grace and mercy. Today I want to write about grace from a little different perspective.

I have a friend that said: :Mercy is not getting what we deserve, and grace is getting what we don't deserve; I'll take both." I like that, but it still makes grace a verb, when the work of Jesus Christ is really a know. How can that be? Well, John said that God is love, and I would submit to you that he is also grace. His person is pure grace, pure love, and pure peace.

When we connect with the love of God by faith, we become capable of being his love to others. It is the same with grace and peace. We don't extend anyone unmerited favor, we allow the person of Christ to work through us.

As we release the Spirit, the new man becomes Jesus to those in our lives; in fact we are meant to be overflowing with it!

Here is how I got there. Jesus was 100% man, while he was 100% God; it is possible for God to be many things at one time. His attributes and names number well over 600 in the Bible. He is a lot things, but the most important is alive. As he lives eternally, the ebb and flow of the Kingdom of God is consuming souls for eternity! He is constantly at work regenerating men and woman of faith.

Grace is one of those eternal persons of Christ. It is alive. It has a manifest presence just as his love does, and by faith we can feel it. And he can wrap his arms around us, and live in us!

We often talk about grace as though it is legal transaction, but it is so much more than that. Grace is the fullness of Christ in us! It is the new man, it is not help to fix the old man.

How about you, how has grace changed your life?

Friday, August 12, 2011

Aren't You Sick of Being Called a Sinner?

The first time I heard about grace, it was one of those silly acronyms used in a teaching. It worked, I still remember it after 30+ years. GRACE = God's Riches At Christ's Expense. It was meant to remind me of the work that was done on the cross for David, and to remind me that salvation is a free gift that I received by faith in that work. At the time it was a sobering message for a selfish sinner. I guess some how I thought that I found Jesus, when the truth was he mugged me at conference.

Like many other things in the church, the message of grace has been abused in the church. It's been that way for a long time.

Grace is the love of God poured out on those that do not deserve it: murderers, rapists, child molesters, gays and even Democrats and Wall Street Execs. See, I told you it was a sobering message! Some times it is confused with mercy, which is given to those whose hearts will receive it. In the Old Testament, grace is not mentioned with mercy. It is the new covenant, the one in which started after the resurrection of Christ. The Old Covenant fell under the law, and each year the Jews would make a presentation at the mercy seat. There was a ritual in which they would continually ask God to cleanse them of their sins. That is mercy, the repeal of judgment.

Until Jesus finished the work on the cross, that is all there was. They didn't have the Holy Spirit, the very power that raised Jesus from the dead living in them. Once Jesus fulfilled the law, not only did the tombs split open and many walk about the city, but each successive generation entered the age of grace.

For those that ask WWJD, the temptation is to live under the old covenant. Jesus did! He obeyed the law (as it was meant to be obeyed, not some crazy religious bologna!) The cross, however; separates the law from grace, and that is the point of today's blog.

We live in the age of grace, and it is not only free, but freeing too!

This is the wonderful thing about the life of the Apostle Paul, he only lived in grace after his conversion. That is why he was set against all of the religious junk that he had been taught previously - including some of Peter's junk! Paul walked by faith, lived by the Spirit and presented the "new man" in Christ.

I have often heard the term, "sinner saved by grace", but that is really not a correct statement - my apologies to John Newton. We are saved by faith in the finished work of Jesus. What takes place in our conversion, is the result of grace. I was a sinner save by faith, and now I am enjoying the fruit of the grace of God which I cannot manipulate; it is a done deal. In the same way a pickle can never be a cucumber, I cannot undo grace, or make it better by anything that I do.

Not only did the grace of God save a wretch like Paul (and me), but that same grace allowed a new man to be created in Paul, the co-mingling of God's Spirit and the human spirit. It is like God is yellow and I am blue, but together we are green!

When we receive Christ by faith, a new entity is created which unfortunately lives in an old body. The new entity is eternal, and the old body is corrupt, and it will die. That is why we need a new body in the age to come!

We are often taught about the battle between flesh and spirit. That is not really the battle. We are never going to be able to make this body (flesh, bone and soul) conform to the things to the Spirit. We need to hear God, and obey by the Spirit. We are going no where under our own power!

The new entity is entirely the work of grace. The fact that this new entity is eternal, is due to the mercy of God. There is nothing that we can do to earn grace, but to best understand it, we will have to let the old man die - and the sooner the better.

How about you, are you still presenting yourself as a sinner, or are you letting the new man out?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

It's Like Christmas Eve!

I am sitting here in my office, and not a creature is stirring, not even a mouse, or the noisy chihuahuas; not even the 7-year-old. In my spirit I am as excited as a kid on Christmas eve. I don't even know what God is doing quite yet (I usually get the memo about the time it is happening).

So what is going on? Well, the Spirit of God is beginning to move in our region. Some of the things that I have brooded over, prayed about, and had vision for are on the precipice. How do I know? Well, my spirit is raging. Emotionally life is just the same old, same old.I am working part time, exercising and recovering from a heart trauma. It it has taken a physical and financial toll, but the Kingdom of God is where I live.

There is a saying: some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good, others are so earthly minded that they are no heavenly good. it is meant to point out the balance between living here, and living there. Me, I prefer to walk by the Spirit. Whatever Jesus is doing, that is where I want to be. I am not too good at my earthly responsibilities some days; however, I do try!

I had started this post on Monday, not knowing where it is going. Today the phone rang, and I was asked to do some ministry!?!?!

September launches a very special type of ministry for me. I will be ministering at the School of Grace in Keene, NH on the 9th and 10th, with my brother and his pastor. Then I am running a School of Prophecy on the 31st-1st at my own church. Wow! Having sat on the sidelines for many years just writing this blog, it seems a little daunting. In addition I will be training a lot of folks in my church in the basic concepts of personal ministry such as the laying on of hands for healing, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, Salvation and the confession of sin. Exciting!

I am also hoping to do a mission trip next year, and I am hoping to see what comes together for that.

If you feel so moved, I would covet your prayers. It is so much more than a vocation, it is a battle and I am sure going to need to be ready for it!

Thanks for reading along. Tell us what you are looking forward too, even if it is vacation!

Friday, August 5, 2011

5 1/2 Solving all the Problems in the USA

For those that know me, I am pretty politically involved. God gave me a country, a vote, and a spirit that is co-mingled with His to help me be discerning, have love, wisdom and compassion for my fellow man. I ask you from the very beginning of this blog, how will the government ever be more godly unless Christians get involved?

I have often thought about running for an office. I even received a donation once, as well as encouragement from others to in fact run. I am still thinking about it. We have so many important issues facing us here in the USA, that I would like to get in there and represent the people of my state in some capacity.

Because I care about solutions, I have a hard time with party politics!

Today, if I were running for the Congress, here are my top issues with some simple solutions. (Sure they can be complex, but a broad view often helps put an outline to the solution.)

-1 Taxes, Social Security and Medicare: I think that every one needs to pay taxes. The Flat Tax is the best plan (though I like the Fair Tax except that it screws seniors who have paid under the current system all their lives.). We could get rid of the IRS and take a flat percentage out of every type of income, wages, tips, interest, corporate profits and a short list of capital gains. I don't know what the percentage is, but it would have to fund the budget.

We could tax profits from corporations and lose the subsidies. The only deductions I would give them would be a reduction in employment taxes for keeping jobs here in the US, and for certain types of innovation. For example, ones that get us off foreign oil!

Put SSI and Medicare in their own funds with their own budgets. This is how SSI used to be until LBJ started to rob it to fund the Vietnam war.

We have now reduced the power of special interest groups, and the temptation to rob SSI and Medicare to fund everything else.

I like the idea of a balanced budget amendment as a percentage of GDP! (You do know that this week we hit 100%, borrowing as much as we take in!)

-2 Immigration: Lock down the borders with whatever it takes: fences, moats, soldiers - get it done. Make a line, and put everyone in it! Make a set of hurdles that must be overcome by each immigrant. Learn English, pass a citizenship test (all US students should!), keep your record clean and in 3 years you are in if you have a job.

Get rid of the criminals that are here.

Fine the illegals that are here and put them in the line if they know English and have a clean record.

Heavy fines for companies that hire illegals!

Start a real guest worked plan that hires immigrants after companies have run an ad for 15 days to hire American Citizens.

-3 Jobs: Provide incentives for companies to hire people, to innovate, and to keep workers. Government jobs cost tens of thousands of dollars to create. The private sector runs a free ad on Craigslist and it is done. Here the employment tax could help as a sort of tariff to keep labor here. The tax could be used to fund education for Americans.

If we are already giving workers assistance for not working, how about we let them have the assistance for a period time after they start a job so that the incentive is there for both employee, and employer? We want people to feel good about getting back to work (or starting work altogether). Unemployment needs some reform here too. It is too easy to take a vacation.

If the Feds reduced taxes on business, the states could do a better job of controlling costs at a local level. This helps create jobs. IE: A financial company got a better deal on taxes from a neighboring state and move 1,500 workers over the border here in MA. Another company sent 3,000 jobs to China after we funded their start up?!?!? Hello!

-4 Health Care: It's a huge mess. Start over! Let's get a basic coverage outline for what health care is. How about a yearly physical, dental and eye exam along with mammograms and colonoscopies (Washington could use a few dozen of these to find their heads!). Then add major medical coverage for important conditions. The pay for everything system is not going to be affordable. Again, safety net, not hammock.

The rest could be picked up by insurance companies if citizens choose to have it. This way no one if forced to purchase something. They have a safety net for huge things, and basic preventive care. Let the insurance companies compete for all the vanity options, additional visits and medication. It is not perfect, but at least people get to see a doctor every year as apposed to never having any care at all.

I like the idea that no preexisting condition can cause you to be declined coverage or dropped for whatever reason.

And how about a cap on malpractice suits? Most life insurance policies are $300-500K. It is a good start.

-5 Welfare: If you can work, you should. Why we pay some people to sit around and do nothing is beyond me! It should be a safety net, not a hammock! I am not talking about sick or disabled people, I am taking about people that don't want to work, or are not motivated to work because, well, it's easier to collect a check. It would be better to put them to work doing something that we pay government contractors for, than to allow this to go on.

While I am on it: Prisoners live better than many seniors in nursing homes. I have a problem with that. And you should too! Oh yeah, and why don't we have non-violent prisoners on home-confinement and let them pay for their room and board?

- 5 1/2 Big Government:: There are too many ridiculous line items to mention. Can't we keep it to military protection, infrastructure for commerce and a few important regulatory and informational agencies (NRC, NOAH, FDA etc)? Leave education to the states along with a host of other things.

So what do you think, did I cover important things? Are my solution reasonable and workable - well once we get rid of the current crop of ineffective representatives!

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Blog Redistribution - The Bible is a Good Book! (Bible BS)

I have been writing Fire & Grace for many years; in fact this is my 600th post. in that time I have only had one guest blogger. (Well, I had some on my 500th Blog-a-versary). As I am recovering from all this heart stuff - actually I am feeling pretty good - I need some time to spend on other things. Therefore, I am inviting you to do a guest post. Yup, that's right. I'd like to feature them once a week, maybe twice of they are really good. They can be fun, testimonies, teaching in nature, or politics. Just leave a comment with a way to contact you. (Comments are moderated, so I don't have to post them!)

The Bible is a good book, don't you think? Or, maybe you don't, and think Ex-Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards is a saint. It doesn't matter. The fact that this very blog might be about the Bible may already have you thinking "I'm bored," or "religion is not for me." If it was my kid listening to this, she might slip in one earphone from the iPod as she was talking to me - or disappear into a text message frenzy ending with a one word sentence, "Huh?"

When a message is not received, it doesn't always mean that the message is flawed - but it might be the messenger is - I'll take my chances.

Have you asked yourself if you really believe the Bible from Genesis to Maps - and why? Do you think that Adam and Eve were real people? How about that Noah fellow, did he really build an ark that housed two of each? Do you think the ark smelled after 40 days? I do. And the Gaterenian Demoniac, was he just mentally ill? Then how did Jesus heal him?

It's hard, isn't it, to read the Bible and understand it? But you know it's the truth - and if God said it, you believe it, right? Or maybe you think it is simply inspired writing, a collection of history, poetry, allegory and crazy prophetic visions written by religious folks to inspire people to do good.

Do you have an authorized version of the Bible or GAK! an unauthorized version? For some The Message is absolute blasphemy, for others the NIV, written on a 6th grade reading level, is inaccurate.

How authoritative is your Bible? Has it changed your life? Tell us how in the comments section.

Do you bring your Bible to church? I don't. I kept losing them. They are not very authoritative if you can't find them. And my pet peeve is people that found my bibles, which were inscribed with my name and phone number, and never returned them! Some Christians need to be whipped.

I used to be a religious underliner - well until someone gave me a Sharpee marker that bled through 18 pages of John, obscuring the odd chapters, starting with 3.

Do you share what you know about the Bible with others? I try.

Jonah had a real struggle with getting the word of God to needy folks, and God slowly but surely narrowed his pathway to success until he got it. Do you think that is a historical account? HERE is a great blog about Jonah by my friend Joyce Lighari.

In light of John Edwards admission of guilt for fathering a child with his mistress a few years back, do you think that matters to God? Can God forgive him? How about David Letterman? What about the Oslo killer?Osama bin Laden? Barrak Obama? What does the Bible say about it?

If we're honest, most of us don't have all that much time for Bible reading. Many of us probably spend more time brushing our teeth or putting on make up - even spending more time wolfing down lunch or breakfast at a fast food joint, then we do reading the Bible. Hopefully we do make time every day - at least read a chapter or look for a juicy verse to post on Facebook or Twitter so people know that we are religious folks.

I have met a lot of people that believe the only will of God is in the Bible, so I looked in there to see which job I should take when I had two offers. It didn't help! I thought about putting out a fleece like Gideon, but is that really faith?

And all those supposed biblical errors - I don't know what to do about them. Do you?

I once went to a church that worshipped the Bible. The sermons were filled with proof texts and little else - they called it the truth. So, I asked them about John 14:12, "doing greater things than Jesus." It was puzzling because if Jesus was limited to only the very things we see in the pages of the Bible, then how could we do something greater?

I further inquired (read that , blasted them) regarding John 21:25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

For fun I asked them to tell me what the unforgivable sin was.

Tell me, what do you believe about the Bible? Are their parts that are not true? I'm hoping for a lively discussion. But don't give us any BS (Bible Stupidity).

Monday, August 1, 2011

I Can't Believe It, I am Religious Too!

The End of the Block

I am up at 5:45 every morning. I head on downstairs, switch on the PC in the office, make my way to the kitchen for my daily cup-o-joe, let the dogs out while it brews, and head back to the keyboard to check my email, Facebook, log my blood pressure, and get ready to run a few miles.

It is the same all the time; my formula for getting the day started. It's pretty rigid, and very religious. It is sort of like church every day; predictable, ordered and well, routine.

Having suffered a major heart trauma in April, I am not only grateful for the simple things, such as not being in the hospital, that I could not go back to work unless I had my life in better order. Although I was exercising regularly, I wasn't as serious about it as I am now.

I like to run outside as often as I can. We did get 88" of snow this past year, so the gym is a good option during the winter months and the treadmills are wide enough for snowshoes.

As spring became summer, it is best to run early when it a cooler; that and I only have to take one shower a day. Recently I noticed the crosswalk gods were good to me, and repainted them all, not that there are many cars on the road at 6:15 am.

The Pond and the Lily Pads

I get to the end of the block, some times I am still half asleep. My trusty Android watching my heart rate, counting my steps, averaging my pace, monitoring my speed and route along with a custom play list of "running" tunes such as: Take the Money and Run (S Miller), Born to Be Wild (Steppinwolf), Set Me on Fire (Burn Service), Born to Run (Springsteen), Let it Rain, Turn it Around (Israel Houghton and the New Breed) and similar fast paced rock and worship tunes.

The music can really set the pace, and wimpy slow stuff is out!

I pass by a small pond with swans about the same time CardioTrainer tells me that I have just completed 3 tenths of a mile. On occasion there is a Blue Heron who fishes among the lily pads. As I pick up the pace, jogging a few more blocks to warm up, I decide on a route for the morning. I have 4, with the shortest being about a mile and half, and the longest being closer to 4 miles. I like the one with the steady 1/2 mile slope that passes by Mass Bay College the best, though I run it backwards as well.

Mass Bay

A mile in, I check my time to see where I am. My stamina is good for longer, but my knee (some runners knee due to not warming up!) and the fact that I need to get to work, push and pull the pace for the second mile.

Adjusting the tempo of sneaker-to-pavement, I have certain songs that make me want to pray, so I do. I pray for revival in my town, my church, my state and the US, all while I huff-and-puff my way down the sidewalk.

I don't get to be too religious in my prayers as I am zipping by the scenery at 6.5 miles per hour. I just ask, and move on to the next item on my list. I don't recommend this as a regular way of praying, but some of the music just lends itself to certain prayers.

I pass a few other runners from the National Guard Armory. Those guys move! There are a couple of other faces that give a quick smile or slight wave as they pass in the other direction fiddling with their iPods. On the lawn at the school I see a few folks practicing Tai Chi at 6:30 am.

I often think about what one does in Tai Chi that might connect them with God. I guess it seems a little religious to me - ha!

Like a little city, dozens of squirrels amuse themselves beneath the oaks, gathering acorns and eating breakfast.

As I round the corner and head down the hill towards the lake, I can see the hospital where I was in ICU just a few short months ago. I think about how many thousands of beats my heart has made since that day - I thank God.

I am glad that I had good care, insurance, and have had an excellent recovery; many do not. I often think about folks who rely on all that and don't have Jesus.

I pour on the speed for the last half mile. Now I am thinking about getting home, getting a lunch made, grabbing a shower and heading to work in rush hour traffic.

As I walk the 2 houses to my front door, I often wish I could go longer. Certainly not working would help!

How about you, are you religious about anything?

Friday, July 29, 2011

The Holy Spirit vs Religion

In my enthusiasm for the Holy Spirit - the witness of Jesus on earth - I just couldn't contain myself. I somehow rounded up a bunch of friends from the local evangelical church and invited them to one of the conference meetings. They were nice folks, loving, but always struggling. By there own admission, they were saved, but each one confessed that they didn't seem to be going anywhere with God. Religion for them was boring and bit dry. They had been told that tongues were of the devil, and that any worship of the Holy Spirit and not about Jesus, was a cult.

Off we went to the meeting!

“Do you believe God?” shouted a loud and fiery preacher from the platform; right in the midst of worship. There was such a sense of the need to repent, that I hit my knees as soon as I found a seat. Closing my eyes, I quietly cried out, “God forgive me, God forgive me! Oh Jesus, please forgive me.” I wasn't looking around me—it was me and the Lord right then. A few minutes later, when I felt a release, I stood to my feet and I noticed that hundreds were on their knees around the sanctuary. Except for an Anglican mass, I had never seen such a sight.

The meeting went on going between worship and preaching, to prophesying and praying, and back to preaching again. The air was filled with anticipation. I hung on every word, every note expecting something to happen. What, I didn't know.

At the first of many altar calls that evening; a couple that I was with went forward. The husband asked for healing for his a lung disorder. As the presence of God came on him, the preacher asked him to recite the sinner’s prayer. He just began to cry as he mouthed the words.

“Are you full of the Spirit?” she asked. “You know, God won’t give you a scorpion when you ask for an egg.” She continued. “Do you want to be full of His spirit, His Holy Spirit?”

He barely eked out a “yes,” and the power of God caused him to lean forward 45 degrees to the floor. As he started to speak in tongues, he just hung there, almost suspended in thin air.

“Now do you want to be healed?” she asked.

“Yes” he said, and hit the floor, overcome by the power of God.

The preacher leaned over and grabbed his hand, “Get up and run! Show everyone what God has done for you tonight!” She exclaimed.

He got up and ran around that sanctuary! “I can breath!” he shouted as he took his victory lap down the center aisle. People clapped and gave God praise as he returned to the seat next to me.

Next it was his wife’s turn. They had been trying to have a baby for nearly five years. One of the ministers laid hands on her belly, and shouted. “I break the curse of bareness over your womb!” She fell to the floor.

A few weeks later my friend’s wife was sick in the mornings and went for a pregnancy test. The doctor determined, not only that she was pregnant, but that she had conceived the day of the conference! We laugh about it every time we bump into each other. Because of her healing that night, they went home and believed God for her miracle.

What do you think, is it God or not?

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

All Hands On - Rejecting Biblical Leadership

Just about all people follow someone's leadership. They have heroes, bosses, managers, parents, pastors and teachers. And yet most of us also lead. We can lead ourselves, a family, or a country; someone is in always in charge. I believe Church leadership is partly talent, partly learned and always entrusted to us by God.

All of our choices have consequences, and therefore are leading somewhere.

Every entity has some sort of leadership; the church is not exempt from that. It seems I have come across more then few uniformed church people in the area of leadership. They don't seem to understand the fundamentals of leading, but have no problem taking control. They don't seem to get that leadership is not about them, but about those they lead. Simply stated in the Bible, "But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first." Leadership in the church is about getting at the end of the blessing line and encouraging others to join you. Church leadership is really a place of sacrifice, humility and service.

Within the church there are different visions for leadership. Some churches have a board, others have a voting deaconate, some seem more like a corporation and others are one man; one vision, take it or leave type operations. There are also different leadership styles, some are aggressive, some are not. John Maxwell has written some good solid leadership books. He details some of the key principles of leadership. Real leadership seems to have a persuasive nature to it. A leader interfaces with people in a fashion that motivates them to do things your way. Leaders take responsibility for their actions and choices. Good leaders are an example to their followers and know how to delegate to others. A good leader considers lots of ideas.

What if all that training, all those ideas, and all that counsel is not God?

Regardless of our style, Christians need to adhere to biblical principals. What amazes me is that many don't know what they are. Here is one that shows up a lot, but I don't see it in the Bible. Voting! No one in the Bible voted on anything... save Paul before his conversion to put Christians to death. They cast lots to give God and opportunity to show His preference. But they didn't vote! They relied on wisdom, council, prophecy and hearing the Holy Spirit. You may remember that Peter and Paul addressed some conflicts, but this was an informational meeting for the uninformed, not a vote. When we understand church leadership is being led, we come up with some very different models.

In the church we seem to have a CEO mentality... I am the boss you are the workers; or worse, the spectators! This view is an American corporate teaching, not a biblical teaching. In business I guess it works, but in the church it separates the leadership from those that need more intimate attention. It turns people in to commodities, not parts of a body joined together by grace to perform the work of the church. Certainly we have to have authority in the church, but that comes from God and it is not controlling everyone, or trying to make everyone like us. The church is meant to be a body with all the parts working together to fulfill the mandates of Christ. There are many scriptures regarding the body and it's functioning. Read 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 along with Romans 12, and Ephesians 4. These chapters talk about the body and the gifts that are used both in the and outside of the church walls. Ephesians 4 specifically talks about how we are to train and equip all believers.

If you look over your life I am sure you can think of people, teachers, pastors, parents, coaches and managers that taught you things, not by control and manipulation, but by modeling principals and behaviors, answering questions, and encouragement. They answered your questions with interest and information in a way that that you could understand. They allowed you to do it and helped you to become your best.

Over the years I have heard of all kinds of discipleship movements. My favorite was the matrix model. I liked it because it took those in leadership and asked of them to raise-up someone to take their job within the church. From pastors and worship leaders to Sunday school teachers and toilet cleaners, everyone serving in the church was to raise someone else up! It was something like an Elijah and Elisha type relationship. Or a better example might be Jesus and the 12 apostles. He trained them for a time when He would be gone they took over. I am sure that they were glad that He was around when they had to feed the 5,000 men and their families. But on the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was with them and thousands were added to their number.

We may only be making coffee, but that is an important job in the church and when we grow into something new, we'll need someone to take our place. If you are a leader, don't be threatened by your protegé, he might just do a better job. Wouldn't it be great if those we inspired did a better job then us! We don't have to be experts or super spiritual, no, we need to get at the end of the line and put someone before us. And if God sees fit, we'll get a promotion to do something else.

How about you, do you lead, or have an inspiring leader?

Monday, July 25, 2011

5 1/2 Millstones, Tombs and Whitewash

I have been writing about religion the last few posts - mostly why I think it is a spirit killer. I often wonder if vegetarian, eats a juicy steak, are they a hypocrite? If a Satanist DOES not run someone down in the crosswalk, are they a hypocrite? Is it really what we believe that gets us into heaven, or what we do? Is a Christian a hypocrite because they have poor character, fruit-less lives or don't speak in tongues and cast out demons?

For sure, I have more questions than answers. Here's a tough one: What is the difference between being religious, and being a Christian? Ha! After all, isn't Christianity a religion?

-1 Rote Practice: Why is it that we make formulas for getting God to move? One of the reasons that I hate WWJD? is that it limits us from God doing something different. We stuff him in the same yesterday, today and tomorrow box like He won't ever surprise us with a new and creative solution. AND when we get something that does work, we turn it into a program, a framework for prayer, or an outline for a message.

Conversely, we can't do something new to be different. We need to be obedient to God.

Jesus wept (John 15:13), Jesus healed (Matthew 8:13), Jesus rebuked (Matthew 19:13). Jesus loved (Mark 10:21), Jesus hung out with sinners (Matthew 9:10), Jesus let a bad guy on his team (Matthew 10:4) and Jesus healed a guy with spit and dirt (John 9:11) - so which one is the model for all our ministry? It is the one that God is doing at the moment!

-2 Lack of Power: Jesus said to go out into the world and make disciples, heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach the Good news to the lost. Why is it that almost all American churches are not seeing healing, demons cast out and a significant number of salvations? God is still a God of power, and like Jesus, he still isn't forcing himself on anyone. He did not try to convince people as much as he demonstrated the love of God by the power of Heaven. Paul went on to say that the manifestation of this power (love) that is in the gifts (1 Cor 12) is available to all, DESIRE THEM.!

-3 Man-Made Traditions: Pulpits, genuflecting, songs before preaching - the list goes on and on. Jesus preached a lot without music. Music happened without sermons. The disciples went out in tows to cast out demons and heal the sick.Offerings were given directly to ministers.

All of these traditions are suspect, and if they don't translate across cultural lines, then they have to be God locally,or they have to go. (Did you know a lot of people are bored with church? Traditions are a killer.)

Are we at church to practice some set of rules?

-4 Spectator Mentality/Formatted Services: This flies in the face of 1 Corinthians 14. Church services are supposed to be places for us to be obedient to God. Unfortunately we have made the focus of most of our services the worship music and the pulpit, leaving very little room for anything/anyone else to participate.

How can we come to church with a song, a word or a testimony when we don't have a format that allows it to happen? We often her that God is a God of order - LOL - that passage is for the people prophesying and giving tongues and the interpretations of them in the church.

If we are at church to entertained, I suppose that is better and cheaper than a Broadway show, but is it God?

-5 Lack of Freedom: We talk grace and love like it is the key to Christianity. Then we identify ourselves as sinners. How is that possible? Most of the church has a problem calling believers "saints." I don't think it's bad to say where we came from. I think it's bad to make our identity that which we used to be. Our past is not our future. We are a new creation.

Freedom allows us to enjoy our grace. It lets the work of the cross be "completed", "finished" - "done!" There is nothing more that we can do to please God except to have faith in the finished work, and be obedient to his voice.

-5 1/2 Lack of Love...

Here is a 2 minute testimony that is exactly what I am talking about. Enjoy.

Church, we need to stop doing what we are used to, good at, talented at and put it all on the altar and see what's left after Jesus is allowed to get at it.

Friday, July 22, 2011

Breaking the Neck of the Religious Spirit

I can get angry at the devil for messing with me and my Christian friends. I don't mind conflict, but I sure do prefer it when it's resolved. I recently had another one. It seems that gossip is more important than relationship, and that makes me even angrier.

Matthew 5:23 Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering. 25 Make friends quickly with your opponent... (NASB)

It has been my experience that many church people hold things against you, and they don't really say what they are - somehow in the name of Christ or something like that. I think they find it easier to abdicate from resolving issues by avoiding them. I am sure that it is not every Christian, but it seems there are enough of them to provide leaven to the religious bread.

Matthew 16:12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

It is no secret that dysfunctional churches misuse authority to gain control, or at least emulate the structure of a corporation. How religious must one be to "require" someone to be in the Sunday service and not in the lobby getting to know a wayward teen or a listen to the woes of a brother? (Some days I wonder if pastors take pastoral jobs because they are unemployable anywhere else!)

That's how is all got started. A pastor decided that I would have to be in the service in order to set an example. It sounds reasonable, until you look at the motive. It wasn't during worship, it was during the sermon. Hmmm... That ended me up in an elder's meeting to confront my bad behavior. I had already dropped out of any sort of leadership role, and tried to be a good boy for a few months. It was absolutely suffocating listening to an hour sermon from a book I already read.

I left for another church where I could at least get some good preaching.

I know that God cares about hearts, and I didn't care to rebel, or cause them any trouble. I simply said that I felt my time there was over. What angers me is that they are still talking about it three years later. Of course the "niced" me out the door with prayer and everything. They probably thought I would evaporate until we got to heaven. Of course, they never came to me.

I assure you that religion and legalism is a real problem in the church. Some times we don't think that the devil can touch our church, or our services, but it is not true. Some times it can be pretty bad.

Mark 1:23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, 24 saying, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 25 And Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” 26 Throwing him into convulsions, the unclean spirit cried out with a loud voice and came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, so that they debated among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.”

Jesus was in the church of the day with the people of God, and there he confronted the devil. In the book of Ephesians, Paul speaks of the the powers of the air and principalities that reign over certain regions of the earth. These too can be destructive forces which come against the church - and can entangle us. Do you think Peter knew what was going on when Jesus said "Satan, get thee behind me!" I doubt it very much. Peter was a pretty religious guy, and friend of Jesus. I don't think that his heart was purposely set on hindering the plan of God - but he sure did get all religious certain things.

My point is this: Religion and legalism are killers. Add to that gossip, and your have the perfect storm for division and offense, both of which are sin. We must constantly search our hearts to remove that which keeps us from having relationship. To put it in more biblical terms. "remove the plank from our own eyes. Part of this is just good relationship skills. If someone I know and love messes up, it usually because they are in some sort of pain, they are overtired, or they've been offended. We have all been there. Why be offended, just get on with life after a sincere "could you forgive me?" I have to tell you, i have heard that phrase very little in all the years I have been a Christian.

The religious spirit empowered by Satan who walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Whether it is you who is offended, or some else that sins against you, it doesn't matter. It is foothold for the Devil and he'd be happy to have you for lunch.

Demonic strongholds are tougher because they are the undercurrent of a region. It takes discernment and humility to beat them at their game.

I had a prophetic word about "breaking the neck of the religious spirit in my region. It is an interesting mission. It is not by power or might, but by building and maintaining relationships. there is a lot of pressure that comes against us from darkness, it is part of being in an army.

I have written about the demonic before, but not in terms of its effect on me. Here are some blogs if you have the time.

Demonic Oppression Part I

Demon Possession Part II

My Turn Part III

And of Course there is More Religious Stupidity

What do you think, are religious people just stupid, or is the devil behind it?

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

5 1/2 I Really Hate Religion, Well Until Now!

This next few posts are going to be about religion. If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that religious practice that is disconnected from a living God, is a something I often rail against. If you have any doubt, just click on the Religion topical link down to the lower right!

Religion is in itself, a bunch of hooey. One person believes their pet philosophy and practices it in a certain way. They are all out there, Muslims, Jews, Christians, Buddhists, Rastafarians and a half a million more. They all claim to follow someone,or something, while they incorporate the teachings, practices, sayings, or theologies into their daily lives; or not. It seems that no one can prove anything, therefore; there is this debate that never ends. No wonder most people find at least one aspect of religion boring.

There is a new religion that is is taking hold in Austria. It is the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster whose members are call Pastafarians. HERE is more on the founder sporting a colander in head in a driver's license photo shown above. If your God can't do anything, might as well join them and get your spaghetti colander while you are at it.

When I was in college I took a class in Comparative Religion, it was awful! It simply made religion seem like choosing one off the shelf at the Dollar Store. Most people (globally) think that the Christian church is shear foolishness. And that is what religion is for me, foolish. I know, I write these words and I am just another one that has chosen to follow my own way of thinking... hmmm....

If we claim to know God, there should be a difference in our religion. Don't you think?

Let me make this really clear. If we have faith in a living God, then we need to show a marked difference between "them" with the dead or nonexistent god, and "us." Here is how I see it.

-1 Healing: I am inspired by the testimonies that came from the Expecting Miracles event at one of the churches I attend. They made testimony videos of people that came with physical ailments and were healed in the name of Jesus! The is part of the inheritance we have in Christ. It is not magic, it comes through faith and prayer.

-2 Miracles: Elijah called down fire on Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18) and it was AWESOME! Since man first acknowledged God, he has been preforming miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit, and he still does. I have witnessed quite a few in my lifetime: Anonymous checks in the mail that met a certain need to the penny, multiplying invitations to a church meeting in Norway, and a number of others which I have written about on Fire & Grace.

-3 Revelation: The sheep know His voice! If you are one of God's sheep, then you should be hearing his voice! Wake up, God wants to speak to you if you'll take the time to learn how to listen with your spirit. (I know you've probably had a hundred sermons on hearing God's voice) It may come in prayer, or though a prophetic word, or an illuminated Bible verse, but you need to hear God. Sure, sermons are great, but if that is all you are getting, it might be time to do something different.

-4 Authority over the Demonic: In America we pretty much don't believe in the Devil or demon possession, but that doesn't make it nonexistent. Once we engage the spiritual realms and leave the realm of intellect and debate, we will engage evil spirits. Jesus said we had authority over them. Did you know that?

-5 Reckless Abandon: Are you serious about your Christianity? Are you willing to bet your life on it? We think the terrorists are extreme because they are willing to die for their cause. Well, guess what, you and I are in an army that requires that same sort of commitment. We are not suicidal, but we value the path of Jesus more than our own lives.

-5 1/2 Sacrificial Love... love is not feeding the poor, caring for the sick, or preaching a sermon. It is doing what we see the Father doing!

Friday, July 15, 2011

Why Man Can't Fly and the Church Can't Get Along

I have an online buddy and last year we had a chat about some denominational differences. It wasn't a debate, but a sincere conversation about what the Bible says, and what man has added to it. In the midst there were questions about religious practice.

A denomination is simply an emphasis on certain biblical truths; often "colored" by a culture, a religious experience, or a move of God.

The truth is there are lots of denominations. We have many expressions of Christianity in the US, and also some cults which seem Christian on the outside but reject the central truth that Jesus taught: Jesus is God. A cult is defined as any so-called Christian organization that denies the divinity of Christ - Jesus is/was/always has been God. I am not going to try to answer the age old question regarding theology: "Who's right?" (I am writing this blog because I think I am!)

Please keep an open mind and explore the links. In the end, you will be challenged in your own beliefs.

If we look at the major denominations, we'll find some interesting information in how they have arrived at their denominational traditions and bylaws. Each one emphasizes a certain portion of the truth. Be sure, I am not picking on anyone, I am just trying to bring some enlightenment to the Body of Christ for the sake of unity.

The largest denomination in the world is Roman Catholic and over 1/3 of Christians (little Christs or little anointed ones) belong to this group. They have been well established since the 3rd century and for over 1,200 years they were pretty much the only show on earth - we'll talk about them first.

One of the traditions that makes Roman Catholics different from any other denomination is Priests that do not marry. Why? 1 Corinthians 7:27 Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.

38 So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better.

It is not a sin to be married, nor a requirement not to be. Paul is simply stating that marriage requires focus that could be used on the Lord and serving Him.

The debate over divorce and marriage rages on in just about every denomination. We have a number of other catholic denominations including the Anglican Communion and the Eastern Orthodox churches who split from Rome over things like marriage and divorce. The Anglican church is considering splitting over gay marriage. There is nothing new under the sun.

Catholics also have services in which they "adore" Mary. This too; is not unbiblical. (Luke 1:46-55) See verse 48b From now on all generations will call me blessed.

I think Evangelicals adore Paul an awful lot from the pulpit. I'm just sayin'.

Catholics also have a liturgy to exercise or cast out demons. (Mark 16:17) I would have to say not too many Protestant churches even think about this as a possibility, never mind practicing it.

After the Protestant Reformation (Martin Luther) in 1517 we saw the rise of other Liturgical denominations, including Lutheran, Presbyterian and Congregational. In doctrine, they are pretty much agree on the Nicene Creed as a basis of their belief. Over the centuries their differences in worship style certainly begun to separate them.

John Wesley (1703-1791), who embraced Areminianism, was an Anglican that developed intensive, personal accountability, discipleship and religious instruction among members. His great contribution was to appoint itinerant, unordained preachers who traveled widely to evangelize and care for people in the societies.

There are many historical documents in church history. Some of the major ones you may read HERE.

With each nuance of change, reform, cultural differences and new ideas, our beloved church has changed a lot over 2 millennia.

Over the centuries there have been many notable men and woman of God. Here is a brief list of folks that changed the face of Christianity. Some names are controversial, but each in their own way has contributed something to the Kingdom of God.

St. Patrick - He lived in the 4th century and spread the Gospel to Ireland. From slave to missionary; he confronted the Druid darkness in Ireland. He operated in the supernatural stopping a snow storm and raising the King's children from the dead.

St. Francis - One of the most influential missionaries of the 13th century was known as a man of peace; one who traveled to Egypt and the Holy Land as he witnessed to Muslims. When he preached, Christ was known to appear among those listening.

Smith Wigglesworth - (1859-1947) Known as the Apostle of Faith. He claimed to have never read any book but the Bible, he was sought after for healing, carried an amazing presence (anointing) of God, and standing up to the Devil.

John G. Lake - (1870-1935) A businessman who became known for his ministry as a missionary and faith healer. He was influenced by the healing ministry of John Alexander Dowie, and he received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in 1907 in the wake of the Azusa Street Revival.

Kathryn Kuhlman - (1907-1976) A Methodist, sometimes called the Mother of Charismatics, she had a TV and radio show called, I Believe in Miracles. She was responsible for thousands of healings.

Oral Roberts - (1918-2009) A Televangelist that withstood the test of faith and the critics. He touched the lost and the saved for 6 decades.

Benny Hinn - One of the most charismatic and controversial faith-healers in the world. He is responsible for thousands of salvations and physical healings. As I write this, his wife has filed for divorce [Article].

There are a number of American denominations and their traditions differ based on their interpretation of the Bible. Here is a brief list.

Lutherans are of course followers of Martin Luther. The main theme is salvation by faith, through the grace of God. (Acts 2:21) The are the original evangelical movement.

Calvinist's used the Apostle's Creed. Those who follow the teaching of John Calvin are called Presbyterians in the US. The doctrine of being "predestine" (Romans 8:29) as opposed to act of the will, is predominately the major difference from other evangelical denominations.

Followers of John Wesley we called Methodists. They placed primary emphasis on Christian living, on putting faith and love into action (James 2:26), both in the local community, and abroad.

The Baptists were refugees from England as were the Puritans in New England. They first gathered in the backroom of an Amsterdam bakery in 1609 to read the Bible together. There most notable doctrinal difference is baptism by submersion. (Matthew 3:13-17)

Pentecostals are named after a revival that took place on Azusa Street in Los Angels in 1906 and lasted to about 1915. (Acts 2:1-13) The particular revival was characterized by speaking in tongues and resurgence of the 12 gifts of the spirit (1 Cor 12:7-11) The Pentecostals had another well known revival in Pensacola, FL at the Brownsville Assembly of God.

Four Square - A spirit-filled denomination following the 4 tenets of Christianity: prayer, fellowship, Bible study and communion, outlined in Acts 2:42.

The Vineyard Movement was a group that followed John Wimber and were the churches in which the Prophetic Reformation, the Apostolic Renewal and the Toronto Blessing grew out of. Their main differences from other Charismatic and Pentecostal denominations is the emphasis on spiritual gifts, the laying on of hands, small group community and "one man, one vision," church government.

For the past decade a new movement of churches are making their way onto the Christian Landscape. It is based on the 5-Fold ministry laid out in Ephesians 4:11.

As I type the last words of this blog, I want you to challenge you to think, to pray, and worship outside the box!

I have previously written more about some of the subjects I have only mentioned here. I have tried hard to recognize biblical differences not identify the tradition of man. Religion is the quencher of the Spirit of the Most High. For it is only in loving one another, agreeing on the basics of salvation and coming together for the work of the Kingdom, that we will ever be unified by the Holy Spirit.

What the Bible Says
http://fireandgrace.blogspot.com/2009/01/do-we-really-believe-bible.html

How Much Do I Know About the Bible?
http://fireandgrace.blogspot.com/2009/10/some-pages-are-missing-from-my-bible.html

The Gifts of the Spirit:
http://fireandgrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/gifts-great-time-to-receive.html

How do All the Gifts Work Together?
http://fireandgrace.blogspot.com/2009/04/5-fold-ministry-prerequisites-part-1-of.html

Putting it Together:
http://fireandgrace.blogspot.com/2008/12/foundations-of-spirit-filled-life.html

After all Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever more!