This weekend I had a moment of grasping or coming to begin to grasp something I believe the Holy Spirit is at work in building a foundation in for a work of Community of the Holy Spirit as best I can explain it and have thus far grasped it.
Thus far in the 21 day Awakening Fast with my church family, and now on day 7, I have not had or experienced really any powerful presence of the Holy Spirit and the times of my encounters with the presence of God and all of the top spiritual experiences have not yet happened with my church or for me personally in many years. I have had good times with God, but I say mountain top, I mean a very powerful and life altering encounter with God. I was wondering about that, but then something started to click.
There is a new foundation of something God is at work in building in me and in my heart and it is not a individual spiritual mountain top experience. I've had those and I love them and crave more and believe more will come in the future, but I realized that I have in all of my great experiences that have changed my life in the works God has done in me and in the presence of Him - they have all been individual. I have been with others corporately and had them, but I do not believe any others around me have experienced what I did corporately, with me, for a similar purpose and in a very similar way, to unite us for a purpose as a body of one.
Yet, here recently, although for a growing period of several months, I have been experiencing and seeing the foundation for something very much like that taking place among my church family. It is what I can best explain as a work of community by the Holy Spirit. Yet, more than just community, as my church is more church family, than a community. We are growing in a unified purpose and I have been experiencing church family in a way that I did not think possible this side of eternity. While individual encounters with the Holy Spirit are powerful and life changing and build us up individually, I have not had any that have unified me with others for a purpose we all share and in this way before. It's not a mountain top spiritual experience thus far, but it's amazing and I think the foundation of something that God is at work in doing is growing and being prepared during this 21 day Awakening fast with my church family.
That has me excited. I love the presence of God and knowing Him more and having my satisfaction in Him increase. But, up until this weekend I have never considered what the mountain top like experience with the presence of God would be like - to experience with an entire local body of my brothers and sisters in which and through which God did so with purpose for reaching our city for His glory.
Such a work of community of the Holy Spirit, well..
It would be incredible.
It would not be setting me on fire individually for the Lord for His glory, but it rather would be setting an entire church body on fire for Jesus, as a body united with one purpose.
I can't even being to imagine what that would be like.
Yet, that is the foundation for what I think the Holy Spirit is at work in doing in me, but not just in me, in many of my brothers and sisters with my church family.
I can't even begin to process this. Right now, I am simply in joy in it.
Basking in the love of God.
Looking forward for what God is going to do in the next 2 weeks during our Awakening Fast. It's just began, the best is yet to come.
If you have not yet watched the video you will want to watch it at some point to follow and better understand my entry. I'll post it at the bottom of this entry.
The video has a obvious message of Jesus offers grace, but religion isn't good. It does not leave room for apathy in the response. You will experience either grace or offense in your response to watching it.
The audience is two fold. Though a third audience is out there, but I don't think this message of the video is intended directly to them through perspective of this being a message the Holy Spirit has brought about for a purpose through Jeff (the young man who made it).
The response is either something around grace or something around offense for all three audiences. In this I don't know if Jeff intended or understood the audiences the video goes out to. Let me be clear that the focus of this entry is on the video and the message it communicates and things around that.
The audience of the first group are those who are carrying around mistakes (saved or unsaved) who have not grasped or experienced a revelation of the grace of Jesus.
The audience of the second group is that of not understanding or experiencing, I propose, a revelation of grace by the Holy Spirit. Now, hold on a minute, if in reading this, your response is offense, I ask you why? I suspect my statement might be of offense to some, but I do not intend or mean it to be, but none the less, some people may have a response of offense to that statement.
You see, I propose, having experienced a revelation of grace in a profound way (our grasp and experience of it and understanding may in fact be infinite - I'm not sure, but I suspect it is), but in hearing the message - even if I do not fully agree with it all - my response was not offense to the message, but an expansion on my experience and my consciousness of grace, from I think what I can best explain as a revelation of grace I had in 2011.
That's what has got me thinking and that's a big part of this entry.
If your response is offense, can you honestly tell me, you have a complete grasp and understanding of the fullness of the grace of God?
Give my questions some thought, and prayer and ask God to guide you by His Holy Spirit in these questions. If you refuse to ask God about these questions, why is that? I myself am still growing in my revelation of grace, but it has changed my life and set me free in many ways.
By revelation, let me make it clear, I mean a spiritual understanding, experience, grasp, clarity, a ah-ha moment, in the understanding of grace. This is perhaps best explained as moment, when something finally clicks, you get it, it makes since. Not something super spiritual and far out there that is just kind of weird.
Something in me started turning in this, that got my thoughts going, when I started seeing the response of some who were taking what seemed to be to me an offense to this video, who are in fact Christians, not self-righteous people who do not know God. In fact, it appears to have brought such an offense, that they have been moved to write long and in depth blogs about this video and the problems they have or the concerns they have with it - and it got me thinking. Yes, the response people have had to the video and the impact of it has prompted me to write a long and in depth blog entry, but as you can see my prompting is not from offense, but out of grace and in feeling led to point out the results from this video that we can't afford to miss.
Now, I do not know of course the response of others to have if fact been offense to prompt what they have wrote, but as I looked at the response of some blogs and comments and tweets, I did not see in them what seems to be a root of grace in what was being wrote, but with a root from an offense, seeking clarity or simply defending and attacking.
It got me thinking, why was I not dealing with guilt, having a deeper grasp and or experience of grace in watching the video, while maybe not in agreement with it all, without having an offense from it, but others were having a response that seemed to be from a root of offense?
I didn't think all that much about the video the first time, it didn't spark a huge thing of grace in me, some, but not a lot, but no offense.
I don't think this video or message was for those in my audience directly, but we none the less are blessed in experiencing more grace from it.
I may be wrong, I am not claiming this to be absolute, but again, I have to propose the response, even if you disagree with the message in parts, if the response you have had is offense, and not of grace, why?
Before I go on, let me clarify, that I am writing this on the basis of the video and the effect of the poem and the words in it and the format and way the message is conveyed.
I am not writing it in on the intention of what Jeff may or may not have had in making it nor of his motives behind it or even of his views, beliefs or doctrine or theology or even understanding of what he said in it.
I do believe in having watched it and his other videos, and what I have observed thus far, that Jeff likely made the video with good intentions, and good motives and not expecting a response like he has. I read a blog of someone who got a email back from and and that response confirmed much of what I thought last night about that.
Let me further clarify that I think Jeff in the making of this video, was used by the Holy Spirit, as a vessel through which this message has been spoken, and that it is largely in part why through the work of the Holy Spirit, his video, and the message in it, has reached nearly 10,000,000 views on You Tube now in such a short period of time.
That's my thoughts thus far, but let's look at the verses in the video.
First, we have to define religion, or look at that word. What does it mean?
If you don't stop and think about that, you have to stop and go back and look at that.
The word religion has different meanings to different people.
But, let's get the meaning from the video, not the audience first. If the source makes the meaning clear, we should go with that meaning, not our own when we first hear the word.
Looking at the video, I don't see how one can get a meaning of it other than man's attempts to come to God. Religion being man's attempt to come to God. Relationship being Christ's work to bridge the gap between us and God - the only way to come to God - through Christ.
In his reference to church, I think it is pretty clear, the meaning is not the "Church" with a Capital "C" meaning the body of Christ, the people, the bride of Christ, but rather a little "c" in church building's where local bodies of followers of Christ meet for services and fellowship.
I've already seen the video written off as, if it sounds, looks and feels good - is it good? Is it right?
Whoa.. wait a minute.. let's hold on a minute.
Yes, Hollywood produces things that sound, look and feel good, but are not good.
But, are we really going to make that instant implied assumption?
Are we not expecting the body of Christ to produce things that sound, look and feel good in the means, method and the way of delivery? I hope not.
CS Lewis and Francis Schaeffer produced works that sound, look and all feel good and the means, method and way of delivery are stellar.
I'm not putting this video on their level, but just making a point that good and well produced messages can be good - and when they deliver a message in a new way - same truth always there - but in a format that people are able to grasp in ways they did not before - that is not a bad thing. I know they are different formats, but it is late and my thinking is going to be a bit off at this hour of night. It is almost 3:30am, so my thinking isn't quite on right now.
The language of today's culture that is understood and trusted and viewed as accredited is that of which sounds, looks and feels high qualify and in a style and format that Jeff in this video did and did well.
I see the older generation pointing to the confusion of the younger generations. Well, let's look at that because there is truth to it (a lot) because the younger generations are confused. But, let's not move on quite so fast, the older generations are also confused. Maybe not now in the church (well I think our entire culture in and out of the church is confused), but the older generations lost a lot of ground in the culture battles of their generations, that's why my generation and the younger one's are in the culture that is so confused today. So let's not jump on the generation bashing band wagon - there are no winners.
The question is, well is Jeff's video having an effect of revelation of grace on people?
I think so.
I think that's why there have been 10,000,000 views on You Tube.
His video has 10,000,000 views because it communicates something that speaks to the younger generations and there aren't many, if any, YouTube videos from the older generations that have gone viral like this on You Tube that have done that.
I doubt even TBN, reaches, this audience, in a week, globally. They have a much bigger budget and resources and experience. Regardless of the thoughts you have on the network, it doesn't matter, they have a big network, but still, I doubt it has ever reached the audience that this video did and so fast. Jeff is a young man and this new video I bet has gone past what he expected or ever dreamed it was going to do. He may not have planned his words for his poem for the video as well as he would now that it has gone viral if he knew in advance what was coming. Yet, he did it with boldness and with courage. That has to be respected.
The message communicated hits something within people, it is speaking to the younger generations, that's why it went viral.
It delivers grace to the soft hearted and it brings offense to others and not grace, my question is why? If you watch the video and it does not bring about an experience of grace, why it that you have experienced a feeling of offense and not of grace?
I make no judgments, but I am asking a question, that I think rightfully would be wise to ask one's self.
I will go into the verses, verse by verse, perhaps another night.
This is the first preface I have ever done for a blog entry. I don't even know if prefaces are done for blog entries, maybe I'm starting something with this.
I have come to the conclusion after hours of writing this, that to communicate it right, I have got to have something to set this up, without it, the message won't be effective, at least not as effective.
So, here is how this came to be, or soon will, and the why and the process I went through and am still in as it is being developed.
Initially I did not want to write this and I still don't want this to reach thousands of readers.
Mostly, because I am not ready to enter into a season in my life that I know I am called to and here now the second time in less than a week I am feeling prompted to write a entry that might have the very effect I do not want it to have.
The person's video I am writing this in reference to whose youtube video now has nearly 10 million views, I suspect has experienced things he was not expecting or ready for because of that video and the response it prompted from a lot of people.
Here's his video, watch it if you have not already done so.
His video has gone out like a massive war party and into spiritual territory of the enemy and as he has likely experienced now - there is a big back lash that follows when this happens.
We need more men and women storming the gates of darkness with boldness and courage like him, but as he has likely come to realize - we have to plan it and prepare for the war we wage when we do. (If you read this Jeff tweet me privately).
Thankfully, this isn't a entry that I think will result in the same type of response in terms of spiritual warfare (this is not a video format and people in need of grace lost in the sin of mistakes are not likely to read this in the masses to prompt it), but this might propel me into moving more into a season of ministry I am not looking to enter into at this time - that I am not looking for.
Thankfully, I don't expect this to bring about any offense in those who read the message, Thank God. I don't want the stuff that comes with that. It's just as bad. The time may come for that, but that time is not now.
But, this is likely to reach the audience I am called to in ministering to and that is likely to put me on the radar spiritually as a threat to spiritual darkness.
If you have ever clearly felt the calling of God in your life in something and then in bold faith started moving in that, you have, I can almost guarantee, experienced spiritual warfare at a whole new level.
I did and for years I fought that war and God did big things in my life in setting the foundation and seed for the calling and vision He has given me.
A few years after that He led me into a season of a sabbatical and a time of being fathered, growing as a young man in Him and being prepared for the calling in this. I am still in it. Though it has changed over the years.
The great thing about this season, is the rest, the break of the spiritual warfare at the level I was experiencing and did for nearly 2 years, and well I don't want to rush out of it.
So, until that time comes and I know that I know it has, I don't want to send out the war party, I know the enemy will wage war back when I do and I know God is with me and in Him I am more than a conqueror, but that time to go out to war spiritually is not yet here.
However, as much as I have tried to resist it - I also can't deny that there is a strong nudging I believe from God not to remain silent or be disobedient in not writing this.
So, here I am writing it. Wondering and secretly, hoping, God is not moving me forward in what I don't feel I am ready for because of a few things not yet in place in my life. I don't think God will send me in that direction before things are in place in the ways I believe He has told me are going to take place first, but I also want to be open to Him. So, that's where I am going into this and why I am writing this, by that prompting.
If I am lucky thus far, I have lost a good deal of readers who I don't really want reading this.
So on to the video and the many areas around it that I feel directed in addressing. It's coming next. Might be a few hours. Might be a few days.
It's hard to believe that this little preface, has had paragraphs, many, written, deleted, edited, and maybe even pages of them. Tomorrow, I'll move into the entry, this is to set it up, the preface.
The good thing about this is that in the hours I've spent working on this, a peace and fears have broken as have concerns in many ways and I am moving forward in a new way in something. That's pretty cool. Here God has already worked in me and out of me something new, and I've not even got to the blog entry yet, it's just the preface to it.
While I'm working on it, I'd love to hear your comments about the video below and this preface as well.
There are those things in life that come to mind and we wonder what the cost might be if we were to actually follow through on them. This is one of them.
In all honesty, is this something I think God may be prompting me in doing? Yes, I can certainly affirm that it is certainly possible.
Am I confident in it without any doubts? Well, no.
Do I really want to be that confident? Well, no.. not really.
If we are really confident in something; it pretty much burns the bridge to retreat from it.
After all if God calls us to something and we know it, there is no longer any other plan for us to pursue in life.
Is this not why we secretly and perhaps subconsciously don't really want to know what God's will is in something? I think so. Maybe you cannot relate, but I suspect you can - even if you are not willing to admit it to others or yourself.
I know this certainty in a few areas of my life, I know the calling and I know, that I know. I didn't chose any of them. I didn't really want them; as I knew the cost that comes with them. Yet, God has confirmed them and I know they are what He has called me to. I don't go looking for these confidences and callings, but I also would have no purpose in the way I do and many of the blessings that flow from them - if I did not know these things. I am confident God wants to reveal the callings and specific vision within our calling to us in life, but that's another subject and not the point of this entry. If you don't know your calling and if you do, if you don't know the specific vision within it God has for you to fulfill in life - that's something I encourage you to pray about and pursue.
When I first heard about Code Orange Revival I did not know what it was. My pastor tweeted about it and so I googled it. After watching the video I knew I wanted to watch it and it spoke to something in me. I knew I was to watch it and I do plan to watch every night of it.
So why am I writing this?
Well, I am feeling prompted in writing it and yet I don't want to write it; mostly in fear of what it could cost.
You see I know I am called to things in life; as I previously shared and yet the season for the fullness of most of it has not yet come. I am actually alright with that, but with that I want to be discerning in the steps I take before that time comes - you don't plant something in winter - it will die or it will be severely set back and or harmed in it's growth.
So, in writing this I am doing so in such a way that I can obey the prompting and tugging on my heart I am feeling and yet do what I can as to not project myself into something that I am not ready for. I don't want to plant something in this that isn't supposed to be planted at this time, but I do feel it is something I should share. Perhaps by God's providence it will reach the eyes of the people I suspect God has prompted me to write it to reach.
So here's the deal.
I have known for a while that Stephen Furtick has his fair share or perhaps more than his fair share of critics. As I wrote in my last entry on Code Orange Revival I have not heard him preach before and I don't make assumptions on people without learning first hand or from what I hear from personal and trusted people on their thoughts on someone. (Though as I've learned in the past, even our trusted and loved friends and people we respect are not without biases, flaws and errors in their assumptions about others.)
However, in googling about Code Orange Revival today I ran across a blog that had several good questions regarding some of the speakers invited to come speak at Code Orange Revival. I can't say that the heart and spirit of the blog I read came across as being done in love or that the author showed any feeling or emotion of agony or grief over the things that they felt were unbiblical in the teaching of some of the speakers invited.
Yet, even if the heart and motive of a critic is off; it doesn't negate the points that they bring up on concerns of some of the speakers and what they are teaching God's people.
If a speaker or preacher is teaching something that is not biblical - what does it mean or say if I go and speak at the same event? Is that an endorsement?
Yet, what of the other side of the argument - even if an avenue I go on and or through is used by someone who is off doctrinally or theologically - is it right to not use the same avenue for the proclamation of truth? If a LDS church invited you to come preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, would you decline them? (I know it is not likely they would, but if they did - would you?) You would be standing on their pulpit and or stage, etc. What about a TV network that airs other pastors/teachers that you do not agree with? Would you decline preaching on their network to the world - even if they offered it to you at no cost? What if you accepted a invitation and only later learned another speaker would be sharing the stage with you that you did not know about before? Do you then decline the invitation breaking your word that you would come? (Assuming they asked you for it to come - I understand it is possible they use contracts for speakers on an event of this size, but keeping it very simple - on it just being your word - your promise you would come - what would you do?)
These are all good questions. They are not ones I am going to be able to answer in this blog entry and not even ones I think that in answering would address the issues at hand in all this.
Whatever our views or beliefs we can all agree that we must ultimately do what God calls us to do - not what pleases men.
I think we can all agree as well that our clever and well written blog entries are not likely to change the hearts and minds of other men and women. They may influence their thoughts and God may use them for that purpose, but ultimately it is the Holy Spirit that is going to change the hearts and minds of other men and women. So I move the focus to our prayer life. That's really where the power to change things is going to flow from. We all like to quote and refer to great men and women of the past who were used of God to change things - as as far as I can tell most of them were in prayer - in prayer of agony, prayers that shed tears and prayers that moved their hearts so close to the heart of God - that when they spoke all who heard were deeply impacted and changed.
I am not judging in this. I am not condemning. I am calling you to pray for God to completely turn your prayer life upside down. Mine is included in this. It's not where I want it. It's really not. In writing this I have nearly shed a few tears, but my heart is not utterly broken for God's men and women who are preaching. Nor is it even for His people. Pray for me too. Feel free to leave a comment on my blog and I will pray for you as well.
I am going to watch each night of the Code Orange Revival. I am also going to begin to earnestly pray for it and for each speaker and for the people who are there and all who stream it around the world. That is I believe the heart of Steven Furtick in the Code Orange Revival.
I have been blessed by it thus far and I do expect to be blessed as it continues. I also respect and applaud Steven Furtick for obeying the Lord in undertaking the Code Orange Revival vision and moving forward with it.
On the speakers who he has invited and the uncertainty surrounding the doctrines and theology around them - that's a issue I would encourage Steven Furtick to prayerfully consider for next year (if he did not do so in the process of preparing for Code Orange Revival this year - as he may very well have - I don't know him personally or even from a distance having listened to his teaching enough to comment one way or the other on that - I say this only as a brother to Him in our Lord and with sincerity. Perhaps one day I will get a chance to shake his hand and give him a hug. If not in this life, I do believe so in the other side of eternity that I will - many times).
Finally to the critics and those who have found what they believe to be a very bold and strong confidence in the things they are writing about Code Orange Revival and the pastors connected with it and speaking at it I have this to ask, "Are the things you write, speak and voice all things of which you have in your private times of prayer earnestly prayed out? Have you experienced any agony in your prayers over what you are writing? Have you shed any tears?"
I do not ask this in condemnation - for there are things I have had concerns about that are not related to any of these pastors or this movement, but I have not earnestly prayed about them. That is my own fault and my own short coming. I personally could not speak out against another with the level of harshness that some have; if I had not first prayed and asked God move in my heart and give me His heart over it all.
Well, I believe I have been faithful to the prompting and urging of the Holy Spirit in everything in this entry I felt I was to do and stayed within my desire to not plant something in a season of winter for me personally.
Blessings to you. May God draw you closer to Him and lead you into all truth in ways you have never experienced. May He do so in my life as well.
Last night Code Orange Revival, a 12 night modernized old school Holy Ghost Revival with Elevation Church started. Now each night for the next 11 nights they are bringing in a different speaker and having worship with the purpose of starting a revival. The people they are bringing in are well known and have a gift for preaching and speaking. Last night's message was inspiring and powerful as it impacted me and God spoke to me through it.
This was the first time I've heard the church's lead pastor and founder Steven Furtick and guest speaker Craig Groeschel speak. I know they are pretty big from what I have heard, but I don't really make a point of going out of my way to learn about the newest things. I just follow things as they come across my path as the Lord leads me.
The majority of the things I have heard online have been negative blurbs about Steven Furtick, but I have never really given much thought to him or the church one way or the other or made any assumptions about him. One thing I have learned in my adventures in ministry is people often come faster in the church to disagree with what you are doing than to support you in it. I have never really understood why the majority of attack in ministry at times comes from within the walls of the church - not outside of it. Maybe, it's just that you don't expect it and it comes as a surprise at first. If you feel called by God to something, it's almost a guarantee you that as you pursue it you will face opposition from people in the church.
While I have never heard either Steven Furtick or Craig Groeschel speak before, Craig in a way has had an indirect impact on me through his direct impact on my pastor who has impacted me. So, I was already in a favorable expectation of Craig's message last tonight when I watched him preach (of which was even better than I had expected).
I had not heard anything about Code Orange Revival up until yesterday when my pastor tweeted about it. So, I googled it and watched the video about what it was going to be and soon it had my attention. After that, I knew I wanted to watch it with my church family at the office as our pastor was hosting the video streaming of it for us. I'm glad I did go. I plan on watching it every night now and am excited for what God will do through it.
This idea has really got my attention, because for years I've wondered why the "Old-School" revivals and "Tent Meetings" seem to have ceased. While, I certainly can understand some or maybe a good deal of them were not good (in being off spiritually) there are many great revivals and awakenings of the past few hundred years that have roots to the revival and tent meeting format. So, I have not understand why they had ceased (maybe they have not - but they seem to me at least not all that common today). Perhaps it has been that men have not felt led by God to do them and so even with a desire to resume them, they have not resumed them. What ever the case, when I heard about the 12 day old school revival format for them something in me sprang to life and I was excited with that feeling of anticipation that God was going to use it in a significant way and I wanted to be a part of it.
I and many from my church are also on day 3 of a 21 day fast with the Awakening movement of which had me even more excited about this. I am doing a Daniel fast, with limited fruits and vegetables and juicing them into liquid for mine right now. That's another blog entry I will have to do on juicing with my Daniel fast in the future.
I look forward to the next 11 nights with the Code Orange Revival. The first night was a real blessing to me. Speaking to me in some ways that I needed to hear.
I invite you to logon to the revival online and stream it from their online network at http://elevationnetwork.com/ tonight. Oh, and by the way the code orange revival, is a modernized one, no real tent and lot's of new technology to take the message far beyond the walls of a geographically located building. I think that is pretty cool too.
It's been some time since I last wrote a blog entry. It's not even been a year since a lot of things have started to change in my life in major ways and yet it feels like it has been more than such a short time. I've been in many ways like a seed for the past few years or a small tree in a planter. I haven't been able to grow and become more of who I was created to be and was in a long season of waiting. Now being in rich soil, in a community and church home where I have been able to grow as God has watered me I am more alive than I have ever been. I simply love it. If you are in a season of waiting and have felt it for quite some time then you perhaps can relate to what I felt for quite some time.
Yesterday, I was sitting on my couch and looking at my warrior sweat pants I felt like a warrior set free. I've known who I am in Christ as the Lord has fathered me and molded me into the man I am for a while, but I've felt like a warrior that was confined and nothing I tried could get me free. It wasn't really a bad or hard confinement and I knew God had me in a time of waiting and that the time would come when I was set free, but that didn't make it any easier to wait.
Now, in 2012 and on day 3 of a 21 day fast with the Awakening fast with my Church family in doing a Daniel fast I am excited for what God is going to do this month and what will come after this fast is over as God moves in my life, the life of those near and dear to me at my church and in my church as a whole.
I am believing God for big movements and changes and blessing in my business and my personal life this year. With those changes laying a foundation from which I will one day resume an intentional advancement in the ministry God has called me to. Looking back on 2011 the things I can clearly see that God did in my life and for which I praise Him for are leading and connecting me into my church family with purpose, blessing me with a fellowship once again, growing and preparing me as a man for the woman I will one day marry and revealing to me a grasp of grace unlike I have ever had in setting me free from partially and unknowingly putting myself under the law of God instead of in the Grace of God.
I look forward to this year and give thanks to God for His faithfulness and His Grace and Love and Peace and Joy.