Let's Dance!

I am up early as I had a pretty awesome dream and there is no going to sleep at present.  I am going to try to capture the basics of it before I forget.

In my dream, we (our church) were gathering together with a couple of other churches to pray.  We were doing this in some sort of empty lot, away from others view, I think because of some persecution that was rising up (Not sure about that, but it seems like that was the case).  

Anyway, for some reason I had been asked to help lead the worship time, and instead of playing music the Lord directed me to lead the gathered people in dancing before Him, without any music!  He wanted us to learn to worship Him with our bodies, to press past our insecurities, our pride and our vanity, and to worship Him.  We had this incredible time of just dancing before the Lord, no words were spoken, no music was played, we each were expressing, and learning to express our worship and praise of God with just our bodies!  It was incredible!  At some point, it seems like it was 20-30 minutes in, the Lord released us to start worshipping Him with our voices, and it was glorious!   We were actually so given to dancing, or maybe we were just out of breath, thatt it started quietly at first.  Soon though, it was a thunderous session of praise and worship, tongues and singing, mixed with dancing, like I have never seen before. 

Finally, once we were finished, we were standing around talking, one of the young men came up to me and told me that he needed to be honest that he was very uncomfortable with all of that.  I told him I totally understood and gave him grace.  I told Him I was uncomfortable doing it as well, and I had been doing it for 20+ years.  

One other guy came up to me and introduced himself as a Baptist pastor, and he had several of His congregation with him.  He was thanking me for leading us into areas he had never gone before.  And that is where I woke up.  

I am not sure if I was actually sleep-praising, but my spirit was all fired up!

When I woke up I was reminded of a time at IHOP (International House of Prayer here in KC)  many years ago where the Lord had me break out into wild praise dancing one evening.  I can't describe it as any thing else.  I don't remember how I danced, I only know I danced with my eyes mostly closed, and just gave it everything I had and moved to any area where I was pretty sure I wouldn't hurt anybody or myself.  I had been moved by the percussionist that evening and apparently so had others, for by the time I couldn't dance anymore from sure exhaustion, there were many others dancing.  I believe there was also a bit of a breakthrough that night for many people, pushing past their own insecurities and just dancing before the Lord.  

I was also reminded of an older man I once knew, from a  church we belonged to 30+ years ago where dance broke out.  He had a bad heart and could only beat his arms up and down!  The rest of our church would be hopping around, and he would be moving his arms as fast as He could... its not about the ability, its about our heart motivation!

As I laid in bed, I was thinking about why I struggle to dance before the Lord, and realized that down deep, I don't want to sully my worship and praise of Him with dance moves I have learned on the dance floor, dancing to rock and roll.  I want to give him something better.  

As I was thinking about that, I was reminded of the time I was complaining about my singing voice, how as a worship leader I could bring Him better praise and worship with a better voice.  He actually got a bit indignant and said something to the effect of, "So you don't think I knew what I was doing when I made you, exactly the way I wanted?  What makes you think you know what sounds good to me?"  I was a bit shaken by that and definitely repented of my attitude, and thanked Him for my voice, that He had given me!  

So I guess, the point is, God made our bodies to move and sing, so don't worry about how we move or how we sound, but just dance and sing  and worship Him with our bodies, and our voices!

The strong sense I have is the Lord is moving us into uncomfortable times!  He is going to ask us to press past what we know, what we have experienced and into new territory.  Some of us have seen this before, but like Caleb and Joshua, the fullness of our experience is ahead of us!  Let us press forward, past our insecurities, past our vanity, past our human weakness (my 4 knee surgeries and 3 spinal surgeries are often my excuse for not dancing) and into the new things the Lord has for us!  He is going to bring others along side us, and some of us might not be ready for this level of pressing in, and we need to extend grace to all!   

We are going to get messy and sweaty and make mistakes and look silly, and all sorts of stuff, but the Lord, loves us in all of it!  When children are learning to crawl, then walk, then run, they are really bad at it, at first.  As parents, we don't berate them for their inability, we encourage them in their trying!  I really feel the Father's heart encouraging us to go for it, to do our best and to grow in our abilities, and loving us in and through every false-step, every misstep and every stumble!  Let us press into everything the Lord has for us! 

Amen and Amen!

Swords and Bags?

Yesterday during his sermon, our pastor made a comment about how Peter pulled a sword during Jesus' arrest.  I was reminded of something I had read from Luke's Gospel, namely that Jesus had told them to bring the swords.  Here are the verses from the very end of the conversations at the Last Supper - Luke 22:33-38 NIV:

[33] But he [Peter] replied, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death.” 

[34] Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.” 

[35] Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered.

[36] He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one. [37] It is written: 'And he was numbered with the transgressors' ; and I tell you that this must be fulfilled in me. Yes, what is written about me is reaching its fulfillment.” 

[38] The disciples said, “See, Lord, here are two swords.” 

“That's enough!” he replied."

I remember the first time I read this, and was surprised by Jesus' words.  In fact, the swords are referenced again later in the chapter - Luke 22:47-53 NIV:

[47]"While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 

[48] but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” 

[49] When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” [50] And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. 

[51] But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man's ear and healed him. 

[52] Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders, who had come for him, “Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs? [53] Every day I was with you in the temple courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour---when darkness reigns.”

These verses are a great example of how we could take things in scripture and make up some theology, or doctrine, without considering the rest of the scriptures.  While Jesus clearly told them to bring swords, He was not advocating violence.  IF we look at a couple other scriptures, we find Him clearly speaking about such things.

Matthew 26:52-54 NIV:

[52] “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. [53] Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? [54] But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?”

-and- 

John 18:36 NIV:  "Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jewish leaders. But now my kingdom is from another place.”

- and finally from Paul - 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV:

[3] "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. [4] The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. [5] We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ."

Instead of reading those first verses from Luke as Jesus telling them to grab swords to defend Him, I believe His words were giving them perspective about the change that was about to occur.  He was going to be leaving them, and things were about to get real, and require them to think and act differently.  Before he told them not to take a purse or bag, now they needed to take a purse or bag!  He wouldn't be there to look after their physical needs.  before they never needed to worry about their own protection, now they needed to (back then swords were for protection) be ready protect themselves.  His physical absence was going to force them to thinks and act differently, and as was most often the case, I think the apostles might have misunderstood.

Jesus' words, were effectively a warning that things were going to change with Him being gone, and they needed to be ready for the change.  His command to love one another (John 13:34) as He loved didn't change.  His encouragement to be in relationship with Himself, the Father and Holy Spirit didn't change.  His direction to continue His ministry, to go to all the world didn't change, nor did His ministry style change.  We see clearly in Acts that the apostles figured out what He meant, and they ministered as He did, and we find no other mention of any of Jesus followers taking up weapons. 

So the question to me today is, am I responding to the change that is happening correctly?  Am I bearing witness to Jesus' command to love as He loved?  Am I ministering in His character, am I representing Jesus well?

Lord, help us all (Your Church) to represent You correctly in all we say and/or do.

Amen and Amen!

We Are Invited To Change The Way We Think and Act!

On this past Sunday I felt like I heard the Lord issue an invitation to follow Him.  I was reminded of His call to the first four apostles and i turned to Matthew's Gospel, and was struck by a few things that were quite powerful.  Here are the verses - Matthew 4:17-20,23-25 NIV:

[17] "From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 

[18] "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. [19] “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” [20] At once they left their nets and followed him." 

[23] "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."

The first thing that struck me was what Jesus said in verse 17, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near!"  Repent means to change the way you are thinking and acting!  He was addressing the mindset of the people, and saying they needed to change the way they were thinking about God!  He wasn't far off!  He wasn't unconcerned about their situation!  He wasn't mad at them!  He wasn't going to leave them in their mess!  He was moving!  His Kingdom was coming near!

Repentance requires changed actions as well.  They had to change how they responded!  

In this all I felt like the Lord is saying the same thing to us!  He is moving and He is calling us to change the way we think and act!  He is going to release that which causes us, and the world around us, to change the way we think about God!  He is going to move in ways that will cause news of Him to spread all over!  He is going to move in ways that will cause people to realize that God is real, that He loves them, that He sees them, that He is touching lives!  

In the same way that He moved then, demonstrating the reality of that Kingdom with healings, miracles, releasing people from demonic oppression, signs and wonders, He is going move again!  In actuality He has never stopped moving, but now He is coming near to us!  His kingdom is near!  It is in our very midst!  We must recognize it is true!  

We must be willing to change the way we act!  We can't just enjoy His visitation, for NOW we are the Body of Christ and His visitation will come about through us! He is offering us the same invitation that He gave to Peter and Andrew, to come and follow Him!  It is an invitation that requires response, a changing of how we think and how we act!  He desires to release His kingdom realities through us, healings, miracles, signs and wonders, for we are His representatives, we are continuing His ministry.  I specifically felt like this was a call for us all, not for the professional ministers alone, but for each an every one of us!  We are each called, each invited, and each able to represent Jesus!

We often pray that God's Glory would fill the earth, and I specifically felt Him say that He intends to do that very thing, through us!  We are bearers of His Glory, of His presence, of His love, of His power!  His Glory is going to be released through His Body!  Oh, tha news of His moving, of His coming near, of His demonstrating His Kingdom realities, through us, would spread throughout the world!  The World needs to know that He is alive, that He loves them and is for them! 

Here is the great news about all of this, we can't work this up!  We can't cause God's Kingdom to come in power!  We can only respond to the invitation and follow Him!  If this is His heart, He will move!  If this is His desire and purpose, He will be faithful to fulfill it! 

When He issued the invitation Peter and Andrew, it was their choice to follow, but Jesus provided the training, and Holy Spirit provided the power!  He effectively commissioned them to be His official representatives, and the invitation includes this same commissioning today! 

Lastly, lest we misunderstand, He doesn't need us to drop everything and follow Him, for He is with us right now, where we are!  When Jesus ministered on earth He was physically limited to being in one place, as He was fully man, hence they had to follow Him where He went, but now Jesus is with us always, and we can follow Him by just turning our gaze and heart towards Him right now, where we are!  

Let us change the way we think!  Let us change the way we act!  His Kingdom is right in our midst!

Come Holy Spirit, empower us!  Speak to us Lord, and help us to follow You!

Amen!

Drawing Power of Healing & Miracles

This morning I find myself thinking about my reflection from the other day, on sharing the news of Jesus and how that was an integral part of the Gospel proclamation.  I was thinking about how miracles and healings were what drew people to Jesus. He had given the invitation to Peter, Andrew, James and John to follow and become fishers of men, and so in line with that analogy, the miracles and healings were effectively "chumming the water" creating an environment that drew people to Jesus.  

I was thinking why healings and miracles, why not finances and food?  Clearly Jesus  did care for the welfare of the people and on a few occasions He did provide food for thousands miraculously.  However, I think the reason the Lord chose healings and miracles is that is something we really can't make happen through our own hands and works.  I know today with modern medicine we can cure many things, and some of the cures certainly border of miraculous, but we certainly, in all of our best efforts in 2000 years not been able to instantly grow out a man's withered arm (Luke 6:6-10), or instantly rejuvenate and restore a man's legs that had been withered and crippled for 38 years (John 5:1-9).  We can help restore people's vision, but not give sight to someone born blind (John 9:1-9).

The second reason I think healings and miracles were used is related to the personal relationship aspect of our faith.  Long term sickness, pain, and or disablement are heavy burdens to carry, and life for those affected can become weary.  In touching and healing people, Jesus was effectively releasing them from that which bound them, wounded them, limited them or caused them great discomfort.  In that moment they knew that God cared for them personally, for Jesus clearly defined where His power and authority came from and preached constantly about the Kingdom of God and Heaven!  The Father is revealing His heart for the people, through touching them and healing them!  What a great gift to know that God personally cares for you!

The Good News is that God still cares for all of us as much as He did for the people in Jesus' time!  We, the Church, now bear the burden and responsibility of continuing Jesus' ministry.  God still does heal people, and some churches and ministries are experiencing God touching people in real ways, brining healing, deliverance and even miracles.  I have included a few links to ministries I have experience with personally, and I have seen God do amazing things!

https://bethelredding.com/ministries/healing-rooms/testimonies

https://globalawakening.com/healing-testimonies

These ministries are just a couple of examples of the Lord drawing people to Himself, showing His care through personal healing!  He continues to draw people to Himself, desiring relationship, and we, the Church, would be the "news spreaders" and "in gatherers" and are supposed to be the ones praying and healing others in Jesus name!  I will close with one of my favorite stories of healing accomplished by the Apostles.  This story is meant to encourage us forward in faith, for God is every bit as powerful today and every bit as desirous for more to experience His loving, healing touch!  Here are the verses - Acts 3:1-16 NIV:

[1] "One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer---at three in the afternoon. [2] Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. [3] When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. [4] Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” [5] So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them." 

[6] "Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” [7] Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. [8] He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. [9] When all the people saw him walking and praising God, [10] they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him." 

[11] "While the man held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. [12] When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? [13] The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. [14] You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. [15] You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. [16] By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see."

God can and will do similar works, even greater (See John 14: 12) through us His church!  Let us be encouraged and press into the Lord!  Let us spread the news of Him to those we know, those we love, those who need healing!  God knows we can't work up healing and miracles out of our own efforts and He will meet us in our faith!  

Amen and Amen!

Spreading The "News"

This morning as I was praying I was thinking about how important our relationship with the Lord is and was reminded of the calling of Peter and Andrew found in Matthew 4:18-19,23-25 NIV: 

[18] "As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. [19] “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 

[23] "Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. [24] News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. [25] Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him."

I included the second section of verses that followed their calling because that described how Jesus "Fished".  He taught about the Kingdom, proclaiming the good news and then demonstrating the Kingdom realities, present on earth by healing people from every disease, sickness and malady, even those that were demon (spirit) caused.  He demonstrated authority and power and people from all over the region followed Him.

When Matthew writes that people followed Him, I think he means physically followed, as in traveled to find Jesus and then spent time listening, seeing and experiencing the Kingdom realities.  They didn't have twitter, facebook, or instagram in those days so following was relatively simple.  That being said, I am sure He was the topic of conversation, and news about him spread in the way it has spread for most of history, through word of mouth, and through relationships of trust. 

So, going back to my original thought, when Jesus calls us into relationship with Him, our invitation, whether we know it or not, includes the invitation to become one who fish for men and women, in the same way that He did.  I am sure that for the first bit Peter, Andrew, James and John watched Jesus and helped with crowd control.  However the call was specific, He was going to send them out to do the same, and in short order I am sure Jesus invited them to begin to minister in His name.  We find this happening in Matthew 10, where Jesus actually sends the Apostles out from Him, entrusting His ministry to them and they were all successful.  

While this should be highly encouraging, many of us wouldn't see ourselves at the level of the apostles, or even the additional seventy-two that Jesus sent out later (See Luke 10).  However, verse 24 above is key for those of us, who don't feel that personal call to full-time ministry.  Matthew says that "news" about Jesus spread all over, and I had previously noted that this was accomplished through word of mouth.  Let me propose that this spreading of "news" about Jesus was every bit as as important, as it multiplied the gathering effect.  One person can only talk to so many people, and directly impact and speak to so many people one-on-one.  There must be a gathering together of multiples for a greater audience, and the spreading of the "news" of Jesus did exactly that in Jesus' day, and does that today as well.  We are meant to be bearers and spreaders of the "Good News" and that requires experiences of our own, and a willingness to share! 

The Good News is the same today as it was back then, Jesus is alive and well, He continues to minister through His body, present in the Church, and His desire is that the good news of His Kingdom proclaimed AND that the Kingdom realities would be demonstrated.  His desire is that we would be spreading the "news" of Jesus and His Kingdom and His power and authority to those we know, and meet and interact with in our lives.  That is how the news about Jesus spread all over the region of Syria, in His day.  Personal testimony passed through trusted relationships is what brings validity to the news, and man do we need that today!  

As I look at our crazy world, the competition for news, and notice, fake news and twisted truth are all around.  I wonder if there is reason to believe that this overall reduction in the trustworthiness of the "news" is an attempt to smear that effectiveness of the TRUTH?

Anyway, back to my original thoughts this morning, my personal testimony, my experience in my relationship with Jesus has value and purpose.  He desires relationship with me, but also desires relationship with those I love and interact with daily.  In the same way that I wanted to meet my wife's family, so that I Could love the people she loved, the Lord wants to meet those we love in our lives.  It is through sharing our testimony, sharing His works, those in our lives and those that we have seen and experienced, that others will hear and others will gather.  

My encouragement this morning is to be willing to share my life, my testimony, my experience of Jesus and His Kingdom with those I love, those I know, and those I see regularly.  I don't need to be broadcasting to tons of people I have never met, just those that know me and trust me.  AND I need to continue in relationship with Jesus, for He always calls me forward deeper into relationship, and there are always new things to experience and understand about Him, ad His Kingdom!

Amen & Amen!