The Wrap-Up

Please pray for us as we wrap up THE RENEWAL: Baton Rouge - Mr. David and Cindy Lane have been joined, by 500 pastors and spouses, and it has been a powerful meeting. Pray with us, asking God to mobilize pastors to return to their people and to equip them to register to vote, and to prepare them to exercise their Christian Citizenship and to defend Religious Liberty. Thank you for praying.

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Thank you for praying for us yesterday. We had a great day with the 500 pastors and spouses of Louisiana. This morning, the doors open for The Renewal: Baton Rouge, at 6:55 AM and we wrap up the event at 10:30 AM.

We kicked the day off with Governor Bobby Jindal. He shared his personal testimony, regarding his decision to follow Jesus Christ as his personal, Lord and Savior. It was powerful, and gave evidence of a sincere heart, and genuine fruit. We also heard Cong. Bob McEwen of Ohio, Dr. Laurence White of Texas, Pastor Ken Graves of Maine, Dean Mat Staver of Virginia. Mr. Tony Perkins of D.C. and Mr. Chad Connely of South Carolina. It was an All-American lineup.

Between each session, we had the pastors join us in prayer, along with you. God blessed us with a great response. At last count we had 125 pastors commit to lead a STAND UP! SUNDAY

The Healer

"Jesus Christ heals you;" Acts 9:34

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday today and forever. Don't take my word for it.

"Jesus Christ, the same, yesterday, today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

Dr. W. Fred Swank, long-tenured pastor at Sagamore Hill Baptist Church of Fort Worth, Texas had this verse of Scripture printed on his personal business cards. Every preacher ought to take a page out of his playbook, and remind people in the pews that Jesus doesn't change. He changes people. Thanks Bro. Fred. Wish you were here.

In the Gospel of John, it records Jesus referred to Himself, in the present tense. I AM The Bread of life. I AM the Good Shepherd. I AM The Door. I AM The Light of the world. I AM The Vine. I AM The Way, The Truth, and The Life. I AM The Resurrection and The Life. See what I mean? All present tense. All the time.

Jesus didn't say, "I will be." He didn't say, "I was." He said, "I AM." Whoever God is, He is. He didn't lose any portion of God's character, when He became a baby. He didn't become less of who God is, when He became a man. He didn't give up any of God's power, when He died on the cross. He revealed God's power, when He rose from the tomb. He didn't abdicate His Lordship, at His Ascension. He glorified God, when He took His place, at His right hand. He is!

NOW! Jesus intercedes for His Church. This means He prays for His followers, by name. He never ceases to be Who He has always been. He is God. The early church preachers believed Jesus was a real, and as present, in their lives as the breath in their lungs. They never stopped believing He was God. When crisis came their way, they met it head on...IN THE NAME OF JESUS.

The dangerous preacher today is not the one who mentions the name of Jesus, but the one who uses the name of Jesus. There is a difference between a name-dropper, and a name changer.

It may be a man thing, but I am going to go out on a limb here. Hyphenated marriage names have always bothered me. It is so English. In other words, it is foreign to me. Women who never drop their father's name, to take their husband's names, may be making a point, when they should be tying a knot. Anything hyphenated, more easily identifies the point of separation. It doesn't strengthen the bond. It may lead to a form of unity, but it doesn't guarantee oneness. Just stop it.

Note to self: If you tie the tails of a dog and a cat together, you have unity, but you don't have oneness. Saying a few words over them, and serving punch and cake, won't transform one into the other. Having an open bar will only make things worse.

A celebrity stalker may be able to drop a name, and even get a photo op, but will not be invited to dinner. To use a celebrity's name or wear their logo on one's clothing, may speak volumes about hero worship, but it doesn't translate into a relationship. Going to a concert doesn't make a fan a family member. The entertainment factor gained from it is not intimacy. It is a form of delusion.

Note to self: You have an Arnold Palmer sand wedge. Don't expect it to make you Arnold Palmer, when you play at Bay Hill. It is his home course, not yours. Stay out of the sand.

The preachers of the early church spoke the name of Jesus. They were close friends with Jesus. They took him at His word, when He said that there would be a day, when He would call them friends, not just servants. That day had come.

When they got up, they called on Jesus. When they went about their daily business. They called on Jesus. When they were in trouble, they called on the name of Jesus. They lived and breathed, an uninterrupted, continual conversation with Jesus. Their prayer life developed and sustained a consistent companionship with Jesus.

Jesus had prayed that His disciples be one, just as He and the Father are one. This was not a prayer that the disciples get along with one another. It was a prayer for His disciples to know the uninterrupted flow of The Power and The Presence of The Promise of God, that would be available to them, through His Spirit. The world in which they were going to live and launch His church was going to need to see Jesus flowing through them, not preachers full of themselves.

The Spirit of Jesus is the only source for the life and the love of Jesus, to be available to the disciples of Jesus. When sin interrupts, it separates, and hyphenates the believer from his namesake. Dropping The Name of Jesus is not the same as taking the name of Jesus. Wearing the name of Jesus is not the same, as bearing The Name of Jesus.

Peter spoke just a few words, and by healing one man, and raising one woman from the dead. He did so, in the name of Jesus. To Aeneas, he introduced The Person and The Power of Jesus, into the present tense of an immediate crisis, by announcing, "Jesus Christ heals you." (v.34) To the woman, he said, "Tabitha, arise." (v.40) Interesting to note, that each person was called by name. Jesus still does. Can you hear him calling yours? Never doubt it!

"Many believed in the Lord." Acts 9:42

You think? I bet they did! Today, most of the time, healing is prayed for, when people aren't in the room. It is less embarrassing that way. When prayers are answered, and people are healed, the typical response is, "Well, it must not have been as bad as we thought."

The early church preachers didn't offer Jesus, as a by-product of healing. They believed He was The Healer. What they knew He did, when He walked with them, they believed He never stopped doing. They called on Him, with a confidence in Him, based on consistent companionship with Him. Prayer that is all about immediacy, but not interested in intimacy, falls short on both counts.

Peter didn't offer up prayer to Jesus, or call on Him, with whimsical wishful thinking or panic-driven showmanship. He simply placed what was impossible for him, in the hands of the only one Who could do something about it.

This is the essence of prayer. Jesus takes what we give Him, and turns the impossible into the HIMpossible. Talking about a crisis only prolongs the degree of separation, from our namesake, Jesus. Prayer ends the sense of fear, in the middle of the crisis. Prayer assures us Jesus is in the now. Prayer continues our conversation, in His name, and improves our companionship, with The Name, until we are one with Him. Don't miss the intimacy, by focusing on the immediacy. Start earlier. Pray longer. The Healer is waiting for you.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Season

"So the church...enjoyed peace, being built up, and going on in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase." Acts 9:31

After a season of persecution erupted, at the launch of the church, a season of peace took its place, in the life of the church. Perhaps no greater words of wisdom have ever been strung together than, "This too will pass."

This peace was not so much an end to hostility, but a season of relief. It was a lull before the storm. Jerusalem would fall, and The Temple would be destroyed. By 70 A.D. the population of the city would be scattered to the four winds, by the Roman Legions of Titus. This peace preceded a persecution of the church that would reach new levels of depravity, throughout the Roman world.

This season of peace was marked by a building program that should never end, in the local church. People were being built up in "the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit."

The church was described as the "ekklesia" or the "called out ones." There is no church without First Responders. People responding to a call from God, have a passion to gather together. There are all kinds of gatherings or assemblies or groupings. Birds of a feather may flock together, but they don't form a church.

Erwin McManus wrote a book that described several different kinds of gatherings. A group of owls is referred to as a scholar. A group of rhinos is called a crash. A group of buzzards is called a committee. I am not making this up.

It is possible to draw a crowd, by attracting people who want their needs to be met. It doesn't make it a church. Just because people congregate, and even propagate a message, doesn't mean it is a church. There is a big difference between Lifeway and Amway.

Just because something grows doesn't mean there is life in it. Something that is death defying, is not always life-giving. Just because a body grows larger, does not mean it is getting healthier. A physical body can experience the growth of gangrene. This kind of growth will lead to amputation of limbs or there will be an expiration of life. See what I mean?

People who hear the voice of God calling them to come out of the world and into His Presence, form an assembly of responsive followers, with others who have heard His call. The church that continues to seek God's direction, protection and correction continues in the direction of their first step, walking down a long road of obedience. This is what is called "going on in the fear of the Lord." The way believers come on, is the way they go on. They hear and they obey.

Short-sighted church growth strategies focus on increasing in number, without increasing in "the comfort of the Holy Spirit." The early church grew in number, but never outgrew their dependence upon the ministry of The Holy Spirit. When a church loses this dependence, they declare their independence, and the man-made fireworks begin. Between all the duds that have misfired, and the destruction caused by the implosion of wild-fire, the church can be on fire, but give off more heat than light. When it does, it gives Holy Smoke a bad name.

Following the Jesus Revolution of the late Sixties and early Seventies of the 20th Century, there was a natural by-product called "The Deeper Life Movement." People who had experienced, a deepening of the appreciation of the work of the Holy Spirit, sought to sustain it, on a personal level and in a corporate setting. It is easier said than done.

Another wing of the church looked at the invasion of the Spirit of God, caused by the Jesus Revolution, and sought to perpetuate it through "The Church Growth Movement." Taking business models, leadership principles, advertising techniques, waves of high-tech communication systems, pop psychology, pop music, and the emerging social media, the leaders of this movement baptized them all, under a banner of "Whatever It Takes." The results are mixed. The churches grew larger, but their influence on the culture diminished. They turned the keys of the kingdom over to the inmates of the asylum. Now that's just crazy.

The comfort of the Holy Spirit refers to a robust relationship with Jesus, and a consistent companionship, with the Spirit of Christ. Both wings of Spiritual Awakening have their strengths and their weaknesses. Too often advocates of either one of these wings, try to put a feather in their cap, by plucking the other wing bear, and exposing it to ridicule. This pious plucking often leaves image of The Dove of the Spirit, appearing as a plucked chicken, in the eyes of those who need The Spirit of God the most.

To be sure, focusing on "Deeper Life", to the exclusion of "Church Growth", turns the church into a saints only country club. Focusing on "Church Growth" without equipping people, to be filled with the Spirit, leaves them full of themselves. This doesn't reflect the New Testament church found in Acts.

The early church showed signs of health. The people who indicated they had a relationship with Christ grew in number. Those who gathered together, with the church, also increased in their capacity to draw comfort from The Spirit of Christ. Their relationship with Christ led them to fellowship with His Spirit. There is no substitute for either one. The Dove has two wings, not one.

Comfort is one of those potent words that has undergone a transformation, down through the years. It has been diluted, and left out in the heat, until it has become a victim of etymological evaporation. What was once understood to mean a blood transfusion for courageous living has come to resemble a patronizing pat on the back. There is little comfort in the phrase, "There. There!"

When Bishop Odo rallied the troops of William the Conqueror, at the Battle of Hastings, he shouted "Con Fortis." The translation of the Latin refers to Odo comforting his boys. He was calling for the Norman soldiers to take courage, put an end to their retreat, and return to the battle. When they did, they won the battle. The rest, as they say, is history. Comfort, indeed.

Contemporary comfort bears little resemblance to courage. It settles for the removal of stress, the end of responsibility, and being conformed to the image of the couch. Big difference.

For the contemporary church, too often, its comfort is drawn from a satisfaction with life in a demilitarized zone. It is maintained by short sermons, preferred music, and a padded pew. No fuss. No muss. No fear. No tears. 'Tis The Season. Pick up The Wings. Cowboys kick off at Noon.

Spiritual Awakening always brings about a disruption of The Comfort Zone and a commission of the church, to enter The Fire Zone. When the next Great Awakening comes, don't be surprised if a Genesis of The Comforter is not followed, by an Exodus of the comfortable.

Dana and I served as fire-fighters, and first responders for several years, on a Volunteer Fire Department. We kept an instrument by our bed, that was connected with the 911 dispatcher of our area. It would go off at all times of the day and night. It would awaken us from a deep sleep and launch us out the door, in the middle of the night to "only God knows where." Spiritual Awakening will do the same thing.

Our experiences, as a first responders, ranged from house fires to wild-fires. Life and death situations took us from the birth of a child, to the death of an elderly person. We sometimes crawled under cars to pry people out of wrecks or carried people down stairwells in body bags. It was impossible to know what was coming next, but what we knew was this. We would not be alone. When we got to the station, we would be met by brothers and sisters who heard the call, and would go with us, to meet the crisis.

The church should do no less. There are seasons of life that prepare us for what is coming down the road. The church is experiencing an off-season of monumental importance. Every church member should prepare themselves, during this off-season, to defeat the opponents that have grown over-confident, with their winning streak over the church. There is much on the line. Prepare yourself for the next Great Awakening.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Unsung

"But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus." Acts 9:27

Stephen, Philip, Ananias and Barnabas all played a part in bringing Saul, The Assassin, to the end of himself, and preparing him, to be transformed into Paul, The Apostle. If Paul became the engine of the early church, driving it to doctrinal purity, these four men were the tires on the ground, that carried him down the road. Thank God, they were there when he needed them. The world is a better place, because they served, in such an unsung, but essential manner.

The Scripture provides very little biographical information about these four unsung saints, so there is always the danger of saying more about them, than the Bible actually reveals. Yet, there is always the opposite danger of not mentioning them at all, or giving them faint praise, indeed.

Saul was there, when Stephen was stoned to death. Stephen was there for Saul. While Saul held the coats of the stoners, Stephen lifted the stoners up to Jesus. It had to be an unforgettable moment, in Saul's life. It was significant enough for Jesus, to rise, from His seat at the right hand of The Father, and stand in honor of the first martyr of the church. Things are not always what they seem. God's redemptive plan is often revealed, by opening some very scary packages.

There are very few people in the world who have not had a helping hand, from someone else, that lifted them up, so they could stand on their shoulders, to enable them to accomplish more than their helpers would be able to do themselves. Unsung heroes, if gathered together, would form a massive choir, but all their praise would go to God.

Note to self: Get over yourself. You didn't get where you are by yourself. Self-made men are full of themselves. "You are full of yourself", is not a compliment. Stop wearing it like a badge of honor.

On a personal note: Thank you Father, for bringing people into my life, who have taken the time to invest in me, and who have believed in me, when I couldn't believe in myself. I wouldn't be who I am without You bringing them, into my life. I am humbled by the mention of their names, in Your Presence.

Stephen interceded for Saul, though he may not have known his name. Ananias got over his fear of Saul, and introduced him to The Spirit of God. Barnabas embraced Saul, when others sought to judge him. Philip paved the way for Saul, by introducing the people of Caesarea to The Gospel. It was a good thing Philip did so, because The Apostles couldn't wait to send Saul on his way, out of Jerusalem, and down the road to the port of Caesarea.

"But when the brethren learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus." v. 30 b

I may be wrong, but in my humble, but accurate opinion, this move has all the markings of "Good riddance!" It shows very little evidence of "God bless you!" It carries with it, a sigh of relief, more than a prayer of commission. I have to believe, at least one of The Twelve whispered, "We'll never hear from him again."

Saul may have been given a license to preach, but only Barnabas laid hands on him. This was not an ordination service. It was more like an exile. Saul was being sent home to the minors. Perhaps they thought Saul wasn't ready for the Big Leagues. "The Brethren" appeared to have kept Saul at arms length. Only Barnabas embraced what God was doing in his life. I want to be like Barnabas, when I grow up.

All four of these men played an essential role in getting Saul grounded in his faith, helping his ministry to get traction, and launching the transformation of The Assassin into The Apostle. The redemptive power of unsung saints is more than just a force of nature, it is the evidence of the hand prints of God, on the hearts of His people, and the soul of Christ's church.

Redemption doesn't come without intercession. Jesus is praying for someone you know right now, to become an instrument of God's grace. Think of the most unlikely person you know, and

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Chosen

"Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." Acts 9:15

Jesus chooses and calls those He intends to use, as His instruments. Those who bear His name, as a badge of honor, need to remember, they were not chosen to serve, as an honor guard, at a cemetery, for the "Unknown Christian." They soon find out they have been drafted, into active duty, in a war against evil. Their enemy is real, ruthless, and relentless. There will be casualties and consequences. Wounded Warriors, indeed.

Posers, who anoint themselves, with the title of preacher or pastor, soon find out that it comes with a price. Those who campaigned for the job, rarely have a clue what it is going to cost them. What looked like a bright career to them, blinded them, from the sight of the cross.

Preaching is not a career choice. It is a calling from Jesus. Those who are called to it, will suffer in it. Seminary won't prepare a person for it. Only The Spirit of God can do that. What Ananias said to Saul, remains true for every person called to serve and suffer, as "an instrument of Mine."

"The Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road...has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." v. 17

The call of Saul began in the heart of God, at a time and place that is not revealed to us in The Scripture. We only know, when the call was revealed, on the Road to Damascus. When the Lord Jesus called him by name, it was unexpected by Saul, by those who sent him, by his traveling companions, and by those who feared him most. Behind every person who is called to preach, or pastor, is a group of surprised people. This only happens...EVERY TIME.

Those who are not called to preach, pastor or lead a local church, often launch a successful campaign, to do so. As a candidate, the task looks easy enough. Once their name is on the sign of the church, or the door on their office, they quickly complain about the painful consequences.

The perspective, from the pulpit, is quite different, from the view from the pew. From a padded seat, posers in waiting see parade passing them by, and run down the aisle, to get out ahead to lead it. From what they could tell, based on what they saw in the flaws of the person in front of them, anyone could do it. Posers never know, the parade they were racing to lead, was a march up Calvary's Hill.

The seismic shift from campaigning to complaining, is swift and earth-shaking. Too many people see preaching as a career, or a casting call to be rock star. The truth is this. It will rock your world.

WARNING: If you are called to lead His church, you are called to die, on your own cross. Take up your cross, personally. The pain is personal. It is real, and it is relentless. You aren't meant to survive the cross. You are meant to die on it. Suffering is a painful lesson, Saul would have to learn. He never forgot it. He said, "I die daily." Follow his lead.

In his call, Saul was told there would be a price to pay, for bearing the name of Jesus. It involved suffering. Today's brand of preacher fills their Facebook posts with pics of their latest meal, at the hippest restaurant, or images of people, under theatrical lighting and makeup, lifting hands and gazing intently in well-choreographed worship sets. No cross. No blood. No offense. No suffering. No truth. Don't believe a word they say.

In January 1975, I heard my father read this passage of Scripture to me, as I prepared to head off for my second semester in Seminary. We were sitting at the kitchen table of the parsonage in Kings Park, New York, sharing a cup of coffee. It was before dawn, and we were having a final word together, before I started the drive that would take me through New York City, and down the road, back to Fort Worth. Dad's verse for the new year was,...

"That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His suffering, being conformed to the image of His death." Philippians 3:10

Two weeks later Dad was in the ER, and his life was hanging in the balance, from an exploded colon. The subsequent infection that set in, led to three more surgeries, over a two year period. I saw a robust, powerful man reduced to less than 90 pounds, and plagued by three bags hanging from his stomach, to remove the waste from his system. The sight and smells of his suffering were vivid, and his scars linger still.

The result? It took Dad's prayer life to a new level, and the lives of thousands of people have been enriched, by the ministry that was birthed out of his suffering. How? The process was this. He took his suffering to the cross, and left it there. He walked hand in hand with Jesus, to the cross, and remained in intimate communication with Him, after the cross. He observed..

"Prayer is the intimate communication, between the Heavenly Father, and His child." Don Miller

Suffering was not something Saul was going to be able to avoid, if he stayed on the course The Lord Jesus called him to follow. Suffering is not a curse of the call, it is the key to effectiveness in it. Complaining about suffering is not the same thing as praying in it and through it. Complaining only magnifies the pain. It never reduces it.

Don't get me wrong. Prayer is not a spiritual form of pain management. Nor is it an insipid response, to intense suffering. Explaining suffering doesn't remove it, and complaining about it doesn't relieve it. Prayer puts it where it belongs, on the cross. The Lord Jesus, The Risen Christ, by His Spirit of Promise, resurrects the consequences of suffering, transforming a suffering saint into a changed person. It is a painful process, and it has a purpose.

Note to self: The Spirit of Christ, takes the name of Jesus, from the logo on your shirt, and moves HIM to the recesses of your heart. Pray when you suffer. You would be wise to stop trying to complain about it or explain it away. Never forget. If you are called to it, Jesus will see you through it.

Suffering doesn't make sense, unless it is nailed to The Cross, and left there, until Jesus does something with it. His Spirit is more than able to release His character into anyone who is suffering with their Savior, not just searching for a solution. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

"The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control..." Galatians 5:20

The Way

"Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him...so that if he found any belonging to the Way...he might bring them bound to Jerusalem...and as he was traveling, it happened..." Acts 9:1-3

Saul, his name was rooted in the Hebrew word that meant "asked for" or "prayed for." It was a popular name, and many parents named their sons, after the first king of Israel, who lost his life defending Israel from her enemies. Saul was obsessed with destroying the followers of Jesus, and he went out of his way to murder anyone who believed He was "The Way, The Truth, and The Life."

NOTE TO SELF: When your enemies can clearly state what you believe, and still hate you for it, wear their hatred like a badge of honor.

Saul didn't frame the debate, between his views and those of the believers of Jesus. He released his hate against them. Hate never debates. Hate has no other mission, but to annihilate. The hatred for Jesus is ancient, and is rooted in the soul of hell and the heart of Satan. He is jealous of His Person, and His position, and intends to wipe His name from the lips of believers and the pages of history.

There is a misconception that hatred can be dispelled, by explaining more clearly the differences, between the dispensers of hate, and their victims. The pressure seems to always be on the victims, to explain themselves. If they would just not be so offensive, then there would be no offense generated against them. The Rodney King School of Theology 's vision statement is really an insipid question, "Can't we all just get along?" Not likely.

Jesus said, "I AM the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father, but by me." John 14:6

Preachers who believe there is more than one way to a right relationship with God, have lost their way, and cannot be considered preachers of The Way. Saul knew the difference. He had no interest in walking across the street to break up a meeting of people who had no idea where they were going, but he would walk or ride a slow horse to Syria, to destroy anyone who knew Jesus was The Way. Hate still will.

Look at the strategy. "Breathing threats, and murder" escalated into a desire, to put muscle behind the breath, and carry out the murder. This is how it always begins. When intimidation doesn't silence the preachers of The Way, then the next step is annihilation. Remember, hate doesn't debate. Hate annihilates. Hate doesn't require a clearer explanation. It is clearly intent on one thing, the annihilation of those who get in their way. Don't be surprised if diversity and tolerance has no love lost for The Way, The Truth and The Life.

The strategy of the enemy has never changed, because it is very successful. Preachers who muzzle themselves, at the first sign of intimidation, may not die a martyr's death. Their fate is worth than death. They become death-defying, but they fail to be life-giving.

Saul hated the preachers and the people of The Way, because they wouldn't stop talking about Jesus. What's a preacher to do, when what he is called to preach, stirs up hatred? PREACH JESUS, anyway.

Preaching is a calling, not a career. Those who have a calling, will deliver a message. Those who have a career, are going to try and protect it. Some will do it, by changing the message. Others will study it, like a dead frog in a laboratory setting, until it is so dissected, and the frog hair sliced so fine, that there is no jump left in the frog. They end up talking The Gospel to death, and robbing it of the life-giving power of The Risen Christ.

I repeat. PREACH JESUS! It drove Saul crazy, and it will be like a bone in the throat and the rock in the shoe, to anyone who is heading in the wrong direction. Preachers care called to STAND UP! SPEAK UP! and never shut up, until their voices are snuffed out, like flames in the night, by those who can't stand to hear name of Jesus.

Saul exposed himself, by his hatred for those who follow Jesus. People still do. It simply doesn't matter, if people gag every time His name is spoken, or if they stumble over His name, when they choose the wrong way to God. Jesus is The Way.

Pray your way to the filling of The Spirit, and the courage to PREACH JESUS! Your preaching will improve, and your opposition will be intense, but...

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Message

"The Spirit said to Philip, 'Go up and join this chariot.' Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, 'Do you understand what you are reading?' And he said, 'Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him...Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him. Acts 8:29-35

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was fond of telling his student preachers that he could find Jesus, in every text he preached. Unfortunately, some preachers can't find Jesus, no matter what text they use. Philip was a forerunner of Spurgeon's preaching strategy. PREACH JESUS!

Note to self: When you preach, let the Scripture be your starting blocks, and when the clock starts, run to Jesus.

When Jesus intercepted the couple on the Road to Emmaus, He walked them through Genesis to Malachi, and revealed God's redemptive story. He was convinced, it was all about Him, from start to finish. Good to know. Some preachers second-guess Jesus, looking for a second opinion, from people who know a great deal about the Bible, but don't seem to be able to find The Word. Listen to Jesus.

The Spirit pulled Philip out of a booming Spiritual Awakening in Samaria, and moved him down into the desert, to meet one man struggling with getting a grip on the word of God. In God's scheme of things, this made perfect sense. He always makes the wisest use of manpower.

"Philip ran up" to the man who was in the chariot. There is something about this statement that warms my heart, and gives me an appreciation for Philip. It would have been understandable, if Philip had been less than enthusiastic about taking an assignment that put him on the backside of the desert, instead of in the middle of a Great Awakening. He didn't drag his feet. He ran to meet the challenge. I want to be like Philip, when I grow up.

Philip took this Isaiah 53 passage, about The Suffering Servant, and he pointed the Ethiopian eunuch to Jesus. IT ISN'T HARD...

"But the Lord caused the iniquity of all to fall on Him." Isaiah 53:7

"Yet He Himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the transgressors." Isaiah 53:12

See what I mean? A little more impressive is Philip's ability to lead the Ethiopian to a commitment to baptism. I have read Isaiah 53 over and over again, and can't find anything about it. Even more impressive, was Philip's ability to find water in the middle of the desert, so the Ethiopian could be baptized. Philip may be my new poster boy for Southern Baptists. But I digress.

"When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, ...he kept on preaching the gospel to al the cities until he came to Caesarea." Acts 8: 40

Philip was 100% available to the Holy Spirit's agenda, and when he was given a task to perform, he ran to it. When Philip was given a text to explain, he ran to Jesus. Where ever he went, or where ever he ended up, one thing was a constant in the life of Philip. He preached Jesus. May his tribe increase.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Conjunction pt. 2

"So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. But..." Acts 8: 25-26

The Conjunction is that point in time, when the Holy Spirit refuses to be ignored, dismissed, or put on hold, by people who refuse to understand His mission and their commission. The Apostles remained in Jerusalem, while the church was scattered. Then, in their absence, the Spirit of God ignited The Samaritan Awakening. They did come down the mountain, from Jerusalem to inspect it, but they hadn't been a part of starting it. It wasn't long before "they started back to Jerusalem." v. 25

There may be a pattern emerging here that is not very flattering to The Apostles. When the persecution of the church scattered believers to the four winds, Philip, one of The Seven, not one of The Twelve, "went down to the city of Samaria and began proclaiming Christ to them." v. 5

Apparently he wasn't authorized to start an Awakening. "Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive The Holy Spirit." v. 14

The Apostles were not in on the start of this fresh movement of The Spirit. They had remained in Jerusalem, while the rest of the church was scattered. They had not expected it to happen. They had not planned for it to take place. When it did, they felt compelled to put it in its proper place, under their direction. Leading from behind is not new.

The history of Spiritual Awakening is filled with stories of the Holy Spirit's freedom of movement. He cannot be marginalized, by those who believe they were called to organize Him. The Holy Spirit moves through people willing to be used as instruments, for the honor and glory of God, in the name of His Son, Jesus.

Whenever a group of people believe they can mold and manipulate The Spirit of God, for their own purposes, they are in for a rude awakening, and they postpone the Great Awakening. This only happens...EVERY TIME!

The Sanhedrin, The Apostles, various versions of the religious elite, posturing political hacks, and well-intentioned denominational leaders, have often tried and failed to do it. The Spirit of God refuses to wear the logo or puff up the ego of people who refuse to obey Him, but want to direct and correct Him.

Note to self: It is always foolish, to be granted access to a fresh movement of The Spirit of God and then try to attach your logo, and ego to it. You don't own what you didn't create. STOP IT!

The last great movement of The Spirit of God, in this nation, was in the late Sixties and early Seventies of the 20th Century. It began outside the control of organized religious structures, creating angst and anxiety in most of their leaders, when it crashed the party they had painstakingly planned, and placed on their denominational calendars. For the most part, it was a youth movement. It was messy. It was potent, and it was real. It is now referred to as The Jesus Revolution. I miss it, mess and all, more than ever.

When The Apostles arrived on the scene in Samaria, they immediately began to supervise and sanitize what they found there. In this particular case, it is hard to separate what was in need of correction, from what they perceived to be out of order. They were convinced the Samaritans needed to have the same experience they had encountered, when The Spirit came upon them.

Certainly, there is no salvation without The Spirit of God, and there is no real Spiritual Awakening, without His Presence. In any event, in their own minds, the Samaritan Awakening didn't receive their blessing, until The Apostles had put their hands on it. The Spirit of God already had. That should always be enough.

When did The Apostles get enough of what The Spirit was doing in Samaria? Scripture says, "They started back to Jerusalem." For some reason, the capitol city held great attraction to Peter. For a country boy, raised in a rural seaside fishing village in The Galilee, he had acclimatized to big city life very quickly. He wouldn't be be last country boy to forget his roots, and come under the influence of the view from HQ. Denominational offices are filled with them.

Space will not allow me to expand on this, but let it be said. Peter struggled with expanding the grace of God beyond the lines, of his own prejudices and preferences. Could it be that pure-bred Peter was having a tough time swallowing what The Spirit was pouring out on people he had hated for years. Jonah had a problem with it, years before this. IT HAPPENS. Perhaps the greatest work in Samaria, The Spirit had in mind, was the work He wanted to do in Peter. More on that later.

In the middle of the last Spiritual Awakening, too many people who were not a part of starting it, tried to get out in front of it, and take credit for it. Before The Spirit was finished, they made plans to harness His efforts for their team, and "started back to Jerusalem." The history of Spiritual Awakening reveals that it begins with the hand prints of God all over it, and ends when the hand prints of man have contaminated it.

Note to self: The Father will not allow you, or anyone else, to put a feather in your cap, by taking credit for what The Spirit of Christ does. He refuses to allow The Dove to be treated like a plucked chicken. He will simply remove The Spirit from your grasp, and move on, in the lives of people who understand Spiritual Awakening must be received, with the gentle hands of stewardship, not ownership.

"BUT an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, "Get up and go south to the road that DESCENDS from Jerusalem...So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch..." Acts 8:26-27 (CAPS are mine)

Oh my! Samaritans AND an Ethiopian eunuch! No wonder The Spirit of God sent Philip. Peter was probably already stretched to the max. The Spirit of God uses people who function best as flexible instruments of God's grace, in His hands. He searches the hearts of those who let go of their prejudices and personal preferences, to take hold of His mission, and embrace it, as their commission.

Prayer enables you to see the Spirit of God at work, at The Conjunction. Prayer transforms your dysfunction, into His function, by removing your prejudices and preferences, and replacing them with the privilege and passion of participation. Prayer prepares you to be part of something only The Spirit of God can do. Meet Him at The Conjunction of "But God."

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Simonizers

"Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, saying, 'Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay may hands may receive the Holy Spirit." Acts 8: 18-19

The church has always held an attraction for those who have a religious bent, and a spirit of greed. These people can always see the sweet, untapped potential, in this holy hive of busy bees. They come up with a solid business plan, eye-catching logo, state of the art web-site, interest peaking book title, and an ad campaign that would make Madison Avenue blush with envy.

These chameleons, posing as preachers market the church like it was a "Sham WOW!" commercial on late night TV. In most cases, their "ministry" is more like "Scam Now!" Just because they are good at it, doesn't mean they were called to it. Just because they can't keep their hands off of The Body of Christ, doesn't mean they were meant to rub their hands all over it. They are like a moth to a flame. Sooner are later, they flame out.

The list is endless. Every time another scandal. involving a religious leader, guru, or celebrity, fires up, the entire church gets scorched, by their flames. Somewhere along the way, these posers turned, "I must be about My Father's business," into "I must make a buck in The Father's business." Eventually, they are successful in making a name, and making a buck, but they never make a difference, and the church gets Simonized.

Diane Sawyer, an aggressive, seasoned investigative reporter, explained why she has stopped exposing these bad apples. She observed that every time she reveals the rotten fruit, another crop emerges, worse than ever. No lessons ever seem to be learned, by the crop failures of others. Greed and avarice, fame and fortune always prove to be powerful fertilizers to the soil of a corrupt heart.

Note to self: Don't play with fire. The Holy Spirit intends to purify your heart, by burning up everything in you that can't be improved, by turning up the heat. Don't try to use the Holy Spirit, by warming your hands at His holy fire. He intends to consume you. Don't ever believe you can consume Him, and walk away, without being burned.

Simon didn't want Jesus. Simon wanted the power of The Spirit. He didn't want the consistent companionship and maturing of character that only comes with a life-time of intimacy with Jesus. He wanted immediate results. He was not looking for a long walk in the right direction. He wanted a short cut to swift satisfaction. Avoid short cuts!

Peter's response?

"May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have no portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God." Acts 8: 21

Peter's solution?

"Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity." Acts 8: 22-23

There is so much pious drivel that passes for biblical insight. Some would have us believe that it is woefully judgmental for the church to inspect the fruit, it is responsible for bearing. It is not. Allowing rotten fruit to be passed on to people, without calling out the people who are producing it, is not piety. It is cowardice.

Don't get me wrong. Hating someone, for what they are doing wrong doesn't make you a better person. Praying for them will. Peter called out Simon. He didn't make it his calling in life to root him out, or set his orchard on fire. Throwing rocks at every barking dog you hear, prolongs your journey and gets you off course. To stay the course, pray for people who are in the ditch.

After Peter called Simon out, Simon asked for prayer. "Pray to the Lord for me yourselves..." (Acts 8:24). The litmus test of a person's piety is not how much wrong they can point out in another person's life. The Simonizers will always be stalking the church. When God gives you discernment about their dangerous activity, point it out, but don't stop there.

"Discernment is given for intercession, never fault-finding." Oswald Chambers

Praying for a person in the wrong, and pointing out a person who is wrong, are two different things. Make sure they become one in the same. Jesus did. You should too.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!

The Cry

"Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not hold this sin against them!' " Acts 7. 60

Just because you refuse to take offense, at something someone does to you, doesn't mean that it wasn't offensive. It was offensive. You just chose not to take an offense.

Don't misunderstand the process. The offense still exists. It happened. The questions remains, as well. What are you going to do with it?

Stephen was falsely accused, viciously slandered, the victim of a conspiracy to abort justice, physically assaulted, in a court of law, and summarily dragged out into the street and stoned to death. All in all, no matter how much the most positive saint could put a sanctified spin on it, it was a bad day. THEN...

Stephen prayed! He recognized what was happening to him was sin. He didn't try to spin sin into something other than what it was. He didn't pretend people were better than they really were, or just misunderstood. He knew they were sinners. Some of the most delusional people in the world are saints, who keep expecting sinless behavior, from sinful people. Don't be one of them. Stephen wasn't.

However, Stephen wasted no time building his case, defending his rights, clearing the record, setting things right, putting his house in order, or getting even. He prayed. Good to know.

More than using prayer to deliver a brief devotional thought, or deliver a clever catch phrase, Stephen cried out to God. This was no "bless the gift and the giver" mantra, he cried out to God, for mercy, FOR HIS ENEMIES. With the last breath in his lungs, he took the worst people could throw at him, and asked God to deliver to them, the one thing that mattered most, forgiveness. Sound familiar?

"Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." Jesus
Luke 23:34

This similarity, between the two prayers, was no coincidence. It was the consequence of consistent companionship, between Stephen and Jesus.

Prayer does not always transform the crisis, into the best thing that has ever happened to us. It takes the worst thing that has ever happened to us, and allows God to make something good out of it. As trite as it may sound, the truth remains. When crisis comes your way, or an offensive act hits your life, you have a choice. You can either let it make you bitter or better. Your call.

Prayer paves the way for the offended, to take the right path, and avoid the detour of retaliation. Prayer releases the offense into the right hands, and empowers the prayer warrior, to make the right response, rather than make the wrong reaction.

Stephen's cry to God, was a prayer of intercession. It closely resembled the cry of Jesus on the cross, for those who had put him there. This is no accident. Stephen was a man of prayer, and patterned his prayer life after the prayer life of Jesus. Jesus prayed, "Not MY will, but THY will." It was not lost on Stephen. When crisis came to him, Christ flowed out of him. Crisis reveals character. This only happens...EVERY TIME.

Prayer does not transform the crisis, into the image of our will. Prayer conforms us, to the will of The Father. Crisis reveals one of two things. It either reveals, the image of Christ, or exposes the absence of it.

Prayer can be crammed into any crisis, at the spur of the moment, but it rarely produces Christ's character, in the same span of time. That is why most prayers sound like a search for a quick fix, or reveal a toxic mixture of panic and whining. Prayer will turn your WHINE List into a THINE List. Don't get drunk on WHINE. Sober up!

Character is a result of consistent companionship with God, unbroken fellowship with The Spirit, and saturated sessions, in Christ's Presence. Praying to God, in the name of Jesus, and with the advocacy of The Spirit, may not transform the crisis, but it will conform you to Christ's character.

Prayer softens the ground of a hardened heart, by placing any crisis and every offense, IMMEDIATELY, into the hands of Jesus. Prayer warriors cannot grip The Sword of The Spirit, if they are holding on to grudges, or warrants for the arrest of those who have done them wrong. This may reveal why the enemy doesn't fear our retaliation, but our intercession. When we are praying in The Spirit, we have a grip on The Sword of The Spirit, which is the Word of God. Satan fears it. Draw it out, and throw away the scabbard.

Note to self: Letting go of an offense does not mean the offender is getting away with anything. For every real offense, there will be real consequences. Let it go, and let God take the offensive against your offender. If you don't turn an offense over to God, your life will become an endless DO IT YOURSELF project. STOP IT!

The Prayer of Stephen is not some "Prayer of Jabez" knock off. It is not about expanding yourself. It is all about dying to self. Praying to be magnified is not the same as praying to be crucified. The Prayer of Stephen resulted in a life that looked like Jesus. So should yours. His prayer turned MY will into THY will. So should yours. His prayer sought God's forgiveness, for his enemies, not his personal revenge, over them. So should yours.

TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!