True Fellowship

 

The Lord led my wife and I to study the meaning of true Fellowship this weekend, and we ended up sharing what we learned with the group of believers we relate to in our home on Saturday night.   I can honestly say, we enjoyed true fellowship that night, and we were truly encouraged by what we are seeing.  The Lord is opening our eyes to so many things, and this issue of Fellowship is just one of them. 

I had been pondering a statement made by Bryon Wiebold of Forerunner Ministries in Texas.  He said, "we don't gather for fellowship, we gather because we already have Fellowship".  This statement prompted my wife and I to study out the word "fellowship" as it is used in the Bible.  My wife and I love to re-think and re-discover what the Bible really says about many words or subjects that many times have lost their meaning since we have been in "church" for a while.  Religious thinking, or familiarity sets in and we can stop thinking about what we are saying or hearing.  We learned that true Fellowship is much more than just getting together to discuss life, religion, sports, or politics.  Fellowship is also more than getting together to "do" religious things like prayer, worship, bible study, etc.

The greek word for Fellowship is Koinonia, and it is used in several ways throughout the New Testament.  It means to partake, participate in, have in common, and can also be translated as the  word "communion".  We discovered from 1 John 1:3-7 that before we can enjoy fellowship with others, we must first have fellowship with the Father and the Son, Jesus Christ. It is impossible to have Christian fellowship with someone who does not have true fellowship with God first!! 

1 John 1:3
We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1 John 1:6,7
 ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.


Our fellowship with God will be manifested in whether we are walking in the light of God's love.  Then, our fellowship with each other will be manifested in our love for each other!

1 John 2:9
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.

In 1 Corinthians, the word "Koinonia" sheds further light on how we see and relate to the body of Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:16,17
¹⁶ Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? ¹⁷ Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all share the one loaf.

The word for "participation" used in this passage is, you guessed it: Koinonia.  As believers, we enjoy true fellowship because we have each been baptized into the body of Christ.  We are participants of being part of the body of Christ because we have each eaten of his flesh and drank of his blood.  In a spiritual manner, we have allowed the very essence of Christ to enter into us and he has made each of us members of his body. 

Our fellowship with the Head(Christ) determines our fellowship with the rest of the body.  We are each participants(Koinonia) in the body and blood of Christ.

The last instance of the word Koinonia I want to share is in 2 Peter 1:3,4
³ His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. ⁴ Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

The word "participate" here is of course the grk. word Koinonia.  This is perhaps the greatest revelation of all I discovered when doing this study.  Not only do we have fellowship with God because we are in the light of his love, and because we are now members of his body.  We have fellowship with God and each other because we now have his very nature imparted to us!!  We love  each other because it is now our nature to love!  We share gifts of the spirit with one another because his Spirit is now one with our Spirit!  We now share the same Father!  We are members of the same family!  We are sons of God, just like Christ, the firstborn son!  Does this mean we "are" God?  No, but it does mean we are now "like" God in the sense that he has imparted his very nature and essence into us.  We are no longer of Adam, we are of Christ.  We no longer have a dead Spirit, our Spirit is alive to God, energized and full of the Life of God.  Our life-source and nature no longer comes from the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil(Adam), our life-source is now the tree of Life(Christ)!

This is what forms the basis of our fellowship with other believers.  Our fellowship is not based around believing the same doctrines, praying the same way, worshiping the same songs, attending the same "church".  Our fellowship is based on our new nature and our new relational position with the Father.  We are new creations - the old has passed away and the new has come!  Our fellowship(Koinonia) is based around "who" we have become and who we have relationship with(the Father), not based around what we "do".  What we do as the Church flows out of who we now are, and the direct connection we have with the head.  We are no longer "sinners", we are "saints".  We no longer have a "sinful" nature, we have God's divine nature of pure, spotless, holy, Love.  As Bryon Wiebold says in this blog post, we are no longer "Apples", we are "Oranges".  Apples vs Oranges

Do we still struggle with the flesh?  Of course. In our Soul, the mind, will, and emotions we still struggle with ingrained patterns of behavior, fears, and areas of our heart that need to be surrendered to Jesus Christ daily.  We can still allow sin into our soul and practice sin, but it is now a foreign invader that has no right to be there.  We are not defined by that sin any longer, we are defined by what God says about us. We are now Sons of God, members of Christ's body, new creation Spirit-men(and women), free from the law of sin and death. 

This is what Jesus died for - this is what his body is all about - this is what true fellowship is based upon.

Barriers to God's Love

In pondering our earlier Post, the Significance of God's Love, I was thinking about things that can hinder us from expressing God's love.  What keeps us from really moving out in faith to love our families, our neighbors, and our brothers and sisters in Christ?

1. Ruts
One of the major barriers I see in my own life is the tendency to fall into a Rut.  It is entirely possible to lock ourselves into a mindset that never looks outside our daily routine.  Even seemingly good, religious activities can become a rut that prevent us from seeing what God is doing and keep us from seeing the real needs of those around us.  If my goal is to get to the "church meeting" on time, why would I stop to help my neighbor?  In the parable of the Good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37, isn't it interesting that it was the "professional" religious men who passed by the hurt man.  I assume they were too busy and stuck in their "rut" to allow themselves to feel compassion on him.  They allowed what they deemed good, getting to their destination on time, to get in the way of seeing from God's heart of love and compassion.

We Christians need to learn to slow down, relax, and just love the people right in front of us. "Stop for the One" as Heidi Baker says.  Instead of getting grand ideas about doing big things for God, if we could just get in touch with God's heart and then crawl out of our rut long enough to see a need and "stop for the one" right in front of us, we will be the ones Jesus works through to change the world "with" him instead of "for" him.

In church meetings, even in so-called Charismatic churches, ruts often keep God locked up.  He is "in" us, but he desires to get out.  We can assume that the order of service is to be followed, but miss the real needs and what God is doing. Our rut keeps us from ever expecting anything different, it keeps us from seeing the real needs around us, and it limits our faith.

Order of service in a Charismatic Church: Pray, worship, preach 5-15 mins about giving financially, take an offering, worship some more, preach again, alter call with musical accompaniment, done.
 
Order of service in a traditional church: All stand, sing Hymn 596, All Sit down, sing Hymn 278, All stand up, repeat Lord's Prayer, Pastor Prays, take an offering, scripture reading, All sit down, preach, most people fall asleep, Sermon complete, most people wake up, all stand up, sing Hymn 193, done. 

2. Wrong Judgments about others
Another barrier I see is the tendency to lock ourselves and others into an imaginary rut through critical, negative thought patterns.  The tendency can be to look at ourselves and others based on past experience instead of peering prophetically into truth by faith.  If we look only at what lies on the surface, we fail to see the beauty and potential that may lie beneath.  Only when we see as God sees can we really love.    Could this be why the words "Faith, Hope, and Love" are tied to each other.  A hopeless, faithless perspective is an unloving perspective.  Of course, seeing sin as wrong does not preclude faith and hope.  Truth and Love are also tied to each other very closely and cannot be separated from one another.  John 1:14  To see truthfully is also to see lovingly and with a grace-centered perspective.  To see with all of these(Faith, Hope, Love, and Truth) is to see from God's perspective instead of a fleshly perspective.

 1 Cor 1:27  Jesus chose disciples who were the most unlikely to be world changers, but he also saw their potential.  God rescued and saved many of us, also the most unlikely to amount to anything from the world's perspective.  We need to be careful to see others by the Spirit and discern by the Spirit.  If we make wrong judgments, we will miss what God is doing and operate in unbelief.
 
Personal Examples
These are things I noticed in my own life when pondering this issue.  I realized I had some repenting to do and a need to allow God to deliver me from my "rut". 
1.  Judging others outwardly or from past experience:  I often pass by co-workers several times a day,  some of them I have known for years, but rarely assume they might have needs or may have an interest in God so I mostly ignore them and expect nothing.
2.  Daily Routine, busyness:  We eat at approx. the same time each day, do our chores, and I put my children to bed at about the same time every night, anything that strays out of the routine is often seen as a hindrance.
3.  Compartmentalizing God:  I get up and spend some time with God in the morning, maybe read my bible or a devotional,  maybe worship and listen for his voice, but many times don't consult him about throughout the day or remain sensitive to his presence, love, or inward voice.
4. Separating Sacred from Secular.  Seeing religious activities as Sacred, and all else as worldly or unimportant.  Therefore, not seeking God unless the activities are seen as sacred or religious.

I realized this tendency toward "ruttishness" and religiousness was a generational sin that needed to be broken. If we come out of agreement with these ruts and wrong perspectives, and come into agreement with God's perspective of love and freedom, they lose power over us.

3. Wrong judgments about God
When we really get to know what God is like, and we know experientially and by faith how much he loves us, we will be free to love others in the same way. The more we comprehend the love of God, the more we will desire to love people in the same way. If we view God as distant, mean-spirited, out to get us, and waiting to catch us in an act of sin so he can strike us dead and throw us into hell, we will certainly not treat others with a loving spirit. If we see God as our best friend, close to us, for us and not against us, bearing our burdens, ever-present, kind, compassionate, forgiving, fun-loving, etc, we will become like him. As we behold God, we will become like how we view him. That is why it is critical to have an accurate picture of who God really is and how he relates to us.
2 Cor. 3:18 He does not relate to us like he did to those under the old Covenant so we do not need to relate to him out of fear and condemnation. We relate to him on the basis of the new covenant he has made with us through Jesus, we are Righteous and Holy, fearless, his beloved children, and his close friends. 2 Cor 3:7-9

Husbands love your Wives

Eph. 6:25
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

How are we husbands to love our wives?  I have been on a journey to discover this over the last couple years.  I realized how much I had really failed to love my wife in the years before.  I think there were 2 main problems.

1st problem - unhealed wounds
I needed healing for many lies I had believed from my past.  I took many of the things she would say to me as personal rejection.  Many of the patterns of conflict we encountered were due to the grid I viewed life through.  Therefore, any appeal from her that even hinted at the fact that I wasn't meeting her needs in some way was immediately taken personally and defensive walls would go up.  Over the last couple years, with my wife's unconditional love and healing prayer, God has healed me and set me free from many childish ideas and ways of reacting.  I have also been learning to feel.  We men have a difficult time with emotion, and this was a big one for me.  I still have far to go, but God has done more than I could ever imagine!

2nd problem - wrong view of authority
I covered much of this in my post about the husband as the priest of the Home. 
http://bigkiddfamily.blogspot.com/2011/11/man-as-priest-of-home.html

I wanted to add some stuff here about this issue as it relates to how a husband learns to love his wife.  Of course, it also applies to wives loving their husbands.

We learned through some teaching videos we watched last year that there are basically 3 types of relationships that many husbands and wives will find themselves in. My wife and I disagree with some of the psychological pidgeon-holing on some of the videos, but we did take some very valuable things from it.
http://lovingonpurpose.com/

1.  I matter, you don't - (The controller)  This occurs when one partner dominates the relationship.  Their vision, decisions, dreams are all that matter.  The weaker partner never has much to say and they just always go along with the stronger partner.  This is because the stronger partner forces their way(always wins) and does not have enough respect for the thoughts, feelings, and wisdom of the weaker partner.

2. You matter, I don't - (The doormat) In this type of relationship, the dominating person is not the problem. The problem lies in a wrong view believed by the person who is weaker.  This type of person lives to only serve and meet the needs of the other.  They will never speak up or let their needs, thoughts, or feelings be known.  This may sound holy, submissive, and very Christian-like, however, this person will typically breed hidden resentments and feelings of being un-cared for.  They never make their thoughts known because they believe they don't matter and they probably won't be listened to anyways.  These people will many times be nice to you to your face, but the moment your back is turned will spew out all kinds of anger and resentment.

3. You matter, and so do I -  (Healthy relationship).  Both partners have a high respect for one another's thoughts, feelings, and needs.  This may not always be possible in all marriage relationships because sometimes, 1 partner is un-cooperative. This is the type of relationship we all desire and long for.  In this type of relationship, both partners are free to express their thoughts, feelings, and needs without fear of backlash.  Unconditional love and a high respect for each other is paramount.  Decisions are made together, without one partner needing to force their way.  Both people can be seen as equally able to hear from God and make wise decisions.

Typically, in the church circles my wife and I were a part of over the past few years, the first two ways of relating were the only ones we ever saw. We unfortunately fell into these faulty ways of relating to each other as well.  In these types of churches, the only person who really matters in the family is the Husband.  The wife and children only live to serve him.  The husband believes "I matter, you don't" subconsciously, even though he would never say it out loud.  In the church, the same way of thinking is practiced.  Lip-service is given to the importance of women, but they are allowed to participate very little if at all in the actual church meeting.

The wife believes "You matter, I don't".  The wife many times will be unable to really communicate how she really thinks or feels since she subconsciously believes, "I don't matter".  She begins to believe that she was only created to keep the clothes washed, put food on the table, have babies, teach the children, and maybe become an herbal expert :)  Her identity is squashed by this mindset.  She does not believe she can hear from God or play a major role in any decision-making.  Her thoughts, dreams, desires are minimized since the husband's thoughts, dreams, desires are all that matter. 

Some churches will not even allow a woman to speak because they believe that a man is the only one who can really handle theological questions and biblical truth.  Women are only qualified to teach other women and children.  Do you see how damaging this mindset can become when applied in the home?  This means that the woman can never take any viewpoint contrary to her husband and can never disagree with him on spiritual, theological, or practical issues.  This mindset takes a low view of and has no respect for the humanity and intelligence of women.  Bible verses are thrown around and pulled out of context to support this viewpoint.  Any time the bible is used to dominate or control other people, love has just been cast out and the Spirit of Fear has been let in.  There is no fear in love, perfect love casts out fear.  If we men will learn to really love, then our wives can be truly freed from fear.  On the flip-side, the reason people want to stay in control is out of fear.  I remember fearing that my wife might disagree with my decisions, so I didn't even ask her opinion.  I just went right ahead and did them because I was the authority in the house. 

Like I said in my article about Man as priest of the Home, if I would have taken my wife seriously, I would not have blundered into so many mistakes and bad decisions.  We men need to be humble enough to listen to our wives and make decisions together with them.  Any time a decision comes to the point of a power struggle, the quality of the relationship has to be sacrificed. These wrong beliefs will always hinder good communication and good decision making.

Oh, and by the way - these concepts also apply to how we view our children as well. Many a controlling, authoritarian parent has abused their children because they were "unsubmissive". We need to heed well the command to not exasperate our children with bullying and controlling intimidation tactics. They also have feelings and thoughts that need to be respected. If they become disrespectful, there are certainly consequences - but we don't need to bully them into submission.

Paul says we men are to love our wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.  How well are we loving our wives as Christ loves the church?  How well are we giving up ourselves and laying down our lives for our wives?  Jesus lowered himself and became a servant to humanity.  In laying down his life for us, we see the ultimate example of love.  Christ humbled himself and elevated others.  He had a very high view of humanity.  His purpose was not to be served, but to serve.  We men need to learn to serve our wives!  Get this! They do not exist to serve me and meet my needs!  Yes, in a godly relationship, our wives will desire to serve us and meet our needs, but that will never be forced upon them as their "role".

Ephesians also tells us to "submit to one another". Yes, husbands, this implies that there are times where we will need to submit to our wives!  Since our wives do have the spirit of Christ living in them, we are in fact submitting to Christ when we choose to listen to and submit ourselves to what they have to say. Ouch!  see Gen. 21:12 - http://bible.cc/genesis/21-12.htm

Submission/Authority is a minor issue when compared with Love.  Love is the major issue.  Love always wins.  Love does not seek to have it's own way(1 cor 13:5).  Submission/Authority is a lesser form of relationship that at times has to be resorted to when one person isn't in right relationship with God.  However, if true love is present and both people are submitted to God and hearing from him, there will rarely be a need for the Submission/Authority issue to come up.

For example:  Look for a second at how we relate with God.  Do we always relate to God as slave to master?  No, we relate to him as son to father, bride to bridegroom, brothers, family, etc.  I believe the slave to master relationship is a lesser form of relationship that has no place when our primary motivation is love!  Jesus said, "If you love me, keep my commandments".  He didn't say, "Since I am your master and Lord, keep my commandments! 

Unfortunately, many husbands are communicating this type of relational message to their wives.  "Since I am your authority, do what I say!"  "Since I am your head, you have no say in the decisions around here."  "Your feelings and thoughts don't matter since I am the master".  That isn't love.  That isn't 1 Cor. 13:5.

Love is communicated when the relational message that both husband and wife are conveying to each other is "You matter, and so do I".  Since "I matter", when I disagree with you I will speak up and be honest about it in a respectful way.  On the flip-side, it also means I will not insist on my own way, because "you matter" and I respect you.  We have high levels of respect for each other, and we have a high level of respect for our selves.  Since I have a high level of respect for myself, I will not allow another to control or dominate me since I am accountable to God and I will not violate my own conscience.  It also means that since I love you, I will pray for you and even speak up and tell you about it when I see you about to walk over a cliff.  This type of relationship is the only one in which we can be free to be honest with each another and be free to give/receive true love.  True love is not coerced, it is freely given.  In this type of relationship, we are self-controlled, spirit-controlled, and accountable to God.

Cessationism is heresy

Liked this post by Steve Crosby about the errors of Cessationism.  He goes so far as to call it Heresy, I wholeheartedly agree!

http://swordofthekingdom.com/2012/06/02/cessationism-undermines-the-gospel/

The power to do miracles and live a spirit-filled, fruitful, overcoming life is proof that Jesus really rose from the dead.  The power to do miracles by the Holy Spirit validated Jesus' message, it validated the early disciples' message, and it validates our message.

If we don't serve a risen lord who can still do the very same things through our lives today, our message and preaching is in vain!  1 Cor 15:14

Jesus promise was that we would do the very same things he did, and even greater works!
John 14:12
Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

It is ridiculous to think that miracles ceased with the death of the last Apostle, and it is foolish to believe that God no longer speaks to his people today through Spiritual Gifts, discernment, dreams, visions, etc.  If gifts were given to the church for edification and to build up the early Church, why would God pull them away with the death of the last apostle?  What makes us think we no longer need these gifts today?

God is the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. The same roadblocks of religious thinking that kept the Pharisees of old from receiving the person of Jesus when he came 2000 years ago are the same roadblocks that keep modern Pharisees from believing in the power and work of the Holy Spirit today.
 
Cessationists hinge most of their beliefs on one passage of scripture that I believe is easily refutable.  They believe that spiritual gifts ceased when the perfect came as described in 1 Cor. 13:8-10
⁸ Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part; ¹⁰ but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away.

Cessationists believe that "the perfect" is referring to the completion of the canon of scripture.  I believe this is an incorrect interpretation for 3 main reasons.
1.  Paul had no idea that there was such a thing as a "canon" of scripture at the time of this writing.
2.  "if there is knowledge, it will be done away". Did knowledge pass away also with the completion of the Canon? No.
3.  verse 12 implies a time when we are face to face with Jesus and have reached a state of complete knowledge.  Even with the completion of the scriptures, none of us can claim to have complete knowledge.
1 Cor. 13:12  For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.

"Face to face", then, can only refer to when we see Jesus face to face at His coming. John says we will see Him face to face (Rev 22:4), and that when he appears we shall see him as he is (1Jn 3:2).

The time when we will "know fully" has nothing to do with the completion of the canon of scripture.  It is talking about the time when we will see Christ face to face and are literally dwelling in his presence continually.

Spiritual gifts and miracles are necessary until the end of the age when Jesus returns and wraps up history. When we see him face to face and are living in his presence continually, spiritual gifts will no longer be necessary.

Also see:
http://apologetica.us/2012/02/06/why-1-corinthians-138-10-is-not-a-good-text-for-cessationism/

http://www.prophecyeducation.com/cessationism.htm

http://www.amazon.com/2000-Years-Charismatic-Christianity-pentecostal/dp/0884198723
2000 years of charismatic History is a good book that gives first-hand accounts of miracles and spiritual gifts throughout the last 2,000 years.  This book offers undeniable proof that miracles and gifts have never ceased.  Literally hundreds of eyewitness and first-hand accounts of miracles have been recorded after the completion of the Canon of Scripture.  While reading this book, I was amazed at the number of references to spiritual gifts and miracles in the writings of the early church fathers 100-300 AD.


There are many well documented reports of healing miracles. This video in 2 parts is one of them.

Dangerous!

If you are a Christian who has been outside the fold of mainstream, institutional Christianity for any length of time, you have probably realized that some Christians consider you to be dangerous.

The other day, my wife was emailing a woman to ask about a local homeschool co-op limited membership.  The limited membership would allow us to go on field trips with the group. My wife asked if we should send our twenty dollars before or after we are approved for membership.  The woman e-mailed back and said we would have no problem getting in as long as we attend a "mainstream" Christian church and agree to their statement of faith.

Since we don't attend a mainstream Church,  we realized in the minds of many Christians, we are considered "dangerous".  They believe we will have some sort of influence on people and lead them astray from the established truth.

If you are considered "dangerous", that might actually be a good thing, because that may mean that you are being "effective".  Jesus was considered to be "dangerous" and was sent to his death. He rocked the boat,  ruffled some feathers, and caused a stir!  When we actually listen to the Father's voice and obey him, it is the religious, institutional people who get offended most, not the world!

John 12:9-11
 ⁹ Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. ¹⁰ So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, ¹¹ for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.

Unbelievable! They wanted to kill Jesus for raising Lazarus from the dead?  Furthermore, they wanted to kill Lazarus because he was telling people his testimony!  Jesus was a very "effective" man, but to the chief priests he was "dangerous".  He was upsetting their control over the people, and that's what religious institutions are usually all about - control!

Who actually persecuted the early disciples first?  Was it the Romans?  No, it was the Jewish religious leaders.  Yes, the Romans persecuted them later, but it was the Religious leaders who were the first to persecute real Christians.  Why? because Christianity upset their positions of authority, and it drew the people into a real relationship with God that skirted around the prescribed rules and methods they had set up.  They couldn't control that!

When Jesus died, the veil that separates us from God was torn in two.  We have free and bold access to the presence of God; no more priestly mediators, no more "order of Worship" is necessary.  However, it is ironic that Religious systems have been trying for the last 2000 years to sew the veil back up and put it between us and God again! 

It is considered "dangerous" thinking to believe that you can hear God's voice for yourself and worship him wherever you are.  It is considered "dangerous" to interpret the bible with only the Holy Spirit to guide you.  It is considered "dangerous" to learn from God outside the guidance of a seminary or religious institution.  It is considered "dangerous" to question a leader's decisions or actions.  It is considered "dangerous" to question doctrine or traditions.  It is considered "dangerous" to heal, cast out demons, or do miracles.  It is considered "dangerous" to say you had a dream, vision, or revelation from God.  It is considered "dangerous" to exercise spiritual gifts, expecially the gift of tongues.  It is considered "dangerous" to do what God tells you to do, even if it looks foolish.  You get the point, these are all things that can't be controlled!

John 7:15 - 17
The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” ¹⁶ So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me.¹⁷If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself.

Jesus learned from the Father, not just by going to a religious school.  He may have attended school when he was young, and he most certainly celebrated the Sabbath and went to the Synagogue.  He learned from those who were wise, but most of all - he had a relationship with the Father, and he was taught by him!

I am not saying that seminaries and churches are never helpful, but I am saying that we need to be able to hear from God for ourselves.  Do we need to receive wisdom from others?  Absolutely, but we also need to learn to question authority(without rebelling), and get our direction from God first.  He will tell us to do things that are abnormal and seem absurd to some, but we need to do them anyway. 

The most effective Christians are the ones who are not afraid to be different, labeled as "dangerous", and who will step out in faith.  We need to be able to go against the grain, break the mold, rock the boat, and swim upstream without fear of Man.

Galatians 1:10
Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

Please hear my heart.  I am in no way condoning rebellion, lack of accountability, or disparaging leadership.  What I am saying is, you can still be a follower of Christ outside of traditional, institutional Christianity.  In fact, you will probably be a more effective Christian :)

God may call our family to join a Church or even start a Church at some point.  But it will be for a purpose, it will be led by His voice, and it will be different than we or others would expect. We are determined to do nothing out of a desire to meet our own selfish needs or be part of a good church club.  It would be nice to get rid of that feeling that we are "dangerous", but at what cost?

John 15:5
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Experiencing God

People under the influence of religious spirits will usually minimize experiences.  Don't get me wrong, I fully know the danger of experiences that are not aligned with the word of God - but don't let that deter you from experiencing Jesus. He desires you to know him personally, not just to read about him in a book.

Example:
What if you had read many guidebooks about DisneyLand, watched some videos about it, heard from others how great it was and what a fine time they had. But, when you got there you found the gates were closed. A person at the gate said: "There are enough things written about DisneyLand so that people don't really need to experience it any more.  Go home and read your guidebook some more!"  Wouldn't you feel a little ripped off, even cheated? I'll bet your kids would be wailing!

Reading about a beautiful sunset, or the wind blowing through the leaves of the trees is far different than actually being there - seeing it, feeling it, smelling it, savoring it!

That's what the Church of today has done to God - in fact, that's what the church has been doing since  the church became institutionalized.  The bible was taken out of the hands of the common people and only those who were "qualified" could interpret it for you. A priest had to be a mediator between you and God.  No, the Holy Spirit is our teacher and he will use his word to guide you into experiencing God and doing his will.

The bible becomes dry and dull when we don't take it as a guidebook for really experiencing him and obeying him.   As Jim Palmer put it in "Wide open spaces", it is a launch-pad, not a landing-strip.  The purpose of the bible is to get to know God and have a living relationship with him.  Many churches esteem the Bible so highly, they almost believe it is the 3rd person of the Trinity!  Father, Son, Bible.  We are not to worship the Bible, we are to worship God!  I am not minimizing the Bible - I am simply putting it in it's proper place!

I believe those who make a big deal about Sufficiency of Scripture are many times off base because they under-emphasize experiencing God.  The scriptures are only sufficient when they lead you into a real relationship with the living and very interactive God - who speaks to us today!  Of course, he isn't going to tell us to do something opposite of what he has already spoken through the scriptures, but there are a lot of areas where we will need more specific guidance through the Holy Spirit.(e.g. why are spiritual gifts necessary if the scriptures are sufficient?)  Scriptures can become twisted and bizarre when a person doesn't have a real relationship with God and is not taught by the Holy Spirit.  In fact, it is the Holy Spirit who is doing the work in Hebrews 8:10,11.  He is the one who applies God's word to our heart and teaches us. 

Heb 8:10,11
¹⁰For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
¹¹And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

The bible in the hands of a person not relying on the Holy Spirit is a very scary thing! Look at what happened to the religious people of Jesus' day.  Their over-emphasis on the scriptures, interpreted in the wrong spirit(without love), caused them to miss Jesus!

John 5:37-40
³⁷ And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, ³⁸ nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. ³⁹ You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

Luke 11:52
“Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”

The experts in the law knew about God, but they didn't really know God.  To really know God comes from personally experiencing him.  Experiencing his love, his forgiveness, his truth.  When his truth comes into contact with our lives, it changes our hearts and makes us like him.  Real knowledge of God comes from an interactive relationship with the living God!

In conclusion:
Reading about something is far different than actually doing it and experiencing it.  Let's look at the experiences of the early disciples not as something to be theorized about or doctrinalized as events that only happened in the past. Instead, let's look at them as something to be sought after for our day.

Habakkuk 3:2
 ² LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, LORD.
Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy

The Exuberance and Joy of Jesus

 Luke 10:21

 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.

We have been reading the book "Beautiful Outlaw" by John Eldredge.  While not agreeing with some of his broad-brush strokes in other books he has written about what most men are like, we have found this book to be very refreshing and gives a much-needed glimpse into the real personality of Jesus.

Beautiful Outlaw Web site

We gathered with some friends along with our children a couple weeks ago and shared some of the different characteristics of who Jesus is, and found it to be a great discussion.  We are focusing as a family on getting to know Jesus better as he really is.  The religious fog surrounding who Jesus really is has confused and kept many Christians from experiencing a daily, interactive relationship with him. 
Some of the interesting characteristics we shared about Jesus included:
1. Fearless
2. Courageous and determined
3. Close to the broken and downcast
4. Prickly - unshaven (a picture of his humanity and realness)
5. Humble and real
6. Sacrificial Servant
7. Exuberant and enthustic
8. Exceedingly Joyful
9. Peaceful
10. Extravagant Giver
11. Good receiver
12. Eyes of Fire
13. Intense

I will add to this list as I get time, it is by no means comprehensive, but gives a picture of the direction we were heading as we shared.

I shared a dream I had about 2 years ago that helped me get a better glimpse into Jesus' personality.  I remember in the dream, there was a gathering of people who were waiting to see God revealed, like he was going to come out on stage where we could all see him.  The anticipation was great amongst the people gathered there, and I remember wanting to get into the front row.  When a man came out on stage and began telling jokes(good ones of course), we were all taken aback a little.  And, he was actually quite funny.  He then came down amongst the audience, and began to touch people, dancing and laughing the entire time.  His Joy was contagious, and everyone he touched began to laugh uncontrollably, including myself.  He was having a great time of it, he absolutely loved filling people with this joy.  I remember thinking - this is the most exuberant, excited, joyful person I have ever seen.

When I woke up, I realized that this man was Jesus Christ.  This dream has changed my view of Jesus, and has stuck with me to this day.  Many times I look back and I can still remember how this dream changed my picture of who Jesus is in my heart.

When I woke up, I was also reminded of the scripture Zephaniah 3:17
¹⁷ The LORD your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”

I am also reminded of David in  2 Samuel 6:14 "And David danced before the Lord with all his might."  He was undignified, not caring what people thought - his only focus was on "the Lord".   "with all his might" speaks to me that he was very exuberant and enthusiastic in his dancing; this was no mournful ballroom dance. David's dance was a dance of joy and an expression of enthusiastic love and praise to God.  Let's get rid of our religious, dignified, Michelangelo-like picture of what David's dancing might have looked like and see it how it really was.

Also see 2 samuel 6:5 "David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the LORD, with castanets, harps, lyres, timbrels, sistrums and cymbals"

Here we have a picture of David and others celebrating with all their might. This is not a solemn, dignified worship service here, this is un-restrained abandon before God. This is a picture of what the "man after God's own heart" did to show his love and passion for God.

2 Samuel 6:16, 20
¹⁶ As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart.
²⁰ When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
The religious spirit operating through David's wife tried to shut down this worship.  The religious spirit always despises and looks with contempt on those who express great joy and enthusiasm.  See how she criticizes and finds fault with what David was doing by focusing on what he was wearing rather than looking at his heart, sounds just like the Pharisees of Jesus' day doesn't it?

²¹ David said to Michal, “It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. ²² I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
²³ And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death.

See how David responded to her criticism? Rather than attempting to please her, he gave absolutely no place for the spirit of religion - in fact, he said he would go even further next time. "Even more undignified than this"  David did not care how people perceived him, he knew his heart was pure before the Lord.

In conclusion:
We all need to have revelations and experiences to help us get a real picture of who Jesus really is.  We need to get rid of the religious thinking and demonic lies that have distorted our view of who he really is.  How can you have a relationship with someone like the man pictured in most of these paintings?
Traditional depictions of Jesus

Much Christian art (and theology) has concentrated on guilt and suffering. But Jesus came to bring joy to the world - not to make guilt-ridden wrecks. This collection of paintings from artists from 18 countries gives their impressions of a laughing, loving Jesus who is a living presence.
Jesus Laughing Exhibition

I believe Jesus is very un-religious, in the sense that he really enjoys life and people.  I believe he loves to laugh, and he has a sense of humor.  He created you with a sense of humor, didn't he? What makes us think our creator would have less of a sense of humor than his creation?

I invite you to open yourself up and ask God right now to reveal to you the real Jesus so you can experience his exuberant love and joy!

Jesus is passionate for you, his heart burns to reveal himself to you. His heart is directed towards you, his eyes are ablaze, turned in your direction. He longs to give you his joy and he is enthusiastic to spend time with you. He wants you to experience him and get to know him!  Don't be afraid of experiencing and encountering Jesus!

The Religious Spirit

I believe we have all been influenced by the spirit of religion or phariseeism to one degree or another. We are all seeking to be free from it. Here are some characteristics of this spirit.

1. Has a form of godliness, but denies the true power thereof. 2 Tim. 3:5

2. Makes things too complicated – leads people astray from the simplicity of knowing Christ and living in childlike Faith. – 2 cor. 11:3

3. Steeped in various theological constructs intended to explain away the miraculous and the supernatural. Luke 11:14-16

4. Thrives on predictability, sameness, rituals, and traditions of men.

5. Concentrates power into a select few rather than releasing and empowering people to find their gifts so they can play an active part. Despises the priesthood of believers. Seeks to make a strong distinction between clergy and laity.

6. Loves titles and the recognition of men.

7. Gets confused by and disgruntled by those who really know God and hear God’s voice.

8. Seeks to suppress all displays of emotion. Outbursts of Joy, Love, tears, praise are not welcomed since that might offend people.

9. Keeps up a show of outward holiness, but suppresses and ignores the real evil within. Luke 11:39

10. Seeks to stay in control. Cannot stand it when the Holy Spirit or Jesus does things that might seem strange, unpredictable, or abnormal.

11. Prefers rules over relationship with God and others. Luke 11:42
“'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” Matthew 15:8

12. Compartmentalizes life so is unable to hear God’s voice. John 9:19-34.

13. Judges others harshly for their sins and looks down on others who struggle with sin. John 8:1-11; Luke 18:9-14

Religion vs Reality

This is an excerpt from something I wrote a number of years ago, and I wanted to revise and post it here because it still speaks to me today.

What do most people mean when they use the term “Religion” in our culture? Webster’s dictionary says that the term Religious comes from a Latin word “Religare” which means “to Bind up, restrain, or tie back”. Religion is simply keeping rules or codes of behavior to try to be Holy or at least keep up the appearance of being Holy. It is being bound up with traditions and man-made rules that force upon us a pattern of how we should behave and act.

Jesus was likely the most anti-Religious man who ever walked the face of the Earth. On nearly every page of the gospels, we find him confronting those who were the “Religious” folks of his day.

Matthew 23:25-28.
25 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Jesus also called these rules and teachings that the Pharisees and teachers of the law were keeping “Traditions of men”. Jesus was showing them that their “Religion” wasn’t working for them, it wasn’t resulting in a changed life. Paul said it this way in 2 Timothy 3:5
“having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
These people had a form, a shadow, an appearance of godliness, but if you probed deeper into their lives, there was no substance or reality to it. You can try as hard as you like to keep certain rules and practice your “Religion”, but unless it results in true Holiness, it is worthless.

“We are not seeking an antidote that deals with the effects but not the cause of our human condition. We are seeking the Living God. For true holiness does not come from following rules; it comes from following Christ.” Quoted from Francis Frangipane’s book “Holiness, truth, and the presence of God”

To follow Christ means entering the narrow gate.
Matthew 7:13,14
13 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

Another translation says, “difficult is the way that leads to life”. It won’t be easy to find truth and reality, but God never said it would be easy. It is a life of hardship, testing, and trouble, but it will be worth it, because it leads to true life. So, how do we enter into the narrow gate? How do we find life? What is “Real”? The cry of my heart is, “I am tired of Religion, I want something real. I want the power of God in my life, I want to experience his presence, I want more of him.” If that is the longing of your heart as well, I invite you to come, “Taste and see that the Lord is good”. Come, He is calling you to the deeper life in him. If you are hungry for more of God, seek him with all your heart and you will find him.

A little story: While driving in the car on the way home from meeting me in town one day, my wife was pondering and praying about the church we were attending at the time and heard the words "Whitewashed tombs" in her head. But, she argued - they're such nice people! The words just resounded repeatedly in her head  "Whitewashed tombs".

When we or others become religious, we may try to be nice to each other - but that is only external. It is easy to keep up appearances, and be nice to others once a week. However, let's be honest - how do we behave when we are confronted, or when someone disagrees with us? That's when the real self comes out, isn't it? God has been dealing with me personally over the last year and a half regarding getting the inside of my cup clean. It has been a season of great fire, and intense dealings of God - but it has been worth it. There is nothing that can replace the joy of having God be the center of your universe, and having a heart that burns with devotion for God, pure and untainted by the pursuits of the world.