I love to express what I feel called to say. Writing helps me to open up my heart and do that. I hope that what I write helps you in some way. I hope it makes you think, encourages you, or inspires you. If it challenges you or if you disagree, I hope you know that I respect your right to have a different point of view.
Enough excuses! It’s time for direct ongoing connection with the living resurrected Jesus Christ! Now’s the time to firmly “abide in the vine.” (John 15:4-5)
To abide in Christ the Vine, we need to continuously breath in the air of God the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:1-4) We need to constantly allow the water of the Spirit to flow from our innermost being. (John 7:39-39) Stop thinking, saying, doing the things that quench the Holy Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:19) and prevent Him from effectively working in and through you! “O taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8) Directly connect with God and stay directly connected with Him day and night through the eternal presence of the risen Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:27)
Sermon-based Christianity is like hearing a lecture about the air without breathing it. It’s like sitting through a speech about water without drinking it. Sermon-hearing isn’t enough to make you a consistent follower and disciple of Jesus. Daily walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25) and persistently do the Word of God. (James 1:22) Live every moment in direct connection with Jesus Christ.
You need divine Intersection — Direct connection And pure affection For the living God. Mere information, Head knowledge Without heart connection, Is not enough! Pursue reflection, Deep meditation, And introspection. Let Christ’s direction And His correction Take over your life. Experience now Christ’s resurrection. Don’t just study it. Let Christ’s presence be Your never-ending Divine injection And God infection.
To fully describe the concept of family you need to look beyond obligation and blood relationships. True family is a matter of the heart. It can manifest itself even among people who aren’t physically related. Christinas are called to be part of God’s family and to demonstrate the supernatural power and love of Spirit-led family every time they meet together.
It’s October, the month when Christians celebrate the criticism of the church known as the Reformation. One of the main things that the Protestants criticized was the fact that the church exalted religious tradition and human hierarchy as equal to the Bible. Luther proclaimed, “sola scriptura” which means that the Bible is the only infallible authority for Christians.
Today, more than 500 years later much of the way churches meet and are governed is not based only on Scripture but to a large part on religious tradition, people’s comfort, and human hierarchy. It’s time to examine the way churches meet by the Bible and get rid of what isn’t supported by Scripture.
The word “church” doesn’t mean the same thing in the context of the Bible that it means to us. When the Bible refers to church it’s not talking about a weekly sermon-based meeting where the same man preaches to passive people every week and controls the proceedings. The earliest Christ-followers didn’t meet that way. They gathered to cultivate heart-to heart community and the unity of the Spirit, (Ephesians 4:3) to minister to one another, (Hebrews 10:24-25) to worship God from the heart, (Philippians 3:3) and to be led by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14)
Pastors should actively and passionately demonstrate the love, humility, and service of Jesus to every person present in church and inspire them to get off their seats and do the same for others. The kingdom of God is Spirit-prompted interactive caring and community not religiously compelled silent and passive conformity. O that pastors would train and release Christians to encourage one another by empowering them to actively demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit in church instead of merely requiring them to sit through another religious lecture!
When people sit together lined up in rows to hear a sermon, it doesn’t assemble them together heart-to-heart or build community. Instead let’s not forsake truly assembling ourselves together. (Hebrews 10:25) If pastors would continually cultivate Spirit-prompted community communication instead of compelling silent conformity Christianity would come alive. (Ephesians 5:14)
If you will read the Bible with open eyes and heart God will show you some things that need to be changed about church. Look see! If all the time Christians spend passively sitting in church was spent humbly doing the Word of God it would change the world.
Jesus told His followers that He would build His assembly of His people (church) (Matthew 16) and commanded them to go and make disciples. (Matthew 28) Instead Christians have started hundreds of thousands of independent churches and denominations and left it to God to make disciples.
Christians need the spirituality of actually experiencing God’s presence together much more than they need the passivity of hearing a talk about Him together. True Christianity isn’t all about attending a Sunday morning talk week after week. It’s about listening to and obeying the living Jesus moment-by-moment.
Jesus said He wants His followers to be full of joy, yet joy is rarely seen when people are hearing a sermon. What’s up with that?
Jesus said to be doers of the word not hearers only, yet in a church service people are almost never allowed to do what the Bible says. What’s up with that?
Where did the idea come from that there is something spiritual about merely hearing a sermon. I don’t see that in the Bible. Jesus was crucified so that you can hear directly from God yourself and not need someone to continually lecture you about God.
Church can be a TRAP:
Tradition, (Mark 7:13) Religious routine, (2 Timothy 3:5) And an audience (James 1:22) Programmed into passivity. (Matthew 7:26-27)
October 31st Is Reformation Day, Hey, hey, hey! It’s not about Celebrating demons. It’s about casting Them out of their perch In the church Like the Reformers Tried to do. (Matthew 10:8)
Often a deaf ear Is simply an ear That does not Want to hear. Jesus said: “He that has Ears to hear Let him hear.” Will you hear What the Spirit Is saying? (Matthew 11:15 And Revelation 2:29)
Happy Reformation Month when we celebrate Martin Luther — the famous criticizer of the church!
Life is a battle. It frequently pulls us in opposite directions. We live in an inner tug of war between right and wrong. Conscience pulls one way; temptation another. People need to beware! (Luke 12:1) It’s easy to think you are a disciple of Christ when you aren’t really one. That’s called hypocrisy. My favorite exercise is fighting within to be a true Christian disciple!
Here’s the key to discipleship: Paul said that he put distractions behind him and pressed toward the Christ’s high calling. To be spiritually mature you need that attitude. If you don’t have that attitude, let God reveal to you where you are off track. And whatever you do don’t go backwards. Don’t pretend to be farther along than you really are! (Philippians 3:13-16)
Here are some more practical biblical teachings about how to be a true disciple of Christ. Steps toward discipleship:
Look unto Jesus. (Hebrews 12:2)
Come to Jesus, yoke yourself to Him, and be taught by Him. (Matthew 11:28-29)
Draw near to God. (James 4:8)
Make being inwardly ruled by God your first priority. (Matthew 6:33)
Be inwardly led and directed by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14)
Live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)
Consistently follow and obey the risen Jesus. (Philippians 3:10)
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.” (2 Corinthians 13:5)
“By this we know that He (God) remains in us: by the Spirit He has given us.” (1 John 3:24)
Fix your eyes on what is unseen because what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:18)
Stir up the gift of God that is within you. (2 Timothy 1:6)
Set your mind and your desires on spiritual things. (Romans 8:5-7)
Hunger and thirst after righteousness. (Matthew 5:6)
Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
Be of the same mind as Christ. (Philippians 2:5)
Forgive everyone. (Matthew 18:22)
Bless those who curse you. (Luke 6:28)
Love your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-44)
Here are steps to resist being drawn away from discipleship:
Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)
Guard your heart. (Proverbs 4:23)
Watch and pray. (Matthew 26:41)
Stand firm in your faith. (1 Peter 5:8-9)
Fight the good fight of faith. (1 Timothy 6:12)
Struggle against the invisible forces of evil. (Ephesians 6:12)
Bring your every thought captive to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Refuse to give in to temptation. (1 Corinthians 10:13)
Confess your sins. (1 John 1:9)
Repent and turn away from sin every time you fall. (Mark 1:15)
Deny your self-focused desires. (Luke 9:23)
Embrace the crucifixion of your personal hopes and dreams. (Galatians 2:20)
Don’t set your mind on ungodly desires. (Romans 8:5-6)
Do not be conformed to this world. (Romans 12:2)
Flee lusts and sinful desires. (2 Timothy 2:22)
James put it this way: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” Go do it with fervent desire and deep sincerity!
Life isn’t easy. In fact, it’s an ongoing battle. I don’t want to go to the moon. I want to stay here and finish the fight so that I can live in greater and greater freedom and joy. My moon shot is to win the earthly battle for inner peace.
On the battlefield of life persistently absorb the Word of God with “shameless audacity.” Live in the amazing power of ongoing Bible absorption and application. Keep the Bible central in your prayer life. The more you absorb, rely on, and apply the Bible in your everyday life, the greater your faith will grow. (Romans 10:17)
Ponder and absorb the Bible throughout each day. (Joshua 1:8) Simply hearing a single weekly analysis of it is self-deceptive and isn’t enough to make you a strong Christ-follower. (James 1:22)
Dare to believe the Bible courageously enough to daily trust in, depend on, and rely on it. Then it will begin to effectively work in your life day and night. (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
Continually let words of the Bible — the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) — pierce and penetrate deeply within you, (Hebrews 4:12) cut you to the heart and causes you to ask, “What shall I do?” (Acts 2:37) Let the Bible consistently discern and judge the thoughts and intents of your heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Let the inspired, “God-breathed,” words of the Bible continually teach you, rebuke you, correct you, and train you in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
Hearing the Bible but not doing what it says is like looking into a mirror and quickly forgetting what you look like. However, those who continue to look intently into the Bible and do what it says will be blessed in what they do. (James 1:23-27)
Don’t just rely on human teachers. Let God the Holy Spirit, Himself, teach you the Bible. (1 Corinthians 2:13, John 14:26, and 1 John 2:27)
Physical food isn’t enough. Constantly devour the Word of God. (Matthew 4:4) Forcefully quote it. Declare “It is written!” and use it to defeat temptation. (Matthew 4:7-10) Courageously and continually rely on and depend on the Bible as the mighty weapon of spiritual warfare that it is. (2 Corinthians 10:4)
Here’s how absorbing the Bible recently spoke to me. I saw the first three chapters of the Gospel of John in a creative way. I saw God’s desire for people to open their heart and their life to Christ’s light and to contemplate and surrender to His glory day and night.
In chapter 1 Christ is defined as the light that shines in darkness. Then He begins to call His disciples to spend time learning to connect with Him heart-to-heart and training them to obey His promptings. To be effective Christians need to move into the following chapters and:
* Let Jesus turn our water of our religion into the wine of the Holy Spirit. (Chapter 2) * Allow our tables of self-focus, pride, and human effort to be flipped over. (Chapter 2) * Be truly and radically born again, this time by the Spirit, not by human action and two people’s sexual desire. We need to allow the Holy Spirit to penetrate and saturate our heart with the permanence of His regenerating, life-transforming presence. (Chapter 3)
How you read the Bible will determine how you lead. I believe that Christian leaders should read the Bible (and teach all Christians to read it) with an open humble heart attuned to the Holy Spirit instead of merely reading it and preaching it with an academic analytical mind.
Homiletics relies on the mind to analyze preaching techniques and to write religious messages. It is the study of the composition and delivery of sermons. It is sometimes called the art and science of preaching.
Heartiletics relies on God the Holy Spirit to release an inner flow of words about Jesus. (Luke 12:12 and John 7:38-39) It is speaking “Spirit-taught words” (1 Corinthians 2:13) as spontaneously prompted and led by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:14) It’s not a person speaking from the mind. It’s the Holy Spirit speaking by giving a person the words to say in the moment. (Mark 13:11)
I believe that churches and pastors depend far too much on mental sermon preparation and on human knowledge. Pastors are taught in Bible school and seminary to study, read books and Bible commentaries about, and analyze their chosen Sunday topic. They are even taught follow a lectionary — a book that tells pastors what to preach on each Sunday of the year.
I had a seminary professor who was so dependent on the human mind that he taught us that pastors should spend one hour studying for every minute that they preach. That’s homiletics on steroids!
Some pastors use “short cut” homiletics. They just beg, borrow, or steal sermons from other preachers. That’s easy to do nowadays. There are many internet sites where pastors can copy, paste, and preach other preacher’s sermons. (Far too many preachers do that.)
It’s very rare to find a pastor who uses heartiletics — who prepares to preach by humbling himself, seeking Gods face, praying, and repenting. (2 Chronicles 7:14) It’s hard to find a pastor who preaches from a heart overcome by the presence of the living God instead of from an academic and analytical mind.
Few pastors are willing to stand up to preach and rely on the Holy Spirit to give them the words to say at that very moment. Jesus said Christians can: “Make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” (Luke 21:14-15) Surely pastors can also rely on that amazing promise from Christ when they preach.
I love heartiletics. I love to hear people preach and testify spontaneously from the heart as prompted and led by the Spirit. I love to speak and preach that way. However, it does require a lot more faith than to stand in a pulpit with a fully written sermon (or detailed notes).
For ten years my wife and I planted and oversaw a church (in the Salvation Army) where heartiletics was expected and accepted. Anybody present was welcome to open their heart and speak as they were prompted by the Spirit. It was an amazing ten years of heartiletics! Every Sunday we were all in awe at how God spoke and powerfully illuminated Scripture through the simplicity, honesty, and humility of ordinary men and women. (To learn more about heartiletics google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.)
True Christianity depends on Christ’s empowerment, not on human effort. Jesus said: “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
Rather than trying harder Christians need to continually surrender to and rely on the presence and power of the risen Jesus. Paul asked a key question to the Christians in Galatia: “After beginning by means of the Spirit are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh?” (Galatians 3:3)
I ask: “When you go to church do you encounter the means of the Spirit at work, or do you see the means of human effort and programming at work? An honest answer to my question reveals why there is so little life-transforming power in contemporary Christianity.
To cultivate The Spirit’s fruit Focus your mind To concentrate And meditate On Jesus Christ Till you learn To gravitate And saturate Your heart always With Christ’s presence.
My specialty is a food that many people know nothing about. It’s truly amazing. I try to consume this food as often as I can. I learned about this food in the Bible. Jesus said: “I have food to eat that you know nothing about . . . My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me. (John 4:32-34)
Jesus said that true Christians “must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow” Him. (Luke 9:23) Christianity isn’t about attending a weekly program, following a structured format, or submitting to human control. It’s the truth that sets people free. (John 8:31-32)
If the Son has truly set Christians free churches should follow suit and open up their meetings to allow Christ-followers to be free indeed (John 8:36) so that they can learn to not quench the Spirit. (1 Thessalonians 5:19) Then Christians can focus on aligning with and obeying the diving order of building each other up (1 Corinthians 14:26) and encouraging one another. (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Then all the members of the body of Christ can be free to function as the body of Christ.
Christ-followers should not be captives to the routine religion of a powerless “form of godliness.” (2 Timothy 3:5) “True worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” (John 4:23) They won’t honor God “with their lips” while “their hearts are far from” Him. (Matthew 15:8)
O that Christians would make it their specialty to hunger and thirst for this amazing food! (Matthew 5:6) O that they would begin to gather to listen to and courageously obey the risen Jesus!
What would happen if instead of only one man preaching every week, the entire body of Christ was trained and given the freedom to listen to and obey the leading of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14) during a church service according to 1 Corinthians 14:26? Revival! Spiritual awakening! A mighty move of God! (Try it and see!!!)
I believe we humans need more discernment, logic, and compassion when it comes to nationalism and war. If you don’t filter as life slowly fills your cup, you’ll experience darkness and pain increasing within you and around you. Use discernment.
People killing people is a terrible thing. Even when it’s glorified as war and covered with your nation’s flag, it’s still “Hell!”
Pink flowers standing tall on long stems remind me of something. True strength is often soft and beautiful.
There is no such thing as a Christian nation. A person can be a Christian but a nation can’t.
I remember a major event from the late 1960s and 1970s. I can’t stop talking about the person behind it! It first began among young people — college students and hippies in the United States. This event was all about people encountering and being healed and delivered by the living, resurrected Jesus Christ. It was called the Jesus Movement or the Jesus Revolution. Christ’s picture was even on the cover of Time Magazine. Young people couldn’t stop talking about the things they had seen and heard Jesus say and do.
The writers of the New Testament also talked about what they had seen and heard Jesus do and speak. When two of Christ’s first disciples (Bible writers Peter and John) were ordered to stop talking about Jesus they said: “We cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:20) God wants you to also talk about what you have seen and heard Christ do. (Psalm 107:2)
If you aren’t hearing and seeing (Acts 4:20) Jesus working in, though, and around you, you are missing out on true Christianity. If you will notice and observe what Jesus is doing (John 1:29) and saying (John 10:27) you won’t be able to stop testifying (Revelation 12:11) about the things you have seen and heard. (Acts 4:20)
The best place to see and hear Jesus is deep within you. Look and listen there. (John 7:38) If you look closely, you can also see and hear Him working in the people and circumstances around you.
Throughout the day I hear and see Jesus doing things in and around me. Thoughts come to me when I am inwardly listening to Jesus, and I write and talk about them in the openness of daylight. (Matthew 10:27)
When Jesus is seen and heard faith soars! (Isaiah 40:31) He needs to be frequently experienced and heard, not just preached about on Sundays.
When people are encouraged and allowed to share in a church service what they have seen and heard Jesus say and do, a powerful awareness of and fellowship with Jesus is released. (John 1:3) If you believe, speak up and testify! “It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak.” (2 Corinthians 4:13)
Apologetics goes and tells what is logical. Encountergetics goes and tells what has been seen and heard. Jesus put it this way: “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (Luke 7:22)
Apologetics communicates the case for Christ. Encountergetics demonstrates the presence and reality of Christ.
Apologetics uses reason, logic, and historical evidence to present, explain, and defend the teachings and claims of the Christian religion. Through the centuries it has helped lead many people to profess Christ by aiming for the mind.
Encountergetics depends on sacrificial love, compassion, humility, the fruit of the Spirit, testimonies, the witness of the Spirit, and the gifts of the Spirit to help people personally encounter, surrender to, and obey as Lord and Master the risen Jesus. Through the centuries it has demonstrated the present living reality of Jesus and brought many people into an intimate dynamic life-changing relationship with Him by targeting the heart.
Apologetics lectures. Encountergetics loves. Alologetics sermonizes. Encountergetics serves. Apologetics defends. Encountergetics forgives. Apologetics explains faith. Encountergetics trains faith. Apologitics rationalizes prayer. Encountergetics radiates prayer. Apologetics recycles religion. Encountergetics disciples people. Apologetics relates information. Encountergetics radiates Christ Himself. Apologetics arguers with those who disagree. Encountergetics blesses those who curse them. Apologetics gathers people to sit and listen. Encountergetics gathers people to “taste and see.” Apologetics wants people to come to doctrinal assent. Encountergetics wants people to come to the risen Jesus.
Too much apologetics can bore people and make them apathetic. Encountergetics is never boring. It makes people energetic to follow and obey the living Jesus. Any gathering that cools Christians down instead of firing them up to love and obey Jesus more is quenching the Holy Spirit. Church too often is about passively listening to apologetics instead of actively experiencing encountergetics.
I recently went to church. This is what I saw and heard. People were singing songs about the Lord, a few of them passionately. After the singing everything changed. A nice welcome, quite a few announcements, and the collection of money made people passive. Everybody present was seated and listing to a long talk, many of them appearing to be dazed, distracted, or bored. Some were getting out of their seats and wandering about.
The speaker seemed to be unaware that he wasn’t holding the attention of many of the people in the audience. I beheld apologetics, not encountergetics.
Is there not a more effective way to present the living, resurrected Jesus? Is anyone present receiving anything from the Lord? If so, why not allow them to share it with the congregation?
Jesus is far beyond church. He’s here and there and everywhere and active anywhere we will not quench His Spirit.
When churches gather, they seldom allow people to assemble themselves together heart-to-heart and person-to-person. Yet the Bible says, “Forsake not the assembling of yourselves together.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Too often what is said in church stays in church. Too many Christians walk away from the Sunday morning apologetics and don’t even remember what was said, much less go and put it into effective daily action. Churches desperately need encountergetics!
Testimonies about Jesus are remembered. They release life into church services, (Revelation 12:11) yet they are rarely allowed. They make people hungry and excited to daily experience and obey Jesus.
In church people hear apologetics and connect ears-to-preacher. Yet God wants people to connect heart-to-heart with Him and with one another. That requires encountergetics!
Go beyond pride to inner peace and joy. Set aside pride and find the humility that attracts the presence and grace of God. Learn to continually experience the fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) spontaneously flowing from within you. “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6)
Jesus talks. Hear Him. “My sheep Hear My voice.” Listen Within. “Don’t judge People Or condemn Them. Forgive, Freely give, And receive God’s gifts. Show others The mercy You want To receive.” Go do What Christ tells You to. (Luke 3:22, Luke 6:37-38 John 14:15)
God spoke from Heaven Over Jesus Christ. This is what He said. “Hear Him!” It’s essential that You learn how to hear Him!
“No one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:11) If you want to know God’s thoughts you need to hear “words taught by the Spirit,” (1 Corinthians 2:13) not words taught by a human being. Listen to “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Colossians 1:27)
Experience real Christianity. Live and demonstrate it every day — no program, no ritual, no controlling leader — just an intimate surrendered obedient never-ending Spirit-led relationship with the risen Jesus Christ and with other Christ-followers.
October is Reformation Month when many Christians celebrate and honor heroes of the faith who dared to boldly criticize church and tried to improve the way it functions. If those heroes (Luther, Calvin, Zwingly, Knox, and others) were alive today I think they would be speaking out for improvement in church once again! Let the risen Jesus be the literal Head and director of His body, not just the figurehead for human control to hide behind. Google: Beyond Church Ekklesia.
If instead of presenting Jesus as a mere weekly lecture subject, churches would train and release people to listen directly to Him, (John 10:27) obey His voice, (John 14:15) and actively demonstrate His presence and reality, (1 Corinthians 2:4) Christianity would “turn the world upside down” like it did in the first century. (Acts 17:18)
Here’s what Jesus says about people who go to church and all they do is sit and say, “Lord, Lord,” a few times before they return to business as usual. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
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