Randy – Wisdom From the Word

What the Book is About

As I continue to focus on the book I am writing the section below provides a brief overview.

This book is about our journey of faith, hence the title, Walking with Jesus: A Journey of Faith. A key aspect of it, which I referenced above, is Selah: Thinking About. I have incorporated it at the end of each chapter in each section with reflective questions.

The idea of Thinking About is a core concept in my book on worldview (Worldview: The Adventure of Seeing Through Scripture). Our normal tendency is to think with our worldview rather than about it. Granted, we can’t be continuously reflecting on our worldview or we won’t do anything else. However, we can be intentional in setting aside times to reflect and think about. My approach is one of invitation, encapsulated in a quote I used to post when teaching adults, “The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.” (Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet). My goal here is to be descriptive rather than prescriptive and invite you into reflection that can lead to any change you desire to make.

I think that walking with Jesus begins with leadership, hence the title of my first section, Reflective Leadership: Thinking About. In the arena of leadership, some years ago, a friend gave me a bookmark, which I still have. It contained a quote by John Maxwell, “Leaders see life as it could be. They are always seeing a little farther, a little more, than those around them.” The quote is about more than simply seeing, it is about how we see. I believe that in our Christian journey, whether we are a formal leader of others or simply the leader of our lives, we all need to lead through thinking, reflecting, and praying then carrying out our actions as the Spirit leads.

There is another very important aspect of leadership. Years ago, I did my own translation of Proverbs 20:5. Here is the Randy version, ⁵ Purpose in the heart of man is like deep water, But a discerning man will draw it out. While I have primarily used the New King James Version (NKJV) for over three decades, more recent translations, the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Lexham English Bible (LEB) have now translated the same words in the way I did years ago, as purpose and discernment. To illustrate this, I have listed all three variations below.

⁵ Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5 (NKJV)

⁵ The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out. Proverbs 20:5 (ESV)

⁵ Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, But a man of discernment draws it out. Proverbs 20:5 (LSB)

Translating the verse in the way I did, “Purpose in the heart of man is like deep water, but a discerning man will draw it out,” was not some random act. It was a recognition that the verse captures our personal responsibility and the responsibility of leaders. Whether we are parents, teachers, coaches or church leaders our responsibility is twofold. Our first responsibility is to recognize the gifts and abilities inherent in those we are leading, gifts that God has given them, then intentionally create an environment that allows them to flourish. Leadership is meant to be enabling and to draw out the gifts and purpose in the lives of others, and ourselves. And it all begins with an inner awareness and developed character.

The other sections of the book, Steps on our Journey: Walking with Abraham, Prayer and Spiritual Warfare: Standing our Ground, Discernment: The Church’s Great Need, and Intimacy with Jesus: The Capstone all capture important aspects of our journey to spiritual maturity. I have deliberately set them up in this order as a way to mark our progress on our journey.

My book

As noted in my last post I am taking a hiatus from my weekly blog posts to focus on the book I am writing as I believe the Lord wants it to be my priority at present. I appreciate your prayers as I write. The book title and areas of focus are below where I address my motivation for writing.

Motivation for Writing this Book

I wrote this book because I see a need for a deeper understanding of our calling and purpose as believers. My experience in walking with Jesus since August of 1985 is that very few Christians have a clear understanding of their calling and purpose. This book begins with Leadership, that of ourselves and others, then moves to other areas of our walk with Jesus. The chapter titles build on one another to disciple us in our walk with Jesus as we apply them.

Reflective Leadership: Thinking About
Steps on our Journey: Walking with Abraham
Prayer and Spiritual Warfare: Standing our Ground
Discernment: The Church’s Great Need
Intimacy with Jesus: The Capstone

At the conclusion of each chapter, I will include a reflective piece under the title, Selah: Thinking About. Scripture exhorts us to both reflect and meditate, to meditate on His word and scripture tells us the type of things to reflect on.

⁸ This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Joshua 1:8 (NKJV)

⁶³ And Isaac went out to meditate in the field in the evening; and he lifted his eyes and looked, and there, the camels were coming. Genesis 24:63 (NKJV)

⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy – meditate on these things. Philippians 4:8 (NKJV)

For clarity, Isaac wasn’t going out into the field and sitting in a lotus position. Some decades ago, I lived in a log cabin on an acreage. During the summer in warm weather, I would often go and reflectively stroll around the yard just before bed. That is what I think Isaac was doing. Joshua was instructed to meditate, think deeply on the Mosaic Law passed on to him to enable him to be a successful leader and Paul exhorts us on where to fix our minds to be successful followers of Jesus.

I have chosen to use the term Selah as it is used regularly in the Psalms (71 times) and included in Habakkuk (3 times). Though the exact meaning of the word is unknown it is generally viewed as a pause or interlude. Which captures the concepts of both meditation and reflection. Particularly now in our harried and hurried culture we need to develop the habit of pausing and reflecting. Thus, as you read, I invite you into regular Selah’s, Thinking About, to pause and reflect.

Understanding the Times

There are important times and seasons. In Greek there are two words used in scripture for time, chronos (Chronos was the Greek god of time) and kairos. Chronos is the source of our word chronology, sequential ordered events, chronological time. Kairos is more qualitative and refers to the right time or moment. We have a great example of kairos in the 1 Chronicles.

³² of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command; 1 Chronicles 12:32 (NKJV)

This verse is part of a larger narrative referring to the nation of Israel gathering to make David king over all Israel. It was the right time in the life of the nation. In a similar way we have key times and seasons in the life of our culture and nation. If we are to know what to do, we need to understand the times.

Yet beyond understanding we also need to act. The sons of Issachar turned their knowledge into wisdom through action. Over the years I have many times illustrated the difference between knowledge and wisdom using the idea of standing in the middle of the road with a large truck heading directly at you. Knowledge is knowing you should get out of the way, wisdom is moving! Wisdom is strategically applied knowledge.

Which brings us back to our time and culture. In Canada, as a nation, we are not in a good place. We have soaring federal debt that is presently so bad that all of the federal GST (Goods and Services Tax) that is collected goes toward paying the interest on our debt, none to principal, and sadly we have a Prime Minister who just tabled and passed a new budget that is going to significantly increase our debt. Our culture has shifted in recent decades from being supportive of Judeo-Christian values to either ignoring them or being openly hostile toward them.

So, in this season in our culture is there an option available to shift our nation to sound values and sound stable fiscal policy? One answer is found in Proverbs.

¹¹ By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 11:11 (NKJV)

Jeremiah had the same perspective, but in a more pointed manner.

⁷ And seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive, and pray to the Lord for it; for in its peace you will have peace. ⁸ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. ⁹ For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the Lord. ¹⁰ For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. ¹¹ For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:7–11 (NKJV)

The context was Yahweh’s people going into captivity. Through Jeremiah, He told them to “seek the peace of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive.” The reason being that no matter what the false prophets said, and even though Yahweh promised to return them to Jerusalem, most of them would never see that promise realized because Yahweh was clear that they were going to be in a seventy-year captivity.

If we apply this to us, no matter how godly or ungodly our leadership at the federal, provincial and municipal levels our calling is to bless our nation, province/territory and city to see it raised up to righteousness. This means praying for leaders, speaking truth and life into our culture and being a force for righteousness wherever we are. When more of us do this we will see a shift toward righteousness in our nation.

NOTE – In line with the theme of Understanding the Times, in a few weeks I would have completed 11 years of weekly blog posts, week after week without exception, I began the first week of January 2014. However, I believe the Lord wants me to take a break to focus on the book I am writing. I will decide next steps in a few weeks. I am also having a second knee replacement in mid December. In the meantime, since I began writing my blog it has grown to over 800 pages of theologically sound searchable teaching material. Thanks for reading and please pray as I write and discern the next steps. Given His call on my life, I will continue to teach until my last breath as it is inherent in who and what I am!

The Place of Intervention

The Lord has a plan. We see the loss of the garden in Genesis 3 and the restoration of the garden and the city of God in Revelation 21-22. In regard to His planning scripture makes the following comment.

¹¹ In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, Ephesians 1:11 (NKJV)

Let’s linger on this phrase, “who works all things according to the counsel of His will.” God will accomplish His ultimate purpose in all of creation. Our hearts can rest confidently in this reality. At the same time, we have no guarantee that we will accomplish all He has prepared for us or how others will respond to His call.

¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV)

The ‘should’ in this verse implies something obligatory, in line with the famous Romans 12:1-2, an exhortation to present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice to serve His purposes. We also have Peter clearly stating Yahweh’s heart toward the lost.

⁹ The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 (NKJV)

Knowing this we still know that many will be lost because they choose to not respond to His calling. As noted at the beginning we began in a garden and we will end there. Yahweh will fulfill His overall purpose but who will be part of it is the open part of scripture that depends on the exercise of our will in response to His drawing.

I remember decades ago Rick Joyner sharing that he asked the Lord why he used John Wimber that way he did. The Lord responded along the lines of, “When I knocked on his door he answered.” Think of Ananias, in Acts 9:10-18. Yahweh appears in a vision and asks Ananias to go and pray for Saul of Tarsus. What if Ananias had rationalized that this vision wasn’t from the Lord because he knew the danger? The answer is Yahweh would have sent someone else and Ananias would have missed a deep and powerful blessing. What if those who rejected the outpouring of the Spirit at Azusa Street had said yes earlier? Who else would now be in the kingdom? What if Wilberforce had rejected his commission by the Lord to end slavery in Great Britain? It would have eventually happened through someone else.

What does this have to do with my title, The Place of Intervention? Where He first intervenes is generally in the calls and nudges to obedience. When our heart responds correctly, He offers more. A good scriptural example, one I encourage you to look up and read, is the broader story of Saul and David. I have heard many assert that Saul was the people’s choice and David the Lord’s choice. We can see from scripture that isn’t true.

¹³ And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” 1 Samuel 13:13–14 (NKJV)

Here the covenant that Samuel said Yahweh wanted to give Saul, to establish his kingdom forever, was the covenant that David received. Why? Saul’s heart stopped responding to Yahweh and shifted to responding to the people instead.

The place of intervention is the place of our meeting with Him and choosing to walk with an obedient heart. May we always choose obedience.

Babies, Birth and Revival Part 2

We continue looking at babies and birth in the context of revival and reformation. I last referenced our need to respond to His leading to see the Spirit move. One way to understand this is to consider things that get in the way. The birth of a move of the Spirit can fail to be conceived, miscarry, or it may in His timing be delayed due to our response.

Think of the failure to conceive. The woman in the gospels with the issue of blood could not conceive and in her culture a lack of children would have been a source of shame. If we apply this to ourselves, we can reflect on whether there are issues in our personal lives, or in the fellowship we attend, that prevent the conception and bringing to fruition of His purposes?

What about miscarriages? I previously referenced what happened with Azusa Street and how the movement started and was stopped on more than one occasion because people were offended by how the Spirit began to move and so shut it down. In scripture we read about the people who said yes, that doesn’t mean we have a record of all the people Yahweh asked. When I began this blog years ago, I started with a series I titled Journeys with Abraham where I showed how it appears that Yahweh called Terah, Abraham’s father and he started his journey and stopped. Abraham continued to say yes and fulfilled his calling. Thus, Abraham rather than Terah is recorded as the father of faith.

In reference to timing, how many generations was it between Isaiah’s prophecy about the virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14) and Jesus’ birth? How many people died believing the prophetic word had failed? What about Psalm 2, written about 3,000 years ago.

⁷ “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’” Psalm 2:7–9 (NKJV)

This is a prophetic Psalm looking forward to Jesus ruling and reigning on the earth as the great Messianic King. It hasn’t been fulfilled yet. However, while knowing this Jesus Himself said the following.

¹ Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, Luke 18:1 (NKJV)

The writer of Hebrews said something equally important in this context.

¹¹ And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, ¹² that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises. Hebrews 6:11–12 (NKJV)

We also have what Paul wrote in Galatians. No matter how things may look to us, God is working in the background.

⁴ But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, Galatians 4:4 (NKJV)

In light of these factors, it is incumbent upon us to seek His face and heart and respond in prayer as He leads. We may not see revival and reformation quickly; He may have it sitting in the heavenlies waiting to release it in response to our intercession or later in response to the intercession of others. Our calling is to be found faithful.

This perspective of course takes us back to our faith and patience verse in Hebrews. The patience part is like a shower. Between the time we adjust the water and the time that the temperature changes, there is a delay as the adjustment has to travel the length of the water lines. While we don’t need to wait 3,000 years for the shower temperature to change, as we have for some prophecies, we do need to wait! We inherit His promises through faith and patience. During the waiting period something is happening even if we don’t see it. Thus, if He stirs our hearts to pray for revival and reformation let us continue to do so while we await the fulfillment! After all, scripture clearly exhorts us to be found faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). Let’s do that!

Babies, Birth and Revival Part 1

We begin with babies and birth. First, I confess, when I hear someone from a couple say, “We’re pregnant” I have an internal reaction that I sometimes verbalize, “we” are not pregnant, the woman is pregnant. Now, while both pending parents may be excited about the birth, the process is dependent on what happens with the mother. For a healthy natural birth to take place the mother needs to pay attention to her health but she still doesn’t determine the time of birth. As the time of the baby’s arrival nears there are things that can be done to facilitate labour, but in a truly natural process it is the moving of the baby into the birth canal that brings on the labour. Which brings us to revival and cultural transformation.

When Yahweh wants to do something on the earth He first stirs something in the heavenly realm and inspires intercessors to pray (the labour pains) that birth the move of the Spirit in the earth. I have at times looked at the history of various revivals and I personally don’t know of a single one that wasn’t birthed through prayer in response to His leading. Some I am more familiar with are the Welsh and Azusa Street revivals. The key intercessor behind the Welsh Revival was Evan Roberts with his famous prayer, “Lord bend me!” bursting passionately from his heart. With Azuza street the revival initially began more than once but leaders were offended by what the Spirit was doing and shut it down. Each time it moved locations until it was embraced. The key intercessor was Frank Bartleman who was so given to prayer that some of his friends were worried about his health. Bartleman’s response was that he would rather die in fasting and prayer than not see revival.

At this point in history, I don’t personally know anyone with that level of intercessory heart for revival and reformation here in my nation. That of course doesn’t mean there are none, merely that I am not aware of them. We know about Evan Roberts and Frank Bartleman as we know history. Presently I know many of us express a longing for revival and some a longing for and understanding of reformation. In that context I believe we need to develop a greater sensitivity to His presence and leading. We can miss opportunities related to our calling and purpose and opportunities for our culture.

An example of this that I have come back to again and again for over thirty years is Moses. In Exodus 33 we see a transition take place.

¹² Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, ‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ ¹³ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is Your people.” ¹⁴ And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” ¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. ¹⁶ For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” ¹⁷ So the Lord said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.” ¹⁸ And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Exodus 33:12–18 (NKJV)

For context Moses had his first encounter with Yahweh at the burning bush and many after. Yet here, even though Yahweh has already promised to send his presence, and Moses has been dwelling in it in the tent of meeting in His presence, he has a sudden realization, he doesn’t really know Yahweh in an intimate way! Thus he asks Yahweh to show him His way then asks to see His glory, His character or nature. This is unfolded when Moses goes back up the mountain and is hidden in the cleft of the rock.

Now back to us. Have we spent time in His presence, in prayer meetings and church services but not really gotten to know His heart? Have we cried out in longing to know the One with us and to see His glory? Is He stirring your heart in this direction?

Engagement and Education Part 3

We now look at strategy. An important piece in choosing a strategy is our view of eschatology (end times teaching) and our role in it. It is important to understand what scripture actually says. As a child I was raised with what I refer to as The Great Escape eschatology. Things would get worse and worse in society, Jesus would come and rescue the church from trouble via the rapture, and He would then punish the sinful people left on earth. It is still a popular view and comforting for believers, I simply can’t find it in scripture

A brief interlude here, a very short version of my testimony. I stopped attending church when I was 14 and rarely darkened a church door for the next few years. At 25, after going through cancer and a shift in my worldview at 23, I made a commit to follow Jesus. This is when I believe I was genuinely converted. Prior to turning to Jesus at 25 I read the entire bible over a six-week period during cancer treatments and continued to read it after. When I started attending church services, I saw a lot of things I was unable to reconcile with what I had read in scripture. A bit like a fellow I knew. He was converted during the Jesus Movement many decades ago by reading the bible alone. A friend then took him to a church service. He said partway through the service he turned to his friend, pointed at the platform and said, “I don’t know what this is, but this isn’t that.” He was now pointing at his bible.

Here is an example from my experience. A couple of years into my walk with Jesus we moved and at the little church in the country there was an invitation to a men’s meeting so I went. There was a discussion around a key decision that needed to be made and they were going to vote on it. I was shocked and asked why we would do that and suggested that the proper course of action would be to pray and ask the Lord what to do. Now they were shocked!

My point is simply that we often do things or hold to a theology based on tradition and habit without really weighing our traditions and theology in light of scripture. My end times view is that Jesus was clear, the gospel of the kingdom would be preached to all ethnos – nations, ethnicities or people groups and then the end would come (Matthew 24:14).

This means that contrary to much popular theology Jesus return is not imminent as this has not yet taken place, that is a bit of an aside though. The gospel going to all people groups means the church needs to be established and effective, which brings us to a key distinction. In the past year I read something by Dutch Sheets where he differentiated between the Mark 16 and Matthew 28 commissions. He presented Mark 16 as being about revival and Matthew 28 about cultural reformation or transformation.

When we look back in history at the two Great Awakenings, they reshaped society because they lived out both Mark 16 and Matthew 28. Here in North America, we had the charismatic movement in the latter part of the twentieth century which produced great experiences and numerous converts but we forgot about the culture. In the meantime, those with another agenda were discipling our political institutions, our courts systems and our education system. The results have not been good for the church or the culture at large.

Which brings us to our strategy portion. We need to pray for transformation and labourers. We need to be come involved in our culture seeking to bring about change and transformation. We need to seek His wisdom as to our role. When we disengage, we see our children and institutions discipled by those who do not have their best interests at heart. As Jesus body, the church, He has called us to engage with and shift our culture in the visible realm and to shift the atmosphere in the heavens wherever we are so that captives are set free and the spiritual climate reflects righteousness.

I am not suggesting we will become a Christian nation, I am suggesting that as Christians we can have a significant impact in and on our nation. If we look at places like Iran or China the church is growing rapidly while the nations are, for the moment anyway, remaining on their present anti Christian path. Yet, the church is still growing and shifting the culture. There are more Christians in communist China than people in Canada. Estimates vary a great deal but range from 48 to 100 million Christians in China. There are around 40 million people in Canada.

In conclusion, our job isn’t to hang on, it is to reach out. To live as Christians in a culture that has shifted from indifference to our faith in some cases, to outright hostility toward our faith in other cases. In this environment Jesus said we are to be both salt and light. Salt is a preservative and light helps us to see.

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:13–16 (NKJV)

How are we doing?

Engagement and Education Part 2

Some decades ago, at the beginning of the 1990’s, I took a certificate program in adult and continuing education at our local university. Given that Jesus has called and anointed me to teach this was a good use of my time. Something that stands out for me during this time was a debate I had with some of my classmates. We were all working in our respective fields and had education as part of our role to varying degrees. At the time two things that were popular were a focus on facilitation and felt needs. We were encouraged to respond to the felt needs of adults and be facilitators not teachers.

I engendered some debate and was pretty much a lone voice with the concern I raised. I shared that from my perspective there wasn’t anything wrong with the idea of teaching and I saw facilitation as something a good teacher did. I also asserted that a responsibility of good teachers was not only to respond to felt needs but to discern what people actually needed and teach them that as well. In light of that let’s review our calling and responsibility as believers in light of what Jesus instructed.

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. Matthew 28:18–20 (NKJV)

Of interest here is that Jesus didn’t instruct us to respond to felt needs, He instructed us to teach and observe all the things that He had commanded. While Jesus did respond to felt needs; He healed the sick and fed the hungry, His broader messianic mission is presented in Luke.

¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; ¹⁹ To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” Luke 4:18–19 (NKJV)

Jesus response to felt needs was always in the context of His broader mission, calling people to repentance and submission to the kingdom of God, which is what The Great Commission in Matthew 28 reinforces. After all Jesus began His mission this way.

¹⁴ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15 (NKJV)

This shows us that while Jesus responded to felt needs, it was an aspect of His ministry and should be an aspect of ours, it now dominates and twists our culture. If we look at our current culture wars and outrage, felt needs dominate. We see it in the socialist agenda, the gender debates, the political groups and on it goes. We have come to the place where we deny reality out of a desire to enshrine felt needs rather than support truth and reality. We are living in a season that Paul warned us about.

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 2 Timothy 4:3 (NKJV)

We are there and it is not a good place to be, thus I leave us with a reflective question. Where in our culture is the church taking ground? If your answer is that it isn’t, here is the next question. Do we capitulate to our culture or change strategies?

We will look at strategy next time.

Engagement and Education Part 1

Here I am going to share a bit about my role the last few years of work prior to retirement. Not to reminisce, but to look at how it relates to our mission as believers and our broader role and responsibility as the body of Christ. I was the Director of Engagement and Education in one of the legislative offices. As the Director of my team, my responsibility and the role of my staff was to engage and educate both within the organization and externally. I also played a role in setting organizational direction as a member of the Strategic Leadership Team.

Engagement was about the responsibility to engage with those within or aligned with the purposes of the organization to create alliances and educate them around common interests. Engagement and education with those outside and not aligned with the purposes of the organization took the form of sharing and building or furthering relationships.

The role of the office was provincial which meant that I needed to keep my staff engaged with the broader issues in the province but also needed to keep my staff in the two major cities 300 kilometres apart engaged and focused on the same mission across the province. In terms of the broader structure my boss reported to a standing committee of the Legislature so his authority came from that relationship and he then delegated that authority to those of us that reported to him.

Now let’s apply this to the church, beginning with a passage I suspect most of us are familiar with to some degree.

Here the making of disciples (not just converts) was the mission and it required, and still does, both engagement and education. The scope of the mission is outlined in Jesus final command before His ascension.

⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 (NKJV)

Practically this means, as noted above in my job example, that we need to engage with and educate both within and outside the church. By church I am referring to people not buildings. Engaging within the body needs to focus on building relationships leading to discipleship (education). Engaging outside the body needs to focus on sharing the truth of the gospel (education) and seeking to bring others into the kingdom then discipling them.

It is one thing to simply encourage us to go and do but prior to issuing His commands Jesus modeled for His followers how to do the work of the kingdom and trained them. After He commissioned them, He said upon leaving that the Holy Spirit would come and continue to help them. We still need the Spirit as the reality is that what Jesus commanded in Matthew 28 and Acts 1 requires strategy and intentionality on our part. I encourage you to seek Him in this regard.

We will delve more into strategy next week.

Spiritual Warfare and Spiritual Growth

I don’t know how often we associate spiritual warfare with spiritual growth but if we don’t we should. I am not speaking of railing against and binding this that and the other thing. I am referring to how engaging in prayer, intercession and teaching is a pathway to spiritual maturity. After all, that is a major motivation for me in doing this teaching, providing a tool for growth. I also pray regularly for many of you. Let’s dig in a bit.

For decades I have believed that Paul’s apostolic heart cry is summed up in one verse of scripture.

¹⁹ My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you, Galatians 4:19 (NKJV)

Here Paul is expressing his desire for the Galatian converts to come to maturity. Maturation is a process not a magic encounter. It requires commitment and discipline, that biblical word discipleship. Our culture prizes autonomy, scriptures prizes submission to the Lord. This is clearly seen in Romans.

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. Romans 8:14 (NKJV)

¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:16 (NKJV)

These verses highlight an important spiritual truth, yet in a desire to be non offensive and gender neutral many modern translations unintentionally obscure what Paul is saying. The Greek word for sons refers to mature children, not all believers are, while the word children applies to all believers. Those who are submitted to and following the Spirit are the ones who come to maturity. Which takes us back to Paul’s heart cry on Galatians 4:19 and the how in Colossians. Paul’s ministry to create converts focused on preaching and prayer. His ministry to see converts embrace discipleship focused on teaching and prayer. We can see his focus in Colossians. This passage is long but important.

²⁷ To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ²⁸ Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. ²⁹ To this end I also labor, striving according to His working which works in me mightily. ¹ For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 1:27–2:3 (NKJV)

Here Paul wants us to know Christ within. To that end he preaches Christ and teaches with wisdom to see his readers mature. He then talks about the great conflict he is engaged in to see that maturity realized. Here he is talking about his prayer life. If you look at his letters he begins Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians telling his readers how he is praying for them and in the passage above also references his intercession for believers in Laodicea. If we apply this our lives not all of us may be able to teach or preach but we can all pray. We can all intercede asking the Spirit to give wisdom and revelation to those we for whom we we pray (Ephesians 1). We can ask that they would grow in love, knowledge and discernment (Philippians 1), and we can ask that they would be filled with the knowledge of the Lord’s will with wisdom and spiritual understanding (Colossians 1). This is the connection between spiritual warfare and spiritual maturity so let’s take up the sword of the Spirit and help the body mature.