Deeper Translates to Higher

It has often been said that to go high one most go deep.  You can't build a sky-scraper in shallow soil.  But to do so beckons patience.  I can't say I'm naturally patient.  If anything the Lord teaches me that while I don't have patience, I can grow it.  It's painful.

Currently I'm writing a book about Paul and the Galatian churches.  My typical way of doing things is to obsess about it until I get it done.  Let's get the book written in a week or two.  Perhaps it's because I fear if I delay it, I won't get it done.  Maybe it's just because I'm an idea and action person.  Or it could be because I want it out there Right Now!  I don't know.

And then I read three things that cause me to pause.

First was Jim Cymbala's book Fresh Power.  He was meditating on the Scripture in 1 Cor 2:4-5:

"My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power."

Jim says this:

"Think of these words today when so many speakers and churches want to produce "wise and persuasive words," cleverness and human charisma, a beautiful church plant and great programs for the family--everything but the "demonstration of the Spirit's power" that the apostle Paul exalted to the glory of God."

The  Scripture provokes a question to me.  How much am I seeking the Lord's power in what I do?  A 5-10 minute prayer time?   I think of great preachers such as Billy Graham.  I've heard better preachers but the anointing on him is powerful.  And I know great books that have changed history that have not always been the most powerful writing such as "In His Steps," but they have been anointed by the Spirit.  Are we cultivating God's power to bring the transformation as we study and pray?  Am I more excited to get a book out than to slow down and seek the anointing and direction of the Lord as I write?

The second cause to pause was studying Paul's timeline of his life this morning, when he came to the Lord he immediately prayed and fast, blindly, for 3 days.   Then shortly thereafter headed to Arabia for 3 whole years, consulting no one but receiving the gospel from the Lord.  After that season his ministry exploded.  Why 3 years?  He had studied the Scriptures fastidiously.  Why not just jump into preaching?  Take a few months, maybe a year but 3 years?  Because Paul did not blast out of the starting gates, his ministry was actually richer, deeper, wider and more powerful.

Then then there was my third cause to pause.  A Scripture I have thought of often in Proverbs.

"Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control."  Prov 25:28

Here I read "Self-Discipline."  When I'm not exercising patience, I'm like a city with broken walls.  And if you've ever been to Israel, broken walls were utterly dangerous.  One could not exist long-term without walls, which is why in Ezra and Nehemiah there was such emphasis on the rebuilding of the walls.

Patience and prayer.  Perhaps with this the books I write will be of much richer quality and more anointed through prayer and God's Spirit.  It's not something natural, but it's something I want to grow.

Prisoner of Grace

If there ever is a church you wanted to run away from this one is it.  To say there is infighting and divisions is an understatement, but that is only the beginning of their problems.  You would hardly believe what is going on.  They practically worship celebrity Christians and yet the men and women of God have a hard time getting in the door.  There are lawsuits being filed among each other.  Lawsuits!!   Not only that but the church has a case of incest--a son sleeping with his mother and the church knows about it and turns a blind eye.  They are "proud" of their "freedom" and "liberty" and "tolerance."  ?! 

One of my friends in ministry told me that not only does he want not to be associated with this congregation of so-called "believers" but he wants nothing to do with "church" as he knows it.  This grieves my heart.  It is true that he probably would do better in another congregation.  Sometimes it is Ok that sheep are in different places.  It is the way of nature.  Walnut trees if planted too close to flowers or gardens will destroy the plants.  In the opposite vein,  marigolds planted by tomatoes help keep the bugs away.  Granted this situation of sin in the church which has gone unchecked is different.  But I grieve for this brother completely separating himself from the whole gathering of believers.  The actions among this group of believers sicken me too. Sicken is hardly the word for it.  These crimes are not only crimes against God but against humanity.  So what have I done?  How have I handled this?

Judge me if you want, but I am compelled to stay connected.  Why on earth?  Because I know who I am.  I know the depth of my own depravity and it is awful.  So does this mean that what this church is doing is acceptable?  Or that God does not have a say?  BY NO MEANS!!!  On the contrary, I have spoken my mind as a pastoral authority over this church as strong as I could and have called on help from heaven.  I rebuked them harshly for their divisions, I let them know they were utterly defeated if they lowered themselves to sue one another. And I told them to expel the man guilty of incest and hand him over to Satan himself.  I told them they were not to even associate, even to the point of eating lunch with someone like him.  I'm not talking about those outside the church as those outside the church we embrace with love, no matter their sin.  Let me say that again.  The sinners of this world who do not profess Christ--the gays, lesbians, bisexuals, the murders, the rapists, the greedy, the selfish, etc... we embrace with love and do not judge them.  The ones we have the responsibility to are the ones inside the church.  Those who claim to be Christians yet sin freely and are unrepentant.  They must be confronted and if they do not repentant, expelled.  If they have repented, that is the beginning of our journey with them for restoration.  Restoration is the goal in every situation.

I have all of this in writing.  I actually would like you to read the letter I wrote to this church.  But before you do, you need to know something.  Even as I knew all that was going on with them and the horrible, horrible things that were taking place, I began my letter this way:

"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus.  For in him you have been enriched in every way--in all your speaking and in all your knowledge--because our testimony about Christ was confirmed in you.  Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.  He will keep you strong to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful."

Yes, I thanked God for them and the grace given them.  And you know what?  After I wrote that harsh letter, there was repentance.  Even for the one who was in terrible sin.  So I wrote them another letter and told them this:

"If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent--not to put it too severely.  The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him.  Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.  I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love him.  The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything.  If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him.  And what I have forgiven--if there was anything to forgive--I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us.  For we are not unaware of his schemes."

Grace with truth saved them, and him.  And me.  With confidence I can say to this church of mine with all their ugly scars, "you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.  I have great confidence in you; I take great pride in you.  I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds."

There's a terrible tension walking in truth and love.  They can never be separated.  If my family has committed the crime I want to lean towards love and grace.  If I am the victim I tend to lean towards  truth and a trial.  Both are important.  It is the issue of love and justice.  It is why the cross solved the biggest and most terrible enigma between heaven and man.   It's the way of the cross that I want to seek.  And the cross of truth mercy triumphs over judgment.  I'm living proof.  It's because of this, that I must approach brokenness differently.

Paul, the apostle/former terrorist

(A hypothetical letter from 1 Corinthians)

The Redefining of Church--1 Cor 14:26

I drove by a church building in a different city the other day and it had been remade into a cat shelter.  I drove a little farther and passed another old church that was no functioning as a barn.  I passed a third and it too was not a "church" anymore.  I was feeling kind of down about it but then I sensed in my spirit that this was of him.  God is in the business of redefining "church" as we know it.  In fact, I believe there will be many more foreclosures and closings in general but this is not a sign to get discouraged, but a season to embrace the new yet old understanding of church.  Because church as we know it doesn't look like "church" as it is in Scripture, at least structurally.
I read this in Scripture:

^{1 Cor14:26} What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up. 

and this:
 
^{1 Cor12:7} Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

I read in the Scripture about a church that the body shares with other members of the body in such a way as that there is mutual edification and encouragement.  Is this what I experience?

I have the privilege of attending a church where the minister preaches the Word of God, is faithful to Him, the church is filled with people who really love the Lord, etc... In fact, we don't even have a building so we can put our money into people, not buildings.  I am blessed with all these.  And yet...

And yet when I "go to church" it is an entirely passive experience.  I sit and listen.  I sing then listen.  I go to Bible study and listen.  If I want to share something it better fit in to 10 seconds or less during announcements.  It's easy to just say hi to a few people and then slip out.  Passive.  Totally and completely.  At most being "active" is sharing a special song.  I don't sing well.

Yet this is not the church I read about in Scripture.  I read about people sharing words, testimonies, receiving healing, prayers, etc...  Yes, they needed some order, but I read about a body that ministers to each other.  Current "church" is one man ministering to everyone.  For the most part.  And we miss out.  Miss out on hearing from others, miss out on sharing with others.  No one man can be the body.  We do have a responsibility to reach out individually, but "church" as I read it in Scripture is also a corporate sharing.

I do believe "church" is being redefined and that is of God.  I think this is why buildings are closing up shop.  But how the redefined church will look like I do not yet know.   But I hope it looks a little bit more like we read in the verses above.  Church is about relationships.  And right now, it's easy to get lost in the quiet.


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PS--I read a book this week called "Interrupted" by Jen Hatmaker.  I like how they "do church" down there in Austin.  A good read for any new church planter.