Tag: Revolution

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Ancient beggar’s prayer.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

O Lord, come back to us! How long will you delay? Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love, so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery! Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval and make our efforts successful. Yes, make our efforts successful. Psalms‬ ‭90‬:‭13‬-‭17‬ ‭NLT‬‬

A prayer of Moses, Psalm 90 is the oldest Psalm in the book of Psalms, written around 1440 BC. This Psalm declares how big God is and compares it to how fragile is the nature of our humanity – “dust that’s swept away.” But in these last verses Moses seems to beg God to visit once again.

Moses had seen a lot of pain and plenty of dark seasons in his day. Not just his palace to pauper demise, but his epic rise to challenge his former origin story, speaking for God and demanding the release of God’s people. Then to pastor a grumbling, bitter people for 40 years, wandering in the desert he was once banished to. For him to see so much misery mixed with miracles in this chaotic mashup is palpable. Oh, but once you’ve been in God’s presence and then lack it, it leaves a yearning, a vacuum. This is why Moses begs! And, not just himself, but also for “our children,” he writes.

I feel this tension, this dynamic dystopia even today. After having seen God move in spectacular ways, pouring out His Spirit and transforming the lives of those He touches, then it was over. We tried to keep pretending that God’s presence was still here, moving through the models of church growth, prosperity, seeker sensitive, politically motivational and attractional methods. As if we were trying to convince ourselves that the Church was thriving, even conquering the evils of government and culture. We all know that we’ve just been wandering in the desert, aching for God to move among us once again. Stacked up against us has been the next gen response of “church hurt,” deconstruction or, exiting their faith to synchrotize a self-made religion that suites them better. I deeply feel this ancient prayer of Moses, who only saw the promised land, but was prevented from entering it. “Let us, your servants, see you work again; let our children see your glory.” I also believe that God will once again pour out his Spirit on all flesh in the last days. I want to be reunion ready!

Prayer

​Dad,
I’m reminded of the words to the song, “Same God.” “I’m calling on the God of Moses. The one who opened up the ocean. I need You now to do the same thing for me. O God, my God, I need You. O God, my God, I need You now, How I need You now. O Rock, O Rock of ages, I’m standing on Your faithfulness.” Let our children see Your glory! Amen.

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Cycles of disrepair.

Reading Time: 4 minutes

“In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and grandson of Meshullam, the court secretary, to the Temple of the Lord. He told him, “Go to Hilkiah the high priest and have him count the money the gatekeepers have collected from the people at the Lord’s Temple. Entrust this money to the men assigned to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple. Then they can use it to pay workers to repair the Temple. They will need to hire carpenters, builders, and masons. Also have them buy the timber and the finished stone needed to repair the Temple. But don’t require the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive, for they are honest and trustworthy men.” ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭22‬:‭3‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Young Josiah becomes King of Israel at 8 years old. What a heavy responsibility to know that you’ve got to grow and mature into a national leader and that your country is counting on you doing things right. Josiah’s first official act doesn’t take place until he is 36 years old!

Josiah’s family origin story was awful! His grandfather and father were terrible, ungodly kings. His grandfather, Manasseh, had instituted idol worship throughout the land and the country had suffered greatly because of it. He gutted the contents of the temple and replace it with a carved image of Asherah. God’s temple and the pride of the country had become an idolatry whorehouse! Manasseh’s son, Josiah’s father was no better. Amon was so dispised that his own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace. And, the people of the land even killed all those who had conspired against king Amon. They made his son Josiah the next king.

The kingdom, both physically and spiritually were decimated and in complete disrepair! What can an 8 year old do to turn an entire country back to God? The Bible says that young Josiah had determined to turn to God, ”He did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and followed the example of his ancestor David. He did not turn away from doing what was right.” Maybe it was his mother, Jedidah, that made the difference.

After growing up and surveying all that had happened under his father and grandfather’s reign, spending 18 years deciding where and when to make change. He decided to reverse the curse of idolatry in his country. Where did he start? Repairing and making the temple a place of honor and glory to God once again. He sent trusted men to find other trusted men to put the Temple tax money to work. He found men to supervise the restoration of the Lord’s Temple! What a genius idea – fix the house of God as a focused priority, to begin turning the people of God towards the one true God. This took faith in God and trust in men to make it all happen. Faith was in short supply and trusting people with money after years of systemic, nonsensical waste on fake gods would also be difficult.

Josiah ordered an odd and risky command, “don’t require the construction supervisors to keep account of the money they receive.” What? Is that legal? Giving money, tax money collected from the people, to construction guys? You know what? It worked. And, wouldn’t you know it. Immediately after Josiah takes this huge risk, entrusting people with money to do what is right, Shaphan just “happens” to come back with extraordinary news, reporting the results of the King’s decision. “Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.” Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king.”

The money was disbursed, the work on the Temple had begun and guess what? Hilkiah found the book of the Law! The restoration of the physical temple and the restoration of the spiritual hearts of the people would simultaneously be restored back to God! The cycle of despair and disrepair would end and the Lord would once again be worshiped and obeyed. One, young leader, with a heart to do what was right would temporarily turn a nation back to God.

It can happen again. It can happen today. Nothing is impossible with God. We no longer meet with God in a Temple, because God, through Jesus Christ has made His home in the hearts of His people. Now, individually and cooperatively we are the Temple of God. Can God use young leaders, with a desire to do what is right to turn the Church in America around? Can young leaders be entrusted to rebuild and restore what has been in disrepair in the Church for so many years? Yes! I believe it is possible. Returning to a refurbished temple would not be necessarily the church buildings that have been in decline for decades, it would be the restructuring and restoration of the hearts and lives of those who the Church, the body of Christ today. It would also be finding or rediscovering the laws of God that Jesus himself summarized for us so beautifully – Matthew 22:37-39, “Love God and love others.” And, “love as you’ve been loved” in John 13:34, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.” This would be the new revolution.

Prayer

​Dad,
I try to keep up with the latest, but not so greatest of stats on Your Church and the myriad of challenges and critiques. But I still believe! I still believe in Your plan, Your Church and actively watch and wait for young leaders to step up and in to the spiritual revolution that is coming. I have faith and trust in future Josiah’s! Amen.

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Daniel’s extraordinary experience in Babylon.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Let this be recorded for future generations, so that a people not yet born will praise the Lord. Tell them the Lord looked down from his heavenly sanctuary. He looked down to earth from heaven to hear the groans of the prisoners, to release those condemned to die. And so the Lord’s fame will be celebrated in Zion, his praises in Jerusalem, when multitudes gather together and kingdoms come to worship the Lord. Psalms‬ ‭102‬:‭18‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

To read the full story about Daniel and his rise to power, serving as an advisor to King Nebuchadnezzar, as well as rising above the evil subterfuge and plans to have him killed, you need to read the book he wrote about his life in captivity. A quick search of “Daniel in the Bible,” will give you the quick summary of his life.

One commentator summarizes it well, Jack Zavada writes, “Daniel was a young man of Jewish nobility taken into captivity by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of Jehoiakim and renamed Belteshazzar. He was trained in the king’s court and then elevated to a high rank in the Babylonian and Persian kingdoms. Daniel the prophet was only a teenager when introduced in the book of Daniel and was an old man at the close of the book, yet never once in his life did his faith in God waver.” Another writes that “Daniel was the most learned man in the Old Testament and most thoroughly trained for his important role in history and literature.” Daniel had revelatory dreams, he also interpreted dreams and was an advisor to several kings during Israel’s captivity.

This Psalm captures the deep heartache that Daniel carried for his beloved people. Even though he lived most of his life surrounded by the elite, wealthy and powerful politicians of Babylon, he was not swayed nor distracted by their success. He kept his heart pure and his mind focused on God! Daniel writes this Psalm as Israel prepares to be released after 70 years of captivity.

Now, as the nation faces going home to complete devastation of their city and their homes, they are free but have to rebuild and start over. Their temple had been rebuilt, but it was nowhere near the glory of their first one. Nehemiah oversaw the miraculous rebuilding of the city walls, so they would be safe. But there was so much to do and the entire nation had to come to the realization that they had seriously sinned and God had disciplined them severely for it.

Daniel writes a key phrase, “let this be recorded for future generations.” It was tough, but God brought them through. It was humiliating, but God rescued them once again. Daniel wanted the future children to remember. Not the struggles, not the groanings, not the heavy load of accountability for their behaviors – no. Daniel wanted them to remember God saw them, God delivered them and God would restore them! God is worthy of worship!!!

This is a lesson for us who have lived and seen the marvelous miracles and historical moves of God on our nation and in His Church. Whatever discipline, whatever chastisement we have deserved, God is faithful to see us, deliver us and restore His Church to be that spotless, wrinkle-free bride before Jesus returns! God has shown Himself worthy throughout our human history and He will continue to do so.

So for us, we can take Daniel’s advice, his admonition, to gather together as followers of Jesus, as His Church, and come to worship the Lord! I believe a spiritual revolution is coming! So I want to be REUNION READY for those who will come home, those who will turn their hearts toward God and believe!

Prayer

Dad,
I am, we are as the Church, being prepared for you to pour out Your Spirit on this beautiful blue globe, in our nation, states and cities. We are waiting for you to pour out Your Spirit of truth, lifting the blindness from our eyes that promise unfulfilled lies. We will witness the supernatural move of Your Spirit once again – maybe for the last time before Jesus returns for the final days of justice and end of all things here on this planet. May Your fame be celebrated throughout the earth! Amen.

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Are you using your gift?

Reading Time: 2 minutes

“There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is the source of them all. There are different kinds of service, but we serve the same Lord. God works in different ways, but it is the same God who does the work in all of us. A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.” ‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I don’t think the early church was quite as shocked as the modern church that the Apostle Paul would write about these Spirit enabled gifts (grk: charis) to the church in Corinth. Corinth was the wild-child city in those days. Wealthy, cocky, well educated and oh so hip and cool with all the latest cultural advances. The believers had come from deep greek roots that included all kinds of multi-god or pantheistic practices. There is more “Spirit-talk” packed into Corinthians than all the other Pauline epistles! If it wasn’t for 1 Cor 13, I think most would like to ignore the teachings all together! There’s plenty of mentions of speaking in tongues and other mysterious movements of the Spirit. Sad that many of today’s pastors and teachers, dismiss these words from Paul saying, “the gifts” died with the last living apostle. God’s ways have always been above ours and even seem strange to us – He is full of mystery.

Paul lists the nine helpful graces to be distributed to EVERY believer – “each of us.” Do an internet search, you’ll find many that only list seven! Chickens they are!

Here they are: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, extraordinary faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues and interpretation of tongues.

The more “charismatic” gifts are often watered down to almost being useless and the two missing from most lists are of course, speaking and interpreting tongues. Why would people mess with God’s word by diluting it or removing it altogether? They’re not comfortable with things they can’t control! I believe these gifts are helpful to the body of Christ as well as helpful in sharing the gospel with those who are not believers in Jesus!

You may be scared off by abuses and misinformation, but you would be missing the amazing work of the Holy Spirit in our lives TODAY. Plus, the Spirit of God is not about chaos but order. By dismissing the work of the Spirit today, you would be denying miracles and supernatural works of God. And to call the work of the Holy Spirit, as it is written in the New Testament, a work of the Devil… well that’s just blasphemy! We need MORE, not LESS of the Holy Spirit’s power, grace and transforming work today more than ever!

Prayer

Dad,
I could not deny the Holy Spirit and the work that’s been done in my life. I cannot deny the gifts given to help us live the life of faith, to help us love and serve those who do not believe in you. I need to yield more, not less. I need to lean in and towards, not away from the moving of the Spirit. Breath on us, our country, our planet once again. Bring yet another revolution to raise up those who come to you, return to you.

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The law of lazy.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Lazy people are soon poor; hard workers get rich. A wise youth harvests in the summer, but one who sleeps during harvest is a disgrace.” Proverbs‬ ‭10‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NLT‬‬

I can’t stand the word lazy. The reason; my mother swore I was lazy and told me so. The truth; in comparison to my adopted mother, I was lazy. She worked very hard, ALL-THE-TIME. She was a line-worker at a thermostat company in Long Beach, California – Robertshaw. She was an assembler. Think Lucille Ball on the candy conveyor belt episode. She was a union gal and a fierce advocate for herself and those who worked hard for very little money. She was up and out the door of our house everyday weekday at 4:30am and didn’t get home until 3 or 4pm. Saturdays were clean the house day, so she slept in until 7am when she would flip on the alarm clock/vacuum cleaner announcing that a day of chores had begun. Cartoons on Saturday were always a negotiable luxury. IF all basic, daily chores of bed making, room spotless, teeth brushed, face washed, hair combed, and breakfast (at the dining room table only) was finished. PLUS, the promise of hard-labor, yard work, then and only then was few morning cartoons an option. Mom would continue vacuuming in the back of the house, but we knew it was eventually coming to the living room where we had the one and only television set. So, yes, comparatively, I AM lazy! But I was just a kid, then I was just a teenager – you get the picture.

What my mother was trying to teach me, but I never got it, was this principle: laziness and work yield results! Laziness yields ZERO results. Work yields results like resources, money and opportunities. The Biblical principle is a law of nature. If you put the phrase, “sowing and reaping” into a search engine, it will give you pages and pages of Christian responses. However, if you put “gravity” in the same search engine, you’ll get pages and pages of secular/scientific responses. You know that sowing and reaping is a scientific fact, right? If something isn’t planted, nothing is the guaranteed result. Planting is necessary to reaping. In the odd parable of the talents that Jesus told, the person given one talent, yet buries it, is scolded by the owner. In a very one-talent, defensive response, the one talent person says, of the owner, you are a hard man “reaping where you have not sown.” What? Really? This parable is a lesson of God’s expectation that His kids inherently know. God sows into us and expects to reap results. Those results are certainly salvation, but also to whom much is given, much is required. The last thing I’d want to be is lazy with what God has given me!

Also, what a tragedy if I were to be so busy sowing and find myself sleeping when it comes time to harvest. Again, I’m no farmer, but I have seen some great movies about living off the land. To think of all the work, money and time it takes to prep and plant seed in a field and then to watch it all rot because it was not harvested. When it’s harvest time, everything and everyone makes it the top priority to bring it in! God has been planting seeds of the gospel in the culture right around us – even today. He has been working long hours cultivating the soil of human hearts. Some of us have been participating with him in this endeavor. I tell you, there is a harvest coming. There is another revolution on the horizon. Who knows, it may be the last big one! I do not want to be lazy nor unprepared to get out into the fields and reap God’s abundant harvest that’s coming.

Prayer

Dad,
I not only want to be a part of sowing seed, the good news of your love, salvation, rescue and redemption. I also want to be a part of the great harvest. I want to be the Dad who goes out to the road everyday, looking for signs that our prodigals have returned. And with fast legs, waving open arms and rejoicing voice, I want to say welcome home.

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¡Bienvenido a la revolución!

Reading Time: 2 minutes 
“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you.” Luke‬ ‭6:27-28‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Society has rules that we live by. It’s not just our geographic context or culture, it’s our overarching and unifying way of life. You do me wrong, I retaliate. You make a joke about one of my family members and I slap your face! It’s a code. It’s genetic. All this talk about love, kindness and non-violence – ah that’s so vogue.

Bullies are out, those are “red choices” my granddaughter’s preschool teachers would say. Forgiveness and using your words (and someone to understand the bully) is the hot-topic morality today.

You know who started the revolution? Yeah, Jesus. He’s the same guy that folks want left out of government, education and civil conversation because it’s deemed divisively religious. And everyone knows religion is judgey. Funny that Jesus was the epitome of revolutionary and rather anti-religion.

He actually said, you’ve heard… “eye for eye, tooth for tooth,” but I say… Almost every day on the news we hear about an escalated incident that goes way beyond black eyes and missing teeth! It’s Annie get your gun and blam blam blam, someone is dead. It’s so massively ironic that the guy who made “don’t judge” a thing which is now considered to be the lightening rod of any non-civil conversation. Jesus is the one who said “DON’T.” So sure folks can hide behind “choices” or “I identify as” or even have the law give them a special and protected class meant to protect people from bullies. Jesus said things that were anti-human nature – forgive, give, love, BLESS (which isn’t the word, makarios: to make happy but rather eulogeó: to speak well of, praise)! What if the “protected class by law” becomes our cultural bullies? What if folks quit being advocates and look more like activists who behave violently? I think we should quit giving credit to our more modern, historical peacemakers and remember where they got their campaign slogans from – Jesus, the founder and president of the LOVE movement.

PRAYER:

Dad,
I just get so worked up over the enemy of our soul, Satan, supplanting and subtly stealing YOUR words and twisting them to be used against you – and for sure, against us. Satan is a thief, even stealing words and symbols like love, promise and rainbows to be bumper-stickered to promote lies and deeply, morally bankrupt codes of conduct. These bait and switch techniques are so damnable! By the time folks find truth or realize they’ve been duped there has been so much damaged done to their souls, their relationships not to mention the platforms they used to mislead thousands of others. It’s just awful, it makes me sick to see it happen. And even still, I know that you will be waiting like a good father who runs to the prodigal because they’ve come home! I just ask that you stop them from spreading the pig-slop as truth! It’s not a lifestyle, it’s a blatant liestyle.