FYI

End of March Update

A Question

  So at one point, I had an idea, but that idea came in a bit late. The idea was for the 50th post I was going to either answer your questions or do something like write on a subject you suggested. The only problem was that by the time I thought of this idea, it was already the 60th post.

  So for any of you who imagine that I am some forward-thinking prophetic guy, I just gave you sound evidence that I am not, I’m just normal.

  So I am completely open to your ideas for the 100th post. If you have any, then let me know. Seriously I am listening, and open. So what would you like?

The State of the Body.

  The current state of the Charismatic Body of Christ is at an all-time low. Now, believe it or not, that can be a good thing. That is because, through humbleness and forgiveness, we have an opportunity to sweep the floor clean and do things right. But of course, to do that requires a clear examination of the things we have been taught. 

  This will not make some people happy as various pet beliefs will get examined and scrapped for more biblical teaching. This is because some of the ways we have done things have absolutely no basis in scripture at all. Now I can hear some of the people I have known defensively speak up in my head to say, “Well that’s just not what I believe.”

  That statement alone is evidence of a lack of biblical foundation, and that is going to be one of the biggest walls to come down in the future.

  When I came to Christ in the early 80s my foundation was a mix of American Baptist and Vineyard. This developed an understanding of the ways of the Holy Spirit while gaining a good grasp of scripture. This foundation in later years kept me grounded when I was employed at MorningStar Ministries. I remember more than once in a group of leaders they would say one thing about a subject, and then I would bring up some scripture that would “fluster” one of the leaders.

  This also continued in some of the prophetic classes I attended. Don’t get me wrong, some of these were great and helpful. But some I had problems with like how to interpret dreams and prophetic words.

  Here is a teaching from a well-known east coast prophetic woman who influenced much of the modern prophetic, see if you can spot the problems.

1. Search the response your own spirit has toward the “word” before receiving it.

2. If you have a witness in your own spirit that there is truth in the word, then do you just sit and wait for it to happen? No.

3. You begin to pray that the Lord brings you clarity concerning the word.

4. You also ask the Lord to bring it to pass.

5. AND, if possible, give some physical sign that you believe the word will be fulfilled. This physical sign is a step in the direction of the word’s fulfillment. The Word (Bible) says: “first the natural and then the spiritual.” A natural act in response to a prophetic word says that you believe that He is in the prophetic word and that you are ready to respond to His next step. 

  The problems are numerous with this and I feel this has caused many problems. But here is a couple of quick points.

  1. At what point is scripture included in this process?

  2. When are things tested by others, especially those who are older?

  3. 1 Thessalonians 5:21

  4. Does this word grow or build up anyone? Is it a real blessing or just make you feel good? Ephesians 4:12-16

5. What is the long term fruit?

An Assembly

  I have heard Jeremiah Johnson (another man burnt by the system) talk about the day is coming when Charismatic leadership will need to assemble its leaders to build a new and better foundation. 

  I agree, and an assembly like this should not be rushed into. This is because there are still a few leaders I feel who are still entrenched in the system and they need to get free. Of course, the standard way that all of us have gotten free is that the Lord burns up everything in our lives not connected with him. So I guess the first main question to new leaders would be, have you suffered a loss?

  The last time the Body of Christ went through a major restructuring was over 500 years ago and we called it the Reformation and that took several decades to work things out. I would hope this one would be a bit quicker because I really don’t think we got that long before us. Or perhaps that’s the Lord’s plan, maybe it will be he who sets us all straight after he returns?

What are you willing to do?

  At one point when my wife and I knew we needed to get out of the system. What we ended up doing was keep asking ourselves this one question, over and over again. “What are you willing to do to get free?”

  What this turned into was working some very long hours of overtime. Not spending any money unless absolutely necessary and start saying no to all outside social engagements. We needed every single dollar for the trip, and our friends in Wyoming were willing to give us a place to land. So basically we had to dig in, set a plan, and do it.

  Many people nowadays are stuck in corporate religious systems. Some are waking up and stepping away. Others like the people connected to IHOP had to be forced awake and have the scales ripped away from their eyes.

  So if you know you need to get out, what are you willing to do to see this happen?

Click the picture to listen

  A lot of people have a lot of guilt once they get out of the system. What many do not realize is that it is nothing more than the guilt of letting people down, not God. God will, however, if you are willing in time lead you to fresher streams. But until then you need to behold the beauty of the desert. 

  I was surprised to learn from a Jewish Christian ministry that the same word in Hebrew for desert is nearly the same word for speak or voice. That means the desert speaks and it is in this place that if you're willing to keep pursuing God, you will learn to listen. Perhaps this is one of the reasons the Apostle Paul spent 14 years in the desert before the Lord released him for ministry.

Holiday

  Passover is coming on the 22nd of April this year. No, we do not celebrate easter, that’s one of many Catholic creations designed to pull the body away from our roots. Although our small gathering in Idaho is not Jewish or Messianic we find it’s something worth leaning into. It does add a serious perspective on the sacrifice of Jesus and what all His blood actually means to the body.

  As for what day we will be doing this is still a bit up in the air as we are a very fluid group. Trust me, the legalistic people would go nuts with us.

  So why do Passover? Because it’s fun, good food, and it’s like a deep refresher on the purpose of Jesus. If you're in the North Idaho area, and you're interested, contact me, and let’s talk.

So on Saturday the 20th. A post called, “A Case for Passover,” will be coming out for everyone. It’s not as short as my normal posts, it’s what I would consider a longer form. I am a little perplexed about some of my next choices for substack. Not content but direction. I am feeling the need to write long-form posts from time to time. Going deeper on a subject or two instead of a short overview.

If I do this I would most likely only do one a month, at least at this point as I know some people only want short form. But here is where the real problem comes in, if I put all the extra work and time in, should I put it behind a paywall? What are your thoughts?