Warrior Beads, Broken Fences & A New Point of View - A Look Back at 2008 (Part 1)

If you would have handed me the script for this last year before it started, I wouldn't have believed it. Yet, Psalm 139:16 gives us the assurance that, "all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

With that in mind, I offer you my "Year in Review - 2008"

The year started with a bang as I was asked to resign my position as Pastor of Worship at my former church. There have been a myriad of opinions and theories circulating around the west side of Indy as to why this happened. God told me early on that He was my Defender and those who know my heart would be able to discern what is true - and what isn't. He also told me that I'm only responsible for how I respond, not someone else's actions or words - regardless of whether those things reflect the truth of the situation.

What my family and I have come to know as truth about that event is that it was a rescue of sorts, a liberation. For most of my life, the statement that has haunted me like a splinter in my mind has been, "there's got to be more."

C.S. Lewis calls it a "holy discontent".

On January 4, God made it possible to pursue that "more". It started two days later as I boarded a plane with two of my brothers - Don Hinton from Wyoming and Brian Gatewood from here in Indy. This was my first trip to Africa - a place that I had asked God for since I was ten.

We spent the first week in the beautiful Cape Town area making new friends and building relationships. We also got to visit some killer wineries! There are many places on this earth that I would like to visit but a return trip to S. Africa would be tops on the list.

A memory that I'll never forget was getting to blow my new shofar over Cape Point - the southern-most tip of Africa and the place where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic meet. From that vantage point, you can literally proclaim God's majesty toward every continent in the world. A few years ago, I had a prophecy spoken over me that I had a voice for the nations. I felt like that act was announcing the beginning of the fulfilment of that prophecy.

Rob Bell has a Nooma video entitled "Shells" in which he says, "You can't say 'yes' to what God has for you until you've said 'no' to everything else." I believe that the blowing of that shofar on that day announced my "yes" to God...and my "no" to everything else.














The second week was spent in the bush of Kenya with the Maasai tribe. As God would have it, we flew into Nairobi just days after the political unrest started due to the "elections". With many other Christian organizations leaving the area in search of safety, I believe God had us there as prayer warriors for the situation. The media would have us believe that this is just another political disagreement. After being there, I know that the main cause of the unrest is spiritual.

Our base in Nairobi was only a couple of blocks from Uhuru park - the staging grounds for the demonstrations. It was a little unnerving to see truck loads of "police" and soldiers in full riot gear all around us. Still, I never had the sense that we were in any sort of danger. After all, we were there on assignment from The King.

The second day in Kenya was one of miracles. Mine and Don's luggage had not come in with us the night before so we decided to get up early the next morning to beat the traffic to Jomo Kenyatta Airport. Now, Jomo Kenyatta is not a marvel of modern technology. There was no reason to believe that our luggage would be there but our trip out to the bush depended on that happening. After much praying, and many details that I'll spare at this point, our luggage was there. We were in and out within 30 minutes.

We spent the next five days in Maasai country with our brother, Daniel Tuke visiting the churches that he had planted among the Maasai tribe - 7 in all. The love that these brothers and sisters have for God and for each other is amazing. It was nothing to hear of a brother walking almost twenty miles to come to a meeting. A meeting under a tree, no less.


This picture is of Olelai church near Nmanga, Kenya. People from all over the countryside gather here every Sunday - rain or shine - to worship. There are no modern roads. There are no lights, no sound systems, no "children's programs", none of the trappings that we in the western world would consider necessary to "have church." They simply had a love for God and each other.

These people are extremely poor by the world's standards but there was a hope and contentment in them that I've rarely witnessed anywhere else. They measure their wealth by beads and herds much like an ancient agricultural society. In two different villages, the people presented us with a long strand of ornate beads in the form of a sash. Because of the language barrier, I really didn't understand what they were doing until we were back at camp and I asked Daniel.

They had bestowed "warrior beads" upon us. This was one of the highest honors that could ever be given to someone outside of the tribe. We were now officially "white Maasai." There was no fear or suspicion as they invited us in, only a desire to hear what God had for them through us.

The idea of honoring one another has been all but lost in our western culture. Like crabs in a bucket, we all too often spend our time and energy pulling each other down instead of helping each other up. Instead of calling out and celebrating the gifts that God has given each believer, we try to find ways of getting our own gifts noticed.

Romans 12:15 tells us to, "Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn." Unfortunately, I've seen where those who DON'T profess to have a relationship with Christ sometimes do this better than those in the "church".

I believe this is caused by insecurities and a profound lack of understanding (or belief) of who we are in Christ. While we might be able to quote the verse above, it is often lived out in our life as, "mourn if another rejoices and rejoice when another mourns." After all, what quicker way is there to exalt ourselves than by bringing someone else down?

Its time to bring back a culture of celebrating what God is doing in each other. Instead of viewing one another's gifts with fear and suspicion because they are different from our own gifts, we need to call out and affirm how God has uniquely gifted each individual for the purpose of building His Kingdom.

The Body of Christ is designed in such a way that no one person can walk this path without the help of others in the Body. I NEED the gifts that others bring to the party...and so do you.

Next: Broken Fences...

3 Things Every Disciple Must Experience

In my last blog, I said that I would talk about 3 things every person must experience as a disciple of Jesus Christ. This is the teaching that I had prepared for last Saturday night.

From the gospels, we see that being a disciple of Christ is so much more than just knowing "correct" theology. Discipleship is a life-long learning expedition. It starts with a desire to be like Jesus...not just know about Him.

Dallas Willard says this in his book "The Divine Conspiracy":

"...the disciple, or apprentice of Jesus, as recognized in the New Testament, is one who has firmly decided to learn from him how to lead his or her life, whatever that may be, as Jesus himself would do it."

Its not just about giving Jesus the "church" or "religious" part of our lives. Its about making the decision to re-orient every part of our life around the character of Jesus. As this happens, we are living our everyday life in the same way that Jesus himself would live it if he were walking in our shoes.

Before this happens, though, we need to experience 3 things on a very personal level.

First, we need to EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE.

Read 1 John 4: 7-12

We must understand that God IS love – He doesn’t just have a bigger and more effective capacity to love than we do. His very essence is love. He is love personified. Therefore, God’s love is available for everyone…equally.

It might be hard for us to swallow that God loves everyone equally. Hitler and Mother Teresa. Billy Graham and Osama bin Laden. The vilest criminal and the most sanctified saint. Yet 2 Peter 3:9 tells us that God is patient and desires everyone to come to repentance. But, because we are creatures of free will, we have the option to reject that love. And many have.

Jerusalem rejected Jesus’ love when he walked among them. In Matthew 23:37, Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.”

You might say, ‘well, that was the Pharisees'. True, but I know many people, believers included, who never experience God’s love because they don’t believe they are worthy of it.

Their thought is, “if I could only get my act together, do more good things, know more Scripture, get rid of my bad habits, THEN God would be able to love me.” I’ve got a newsflash for you: God will never love you any more than He does at this very moment and He will never love you any less than He always has. He can’t help it – He IS love!

Once we understand this, God’s love is able to work THROUGH us to others. Many people spend their lives doing good things trying to earn God’s love. Their motive for service is to gain His favor. When we understand that we already have God’s love because of HIS grace, (Romans 5:2), our service to others comes out of a grateful heart. As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:14, Christ’s love compels us. We’re no longer trying to work to gain something, we can “live and move and have our being in Christ” (Acts 17:28)

We also need to EXPERIENCE GOD'S FORGIVENESS

Read Hebrews 9:11-14

Jesus Christ has already obtained all the forgiveness you will ever need. And we experience this forgiveness as we live by faith in Christ Jesus. (Romans 5:1) Does this mean we never sin again…we never mess up? Absolutely not. Paul understood this. In Romans 7 he laments about this battle that is constantly raging in him between the flesh and the spirit. But let’s read what he says in Romans 8:

Read Romans 8:1-5

This is another area where many people struggle. We’ve all done things that we regret…things contrary to God. Some of us have done terrible things. I’ve heard people say, “you don’t realize what I’ve done, God could never forgive me.” Wrong. All of the forgiveness any of else will ever need is found in Christ sacrifice on the cross. There is nothing that you’ve done that can’t be forgiven.

The only sin that Jesus said could never be forgiven is the rejection of the Holy Spirit (Mark 3:29). If we try to earn our own forgiveness by doing good deeds…cleaning ourselves up…what are we ultimately doing? Rejecting the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. We can’t do it on our own.

There’s another angle to experience forgiveness – offering it to others. The Christian life is about living a lifestyle of forgiveness. Let’s face it, in this world, we are going to be hurt, offended, mistreated, even abused. To hold unforgiveness in our hearts toward those who do wrong toward us is to disqualify us from receiving God’s forgiveness. (Matthew 6:14-15)

We may think this is harsh or somehow puts conditions on God’s love for us. But, this is one of those issues where we can’t have one foot in each world – God’s way or the world’s way. The world would have you hold unforgiveness toward those who hurt you. God would have you forgive them. Which will it be?

Many people won’t forgive because they think the perpetrator must pay. SOMEBODY’S got to pay. The truth of Scripture is that somebody has already paid – Jesus. 1 John 2:2 says, “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours BUT ALSO for the sins of the whole world.” Forgiving someone means that you let them off YOUR hook. It doesn’t mean that act didn’t matter – it did. God was there and God saw the injustice. But justice is HIS to dispense, not ours. To forgive opens us up to receive forgiveness from God

Unfortunately, the “gospel” has been reduced to just having my sins forgiven and just hanging around until that big church service in the sky. But that’s not how God sees it. He also wants you to…

3. EXPERIENCE GOD'S RESTORATION

Because we were born into a fallen world, none of us are fully living up to who God created us to be. But our sin is not the deepest part of us. Our sin should not define us. Our identity as disciples is to be found in who God says we are. And to understand that, you need to understand who the Bible says we are.

(See “Who I Am in Christ” in The River teachings download section)

Walking in this identity doesn’t happen automatically – even after we make the conscious decision to walk with Christ. This is an identity that we have to “put on” every day. There are plenty of other voices and influences that we allow into our lives that will send us messages that are completely opposite. We must MAKE THE CHOICE to believe we are who GOD says we are.

Here are some of the ways the Bible tells us to do that:

- offer your bodies as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1)
- be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2)
- be made new in the attitude of your minds (Ephesians 4:23)
- put on the new self (Ephesians 4:24)
- put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature (Colossians 3:5)

Our forgiveness was secured on the cross but the possibility of our restoration was secured when he walked out of the grave and eventually ascended into heaven.

Eternal life doesn’t start when you die. Eternal life starts the minute you put your trust in Jesus. The life abundant that Jesus talks about in John 10:10 is the life that He has for you now. Not someday when you die. But that life only happens when we choose to let go of our own ideas of life and experience his love, experience his forgiveness and experience his restoration.

Only then does a true experience of discipleship begin.

Some Thoughts on Discipleship

We've been discussing discipleship for the last several weeks in our community, The River. I have the privilege of intersecting with believers from all different parts of the world, from all different denominational backgrounds and one topic inevitably comes up in our conversations: the lack of discipleship in the church.

Dallas Willard writes the following in his book "The Divine Conspiracy":

"Nondiscipleship is the elephant in the church. It is not the much discussed moral failures, financial abuses, or the amazing general similarity between Christians and non-Christians, these are only effects of the underlying problem. The fundamental negative reality among Christian believers now is their failure to be constantly learning how to live their lives in The Kingdom Among Us. And it is an accepted reality. The division of professing Christians into those for whom it is a matter of whole-life devotion to God and those who maintain a consumer, or client, relationship to the church has now been an accepted reality for over fifteen hundred years.
And at present - in the distant outworkings of the Protestant Reformation, with its truly great and good message of salvation by faith alone - that long-accepted division has worked its way into the very heart of the gospel message. It is now understood to be a part of the "good news" that one does not have to be a life student of Jesus in order to be a Christian and receive forgiveness of sins. This gives a precise meaning to the phrase "cheap grace," though it would be better described as "costly faithlessness."

This raises the question: Can one be a believer in Jesus Christ without being his disciple? I suppose one can. After all, James 2:19 tells us that "even the demons believe - and shudder." But how much of God's abundant life through Jesus Christ are we missing out on if we simply believe with our heads without allowing him to disciple our hearts?

From my study of the gospels, the following is what God laid on my heart as a model of discipleship for our community:

Our Discipleship Model:

S ervice
E ducation
E xperience
K inetic Relationships

As you can see by the model above, I believe discipleship consists of more than just a series of classes one can take to learn about their particular church or demonination. I also believe discipleship to be more than just another program in a church complete with "fill-in-the-blank" workbooks to ensure one gets the "right" answers. That may be education but, without transformation, its just information.

Let's face it, most of us are educated beyond our obedience already.

When I look at the example of Jesus in the gospels, his model for discipleship is one that engaged the whole person. His was a model of apprenticeship where he not only taught his disciples, he lived life with them. He served them. He let them "get their hands dirty". He challenged their belief systems and biases. He loved them. He called them friends. The essence of real discipleship is a deep and honest relationship between the one being discipled and the mentor.

I believe we've seen a decline in true discipleship simply because relationships are hard - they cost something. Fill-in-the-blank workbooks for one hour a week are so much easier than answering the phone in the middle of the night to help a friend.

Real relationships require commitment.

Workbooks don't require anything but the time it takes to fill them out.

Real relationships require risk (synonym for faith).

Program-based discipleship just requires you to show up.


I think you get the idea.

Before anyone can offer discipleship to another, though, I believe there are three things that each of us must experience personally before we become restorative agents in this world.

More on that in my next installment...

Cure for Crises: The Hope Within

I had a conversation today with a friend about the current economic crisis that our country is enduring and the upcoming election. Throughout this seemingly difficult (and in many ways, historic) time, God has continued to remind me of two basic truths. First, we have to live out of and exemplify the hope that is within us. At times like these, it is easy to decry the man-made institutions that we all know are severely flawed. In many respects, it is true that our economic and political systems do not reflect God's heart and intention for humankind. Hopefully none of us are blind to the reality that these world systems thrive upon the principles of wealth equating to power and "might making right." (As one of my favorite teachers, Richard Rohr puts it, our world systems look like pyramids, in which all relationships are eventually defined in terms of superiority (the "elite" at the top of the pyramid) and inferiority (the faceless masses at the bottom of the pyramid), whereas Jesus' system looks like a circle, within which honest human relationships of equality exist, as exemplified in the Trinity.) As much as we are tempted to openly criticize these world systems at every opportunity, God does not call us as believers to subscribe to and perpetuate the "doom and gloom" rhetoric that often defines cycles of economic and political upheaval like our nation is currently facing. Rather than advancing a cynical viewpoint, God calls us to bring His kingdom reign to bear upon our current world systems. This involves seeking real (tangible and intangible) change by imprinting Christ's message of redemption, reconciliation, peace, mercy, justice, love and grace upon every interaction we have with others during these difficult times and filtering our own decisions, both economically and politically, through this lens. Carrying the reign of God into our world does mean choosing to reject the world system of never being satisfied with what we have (e.g., overextending ourselves financially) and defining relationships in terms of what we can get from them (i.e., whom we can exert power and influence over and/or striving to falsely flatter those who possess power over us for our own personal gain). Conversely, I believe we must not "bury our heads in the sand" so as to avoid any semblance of allegiance with our current economic and political systems. I believe God calls us to educate ourselves about these world systems so that we can more effectively bring God's reign to bear upon them. That includes exercising our right to vote our conscience and taking reasonable measures to protect our family's finances in the long-term, i.e., being good stewards with what God has graciously given to us (as opposed to building up our own "storehouses" out of anxiety or distrust of God).

Second, the end result of our struggling should be to further glorify God. Therefore, how we react to "Wall Street's effect on Main Street" in our everyday lives, and the financial struggles it may produce for us in the short-term (or long-term), should ultimately bring glory to our Father. This includes speaking a word of peace, hope, and encouragement into others' lives in the midst of chaotic situations. It also means continuing to be faithful in helping our "neighbor," even when we are unsure of our finances. As the speaker at Mars Hill, Leroy Barber, taught us this weekend, putting others ahead of ourselves means "walking while your neighbor drives your car" (when your neighbor's car breaks down or he can't afford the gas).

Finally, I was led to Psalm 67 this week. Verses 5 through 7 say (in the NKJV), "Let the peoples praise You, O God; Let all the peoples praise You. Then the earth shall yield her increase; God, our own God, shall bless us. God shall bless us, And all the ends of the earth shall fear Him." I have read an interpretation of these verses which states that the phrase "yield her increase" reflects the coming of God's kingdom as marked by a vast increase in production. But it also speaks to me that in our present life of "Kingdom-dwelling," our praise to God, despite hard times, calls forth the abundance of Creation that God desires to impart to us. Not just in a physical sense, but also the many spiritual blessings and abundance that God longs to give us in relationship with Him. Then God will be glorified in our nation, and our friends, colleagues, and neighbors will long to have the "peace that passes all understanding" that they see in our lives.

Change

I woke up this morning thinking about change. Maybe because its autumn now and as I look out my window, I see the yellows creeping into my neighbor's maple tree...or maybe because this past year has been one of the greatest seasons of change in my own life to date! Whatever the case, one thing is certain - change is inevitable.

If change is inevitable, why do we sometimes have such an aversion to it? Why does it seem most of us are predisposed to resisting change instead of embracing it? Granted, I understand that not all change is positive, but God can use all change for our good (see Romans 8:28). Even change brought on as the result of our fallen nature - broken relationships, poor choices, and the like. To resist ALL change is to resist the growth and transformation that God intends for us as His children.

I believe that our ability to cope with change is inextricably linked to our faith in God. Do I believe that God is FOR me? Do I believe that God has my best interest in mind even when going through difficult periods of change?

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we...are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."

We cannot expect to be "transformed into his likeness" without undergoing a measure of change. So the question becomes, do we trust God enough to let Him change us? Are we willing to let go of people or situations in our lives that have caused us pain and enter into the freedom that He has for us on the other side?

Ephesians 4:22-24, Colossians 3:9-10, and Romans 12:2 are just three instances in Scripture where God exhorts us to leave the old behind and put on the new nature. This is change! And it does not come automatically! WE are told to "put on the new self". WE are told to "transform our minds". It is our responsibility as a Christ-follower to trust God with our lives and embrace the God-driven change He has for us in Christ Jesus.

But the choice is ours. He will not force change upon us. Nor will He grant the growth that comes from change unless we choose to embrace it. Oh, change WILL come. The only question to be answered is, "How will we be moved by it?"

God-driven change will always move us forward, toward God. Self-driven change (or the resistance of God-driven change) will always keep us exactly where we are or, worse yet, move us farther away from God.

The most common example of this that I see as a pastor and counselor is the issue of unforgiveness. God's heart is for us to walk in forgiveness. Forgiveness is the cornerstone of the Good News of Jesus Christ! Forgiveness is why He came! For me to resist the positive change that comes from forgiveness is a greater statement about my faith and trust in God than it is about the person or situation by which I was offended. I'm basically telling God that I'm the lord (small "l" intended) of my life and I would rather stay where I am, thank you very much! To walk in unforgiveness means that I would rather have the illusion of being in control of my life than embrace the growth that comes with change.

The problem is, I don't just stay where I am. Unforgiveness WILL turn into bitterness. And bitterness allows Satan a base of operations in my heart out of which to steal, kill and destroy me and those around me. (see Ephesians 4:17-32; John 10:10)

Can having Satan loosed in my life through unforgiveness possibly outweigh the freedom that comes from change?!? I don't think so.

The life of a disciple is a life of change. And our attitude toward change is about trust. Change requires an element of risk...which is just another word for faith. The servant in Jesus' parable of the talents was not cast into outer darkness because he did anything illegal or immoral. He simply did not trust his Master's heart.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

God's heart is good toward you! So, how are you handling change these days?

Pastor Marc

A September to Remember

What holds your attention these days? Is it the pending fall with the cool weather that has already reached us in the Rockies? Is it school, college, studies? Perhaps your family life or career field has you focused deeply at home or work - whether situations are joyful or difficult.

No matter what you're paying attention to today I would like to ask you a question that I am asking myself...

Will what holds my attention today be something that I will always remember? Does "it" have the level of impact in my life that will cause me to always look back and say, "I really remember that! Let's see, it must have been in September 2008!"?

God's people have always had a call on their lives to be people of renown, people by whom the markers of the history of civilization are set. Are you giving God the time, space and freedom to set markers in your life right now? Are you stepping out and risking in the Holy Spirit (a synonym for "Faith"!) so that He can use you to set markers in the world? Can Christ use you to set markers in people's lives where they can know He intersected them through your life?

All across the Promised Land one can find memorial markers, geographic names, and dedicated places - all to serve as reminders of God's great and good interaction with His people.

Take time, make yourself available, seek after God and He will make Himself known to you. Give the Holy Spirit the rights to cross into your promised land. Plunge into your love affair with Jesus - and make this a September to remember!


Be Blessed!
Pastor Don

Another Flashbulb Moment From God

I am so energized by this flashbulb moment from God. It's as though I have looked at the picture many times before but just this moment saw what He wanted me to see in the picture of intercession. He first took me to Job 36:32 (nas) He covers His hands with lightning and commands it to "strike the mark". Strike the mark translated from our Hebrew word "paga" for intercession means when lightning flashes from God's presence, its striking the desired target is comparable to what happens in intercession. Hab. 3:4 also refers to this. He then took me to Rev. 5:8 & Rev. 8:1-5. You just have to read these scriptures and you too will be energized when you see what your prayers do. Our prayers release Thunder, Lightning & Earthquakes! I will never pray the same again. "Great" is the greek word from which we get the English word "mega". Intercesson releases Mega Power. Wow! No wonder the enemy hates it when we pray and does everything he can to distract or stop us. He hates heavenly storms. Wow! I want to be God's weatherman thru prayer and be part of satan having to run for cover!

What God taught me through genealogy

When I was at my Mom's house a few weeks ago, I found an old family Bible that belonged to my Grandma Clarke. I always knew the Bible was there...it sits in a nightstand bookshelf right beside the bed I sleep in when I spend the night...I just never took the time to look at it. I now know it was God who prompted me to thumb through it on this particular night.

The family records in this Bible chronicle the Milligan side of the family from which my grandma is descended. There wasn't a lot of information other than the birthdate, marriage date and date of death of my great-grandpa Milligan AND the fact that he was Irish (which delighted my heart to no end!)

This discovery sent me on a quest. I wanted to know more about this side of the family that I'd previously never looked into. There is a small genealogical library in none other than my wife's home town of Center Point that I visited on the next day. To my surprise, someone had done a family tree of the Milligan family all the way back to James Milligan who was born in 1799 in York Co. Pennsylvania! After more investigation, I learned that this man was buried in the cemetery only two blocks from where Sherri grew up having immigrated from Pennsylvania in the early 1800's!

At this point, I have to admit that the goal of my genealogical research has always been to find SOMEONE of fame in my family line - whether it be a Clarke, Bingham, Milligan, etc. I remember back in fourth grade Indiana history, I wanted so badly to be a descendant of George Rogers Clark of Revolutionary War fame or William Clark of the "Lewis and Clark expidition" (my family name didn't contain an "e" until my grandfather was mustered out of the army after WWI) but, alas, it was not to be.

I think anyone who studies their family history has the same goal in mind - we want to know that we have greatness in our blood. That someone in our lineage has dared greatly and overcome incredible odds. We want to believe that there are heroes in our family tree. I know this was my motivation.

Do you know what I found instead? Farmers. It didn't matter which family I was tracking, I am descended from up to 7 generations of farmers on every side.

At first, I was disappointed by this. But then I remembered my ordination day on November 10 of last year. As I was getting ready that day, I remember asking God what I should wear. Now, you have to understand, what I wear is usually not something I concerned MYSELF with, let alone ask God! He told me to wear a denim, button-up shirt that a friend had given me with the Latin phrase "Esse Quam Videri" (translation: "To be rather than to appear") embroidered on the front-left. I remember looking in the mirror and jokingly saying to myself, "I look like a stinkin' farmer!" To which God replied, "That's right...and that's a good thing."

Through that exchange and my recent expidition into my family line, I now realize that God knew that I would need a farmer's constitution and mindset in going where He's calling me to go with Him.

Farmer's have a love for things that grow. I have a love and a DEEP desire to see people grow into who He has created them to be.

Farmer's plant seeds. I have a burning desire to plant seeds of faith through teaching the Word, watering that seed, and to see it come to fruition in people's lives.

Farmer's give of themselves to tend their herds and flocks. I long to foster authentic relationships that lead people to healing.

Farmer's don't give up in the face of adversity. Ephesians 6:13 doesn't say, "IF the day of evil comes", it says "WHEN the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground."

The farmer's in my family line were also pioneers. They crossed into this territory when it was still unexplored and inhabited by hostiles. They weren't content with the "status quo" of a safe life back east. They were pushing the boundaries of what was known at that time. Hmmm, sounds like where we find ourselves with The River at this point!

Instead of finding kings and war heroes in my family line, I've found shepherds and farmers. And I'm finding that God knew EXACTLY what He was doing when he planted my family tree.

Where did evil come from?

Last Saturday night, we got into one of those GREAT discussions over a question that has vexed mankind since the beginning of time - Where did evil come from? Now, if all the great theologians over the course of recorded history can't answer this question, I don't expect that any of us came out with any cut-and-dried answers, either! However, I personally left that night with a little more clarity. You might say that my iron was sharpened by the iron of other's thoughts and the truth of Scripture. The following are some thoughts from my journal that I came away with on the subject:

As the Holy Spirit was moving in our discussion last night, it occurred to me that God didn't create evil but he did create free will. There isn't, nor was there ever, any such thing as "good vs. evil" in the realm of heaven, only free will - the will of the Creator vs. the will of the created. He didn't create robots without choice - even in the case of the angels. Angels are described in Scripture as God's servants, not slaves. (One of the best books I've ever seen on the topic of angels is "Angels: Elect and Evil" by C. Fred Dickason, Moody Press) In order to have true love, you have to have true choice. That choice is not between good and evil. Rather, that choice is between God's will or MY will. God's will leads to goodness and life. My will leads to evil and death. No wonder Scripture describes pride as one of the things God hates! (Prov 6:17; 8:13; 16:18)



Looking at Ezekiel 28 tells us that Lucifer made the choice to follow his own will. Pride was found IN HIS HEART - it wasn't the outside influence of evil somewhere in God's realm - it was the result of a created being following his own, corrupted desires which is ALWAYS a possibility in the arena of free will.



Is there evil in the world? Absolutely. Did God create it? Only in the sense that he created free will. When we choose our will over God's, evil is sure to follow because it is the natural result of following our own corrupted wills.



I once heard someone say that you can't measure 'cold' - there is not scientific way. Cold is simply the absence of heat (which you CAN measure). Similarly, you cannot measure 'dark' - it is simply the absence of light. Evil is the same way. It is not some created concept that can be measured, it is simply the absence of God.



I was reading Isaiah 58 today and all of this made so much sense in the context of Israel's rebellion. Its not that they chose evil over God as much as they chose THEIR OWN WAY over God's way WHICH LED TO EVIL. Isaiah 53:6 says, "All we like sheep have gone astray, EACH OF US HAS TURNED TO HIS OWN WAY..." You can pick any example in Scripture where someone or some group of people is at odds with God. Careful enough study will reveal that following their own will (as opposed to following God's will) will be at the root of the evil that ensues.


I think this is a great lesson for us to remember as we go about our daily lives. Just because we call ourselves followers of Christ doesn't mean we automatically follow his will. None of us lives this out perfectly but its certainly something to consider as we make even the most menial of decisions. Regardless of the thought, decision, or action, the first question we should ask is, "Am I following God's will in this or my own?"



God's will protects us leading us to life and freedom, my will leads me down a path to evil, ultimately resulting in spiritual (if not physical) death and bondage.

God's garden

Today God has given me such an incredible video that I wish I could put colors and music to. I found myself walking into this beautiful immense garden. It was so lush and beautiful that it took my breath away. I knew immediately that it was God's garden for each and every one of us. As I walked along, I saw each section was individually beautiful but yet flowed into the grand scheme of His garden. There were also names on each section: joy, peace, confidence, strength etc. I rushed around gathering as many as I could hold until my arms were just overflowing. Then the Lord said to me "slow down child, you need to discover and enjoy each one. If you try to absorb them all at once, you will miss the beauty and importance of each one." He then began to point out ones He wanted me to see personally, just for me. I began to understand that in my intense longing to draw closer to Him and truly know His heart, I was trying to gather too many flowers at once. He didn't expect me to know the names of all the flowers at once but to just enjoy browsing in His garden of blessings and really learn what each one is. As I left, I was surprised and saddened that the number of people taking their paths into the garden were so few. I hope this blesses you all as it did me!

Thoughts on Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61 has long been one of my favorite passages in all of Scripture. There is so much promise, so much hope in this passage.

This is also the passage that Jesus chooses to quote in Luke 4 as he announces his public ministry here on earth. There's something sacred in that, out of the whole of written Scripture, it was this passage that Jesus felt best captured His mission. As we all seek deeper ways to follow Christ, a commitment to live out this verse is a great place to start.

As I was reading this passage again last week, however, I had one of those "a-ha!" moments. I was reading along through verses 1 - 3 and absorbing all of the directives and mandates given prophetically to Christ (and subsequently to us as His followers) and realized that, just because He was sent to DO all of these things doesn't mean these things were always RECEIVED.

Just because He was sent to "preach good news to the poor" didn't mean the poor had ears to hear the Good News.

Just because He was sent to "bind up the brokenhearted" didn't mean the brokenhearted always trusted Him with their hearts.

Just because He was sent to "proclaim freedom for the captives" doesn't mean the captives walked out of their prisons.

You get the idea...

HOWEVER, for all those who WOULD receive these things, he promises a "crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garmet of praise instead of a spirit of despair."

And here was my "a-ha" moment: It is those who will RECEIVE this ministry of Jesus who will be called "oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor." Not everyone who "prays the prayer" gets to be an oak! Only those who receive the FULL work of Christ.

You see, Christ didn't just come for our forgiveness, He came for our restoration! Forgiveness is just the doorway. In fact, "forgiveness" isn't even mentioned in this passage. It is assumed as a sort of "first step".

Then, for all who receive this full work, this is what we get to be a part of:

We get to "rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated" and "renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations." We will be called "priests of the Lord" and "be named ministers of our God." There is no way we can rebuild the foundations of ancient ruins if we refuse to examine our own foundations or not allow Christ to restore the devastation of generations past.

(There is a whole other line of teaching concerning this rebuilding, restoring, and renewing that I could follow in regards to what God seems to be doing in the Church these days that I will save for a later time)

I can say with certainty that I don't want to be a part of anything less than God's restorative mission in this world. "Status quo Christianity" that allows me to stay in my brokenness and captivity while "appearing" to have it all together holds no interest for me whatsoever. There is simply no restorative power in that "gospel".

The act of receiving all that Christ has for us is not always comfortable - it is often painful and is always disruptive to the things that have seemed to make life "work" for us. Exposing the ways we have literally been "godless" in the way we approach our life is often the way He gets us to see our own neediness. I've learned through the years that its much better to submit to this process than have this process thrust upon me out of God's love for me...He loves me too much to leave me as I am.

The blessing and the invitation to join God in His larger story of rebuilding and restoration far outweighs the healing pain of walking through our past and all the brokenness therein. But it is ultimately each individual's choice.

Just because Christ was sent to bring us healing, freedom and Good News doesn't mean we always receive it.

But the adventure waiting for those who do is beyond description!

Awakening to the Times

A new experience today! I've never posted to a blog before... so maybe this is the 'easy way out' but I read this message from Francis Frangipane today and felt that some way it may apply to so many of us today.

I know I found myself to be the topic of several paragraphs.
Praying this finds you all WIDE AWAKE and excited!
Trusting,
Don

Francis Frangipane: "For Dreams to Come True - You Must Wake Up!"
by Francis Frangipane
Jun 20, 2008

Spiritual Drowsiness

Just because we walk and talk does not mean we are truly awake. Zechariah was not sleeping when an angel roused him "as a man who is awakened from his sleep" (Zechariah 4:1).

Perhaps we too need to be shaken from our slumber to possess the promises of God! Amazingly, in spite of all the signs, wonders, and warnings announcing that we are truly in the last days, Jesus also said there is a mysterious drowsiness that we have to overcome. Indeed, immediately after highlighting the various evidences of the end (see Matthew 24), He compares the Church to virgins who "all got drowsy and began to sleep" (Matthew 25:5).

Virgins sleeping at the end of the age: this seems incomprehensible with all the signs in the Heavens and wonders upon the earth, not to mention the increasing presence of Christ. Yet this phenomenon is something we each battle: the tendency to become spiritually drowsy and lose our focus as we wait for the Lord's return.

There is a subtle activity of the enemy that dulls our perception and seduces our zeal. Our vision takes a backseat to other less important aspects of life. From the beginning, the voice of satan has had this lulling effect on mankind. Eve's excuse for disobedience was, "The serpent hath caused me to forget" (Genesis 3:13 Young's Literal Translation).

This sense of spiritual forgetfulness, of drowsiness, is the cloud of blindness that we each must discern and overcome. It was in regard to this that the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart through the following dream.

"If You Want Your Dream to Come True, You Have to Wake Up"

There was a temple standing in an open field. My view of the temple was from its side, about 200 yards away. I could not see its front, yet it must have been completely open because great light flashed out from the inside; it pulsed like lightning, yet was solid like sunlight. The block of light issued straight out, and I knew this light was the glory of God.

The temple was so close that I knew that with a little effort I could enter the glory of God. His holy presence was clearly within my reach. There were also others directly in front of me that I recognized as people from church. Everyone seemed very busy. And while the temple and its light were visible and readily accessible to all, every head was bent downward and turned away from the light; each was occupied with other things.

I heard one person say, "I have to do laundry." Another said, "I have to go to work." I could see people reading newspapers, watching televisions, and eating. I was sure everyone could see the light if they wanted to - even more sure that we all knew His glory was near.

There were even a few people reading the Bible and praying, but everyone maintained the downward thrust of their gaze; each had a mental barrier of some kind between themselves and the place of God's presence. No one, in fact, seemed capable of standing up, turning, and steadfastly walking into the very near glory of God.

As I watched, suddenly my wife lifted her head and beheld the temple in the field. She stood and walked without pausing toward the open front. As she drew closer to the light, a garment of glory formed and thickened around her; the closer she went, the more dense the light surrounding her became until she stepped in front of the temple and turned completely toward the blazing face of God.

Oh! How jealous I felt. My wife had entered the glory of God before me! At the same time I realized that there was nothing stopping me from approaching God's presence - nothing except the pile of things to do and responsibilities that, in truth, ruled my life more than the voice of God.

Pushing the weight of these pressures from me, I determined to rise and enter the temple myself. But, to my great regret, in my dream as I rose up, I suddenly woke up!

The longing and disappointment within me seemed unbearable. I had been so close to entering God's presence. How I wanted to enter the temple and be swallowed up in His glory!

I cried, "Lord, why did You let me wake up?"

Instantly, the word of the Lord responded to my cry. He said, "I will not have My servant's life fulfilled by a dream. If you want your dream to come true, you have to wake up."

Breaking Passivity - Setting Priorities

Beloved, today, God is awakening us to the reality of His presence. The promises the Lord gives us in the Scriptures must become more to us than dream-like realities only reserved for the hereafter. Moses frequented the glory of God! Israel's seventy elders ate and drank in God's resplendent glory (see Exodus 24:9-11). Jesus unveiled God's glory on the Mount of Transfiguration! Paul says that we all can behold the glory of God and be transformed by it (see 2 Corinthians 3:18).

For this reason, the Scripture says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you" (Ephesians 5:14). If we truly want Christ to "shine" upon us, we must arise from the distractions that entomb us in lethargy and spiritual darkness.

Right at this moment, the presence of the living God is near enough to hear the whisper of your heart. But if we want our dream of standing in the presence of God to come true, we must wake up.

Francis Frangipane

Redefining "Outreach"

I love how our community is redefining "outreach". Growing up in the institution of the church - and more recently, in the "church growth" era of the institution - outreach has always been defined as a program or event designed to bring people to US and not really much about us going OUT into our community.

While I'm sure these events and programs are well-intentioned, one need only look at the fruit to judge the effectiveness of this approach. Numbers of people in worship are in a steady decline and the church has never been more anaemic in its influence of our culture. Its almost as if the church has settled for doing its own thing and if people outside our circle show up, GREAT! If not, at least WE were entertained!

As skeptical as I can be with the way things have been in the past, I am optimistic that things are changing. In fact, I've never been more confident that things are changing! A member of our community asked me last night if her and her husband could oversee the outreach focus of The River. Now, she wasn't talking about organizing carnivals or scheduling some major recording artist for a concert (although there is nothing inherently wrong with these things).

No, she was thinking about things that would, in the truest sense of the word, reach out to those in our neighborhood, in our state, in our nation and in our world without expecting anything in return. I believe this is the only way that we'll ever earn the right to speak the truth of the gospel into the lives of those who don't yet have a relationship with Jesus. I'm sure you've heard the old adage - "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I really believe that. The question then becomes, do we care enough about others to step out of our comfort zones (and into their world) and serve them?

We're past the age that people will be argued into the Kingdom by propositional truth alone. Its only when people experience the unconditional love and acceptance of Jesus through His followers that they will be drawn in to relationship and walls will be broken down. This paradigm of outreach actually reaches out...not just expects others to come to us.

God's Version of "Identity Theft"

I've been in an interesting place lately. So much of my "worth" through the years has been determined (at least in my own mind) by what I "do". I've been caught in that heart-killing lie, "You're only as worthy as your last performance". Guys understand this really well. When you're with a group of guys, the initial conversation usually goes something like this: "What's your name?" and "What do you DO?" We seem to be identified more by what we DO than who we ARE.

I've come to realize in the last 5 months that so much of my past identity had been wrapped up in my title, my position, where I go to work every day...you get the picture. Since God has moved me to this marvelous new place in my life, I don't have an office to go to or a title to put on the door. When someone asks me now what I do, I find I have a hard time putting words to it. God, in His loving kindness, is teaching me humility. He's stolen my old identity. And that's a GOOD thing!

In its place, He's giving me a NEW identity based in Him...alone

I've learned that, when God steals your identity, He gives you the opportunity to learn some great lessons that we need to learn if we are to live the abundant life. This new identity requires you to rely on the love and support of others more than on yourself. It also requires that you become transparent and vulnerable about your needs and hurts so that healing can come through community.

This new identity is very much a communal identity. We were created to be in community...there are no "Lone Rangers" in the Kingdom. I've learned that God has designed His Body in such a way that I need what everyone else brings to the party...I haven't been designed to do it all myself. And that's a very liberating discovery! I've learned that my job in the Kingdom is not about putting my own gifts on display (as in the performance-based mindset) in order to gain position. My job is to draw out the gifts of others. That is NOT to say that I WITHHOLD my gifts from the Kingdom...I just don't use them to exalt myself anymore. The job of "exaltation" belongs to God as we accept our identity in Him (see Matthew 23:11-12).

I'm learning to trust God...with me.

Welcome to Life in the River!

Welcome to Life in the River! This blog has been created to share thoughts and teachings about this Life we're discovering day by day.

Communication is so vital to living this life we've been given - communication between us and God, communication between us and those close to us, communication between us and people we come in contact with, etc.

The life that we live nowadays can be very isolating. We were created, however, to live in COMMUNITY. Hopefully, this blog will be a tool to combat the "alone-ness" we often feel in the midst of our day to day routines.

I will be posting thoughts and teachings from time to time. I want to encourage you to respond and share your own thoughts. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." It is my hope that this forum will be a means to sharpening each other toward spiritual growth and deeper community.

Let the "blogging" begin!

Marc