The Great Stumbling Block

November 3rd, 2012

There it stands, so rugged and sure
The object of many lived through the ages
The ancient, mysterious cure
Against the battle of sin that rages

Could it be this lonely tree
Has plenty of power to set men free
Could it be this stark, rising pole
Could be that which makes sinner’s whole

Oh, the Cross, the Cross, the glorious Cross
For ages mankind has marveled at your meaning
For the plight of man is always lost
And needing someone to pay the cost

Why would not all run to your bloodstained base
Why would anyone turn away their face
The answer is hard yet true
That the stumbling block is really You

The tree where you sacrificed your Son
Must be preached as the only one
The day you gave it all for me
On a hill crowned with an old rugged tree

Turn not your gaze O sinner from thee
The place of all redemption is Calvary
But many will turn away and disdain
The stumbling block that could end their pain

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Powder Puff Christianity

October 27th, 2012

Have you ever thought that the walk we were called to by Jesus Christ was more than 3 Sundays a month for an hour? Have you ever longed for something that truly transfigures your life into a place of radical devotion and unconditional sacrifice? Could there possibly be more than the world of the mega church where the Gospel is watered down with so much creativity (media, props, hype) that the raw power meant to save the soul has been turned into fodder to entertain? As one recent author astutely asked, “Is this more about Holy Spirit or Hype?”
There is a growing urgency in my spirit to warn the Body of Christ of a trend that the enemy would delight in seeing more of that would cause the church to pursue being so relevant that it ceases to have any true relevance at all. When our dress attire and coffee bars have become so sheik but we no longer have demons coming out with a shriek we should be forewarned. Nothing wrong with updating a look or appealing to certain groups but can we please get back to the Jesus style of ministry where things are not so candy coated? One thing about Jesus ministry that you could say that is missing in most churches today is the confrontational nature of Christ against sin and darkness and the heralding of repentance and righteousness before God.
One such church that I heard of recently was actually allowing congregants to bring in alcoholic drinks to the sanctuary during “service.” You may think this to be some small, irrelevant church led by some weird nobody but in reality it is the largest “church” in the entire region of a massive American city! We also see a trend of young pastors and leaders being so worldly that you cannot see any difference between them and the sinners they have deluded themselves into thinking they are reaching. God forbid! When did we cease to be called into a lifestyle of being “salt and light” and start exemplifying a life more sugar coated and shadows?
The time is now for leaders to seek God more than plan their next amazing series. It is time for prayer that greatly overshadows preaching with the supernatural moving of God’s Spirit. The time is now for true conviction in the house of God and abroad by the message of repentance and a lifestyle of complete holiness. Unfortunately, with the fall of so many ministers, we have made anyone that doesn’t get caught in gross sin a hero when the standard of the Bible goes way beyond simple integrity to launching out from that sound platform into great exploits of faith (Heb. 11).
Now is a time for leaders\believers to start examining their walk with the Lord and see if they are bringing forth “fruit that remains.” This goes far beyond a monthly volunteer duty into the place of real compassion for the lost and a trail of lives that have been saved and delivered through your overflowing devotion for Jesus. When are we going to find a message that doesn’t center on us but actually prunes our life for greater service in His Kingdom (Jn. 15:1)? The apathy and superficiality of our present reality has lulled us into a complete slumber in regards to ever seeing the supernatural hand of God at work. When is the last time your church had a divine healing or a word of prophecy? When is the last time you wept in the presence of Almighty God in brokenness before Him? When is the last time you remember tarrying in prayer for just one hour before the Lord? Sadly, these types of questions are not being asked and even more tragic would be the honest answers.
Today my challenge is to all who are hungry and thirsty to press in for righteousness. Press in for the radical love and devotion that has been the hallmark of our faith for 2k years. Press in for the miracles and outpourings of the New Testament to once again light our services with revival fire. Refuse to be caught up in a consumer, user-friendly gospel that is void of all power and focused on church growth alone. It is time for the leaders of today to quit bowing their knee to the idolatry and notoriety of bigness and start looking for a cloud the size of a man’s hand because if you haven’t noticed lately we are in a major spiritual drought in this land. Instead of being caught up in every nuance of the political scene we need to get on our knees and find the heartbeat of our Master.
Rom. 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
1Kings 18:43-44a Then he said to his servant, “Go and look out toward the sea.” The servant went and looked, then returned to Elijah and said, “I didn’t see anything.” Seven times Elijah told him to go and look. Finally the seventh time, his servant told him, “I saw a little cloud about the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea.”

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10 Ways to NEVER see Revival

October 9th, 2012

As I wrote earlier in my post “Spirit of Revival” the Lord has been stirring my heart for Awakening and revival beginning in my life and moving to the heart of our nation. Why don’t we see revival? Is it something on God’s to do list for a set time or something we press into by the leading of the Holy Spirit? I can assure you my friend that we are not waiting on God to do anything! Here are some thoughts on why we are not seeing the fires of revival heating up and some clear reasons that most are headed in the opposite direction.

1. Never Hold consistent Corporate Prayer- Acts 3:1; 4:24-31 Daily prayer with great participation and fervency must be the catalyst for what God wants to do. He never does anything without prayer going first.
2. Never Allow the move of the Holy Spirit- Acts 19:1-7 In a day where we have relegated the Holy Spirit to rare retreats and back rooms no one can seem to find, we must allow the Spirit of Jesus to be loosed from His proverbial birdcage and release Him to be in charge once again. And yes, this may actually mean people speaking in tongues and the gifts of the Spirit in operation!
3. Never preach against sin- Acts 2:38; 3:19 We have created a mentality that to be “life-giving” means to stay away from anything negative like conviction or sin. The term repentance has been lost in its true meaning and people can now check a box on a bulletin to be saved instead of weeping and wailing for their sins at the altar.
4. Don’t press in for more- Acts 13:2-3 The early apostles and elders were never satisfied with the status quo. They were constantly pressing in for more of God in every arena. We must pick up the fervency to be led into deeper waters. We must hunger and thirst for more of the presence of our heavenly Bridegroom. Song of Sol. 1:2-3
5. Keep your ministry focused on one group- Acts 11:15-17; Luke 4:18 It is a trap of the enemy to relegate our efforts to a certain group of economic status or racial profile. Every major move of God since the day of Pentecost was marked by people of all walks coming together around what God is doing. Jesus declared that He came to “preach the Gospel to the poor” and yet many have now been called to the rich???
6. Make sure everyone is comfortable- Lk. 4:28-29; Acts 8:22-23 Never saying anything that might offend or cause someone to leave is the trend of today. Yet Jesus and the apostles never shied away from confronting sin publicly and ruthlessly.
7. Focus more on administration than anointing- Acts 6:2 The anointing is preeminent over all pursuits of excellence. Excellence without the anointing is like having a bath with no soap, it is a completely worthless exercise! Get the power of the anointing back into the church and see devils cast out and sick people set free!
8. Keep worship to a minimum… and service for that matter- Acts 20:7-11; 16:25 It is ridiculous to think that by shortening the services more and more that we are going to somehow get more of God. Something in this equation has to give. We’ve gotten rid of all other weekly services and then greatly shortened the one weekly service we have. Sure doesn’t send a signal to the people of God that being in His presence is valuable. Selah
9. Never mention hell or holiness- Heb. 12:28-29 Jesus mentioned hell 4x more than heaven and yet we rarely mention either. A lifestyle of holiness birthed in the fear of God will ensure that we “see the Lord.” Oh, how I pray that the Lord would once again breathe life into men and women of God like Jonathan Edwards to preach messages like “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” and start a fresh Awakening in our nation. Without preaching judgment and repentance there will be no Awakening!
10. Never preach Jesus and Him Crucified- 1 Cor. 2:1-5 Let us come back to the central theme and pillar of all the Gospel found only at the Cross of Calvary. We must honestly be able to say that this subject and revelation is the central message of our ministry. Wow! We have a ways to go!
My heart today is to stir up the hungry for more of our precious Jesus and to prick the heart of those who have become callous to His wooing call. Revival is the only thing that will save our nation from the accelerated slide of wickedness that has befallen us so rapidly. Pray with me today for revival to come and “turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the minds of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just!” (Lk. 1:17)

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Spirit of Revival

October 3rd, 2012

Recently the Lord has been moving on my heart with a deep cry for a sovereign move of His Spirit. This type of move would be labeled a revival by many in terms of what we have seen in the past. This move of God would go far beyond the Sunday morning experience and launch into a deep place of seeking and finding Christ. There must be more! This cry of my heart is resonating day and night for the last month or so. Last night I had a visitation of God’s Spirit in which the cry for revival became overwhelmingly tangible. The Spirit of God began to speak to me about the “undercurrent” of revival that separates a sovereign outpouring from business as usual in the church (don’t get me wrong we need business as usual). To better articulate what the Lord showed me and how my heart is longing for this new move, I’ve written a poem to better express things. Allow these words to resonate in your heart as they did mine and hopefully draw you into the waters of hunger for MORE of GOD!!!

The intangible is obvious
The fruit instantaneous
The world is oblivious
While sinner repents of sin and lascivious

Many would come to repent
Others to scorn and lament
The coming of the One who was sent
To inhabit every soul as an earthly tent

Long nights and short days
Hours and hours the band plays
No one can really know the ways
But prostate at altar the sinner lays

The undercurrent is indescribable
The atmosphere undeniable
The feeling each day is so reliable
For the hearts of men are sovereignly pliable

Why would many come from afar?
They gather once again like the blowing shofar
Winds of change have began to blow
Whispers of a move that only Spirit could show

What need we have for revival’s reach
Something that cannot from pulpit teach
Only tasting in person will set men free
As righteousness fill the hungry and thirsty

Cry out afresh to the God of Elijah
Come visit us with might and power again
Make an altar of tears to the great Jehovah
Lord, come deliver us from all of our sin

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