Tag Archives: church

Jul 20 2014

Revising Revival – Part 4 – Praying for Revival: '2 Chr. 7:14 and Praying for Revival'

Rethinking Revival

Why 2 Chr. 7:14 has nothing to do with revival.

If in an inferior covenant, God was willing to forgive Sodom and Gomorrah if just 10 righteous people could be found (not even trying, not even praying) why do we think we need 10,000 “prophetic intercessors” in a nation’s capital, or 100,000 people in an arena to beg,  groan, and wail for revival in an era of a better covenant, based on better promises? If the cross indicates that God works through weakness, and if God’s work is done by neither might nor power, but by His spirit, if Gideon won with a few, why do we spend countless hours trying to amass numbers, size, and success? It is just unbelief saturated anti-gospel carnal drive for significance and money veneered with a 2 Chr. 7:14 proof text.

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Jul 18 2014

What Judgment Would You Like on Your Tombstone?: 'Judgment Can Be a Risky Business'

Tombstone Judgment

Judgment Tombstone

In our sensationalist, foul, social media-driven culture, you can do 999 out of a 1,000 things well, but you will be judged,  identified, and labelled by the one stupid thing you might say or do! This happens in church-world all the time! Who among us would like our tombstone epitaph to be based on the judgment of the stupidest thing we ever said or did in our lives? Not me. Besides, there would be too much competition for top billing on my tombstone.

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Jul 8 2014

Revising Revival: Part 2: 'There's No "If-you" in the New Covenant'

Revival - A New Covenant Perspective

2 Chr. 7:14 – A New Covenant Perspective

2 Chr 7:14 is used by many as the pillar verse for virtually every revival ministry. The problem is, our definition and expectations of revival are often strongly influenced by our non-New Covenant thinking and theology, our religious culture, our political and social culture, and unresolved ego issues. This second installment in this series examines the difference between old and new covenant promises as it relates to our understanding and application of 2 Chr. 7:14 and our expectations of revival.

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Jun 30 2014

Revising Revival – Part 1: '2 Chr. 7:14 in Context'

2 Chr. 7:14 in Context

Revising Revival – Part 1. 2 Chr. 7:14 in Context

“Revival” is a charged term. It can mean different things to different people. When egos, identities, money, and insecurity get into the “revival business,” things go unhealthy quickly. In this series we will look at 2 Chr. 7:14 in CONTEXT and from a NT perspective. It has nothing to do with “revival.”

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May 13 2014

Royal Priesthood – Part 4: The Importance of Psalm 2 and Psalm 110

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0_61_geyser_old_faithfulUnderstanding Psalm 2 and Psalm 110 is critical to understanding all of the new testament and the genuine spiritual authority of a new covenant priesthood. These two Psalms are the scriptural base the apostles used to “justify” the existence of a new order of priesthood based on resurrection life! It is not an exaggeration to say, that the apostle’s interpretation and application of these two Psalms is the doctrinal foundation of the entire new testament, as they tried to explain the “Christ-event” to their generation.

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Apr 26 2014

Royal Priesthood Part 2 – The Authority of Being Least

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Abusive spiritual authority is epidemic. Reactionary responses to abusive authority are also epidemic. My friends Don Atkin, Greg Austin, and myself address what genuine kingdom authority looks like: a serving nation of priests, not chief executives and “visionaries” of an organization. In this installment, Greg Austin talks about the “descending priesthood” as a necessity for genuine NT kingdom authority.

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Apr 20 2014

Royal Priesthood Part 1 – The Authority of Universal Priesthood

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Abusive spiritual authority is epidemic. Reactionary responses to abusive authority are also epidemic. In this four-part series, my friends Don Atkin, Greg Austin, and myself address what genuine kingdom authority looks like: a serving nation of priests, not chief executives and “visionaries” of an organization.

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Apr 15 2014

Matthew 18 – You Hurt My Feelings: 'Matthew 18 - Not a Protocol for Hurt Feelings'

Matthew 18 conflict resolution

Matthew 18 – Your Hurt My Feelings

In Matthew 18, the people asking the questions (and Jesus) were Semites/Jews. Their background, worldview, and psychology (self and other awareness) were not the same as ours.  The backdrop for trespass and “aught against” was the Mosaic Law, and their psychology was corporate/others-centered, not individualistic. If we import our western values and sensibilities into the text, we will misunderstand, and misapply it, with resulting great negative consequences.

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Apr 8 2014

Matthew 18 – A Speech and Behavior Protocol?: 'Matthew 18 Illegitimately Used to Control Speech, Behavior, and Thought'

Neither Jesus nor Paul, practiced Matthew 18 the way it is typically taught and implemented in many local churches.

Matthew 18 - Gossip Control?

Matthew 18 – Gossip Control?

Jesus publicly rebuked Peter and called him a name (satan). [1] According to typical understanding, this violates the alleged requirement of Mt. 18 of first speaking privately with a brother with whom you have an issue.  Jesus didn’t take Peter aside and gently try to “counsel him” so as not to hurt Peter’s “feelings” and “offend” him. It was . . . bam . . . there it is . . . an action that feel-good American Church culture is incapable of embracing as biblically legitimate, yet accurately reflects part of Christ’s nature. Christ is not conflicted in His own ethic.

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Mar 31 2014

Is Your God a Magician or a Trainer?

I have found that Magictrainermany Christians, especially those who come from a broadly defined charismatic background (like myself), can easily fall into a very unhealthy view of God. It is almost like He becomes a heavenly magician who exists to work for lazy and undisciplined believers, rather than a loving Father who empowers and trains us. We expect God to do things for us supernaturally and  “cathartically.” What He often intends, and designs, is a process of development in which He awakens and trains us to recognize the life-potential of the gift of the indwelling Spirit of Christ.

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