June 29 -- Anger -- Kraków

In James we learn that the anger of man does not bring about the righteousness of God.  I once was an anger addict.  I was very skilled at developing reasons to justify my anger.  Anger toward wife; anger toward children; anger toward self; anger toward God; anger toward other drivers; even anger toward inanimate objects.  If it existed I could be angry at it.  The anger damaged relationships.  My anger was self destructive.  But, it continued.

My wife and I sought help.  But nothing changed.  Sometimes I even found allies in our counsellors. They would join with me in saying my anger was my wife's fault.  The churchianity clubs have these wonderful false doctrines about what submission means.  They are so helpful to anger addicts.  They helped me feel self justified while I remained in my prison. After many years with various counsellors, some free and some very expensive, I was still the same anger addict.  The churchianity system simply had no answers for me or for my poor wife.  She described our home life well.  Living with Stuart is like living next to a volcano.  You never know when he will erupt with another outpouring of anger.  I wanted answers but found none.

Finally, in a move of desperation, we got me into an anger management class run by the social services system.  I did not like the idea because I did not want to merely manage my anger I wanted to get rid of it and be completely free.  But all my guilt and self criticism and counseling had done nothing to change me.  So finally I had to surrender to the idea of just learning to manage the anger.  But in that class, to my very great surprise, I learned what I needed to know to get completely free from anger.  As my younger children will attest, my life was completely transformed by what Holy Spirit revealed to me during that class.

The revelation came in 2 distinct steps:

First:  I learned that no one can cause me to be angry.  My anger was my own.  I chose it.  No one else made me angry.  For me to say, "I am angry.  You need to change. "  Was no more logical than saying, "I am hungry.  You need to eat something. ". My anger was never the fault of my wife, my children or anyone else except myself.

Second:  I learned that nearly all human anger is a direct and normal response to our fears.  Most frequently these are not the logical obvious fears like being shot at or hit.  Rather they are almost always our internal fears.  We all have grown up learning these fears:

• Fear of being dis-honored.
• Fear of being dis-respected.
• Fear of being de-valued or made to feel worthless and unimportant.
• Fear of being rejected.
• Fear of being abandoned.
• Fear of being guilty.
• Fear of being found unfit for human companionship.

Ironically, an anger response to these fears often turns the fears into self fulfilling prophecies.  

I feel dis-respected.  I get angry.  Most people around me lose respect for me when I act out my anger.  

I fear being rejected.  My anger makes even those who love me feel more inclined to reject me at least until I calm down.  Etc. Etc.

Learning these things gave me the tools.  The first point made it possible for me to take back ownership over my own feelings.  I was able to reclaim the gift of God to me -- a sound mind and self-control.

The second point gave me the key information I needed to go to God for the complete deliverance from my anger addiction.  You see I already knew that God's perfect love gets rid of ALL fear.  Not just some, ALL fear.

Therefore, any time I was experiencing such fears, it was simply because I was not allowing myself to receive and experience the absolute total perfect and unconditional love that God the Father is already giving to each and every one of us.

I began a simple but effective action.  Every time I began to feel the tension enter my body as it was feeling the fear and preparing the anger, I simply reminded myself:  No, Stuart you are the beloved son of God.  You have nothing to fear.

Over a short period of time my life became anger proofed.

Later as I began to think more deeply about these things, Holy Spirit showed me something more.  Each of those fears has been answered by Papa God:

• Fear of being dis-honored.  Father God has honored me by naming me His son and heir.
• Fear of being dis-respected.  Father God respects me and honors my choices in life.
• Fear of being de-valued or made to feel worthless and unimportant.  Father values me so much He sent Jesus. 
• Fear of being rejected.  Father has accepted me.  
• Fear of being abandoned.  Father has promised to always remain with me.  
• Fear of being guilty.  Father has freed me from ALL guilt, for my past, my present, and my future.
• Fear of being found unfit for human companionship.  Father God has personally chosen me to be His companion throughout all eternity.

Jesus is the Truth.  What He believes is true.  Anyone who disagrees with God is simply deceived.

We serve no purpose in becoming angry with deceived people.  Instead, we serve them well if we simply live our lives before them so they can see our love and clearly recognize that we have become people worthy of respect, honor, value, acceptance, forgiveness, and companionship.  

It helps when we remember, it takes time for people to see the changes in our lives.  Just because you allow God to change you, does not mean others will see the change immediately.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

June 29 -- Grace -- Kraków

A friend whom I  love deeply asked me recently, "What is grace to you?"  Now part of me wanted to give a quick answer to just clear the question out of my mental in-box.  However, this is a friend who thinks deeply.  And one whom I value deeply.  So it was important that I give more than a quick flip answer.

For some folks grace is just a word tossed about with lots of other quasi religious words like bless, righteous, believe, and saved.  But for me grace is an experience, a way of life, and the substance of a covenant promise from the Creator God to me.  

One of the great schemes of satan about which we should not remain ignorant is his on-going practice of divorcing words from their true meanings.  Words are very important.  In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and the Word was with God.  Things just do not get more important than that.  We as humans tend to toss about words; often we do so without taking notice of their true meaning or the very real damage our words are doing.

Conceptually grace is fairly simple and straight forward to define:

Grace is the act of unconditionally giving a benefit to another that the recipient has no right to receive and no basis upon which he can claim to have earned or deserved it. Thus, for example, it is by grace we are forgiven.  We have no right to forgiveness.  We have no claim that we have earned it (despite all the religious lies to the contrary).  Our forgiven status is entirely an undeserved gift from God given entirely at Jesus' expense not ours.

There is something important to always remember about grace.  The gift always remains the property of the giver until it is actually given.  Whether it will be given; how much of it will be given; and, when it will be given, are all completely within the giver's discretion and are never a matter of right to the recipient until the gift has been given.  An unconditional promise is the giving of the gift.  A conditional promise is not the giving unless and until the conditions are fulfilled.

But the grace of God goes far far beyond our forgiveness.  He is the God of all Grace.  He is full of Grace.  Graciousness is a fundamental integral part of the character of each person of God: the Father; Jesus; and, Holy Spirit.  

We do not all receive the same grace.  Thus, we each can only serve to the extent of the measure of grace we have received.  Some of my friends tell me I have special grace for traveling.  To me it just seems like the ordinary normal way of life.  Whether sleeping on the floor; or, in a mud hut with spiders crawling on the walls and bed; or, in a five star hotel, it is all just part of life to me.  Changing one time zone or ten to get to the destination, it is all just just part of travel.  Eating medium rare porterhouse steak or eating goat's head soup it is just nourishment to me.  But, to my surprise, for some of my companions scrambled eggs cannot be eaten if they are not exactly the right shade of yellow; for some, having peanut butter and crackers in the hotel room is an essential survival tool not a nice luxury; for some, accommodations with less than four stars simply will not do; for some birds, snakes, and insects are not acceptable parts of creation with which to share one's sleeping or eating quarters.  So, I must admit that I have been given a special measure of grace for travel.  But, it is not that I am making a noble sacrifice to go and lay down my life in harsh travel.  For me the grace makes the travel simply part of the love affair I have with Jesus.

Some years ago when I was alone in my practice of law, I was the father of five young children with a lovely wife who depended entirely on me to provide for the family.  At the beginning of the year we had some unusually high income.  We made some very generous gifts to support ministries Jesus had pointed out to us.  Then, my wife and I decided to heed the wisdom of the Lord and get completely out of debt.  It was wonderful to have all the credit cards paid down to zero.  But it scraped the very bottom of the barrel and exhausted all of our savings to get that done.  Then the income stopped.  It stopped completely.  For a period of four months our total household income was exactly $400.00.  That was not enough to pay the electric bill.  There was simply no money coming in -- none.  As the middle of September came I was very aware that the tax payment for all the income at the beginning of the year was coming due.  If it was not paid on time the penalties charged by the government would be huge. 

To say I was feeling stress would be the understatement of the decade.  So, in early September I decided to talk this all through with the brother who was watching over my soul.  I placed a  call to him.  No answer.  A few days later I tried again.  No answer; but, I left a message.  A couple days later I tried again.  This time I left an urgent message.  No response.  Finally on September 14, the day before the taxes were due, I decided to write an email plea for help.  I was well into writing my tale of worry and woe when Jesus spoke to me saying, "My grace is sufficient for you."  

For the first time I really heard and understood what He meant.  He was  saying He would give me everything I needed.  If He gave me the money to pay the taxes on time, then they would be paid.  If He chose not to give the money on time then He would furnish the money to pay any penalties that became due because He personally had accepted responsibility to give me ALL of the grace I actually needed.   His grace is sufficient for me.  He made that commitment to me personally just as He made that commitment to Paul about 1900 years ago.  I do not know whether you have heard Him make that promise to you.  But, if you have not, I suggest you discuss it with Him.

Gradually over the ensuing years He showed me more and more applications of His promise of sufficiency.  Sufficient means all I need for any situation.  Sometimes I let people irritate me.  So imagine one day, John irritates me and I punch him in the nose.  My Father God calls me in to account for my behavior.  

And I confess, I did it and I was wrong.  

Father asks me why I did it.  

And I say, "Well Father it is not my fault.  Jesus promised me enough grace.  But I just did not have enough grace to resist the temptation to punch John."

Father says, "So your telling me this was Jesus fault !"

Jesus steps up and He says, "Absolutely Father I take all the blame for Stuart.  I promised him sufficient grace so I take complete responsibility for everything he did.  He is forgiven."

It was for freedom that Jesus set us free.  We are so free that we are even free to sin.  If we are not free to sin then we are also not free to be righteousness.  The question is never whether we are free.  The question is how will we use our freedom. (See Galatians chapter 5.)  Our grace sets us free to choose to be in love with Jesus.  The natural result of an intimate love affair with Jesus is that we choose to do the things that please Him we do not choose to ignore Him,  to make other things more important than He is, or to do things we think might make Him less happy.  We are free to do them.  He will still love us and forgive us.  But, if we love Him we will make choices that are designed to actually please Him.

I remember when I began to love my wife, Joy.  She was the most graceful, wonderful, beautiful creature on two legs.  But, she grew up in a very different home than I.  She was  timid where I was bold or reckless.  She was gracious with good manners.  I was brash and often rude or crude.  She like fine china and cups of tea.  I liked camping and gnawing on chunks of barely cooked meat while standing around a smoky fire.  But God gave me a love for her.  Every psychological test would have said run away.  But love said learn to please her.

The church has for centuries focussed our attention on our sins.  God sees our sin is already forgiven. His focus is on our relationships.  His primary question is are you in love with the Bridegroom.

The tragedy of our age is that we glorify our bodies and our physical fitness above the glory of Jesus and the fitness of His Body.  We treasure our earthly loves that give us pleasure over our love affair with our Bridegroom.  Father accepts that we may choose the wrong path because we have freedom to choose.  But there is one ultimate choice that is central to Father's view of us:  Do we love Jesus more than anything else ?  Will we lay down our lives, our pleasures, our own choices because we have entered into an all out love affair with the Bridegroom?

Grace opens the door to the most passionate love affair of all.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

 

June 28 -- Jesus is the Master not the Victim -- The Olimp Hostel, Kraków, Poland

Good Afternoon, it is a beautifully cool and breezy day in Kraków, Poland.  The sky is a bit overcast but the breeze is soft and flowing through our room with freshness.  Yesterday was indeed a fascinating day.  We arose early and finished the last bit of packing.   Then we promptly headed by subway to Heathrow to catch our flight to Warsaw with connections to Kraków. After wending our way through the security systems we discovered that our flight would be delayed for about an hour.  Then a bit later we discovered it would be delayed three additional hours.  Then we were delayed two more hours.  

Finally we flew to Warsaw.  There we  had a quick bite to eat because we just had enough time before our rescheduled flight to Kraków.  We quickly ate some food which was far above average for airport food.  We the dashed for our gate.  At the gate we learned that this flight would also be delayed.  Alas, tired but grateful we finally were boarding the plane when a luggage cart went past us.  Mariusz turned to me and said, "Oh no, I do not see our luggage on there.  I think they have lost our luggage."  There was, of course, absolutely nothing either of us could do at that point.  So we boarded and flew to Kraków.  

Sure enough, Mariusz was correct.  Our suitcases did not make the trip with us.  As it turns out, the luggage was lost somewhere in Warsaw.  It was not found until sometime this morning.  As God gives grace to the airline it should be arriving at the Kraków Airport sometime in the next 15 to 20 minutes.  Then, it is expected that some energetic courier will bring it to us here at the Olimp hostel.  Then all will be well again.

Through all of that, it was fascinating to watch and learn.  We learned many things about ourselves.  We learned a bit more about the human condition.  Through each delay and added delay it was such a joy to remember Jesus is the master of time.  He is never its victim.  Over and over through the day we were given choices to react with irritation or to respond with grace and kindness.  I cannot tell you how many times we were given the opportunity to help or bless someone along the way because we had been given the gift of more time than we otherwise would have had available.

When in Kraków we had confirmed the loss of our luggage, we again could choose.  Jesus is beautiful for situations.  He knew every moment of the trip the exact location of our luggage.  We could believe and relax; or, we could fret and get upset.  But, I have noticed over the years my upsetness has never gained anything for me but it has often cost me dearly.   So we relaxed.  The very helpful young man taking care of our lost luggage claim suddenly got up from his desk and went into the back room.  He returned moments later and gave each of us a lovely Star Alliance package that contained all of the basic toiletries and toothpaste we would need to make it through the night very comfortably.  Our God is very generous to us.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

  

June 27 -- Empathy with Paul -- Heathrow Airport Enroute Kraków, Poland

Good Morning, I have had a cappuccino.  I have about another hour before the flight will board so I am going to indulge in a bit of breakfast as we chat.  I have chosen the eggs with Tuscan sausage.  You have whatever suits you.  If this restaurant will sell it to you, I will buy.  

I suppose that you also have noticed that people who quote the scriptures to prove some point or another usually quote just one verse or even part of a verse.  For them, that settles the matter.  'The Bible says'  settles the matter.  As for me, I often find the far more valuable lessons of the Scriptures are found not by quoting a few pithy words.  Rather these lessons are found by stepping back and taking a broader view.  For example, take a few minutes and ask yourself (and Holy Spirit, your comforter):  "How did Jesus feel when the whole audience, at His largest speaking engagement ever, got up and walk out ?"  

Today, I am feeling particularly empathetic to our brother Paul.  You probably remember the story.  Paul was all excited about carrying the good news to a spot where he had some friends.  But, Holy Spirit said no, do not go there.  So it is with Mariusz and I this morning.  We were all excited about going to share with our friends in Brussels, Belgium.  Alas, yesterday Holy Spirit made it clear to us that we are not to go to Brussels at this time.  Instead, we are going direct to Kraków.  

I said, "Alas ... ".  But, really I feel no regrets about the result only a sense of loss at being unable to help the Bride in Brussels.  But I am filled with joy and anticipation for the delights of being with the saints in Kraków.

How is Holy Spirit changing your plans today?  I know you are quite competent to plan your way.  But the steps of the righteous are being rearranged to a perfect order by the Lord.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

June 26 -- Priority Matter -- At Home in London

A grand and glorious good morning to you.  This morning we give God thanks for the gift of His Son. For God so loved the world that He did not send a committee.  He sent His Son.  And He continues to send His sons.  Moreover He also likes us enough that He gave us fresh hot coffee for the early morning hours.  It so helps us awaken to recognize His mercies that are new every morning.

If you are like me, each morning you are looking about and asking yourself, "What can I do for God today?"

Permit me please to give you the answer for today.  Absolutely NOTHING !

The writer of Hebrews implores us to grasp and live on the basis of the elementary concepts of our faith.  The first of these is the need to turn completely away from lifeless activities.  This repentance from dead works is set as our first learning priority because the lifeless activities create for us the deceptive illusion of spiritual life but they are dead, dead, dead !  The problem with feeding horses sawdust and straw is not that either is toxic.  They are deadly because they replace the grain and hay that would nourish the horse and give life.  In the same manner dutiful fulfilling our religious duties and disciplines creates for us the illusion of being nourished but gives us nothing of life.  

Yesterday we spent time with a dear friend.  This wonderful Godly person has a resumee of endless service to the church organization.  And yet the group chose to bring in a replacement.  The replacement is self serving, controlling, and genuinely toxic to the people.  Why did this happen ?   It happened because the long term diet of religious duties and activities left the group without the spiritual life necessary to recognize the difference between a leader who brings life and a leader who is religious.  

Please, my friends, understand.  God does not desire your religious performances.  Everything God needs done was completed by the second chapter of Genesis.  He said so.  What God desires is to release you into rejoicing and reveling in a passionate love affair with the greatest lover in the universe, JESUS.  That is life !

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

JUNE 25 -- POT POURRI -- ON TRAIN BRISTOL TO LONDON

Wow, these last two days have passed quickly. Because of multiple trips in taxis and trains (sometimes too crowded to find a seat) I have been unable to find a time to write to you.  Thursday morning we were up and packing early to catch bus to tube to train to Bristol.  We arrived Bristol in mid-afternoon.  The people we came to see were unreachable by phone or text through most of the afternoon and evening so we settled into our hotel and had a lovely dinner at the hotel dining room.

As we ate I found myself wrestling with the realization that so many of us seem to have lost the ability to restrain our expectations of other people and treat them with grace and civility.  And yet Jesus was and is always gentle and gracious toward each of us.  It seems many of us who are sons of God have not yet accepted our power to bless the people we come in contact with on a daily basis.  It takes no more effort to compliment a waiter or waitress than it takes to order a cup of coffee.  And because Father's love is poured out upon us so extravagantly, we have an unending supply of love to pour out on the people who surround us.  Each of us has the power to bless or to curse the lives we touch.  How are you using that power today ?  Does your use of your power depend on your mood or your circumstances ?  How frightening to contemplate the idea that Jesus' love for me would depend on His mood of the moment instead of upon His steadfast character.  

After dinner we were ready to end our day and get some sleep when the cell phone rang.  It seems our friend had gotten our messages and was now available to come and meet us.  Like all normal people we were tempted to say, "Oh, it is quite late, perhaps another time." But Holy Spirit said let us meet with him.  We gathered around a quiet table in the hotel bar.  The time was absolutely fantastic.  Holy Spirit nurtured us all through every moment of the conversation.  After pouring out some powerful revelation for our friend, He led our friend to invite us to come to dinner with the family (wife and 2 young sons) the next evening.  We accepted and said good night.  

Friday morning found us up for a light breakfast and then headed for the train that would carry us to lunch with a pair of senior saints in Weston-super-Mare.  At lunch, in addition to the delight of fellowship and revelation from these powerful God speakers, we had the opportunity to serve them by helping to restore the computer they rely on to maintain communication with saints around the world.  It was truly a delightful and refreshing time filled with the sweet presence of the Lord.

A couple of things happened in the midst of our travel that almost take my breath away with their beauty.  The first -- we were arriving on the platform in Bristol when we met a young woman on the staff of the railway.  When I spoke kindly to her she began to respond to Father's love and open up to share some of her struggles.  Before much time had passed she was already on my Facebook page and ready to begin reading some of these blog entries in hopes of finding some revelation of God for her and her family.  As I sit here lovingly thinking of her I am praying that she and her husband will find the joy and peace of fully trusting Jesus.  I know that Father God has great love for them and for their child.  

The second -- just a few minutes later we boarded our train.  It was crowded. The seats available put us face to face with a university student who has British and American duel citizenship.  As we were discussing the British referendum that will lead to the United Kingdom leaving the European Union, she told us that most of her university colleagues were opposed to leaving the EU.  She then went on to say parents of such students were asking the younger generation how they should vote because the younger ones would need to live with the consequences.  I marveled.  It seemed to be equivalent to a parent asking a child whether he would like to play on the play ground or out in the street.  After all it was the child who would have to live with the consequences if he were hit by a car.

After a quick train ride back to Bristol we met up with our friends for dinner before we even got back to our hotel room.  On the way to their home for dinner, we stopped at a Costco store to pick up a few things.  It was fascinating that my USA Costco credit card was perfectly fine for identification purposes but that the British Costco was not permitted to accept it for payment.  Strange but true !  I suspect it is one more form of annoying government regulation because the British cell phone carrier is also not permitted to accept USA based credit cards for payments on line.

Through the evening we had great fun with the children and were permitted to speak spirit and life and hope into both parents.  We continue to marvel at the grace Father extends to permit us to see His love at work.  When we returned to our hotel, we were overjoyed to receive emails to set up and confirm meetings in London today followed by related meetings in Brussels next week.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

 

June 24 -- No Blog -- Bristol, UK

Today has been very busy and on and off trains no no time to write but lots of ideas.

His, thus Yours,

 Stuart

June 23 -- Uncertainty and Learning to Love -- On a Train London to Bristol

Good Afternoon (in UK time) Mariusz and I are on the train and it has just left London's Paddington Station.  We are about 1 1/2 hours from Bristol- Temple Mead station.  Yesterday was a very pleasant day.  Only a little bit of sprinkling rain.  It was fun to start to build a bit of friendship with the local barber.  He and his wife both work to operate their new barber shop.  They are both from Poland.  The wife grew up close to Mariusz's home town.  It will be fascinating to see what Holy Spirit does with this relationship.  

Our schedule has been one filled with nearly constant change.  I have been remembering my friend Totila.  Sitting in a coffee shop in Abeline, Texas, years ago, he turned to me and said, "Learn to be comfortable in the midst of uncertainty."  I knew at the time it was the word of the Lord to me.  I am beginning to grasp on a much deeper level. This is the word of the Lord to the whole Body of Christ. 

Our point of certainty is in our intimate relationship with Jesus.  Those things Jesus has spoken are more certain than tomorrow's sunrise.  Indeed more certain than my next breath.  It is here one finds security and stability.  Security is not in the predictability of future events.  Security is in knowing the one who controls all events.  

We spent last evening chatting with Andrze.  Three other folks had been invited.  But none of them came.  But Jesus came and we had a wonderful and fun time.  One of the subjects of our discussions related to a fundamental skill for functioning in the Body of Christ -- connecting to one another safely.  In the course of that we watched a 20 minute TED Talk on You Tube.  I recommend this one to you.  It is not Christian or religious but it gives some very valuable information for saints to understand.  Here is a link:  https://youtu.be/iCvmsMzlF7o

His, thus Yours, 

  Stuart

June 22 -- God or Coincidence -- London

It is a beautiful morning in London.  Although the sky is cloud covered, nonetheless, the mercies of the Lord are refreshing and delightful.  I am in the kitchen at Andrze and Renata's home.  We are located in the section of London not far from Heathrow Airport called Ealing.  I have fixed a cup of coffee.  In the background I hear the ticking of a clock and the traffic sounds from the busy streets half a block away.  As you may know the rooms in European homes are usually much smaller than those in American homes.  This kitchen is no exception.  As I looked for my coffee makings, I came across something I have never seen in any other country.  Among a group of cans of soup, I noticed a can of "Cock-a-Leekie" soup.  This soup made with leeks and chicken I have never seen nor heard of any where outside the United Kingdom. 

Monday was mostly consumed with preparations for and travel from Paris to London's Gatwick Airport.  That is where the less expensive flights usually land. Tuesday was mostly consumed with making all the subway, train, and bus connections to travel from that far side of the London metropolis to this side.  But, last evening we had a delightful time with Andrze (Renata is in Poland visiting). First we went to a local pub and watched the Poland team defeat the Ukraine team in the Euro Cup match.  This moves them one step closer to a possible capture of the cup.  After the game we strolled to a different pub and had a lovely dinner.  It was so delightful to have time for Andrze to catch us up on the wonderful relationships he and Renata have been developing here in the UK.  They have been knit into a loving community of believers and are beginning to be recognized as the gifts they are to the Bride here.  It is amazing to hear their story about how the Lord orchestrated transplanting them from Kraków, Poland to London, England.  I hope each of you get to hear their story sometime.

We had a very pleasant stroll along the local canal as we returned home.  After some time to chat and pray we were all getting ready to sleep.  Suddenly Mariusz was bursting with excitement.  He had just received an email from Anne Marie in the USA forwarding an email from a friend we all had met in Brussels, Belgium.  The email told us that our friend from Brussels has moved out of Brussels.  She moved to London.  She now is living just a few blocks from where we are located right now.  She sent all of her contact information and we are looking forward to meeting with her.  Now, I suppose you could find someone with enough faith in 'chance' to say it is a mere coincidence that we received this information the very evening when we arrive in the place to use it.  I am a man of much smaller faith.  I just believe Holy Spirit is at work again.  

I find it fascinating to contemplate the radical difference in our lives when we choose to accept that it is a practical possibility to do nothing that we do not see our Father doing and to say nothing we have not heard our Father saying.  It saddens me to see the rampantly widespread unbelief.  People call themselves Christians.  And yet, they simply do not believe that God is speaking to them.  They do not believe that Father chooses to act on the Earth through them.  They live with no conscious awareness of the presence of the Creator God.  How can one say "Jesus is Lord." and at the same time say, "I do not hear Jesus speaking to me."   These are logically inconsistent statements.  

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

June 21 -- No Blog today -- In and around the London Tube system

This blog does not exist.  Read a new one tomorrow.

June 20 -- His Leadership Style -- Paris

Good Morning,  I am here by the canal again just starting my second cup of coffee.  The weekend joggers have changed their outfits and are riding their bicycles to work.  This must be Monday, our last day in Paris.  The breeze is a bit cool this morning; the sky is overcast and rain is in the forecast.  None of the weekend pleasure boaters are out on the canal this morning.  At first glance the scene seems completely peaceful and innocent; like the sun is about to burn through the clouds and childhood cheers for the first day of summer will break forth any moment.  Office workers and executives in business suits and silk dresses ride past on their bicycles ready for the day.  

But, then I pause and listen to the insistent whine of sirens across the city.  Then three soldiers, all fully armed with hands at trigger guards in position to raise and fire their rifles at any moment, walk past from left to right.  In a few minutes four more soldiers also on alert walk past from right to left.  Paris is a double minded city.  In one part of its thinking life is good and full of peace.  In another part of its thinking terrorists and disaster lurk around every corner.  This city like so many around the world is governed by a political system that wants to convince us that everything is going to be fine.  But at the same time it wants to convince us that when disasters befall us it is not the fault of the politicians.

Human leaders everywhere would like to have the credit when things go well.  But, they wish to escape responsibility for the things that look like disasters.  Jesus is such an amazing contrast.  He humbly continues to do good for people everywhere.  He permits us to give Him glory for His goodness.  But He does not insist.  Indeed He allows others to take the credit.  But, when we fail, when things go wrong, He accepts all the blame.  He allowed Himself to be killed to pay the price for the wrong, evil things we do.

He is amazing in His love and in His humility.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

June 19 -- The Grace of Being Comfortable in Him -- Paris

Good Morning, well late morning, it is almost noon.  I am sitting with a cup of coffee at a sidewalk table along the edge of the canal.  I notice that jogging is like hard physical labor.  I can sit and watch either for hours.  Yesterday's joggers on the opposite bank of the canal seemed to be younger and more expensively outfitted than today's.  I suppose the demographics of its joggers will tell us something about a neighborhood.  

Yesterday, Mariusz and I had brunch along the other side of the canal.  Then we went to an art show.  The featured artist is an old friend of Mariusz.  It turned out that the only people present at the show were the Artist, her adult daughter, Mariusz and I.  The artist explained several of her paintings to us.  Then over juice and cookies we sat and chatted with both mother and daughter.  The mother is deeply committed to her Roman Catholic traditions and particularly to the significance of particular religious sites and relics like the grottos at Lourdes.  The daughter has heard all this from the mother many times for many years.  As we talked it became clear that Mama was beginning to see that it is her faith in Jesus not the relics or grottos that is the important element.  The daughter was relaxing and becoming more willing to talk about her realities.  Holy Spirit engaged each of them where they were and on the level each was able to hear and accept Him.  It was a joy to watch Him gently pour out Father's love on them.

After a wonderful conversation Mariusz and I started back toward our hotel.  We planned to walk the last mile or so back to our hotel.  But shortly after we emerged from Le Metro (the subway) it began to rain heavily. So we walked a few yards to a lovely sidewalk cafe and found shelter from the rain.  As we chatted we realized that we each had come to the same conclusion.  It was a conclusion that seemed perfectly clear and right to each of us and yet we realized it was inconsistent with our religious training and backgrounds.  We each knew the reason why we had been sent to Paris was to chat with these two women.  We each were quite comfortable with the idea that possibly no other ministry would take place here in Paris.  

All our logical thinking argued against our conclusions.  We knew it did not seem like a frugal use of our time.  But despite our logic we knew.  As I thought about this, today, I found myself recognizing something I had not really put in words before.  There is a special provision in God's grace to make us comfortable.  A comfort not based in our circumstances, nor in our logic, but simply the comfort of knowing Holy Spirit's companionship and the certainty that He is pleased with us.  It makes all of life so very relaxing.  In this comes a very deep level of certainty even in the midst of uncertain and rapidly changing circumstances.

I pray for you today the grace of His comforting companionship.  He is your personal Comforter.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

June 18 -- Principalities -- Paris

Good Morning, I am sitting in a cafe by the window and looking out at the canal.  The boat traffic is quiet and the joggers along the banks are plentiful.  Here in Paris joggers come in all shapes and sizes.  They are clothed in more colors than the rainbow.  Saturday morning in Paris is a time to enjoy the open air of the city.  And yet, as with all cities and areas there are aspects which require us to be watchful lest we become deceived.

I was remembering a few years ago when I was in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) in West Africa.  As I was serving my friends there I was amazed at the number of them who were filled with spirits of witchcraft and sorcery.  When I have flown into Las Vegas, walking from the plane into the airport building I could not fail to notice the spirits of greed and despair that dominated nearly everyone around me.  Another time I flew into New Orleans and encountered powerful spirits of lust and witchcraft.  In West Texas a friend of mine sent his daughter to visit a congregation of believers.  She came home to report that in the entire group of young people she had met, she could not locate even one young person who intended to remain sexually pure until marriage.  In that same area, I went to share in a home group.  Of 27 people in the house all but 3 had been victims of sexual abuse.  

As I drove away from that meeting I was asking Holy Spirit for permission to drive the spirit of sexual perversion out of the area.  He told me NO !  I was amazed.  I asked Him why.  He told me that governments are not cast out they are replaced.  The way to freedom for the region from the ruling principality was for the Government of God in the Body of Christ to rise up and become strong enough to replace the demonic administration.

In the area that has been entrusted to a Saint, the Saint, a son of God, can resist the ruling spirits and invite Holy Spirit to rule through the Saint.  Thus we can make the area around our selves, and our homes, and our businesses, safe zones not subject to the ruling principalities.  And individual believers can grow in the fruit of self-control and successfully resist the demonic spirits which will attack his/her soul and/or attack the ones for whom we are responsible.  But, the region we live in will remain subject to the ruling spirits until the Body of Christ in the region receives the Government of God and comes into a coordinated order which will bring the Peace of God to the region.

Last evening Mariusz and I were discussing Paris.  It is a city dominated by a spirit of pride, especially intellectual pride.  That pride has brought most of the people to a condition of being fools.  It is the fool who says in his heart, "There is no God." 

When Mariusz said to me that he would not like to live in this city, I suggested that he might find it very enjoyable.  It would be a wonderful place to live connected with a few brothers and disciples who would stand together with us in resisting the demonic intellectual pride.

It is important for us as sons of God to recognize the ones around us who are also sent by the Father to our areas of responsibility.  Then we can come into unity with them in our resistance of the demonic realm.

His, thus Yours,

 Stuart

June 17 -- Travel with a Friend -- Dijon, France

Yesterday, as I suggested, we left Cremeaux in the morning to take our host and hostess to lunch in Crozet.  We drove there in two cars with our host leading the way.  As we left it was raining and mist filled the air such that visibility was poor.  About half way along we suddenly drove out of the rain and mist.  Almost immediately we came to a tee intersection, there laying before us was a breath taking view across the broad Loire River valley.  It was beautiful.  We turned and drove along that fabulous view for a few minutes and then the rain and clouds settled in again. 

After about 45 minutes of driving we arrived in Crozet.  Our host parked and we parked beside him.  We all got out of the cars with hats and umbrellas; we started to walk through the town.  Before we had gone more than a block, the rain was stopping and we were putting umbrellas away. Soon the sun was shining.   We all climbed the winding wooden stairway to the top of the keep.  There we looked Out over miles and miles of beautiful sunlit scenery.  We scanned  across the  stone buildings of the town below us.  We gazed out at the mountains in the distance.  Our eyes followed the railroad tracks and the streams wending their ways along the valley and through the rolling hills.  We were thrilled by the sheer bucolic beauty of it all.

After carefully descending the narrow stairs (they some how seemed to have gotten much steeper and more treacherous than when we went up) we went to find the restaurant for lunch.  The food was superb, the service delightful, and the company beyond compare.  Over lunch Ray shared his insights.  We talked about the struggle to maintain the usefulness of church clubs and organizations without becoming enslaved to them.  As with many people, Ray struggled to see how to gather with the family of God without allowing the traditional models of religious groups to rise up and control the ways we relate to each other.  It was such fun to see him listening and responding to Holy Spirit as he considered these important matters.  His lovely and quiet wife Margaret thought deeply as she listened.

After lunch Ray and Margaret returned to their home and Mariusz and  I set out for Dijon where we planned to spend the night before going on to Paris.  Because we were not pressed for time we set the computer to keep us off the motorways (the French equivalent of US Interstates).  We discovered a fabulous world of beauty along the smaller roads.  For a long portion of the drive we followed along the banks of a canal.  The awe inspiring beauty and the gracious continual presence of the Lord made the trip a total delight.  We arrived at our hotel in time for Mariusz to watch his beloved Poland hold the powerful German team scoreless in the Euro Cup Futball match.

Traveling with Jesus has wonderful periods of fun and delight.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

 

June 15-16 -- Nous Sommes Pret -- Cremeaux to Paris

Good Morning !  My bags are packed ready to go into the car.  I have my first cup of coffee.  And the goodness of our Father is apparent in His mercies that are new again this morning.  The cloud cover is broken up now and it looks like we might be able to drive today without the wipers running.

I did not post a new blog yesterday.  I added a paragraph of addendum to the previous one about God's purpose for my generation.  It was in response to Angela's comment.  I definitely treasure getting your comments.  They make me think and seek insights from Holy Spirit.  I also notice that when you share my blog entries on your FaceBook page the number of people who read it increases significantly.  

The blog is being read in at least 14 different countries.  We are talking about setting up some parallel blogs in other languages.  The challenge, of course, is finding brothers or sisters who are competent and called by the Lord to do the translations.  

Today's plan is for Mariusz and I to take our host and hostess out for lunch in Crozet.  Crozet is a beautiful small town not far from Cremeaux.  After lunch Mariusz and I will begin our drive north and west toward Paris.

Yesterday was a day when the sky seemed to drizzle little bits of rain off and on throughout the day.  Mariusz and I drove south to Saint Etienne, where Mariusz's cousin is working as the pediatric resident in the hospital.  We were much encouraged because the cousin seemed to be cheered by the presence of the Lord in Mariusz.  While they had hamburgers and talked I ate lunch in another small restaurant.  Over lunch I had a chance to catch up on emails and the like.

We returned to Cremeaux in time for a light supper with our host and hostess.  It was such fun to share in conversations about the King and His Kingdom as we ate and after supper as we chatted in the living room.  Our host is a man of great wisdom and he has so very much to pour into the lives of younger men.  But as is so often the case, he seems not to recognize how very great his anointing and value are.  Our hostess is a marvelous, gracious, quiet woman who imparts love into every life she touches. 

I encourage you to see and acknowledge the gifts God has freely poured into you.  You are a treasure to each and every other member of the Body of Christ.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart  

So What is God's Purpose for My Generation

Good Afternoon, I am sitting comfortably in the farm house in Cremeaux.  My host and hostess have taken Mariusz to see the sights in some nearby villages overlooking the Loire River.  Initially I thought I would go.  But then it became clear that my slow pace of walking about would delay the others.  Moreover, Mariusz suggested that I need to write this blog entry.

This morning I reposted three prior blog entries about the purposes of God.  But Mariusz reminded me that last night in conversation I had encapsulated God's purposes for my generation.  And in doing so of course identified some broad outlines that would encompass my own personal purposes.  He asked me to expand on that in an additional blog entry.  

There are some dangers in stating God's purposes for my generation.  One can become arrogant and believe that everyone must agree with me.  One can fall into the trap of thinking that if it is God's purpose for my generation then it must have been His purpose for all generations.  This would lead to judging prior generations on the basis of today's revelation.  One can slip into thinking that because I have a sense of God's purpose for the generation, therefore I can determine His purpose for every individual in the generation and evaluate each man accordingly.  These are all dangers to be avoided.  However, it is silly to avoid listening to Holy Spirit about His purposes in order to avoid the dangers.  I encourage all believers to seek revelation about God's purposes for him/herself; for her/his generation; and, for the following generations whom we are called to disciple and teach.  

One question that seems to trip up some people:  How long is a generation?  My answer, I do not know nor do I want to try to quantify an answer.  The Apostle John in his letter wrote to 3 different generations -- Fathers, Young Men, and Little Children. In some senses he defined these generations as the ones who had obtained wisdom; those who had strength to bring to the battles; and those who were rapidly growing in their youth.  My personal perspective is that each of us can hear Holy Spirit identify our own generation. And, He may show us that in some aspects of life we are in one generation but in other aspects we have not yet moved from one generation to the next.

I believe God's purpose for my generation is to move the focus of the Bride away from organizations and their leaders and onto the development of Love based relationships that impart to our disciples the Love of God the Father in ways that set them free from all fear and thus empower them to engage in tearing down the works of satan that so imprison men and women.  I believe that this purpose specifically includes a restoration of making disciples in a way that renounces exercising authority but functions on the basis of being servants, examples, and loving intimate friends to our disciples whose souls we watch over.  We are intended in the context of those relationships (as distinct from in the context of institutional programs) to teach and equip our disciples to be effective builders of relationships and makers of disciples.  We are to primarily demonstrate the clear distinction between intellectual prowess and spiritual ministry.

I believe God's purpose for the generation which follows mine is one that my generation must broadly comprehend and embrace in order to fulfill our own God given purpose.  I believe that purpose is to become fully engaged in being disciples walking in freedom and modeling that lifestyle for ensuing generations.  I believe that generation will humbly, quietly, and very effectively engage in spiritually tearing down the works of satan on levels never before seen in the history of the Bride.  I believe that generation will initiate levels of unity throughout the visible Body of Christ that have heretofore only been imagined.

I would enjoy hear your thoughts on these matters.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

Addendum:

As Angela points out so well in her comment below, we must not fall into the trap of thinking that our generational purpose is our only purpose.  Our purposes are multilevel.  A universal purpose according to Peter's letter is to show God's glory.  Our national purposes as Angela points out vary from ethnic group to ethnic group.  Some congregations know they have been corporately called to a particular purpose.  Individually each of us is called to specific purposes with specific people.  And as we walk into various meetings we will notice Father has a purpose for us to fulfill in each one.  Finding the purposes of God is a continuing adventure.

June 14 -- The Purposes of God -- Cremeaux, France

Good Morning,

I am enjoying my first cup of coffee in a rustic rural farm house just outside Cremeaux, France.  Our very gracious hosts, Ray and Margaret, have treated us like royalty.  The bed is so comfortable that I slept extra long this morning.

Last evening after a wonderful supper we sat in the living room and discussed the King and His Kingdom.  One of our most important themes during the evening reminded me of some previous blog entries.  Because this subject is so important in the Church currently I have strung together three related blog entries from July 2013, December 2010, and November 2010.  I know this makes it a bit longer than usual but I hope you will agree it is worth the read.

His, thus Yours,

  Stuart

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18 July 2013

In Acts we are told that David served the purposes of God for his generation then he died. 

What purposes are you serving?

There are of course the few intentionally evil people.  They are serving evil purposes and intentionally so.  But, those are unusual people.  None of us would think of ourselves that way.

There are many people going through life with no concept of having a purpose.  One of the reasons for the great popularity of Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life was that it gave many people their first vision of what it means to have a purpose.  Of course the many institutions of the “church” were delighted to capitalize on that well written book in order to get people to adopt the purposes of the institution as their own purposes.

Virtually all people for part of their lives and many people for essentially all of their lives move only to fulfill their own self-centered purposes.  Some for money and the things it will buy, some for power, some for sensuality, and some for the shear pettiness of being self-centered and never needing to consider any other people.

Sadly, because hearing God, prophecy, and prophetic ministries in the Church have been largely despised and dismissed as irrelevant for our intellectual society, many believers have no greater sense of purpose than the unbelievers who are outside the Church.

But, there are many men and women who have a strong sense of purpose.  Many of them are able to cite multiple Scriptures upon which they base their purposes.  Most of these would tell you in no uncertain terms that their purposes are the purposes of God.

Ah, but David …

David the Book tells us served the purposes of God for his generation.

“For his generation” necessarily implies that for other generations God had different purposes.  Nonetheless, virtually none of us have ever heard a robust discussion among believers concerning what are the purposes of God for this generation.  Indeed for most who have ever considered the purposes of God at all, we have gone along believing that the purposes of God, like the character of God, are the same yesterday, today, and forever.  So, when some leader or another has provided a statement of the purpose of God and given Scripture proof-texts for it we have simply accepted it with little or no real examination as to whether it is the purpose of God for our generation.

Most of the “church” system is based on fulfilling the purposes from past generations that have been adopted for the institution.   When the question has been raised as to whether these are the purposes of God for us, the answer has generally been the equivalent of, “that’s the way we have always done it.”  At times we have even sung songs extolling the virtues.  “It was good enough for grandpa and its good enough for me.”

But, I ask you.  Have you ever seriously sought to learn God’s purposes for your own generation?  Be warned!  This can get you into conflicts with the system.  But, ask yourself whether David would have been satisfied with fulfilling something other than the purposes of God for his generation. 

I can tell you with certainty: The purposes of God for each of the three generations now walking the Earth are quite different from each other and radically different from the purposes of past generations.

What are you going to fulfill before you die?

His, thus Yours,

Stuart

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11 November 2010

I have just encountered a fascinating experience.  I was discussing with Father the question of whether He wants me to add to the Blog tonight.  He said He does.  So I asked, what would you like me to write?  He instructed me to go to the files in my computer.  When I got there He instructed me to open one that shows it was written in early 2008.  The file I opened is a document that I have only vague memories of having read before.  While I know that I could have typed what is in the file, I have no memory whatsoever that I did.  I simply do not know who wrote the document.  If someone knows who wrote it, please, let me know and I will gladly give attribution.  But, as I read the document it is clear to me that the concepts in it originated with the Holy Spirit.  It is clear to me that Father wants me to share this document here on the Blog. As you read, I encourage you to contemplate how the things shared are affecting you and your friends in the Body of Christ.  Here is the document.   sbm 

A New Season in the Church

A new season is upon us. Since 1990 the leaders have been saying that a change in the season of God was coming and that we were in a period of transition. In 1990, the season was still the Charismatic Season. The emphasis of that season was on the gifts of the spirit. The most asked question of that season was “what is your gift?”

With the approaching of the year 2000 or Y2K, as it was famously called, a near panic ensued. The predictions of a global catastrophe caused by computer glitches, exposed the weakness and immaturity of the Church. These facts were dramatically highlighted by the reactions of the church community following the events of September 11, 2001. In the United States, a Christian influenced government retreated to the supposed safety of strict laws and wars on two fronts. And the Church continued to speak about change while yet pursuing a continuing agenda of numerical growth, financial prosperity, and political influence.

During that time, there were some, mainly cosmetic, changes. Post-modernism made its appearance, primarily in the form of the “emergent church” movement. This movement attempted to remedy what it considers the exclusionary and socially reprehensible practices of the modern institutional religious system. Other cosmetic changes were assertions of purpose, defined by the requirements of the local institution; or user-friendly, market sensitive churches. As an example, the 100th anniversary of the Pentecostal movement that began at Azusa Street in Los Angeles, came and went, confirming the ministries of motivational speakers as its current manifestation.

Meanwhile, on the world stage, change has been the order of the day. The Soviet Unioncollapsed, releasing many nations to find their destinies. National policies of Apartheid ended in South Africa. Dictators died or were overthrown. Japan collapsed as an economic power, and both India and China rose in economic prominence. Nations were suddenly adrift and struggling to find their way.

In this environment of global change, a new season in God was ushered in. God has stirred the hearts of leaders in the Body of Christ to move away from the current preoccupations of the institutional systems, to the more serious consideration of representing the nature and character of God himself. This is a shift from the narcissism of management to the maturity of responsible sons of God.

The restoration of community, based in divinely ordained relationships, as opposed to membership in an institution, is the new reality. These relationships have replaced membership.

Discipleship is no longer for the purpose of consolidating church membership. In this new season, those in leadership serve for the benefit of those under their care. The goal of discipleship is to release the disciple into his or her divine purpose and to assist him or her to find and follow a God ordained unique destiny. Loving older brothers are replacing titular pastors, and spiritual children are being released to come to maturity.

Recognition is dawning that our purpose for being on the earth is not to work to leave the earth a better place than when we entered it, but to be conformed to the very image of Christ in our time here. Seeing all things through spiritual lenses is replacing a rationalistic view of reality.  A life of hearing and trusting God is replacing an intellect based decision making process.  Divine wisdom is replacing secularism. The realities of heaven and earth meet in the Body of Christ, and define earthly existence as being to show the glory of Christ in the way the community of the Body of Christ governs itself and demonstrates the compassionate love of the Father.

God’s character, not merely choice of style, has become the substance of the current season. The Holy Spirit has moved our focus from the administration of gifts of ministry to our seeing ourselves as sent sons of God empowered to come to maturity.  The evidence of the changed season is that there is a new level of enablement by the Holy Spirit to match the hunger in the hearts of believers, many of whom are not content with being spectators, but want to engage the reality of being an expression of the character and reality of God himself. They want to walk as mature sons of God, sons who do only what Father is doing and say only what Father is saying.

God himself has prepared this answer for the times that have come upon the Earth. In this season of global uncertainty and growing distress among nations, the sons of God will govern themselves so righteously that the nations of mankind will seek the wisdom and counsel of the Body of Christ.  

 We are being privileged in this generation to experience new depths to the revelation written by the Apostle Peter nearly 2000 years ago:  

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. {1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB}

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03 December 2010

We have talked a couple of previous times about God's purposes.  We have discussed his overarching purposes, the ones that describe the grand scheme of God.  We've also discussed that his purposes change from generation to generation.  From time to time, we have alluded to the individual sons of God finding their personal purposes.

We have also noted from time to time, that some purposes of God have clearly been ignored by the organized church system.  One obvious example in the United States is that the organized church shifted the burden and responsibility for care of the poor from the church to the government.  The Scriptures, however, teach us that true religion and undefiled involves care for orphans and widows and the strangers in our cities.  Therefore, it can only be a government that is our religion, which has the responsibility to care for the poor.

There is an interesting Scripture which points out that “in the fullness of time" God sent his Son.  Have you ever considered what that means?  What was unique about the time when Jesus arrived on the Earth?  Why was the time then full any more than any other time?  Alexander the Great, the Macedonian who extended his empire from Europe to Africa and India, built libraries and insisted that the Greek language be taught throughout his empire.  When his empire was supplanted by the Roman Empire, the Romans built roads throughout the entire empire making travel simple and convenient.  When Jesus arrived on the Earth a very large part of the Earth's population could understand the common language (Greek) and could be reached by convenient means of travel.  The world had been prepared for the spread of the Gospel.

In a similar manner, we can see the events of the 20th century.  The airline industry, educational institutions, and world commerce made English a language readily understood throughout most of the Earth.  Later in the 20th century, the Internet penetrated most of the Earth.  We can see, therefore, a virtual parallel to the results of Alexander and the Romans.  We have a condition in which rapid communication throughout the world is much more readily accomplished than was possible prior to the end of the 20th century.  Have you asked yourself the question, why has God brought about this parallel condition?  What is his purpose?  Is it a similar purpose to that which was intended to occur in the first century?

You may have noticed the similarity between what happened at the Garden of Eden/ the Tower of Babel and what happened at the initial spread of the Gospel.  In both cases, God instructed man to go out from his present location to accomplish a specific task.  Man chose not to go.  God permitted circumstances to compel him to go.  Although circumstances may compel us to leave the place where we become uncomfortable circumstances cannot force us to become obedient to the instructions of the Lord.  The confusion of languages at the tower of Babel caused man to go forth across the Earth.  Nonetheless, there were no circumstances that required us to take loving lordship over the creation that God had entrusted to our care.  In the same manner, persecution caused many believers to depart from Jerusalem toward Samaria and other parts of the World.  The persecution could not compel us to undertake the process of making disciples.  The Father's willingness to let liberty reign, wherever His Spirit is permitted to lead, is an awe-inspiring display of His humility.

For most of 2000 years the church has continued to ignore, denigrate, or misinterpret Jesus' simple instruction to go and make disciples.  We have instead elected to build great organizations, to enlist crowds of members, to make converts with no commitment, and/or to attempt to teach the world concepts which can only be grasped by people who have become alive in Christ.  Except that we recognize the pride of man, our continuing unwillingness to undertake the simple task of making disciples seems beyond comprehension.  But, God has not changed His plan for how the Church is intended to be built and grow.

We are being permitted to watch the development of a generation of people, who for the first time in many generations seem willing and able to apprehend the concepts of making disciples and being disciples.  We are faced with a generation of young men and women who crave and hunger for men and women they can look up to and emulate.  This new generation is different from past generations.  In that it now has access to information from all around the world.  This generation is not looking for more words of teaching.  This generation will only respond to demonstrations of the reality and the power of the Kingdom of God.  This generation accepts without reservation the apostle Paul's statement that the Kingdom of God does not consist of talk but of power.  Tragically, the large organizations that call themselves the church are totally devoid of real spiritual power.  They embody much talk with no power.  The vast majority of the organization's members are completely without relationship to the living God of the universe.  They have only a limited intellectual understanding of things about that God.  But they are totally devoid of intimate familial relationship with Him.  Because these masses of people are without familial relationship with God, they have raised biological children with whom they have very little familial relationship.  Therefore, the children are left with great spiritual and emotional needs.  The children seek all sorts of fulfillment for those needs.  Many choose drugs.  Many choose false religions.  But, among them are some who hunger and thirst after righteousness.  These are the ones who will be filled.

Many of us have chosen to believe that the christian church is a very large and widespread organization.  Unless one accepts that Jesus is a liar, however, this cannot be true.  Jesus said that the way is narrow and only a few will enter.  The Church of Christ is much smaller than we have been led to believe throughout its history.  This is not surprising in light of the pride of man.  Nor is it surprising that man who built organizations rather than people want those organizations to be as large and lucrative as possible.  To be sure, many of the people who have led to the building of these organizations have been men and women of good hearts with good intentions.  But, good hearts and good intentions are no better substitute for the plan of God than wood, hay and stubble are as a substitute for gold, silver and precious stones.  This is not to suggest that buildings made from wood and hay are not adequate temporary shelter.  Rather it is to make clear that such buildings simply will not pass the test of time.  They have no eternal significance.

Jesus told his disciples that the Kingdom of God is among us.  This was not to suggest that the kingdom is like a coffee table, sitting in the middle of a group.  Nor was it to suggest that the kingdom is like a box of chocolates being passed out among us.  Rather it was to suggest that the very fabric and nature of His Kingdom exist in the form of the relationships among us.  Primary, of course, is the relationship that each son of God has with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  But also, the relationships each son of God has with his brothers and sisters throughout the world are an integral part of the fabric and nature of His Kingdom.  Throughout the New Testament these connected relationships among the believers are emphasized over and over again.  We are talked about as the body of Christ.  We are talked about as a Temple made with living stones.  We are told that we are members of the body placed in it as it pleases Christ.  We are told that we are members of the body and belong to every other member.

Envisioning the close-knit nature of these relationships has been made extremely difficult in light of the teachings of modern churchianity.  As we look around the organizations that call themselves the church, we can gain no vision for what it means to be a disciple or a disciple maker.  For most of us, we would not know what a disciple looks like if we met one.  Throughout churchianity, there has been a substitution of better and better programs for any real personal relationships.  One local church pastor whom I know describes himself as being able to invent new programs faster than the old ones can fail.  As an imitation substitute for discipleship, many organizations have started mentoring programs.  Mentoring is the process of pouring good ideas from one man's mind into the mind of another.

Disciple making on the other hand, is the process of one man, pouring his spirit and life into another.  This process is one in which the two become engaged in a very close knit relationships.  And yet, contrary to much teaching that has been spread around, the relationship is not one of authority.  The disciple maker remains the brother of the disciple.  He is not in a superior position.  Indeed he is subservient to his disciple.  Jesus chose the most menial of tasks, the washing of His disciples’ feet, to demonstrate His understanding of their relationship.  In the act of washing those feet, Jesus demonstrated that his leadership in the kingdom of God is not based on his power and authority; rather, it is based on his love and servant hood.  This Man (at the time the only Son of God walking in the flesh on the Earth) had every right to exert His power, His authority, and His will over these men, whom He had created.  Instead, Jesus laid down his life for these men, as one who loves them and made himself a servant to them.

We are faced with a generation of young people who are looking for someone who will love them, set an example for them and serve them by leading them into the presence of the God of the universe.  Over and over again as we look about churchianity.  We see men who are modeling their style of leadership after the great captains of industry that they see around them.  This captain of industry leadership is a leadership that is based on position, power and authority.  But Jesus gave us a very different example of leadership.  The difficulty, of course, lies in this: Jesus’ style of leadership requires that we lay down our lives.  In it, there is no room for pride.  In it there is no room to judge the people whom we lead.  In it, there is no room for men, who will not go to the cross, laying down their lives for their friends.

The Holy Spirit has demonstrated and declared that He is choosing to operate differently among this upcoming generation than He has in past generations of the Church.  Among this new generation the Holy Spirit has been systematically turning away from those who would build groups and large organizations and turning toward those who would build the close-knit personal friendships and relationships.  We are being returned to the Great Commission.  We are being asked to stop building better and better clubs.  We are being asked to build disciples.  And it is those who have become our disciples, not the large crowds and the masses of people, whom we are instructed to baptize and teach.

It is time for all of us to change our focus and align ourselves with the purposes of God for this generation.

His, thus Yours,

Stuart