A few thoughts on 'hyper-grace'

I am reading 'Hyper-Grace: Exposing the dangers of the modern grace message' by Micheal L. Brown at the moment. It's well worth a read even though I disagree with some of his thoughts I think he raises some interesting points.

I passionately believe God is highlighting grace to the church in this hour. It is not a cheap grace but perfectly twinned with truth. It's aim is to awaken us to fresh zeal based on God's love for us so we realise we are well-equipped to be about our Father's business. 

Grace certainly does not dull us into inactivity in our walk with God or into a dishonour of Christ's bride, the church or her ministries. Nor does real grace lead us into an arrogant dismissive attitude towards God's Word to us in the Scriptures. Neither does grace lead us into a disrespectful relationship with the Holy Spirit or into the dangerous foolishness of universalism. This is no grace at all. 

My reading of books on grace by authors such as; Joseph Prince and Rob Rufus have actually encouraged me into deeper intimacy with God, as fear, condemnation and legalism start to dissolve away. I do think Brown is somewhat selective in his quotations of these two authors and does not really grasp the gospel of grace they present, which I believe to be empowering for many people in a life giving way. 

Having said that, we do need to avoid the more extreme views packaging themselves under the grace banner which I find Brown addresses thoughtfully in his book. 

For example some grace teachers can be as legalistic in peddling a version of grace as any other legalist peddling their pet doctrine. I have read and heard things said such as "you can't say 'there is a blessing in church commitment or in giving to God' - that is law."

Or, "you can't confess sin and mistakes to God as He has already forgiven you."

I do believe it is good to confess we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and in an intimate honouring relationship with Father God it is a mark of emotional maturity to admit when we have done something to grieve His Spirit. Brown raises this point well and believes as I do that 1 John 1:9 is a Scripture for the edification of the believer.

If we cannot admit to our Heavenly Father (even though He already knows) when we are wrong in action and heart, when we have have sinned and messed up the danger is we take no responsibility for grieving our relationship with God. Yes, He has brought us into relationship, but surely we don't want to become so clinical in our approach to God that we fail to show empathy in our relationship with Him.

I have experienced some believers taking hold of the grace message in an insular manner and not only in their relationship with God but also in relationship with others not owning up to mistakes, never saying sorry or asking for forgiveness and also taking relationships for granted. Again this can't be the fruit of grace.

One other danger with some proclaiming a version of grace is a subtle ebbing away at the need for the gathered church and the need for evangelism. Some deconstructionists have latched on to the topic of grace in order to 'grind an axe' at everything they despise about church and leadership. 

Using grace as a weapon of attack and deconstruction in the body of Christ is abhorrent. Please let us not use this beautiful message and transforming power of grace to simply infect the church with  rebellion and dissatisfactions in order to propel forward selfish agendas.

Whilst there are some dangers in some of Brown's interpretations I sense in reading, that his heart is for grace and not for legalism. The book is perhaps at best a call for wisdom to avoid all extremes (Ecclesiastes 7:18b)

Let us allow the grace of Jesus, which is God's love in action to transform us, to heal our hearts and deal with our rejections, hurts and orphan identities, and let grace transform us into passionate lovers of God (as we our passionately loved by Him), passionate lovers of the bride of Christ and passionate rescuers of those kidnapped royalty in the world around us. People all around us who need to accept for the first time the glorious message of the Gospel of grace and make Jesus Christ The Lord and Saviour of their lives.

Come on, He has saved us by grace through faith,  has bestowed this amazing free gift upon us of Sonship and has prepared glorious works for us to walk in. Let the longing of the whole of creation be fulfilled and satisfied as the true sons of God and the bride of Christ go about the Father's business.

Thoughts on Non-Hierarchical Leadership

Leadership in the Church is being challenged and is evolving and this can be healthy if it comes from a pure motive. The idea of moving from a hierarchical structure is appealing to many but for different reasons.

For some with big personalities founded on inferiority complexes the seeming absence of what they perceive to be autocratic leadership gives them the chance to seize power and claim a superficial allegiance to ‘team’ or ‘democracy’ or ‘non-hierarchical leadership’.

Many have been hurt by abuses of power in leadership and cry for change and this needs to be addressed and people need to be helped to find healing in the love of God and His people so they can trust again without embarking on a crusade to get rid of all leadership.

Some people desire an equal say in every decision in church life without a desire to take on an equal share of the responsibility that goes along with that.

The deconstructionist concepts of church purport that no leadership is required in local church expressions and we all lead together. This is a sweet ‘hippy’ notion but the dreams of such a paradigm that I have witnessed seem to end in a church family being deconstructed to a place of weakness or non-existence with a few people left who don’t seem to be able to function in any expression of church. These people seem only to be reconciled to their own opinions on how church needs to change, living in unreality, defining their lives through their ability to question everything, creating much frustration in themselves and in others.

I believe that many are genuinely seeking evolution in leadership from a healthy standpoint. Their desire is to see the church grow and mature and reach the world more effectively. I do not believe we need another system of leadership superimposed on us as the church. Moving from what we perceive to be hierarchical leadership to non-hierarchical leadership is not the full answer. If each of us moves completely out of fear and into love then we will have the leadership and community we desire. You may say this is not practical and I say, to lay our lives down for one another and to honour each other’s calling, gifting and function is intensely practical but it requires love on a supernatural scale.

Love-based non-hierarchical leadership is the way of the Trinity. It is an honouring and loving environment where each One lays themselves down for the good of the others. There is no selfish competition or political manoeuvring between the members of the Trinity. The only competition between Father, Son and Spirit is to out do one another in loving and preferring one another!

This kind of leadership has its foundation in love not fear. This template of leadership will not work amongst us if we remain insecure and fearful and orphan-hearted.

We all, no matter how spiritually mature we perceive ourselves to be need to allow the love of the Father to shape our image as His sons, the grace of Jesus to inform and unveil to us our identity and position in Him before the world began and we all require the daily fellowship of the Spirit to bring us healing, restoration of heart and a perception of others based on love.

A church culture needs to be a God-centric, Christ-centric, Holy Spirit-Centric family culture. Creating a family culture through only social events produces integration, creating it through a revelation of God’s love for us produces life, real relationships and reconciliation.

We are all equal before God as His sons. We are all sons of God and part of the bride of Christ. We are not all equal in gift and function and we need to be ‘grown up enough’ to celebrate, honour and release the different gifts amongst us.

Non-hierarchical leadership is not an absence of leadership and it does not work in a culture without honour because honouring each others gifts and functions empowers leaders to lead instead of us being stuck with people in position and having titles but not functioning as leaders or relating healthily together as leaders.

More than ever before, I believe the church does require strong leadership. Just because we may perceive ourselves to be strong does not mean we no longer require leadership, fathering and accountability. In fact if we feel no need of these things we are in deception and our assessment of our own strength is over inflated. I believe strong leaders still need to emerge today. A leader who leads with strength is not necessarily an autocrat or a creator of hierarchy just because they may not take onboard every one of our suggestions or desires.

I believe local churches still need someone to carry seniority in leadership gift and function and vision, supported by and accountable to a myriad of gifted leaders and people who function together for the good of the body and the extension of the kingdom. This is not a hierarchy. A hierarchy by definition does not function for the advancement of others but the advancement and preservation of itself. The church still requires leaders as shepherds who will lay their life down for the sheep, those who will die daily to recover and resurrect people into their purpose and life in Christ.

Just as in family life, mum and dad don’t live primarily to be recognised and admired as ‘mum and dad’ by their children but actually live for the benefit of their kids coming through to healthy adulthood. Releasing to them responsibility and resource, even if it means they have to give away that which they have built by God’s grace or that which has been given them by their spiritual forefathers. Love can only liberate and release, fear holds and inhibits and calls that practice ‘wisdom.’

For me, non-hierarchical leadership is seen where leaders lead in love and through their God-given authority, their gift, their function and their service not through title or position bestowed by man. Where leaders lead out of relationship and shared life together not out of business meetings and pecking orders. Leadership is not bestowed as a reward upon the greatest servant in the church community - this is a childish notion. However godly leaders will serve willingly as they live for something greater than themselves. They serve out of love, not out of hope for recognition or preferential treatment.

I have the privilege of being friends with many young leaders coming through who simply have a heart to see God’s dream for man become a reality in our day. I am a friend of many older leaders and fathers and mothers in the faith who have lived in the light of God’s dream and continue to serve to bring it about. I am excited about the future of the church so let us not get bogged down in a navel gazing inward looking irrelevant debate on what leadership method is required but let us be the family of God together, allowing God to heal us and restore us and bless us to be a blessing. We are here for the restoration of all things spoken by our Heavenly Father through the prophets we are not here to impose our vision of perfect church on each other. I conclude with the beautiful Scriptures:

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion...

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 - Romans 12:3-16+21

Staying Clear of Being Irrelevant

Being relevant has little to do with adapting to the culture of the day or adapting our style to the fads of the day. Jesus was relevant because He was and still is full of life as God lives life. He genuinely loved others and cared more about God's truth and heart than the earthly wisdom which governed the hearts of the people of the day. Having said that if the ministry of Jesus we see in the Gospels took place in our day I think He would use all forms of modern communication and social media to get the message of the gospel of God's grace out to the masses. Thank God many expressions of church are waking up to the need to engage with society using all sorts of methodologies to mobilise Christians and get the message of God's love out there. As long as your method is birthed in God, is full of the life of His Spirit and it is not promoted by attacking or depreciating other methods then go for it.

The ability to meet the needs of people in every way in whatever generation will always be relevant.

We have all of heaven as a resource base and being at home moving in the supernatural love and power of God has timeless relevance to it. The Gospel brings challenges to this generation like every preceding generation. a challenge to self-reliance and independence by accepting a Saviour and the need to belong and also a challenge of who rules  - The God who is Love or our own selfishness. 

By accepting everything in society at large as positive we only find cultural acceptance and inclusion into a liberal community based on the ideology of pluralism. We may be seen as relevant but in that moment we become powerless to help anyone become who God intended them to be. Pluralism is supposed to accept any view and acknowledge its subjective relevance. However absolute grace and truth through the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not acceptable as the truth as all 'truths' are deemed to be relative. What a mixed up world where the only message and lifestyle (the Gospel and the lifestyle of a follower of Jesus) that brings purpose, security, freedom and inexhaustible possibilities to humankind is seen to be irrelevant!

If the communities of Christians around the UK want to be of eternal relevance then let us stick to what we know works without being intimidated by the bullish shouts of liberal philosophy and the sarcastic jibes of neo-atheism. The Gospel of the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is still the power of God to wholeness and salvation for everyone who believes (Rom 1:16). It is still relevant today and we need to ask the Father to give us fresh confidence in our message. St Francis of Assisi never ever said "Preach the Gospel all the time and if you must use words". St Francis was a prolific preacher of the Gospel! Let this message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ constantly be preached and chatted about, witnessed to, and discussed with miracles, signs and wonders pursuing it. May this message make us to be signs, miracles and wonders as the children of our God. Let us not cast away our confidence in who we are in Christ and who Christ is in us to fit in with a culture of mediocrity that pressures us to conform to its pattern of short term gain and eternal destruction. 

If we want to really stay clear of being irrelevant than I would suggest we need to rediscover who we really are and let our Gospel flourish in our hearts and through our mouths and lives. God has given this promise;

"The Gospel of God's salvation has been sent to the Gentiles and they will listen." (Acts 28:28)

Another way of stating this would simply be; "The Gospel has been sent to people and it will be relevant to them."

Let us not water down our message of the Gospel of Grace to please the religious legalist or the 'self-made man syndrome' behind much atheism. We were not created to blend in and try to be relevant to cultural norms we were created to blaze trails, to break new ground to journey on paths yet to be worn down. We are created in Love, for Love and with the message of Love that can transform every person and situation for the good and glory of God. 

Rediscover Scripture

I am encouraged of late with a deeper passion for God’s Word. I am rediscovering the joy of meditating on the Scripture. Not for a message, talk or meeting but just because it is awesome stuff. I am listening to less podcasts and reading less books that agree with my fixed position of thought and experience on things and just enjoying Father's Word moving on in this pilgrimage. I hope I can encourage you in the same way.

The same Holy Spirit that lives and abides in us is the same Holy Spirit that inspired the Scriptures. It is a living book to those who are God-breathed and it is a significant place of encountering Jesus for many millions across the earth.

We would know and experience little reality of the Gospel, the love of God, the grace of Jesus, the fellowship of the Spirit, the kingdom of God, God's purpose and our identity in Him (the list is inexhaustible) without Scripture. For many the Scripture is the starting point and remains a lamp unto their feet and a light unto their path on the journey.

I have heard it say "Well we have had the Bible for two thousand years and the world is still not saved and the church is still weak. What we need is more Spirit or more Presence or more of the Father's love."

Yes, absolutely, we need much greater emphasis on the love of the Father, undoubtedly. We need more of the Holy Spirit, more of His presence.

We also need more hunger for the Scripture.

I am totally up for more visions, dreams, angelic visitations, heavenly encounters and Holy Spirit manifestations. I completely desire to experience more of the Father's love, and let His love overflow through me, reaching out to others in miracles, signs and practical service.

I am totally convinced that all these marvellous wonders are enhanced by an honour and love of the Father's book, the Bible.

Many awesome servants of God throughout the centuries were martyred to get the Scripture into our hands, please don't leave it on the shelf and worse belittle it's importance in your life and in the lives of others you influence.

One of the greatest men of presence and Spirit that has lived in the last 150 years was Smith Wigglesworth, and he loved the Scripture it was all he ever read. It is documented that Smith kept a pocket New Testament with him wherever he went.

We are not asked to ditch the word to run with the Spirit we have been given both let us honour both by receiving both into our hearts! Let's encounter Jesus through His Spirit and His Word.

It is so exciting to hear of The Holy Spirit moving all over the earth. I am excited about all the awakenings and moves - if people are getting saved and lives are being transformed it is always Jesus!

Revival history does teach us that those swept in to the Kingdom can be sifted and shifted out and not remain unless we root them in the love, presence and word of God. Let’s not repeat the mistakes of times past.

Now please don't run away in offence and get out your latest pentecostal paraphernalia or your latest podcast from Bishop Dr Billy Boose Boose (fictitious) or some other flavour of the month. Instead, please open your heart, meditate on the Scriptures and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus to you and fall in love again with Jesus and find a passion for His words.

Deut 32:47

"For they are not meaningless words to you but they are your life, and by them you will live"

Psalm 138:2

"For You have magnified Your word above all Your name."

Luke 24:27

And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

Luke 24:32

And they said to one another, “ Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”

1 Cor 15:3-4

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

2 Tim 3:14:17

"But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of,

knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

I hope the preceding verses encourage you to rediscover the most beautiful, artistic, creative, life-filled, and exciting book in the world – the Bible. In your adventure of revelation by the Spirit I hope you encounter afresh the loving Father and wonderful Saviour who authored Scripture for our hope, comfort and instruction.

Love Has Backbone

God is love. 

Love is not politically correct, completely inclusive above all else. Nor is love highly judgemental, critical or cynical. Love cares for justice, the needy, the lonely, the abandoned, love cares for everyone but does not tolerate everything. Love has no fear. 

When our motives in life spring from the love of God within us then they are pure, and passionate and gracious and strong. Love has the courage of conviction. Love finds a way where there is no way. Love is tenacious. 

The Apostle Paul put it this way:

"Love endures long and is patient and kind; love never is envious nor boils over with jealousy, is not boastful or vainglorious, does not display itself haughtily.

It is not conceited (arrogant and inflated with pride); it is not rude (unmannerly) and does not act unbecomingly. Love (God’s love in us) does not insist on its own rights or its own way, for it is not self- seeking; it is not touchy or fretful or resentful; it takes no account of the evil done to it [it pays no attention to a suffered wrong].

It does not rejoice at injustice and unrighteousness, but rejoices when right and truth prevail.

Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening].

Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end]."

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8 Amplified Bible).

This is love, love with backbone, non-sentimental, beautiful, creative, glorious love. This kind of Love decided to humble Himself and hang on a cross for a people and a world that rejected Him. The Bible says love is stronger than death. Love creates warm and brave people not a conveyor belt full of soft and sickly personalities.

Christianity is different from any other belief system in many ways, but for me, primarily at the heart of this faith isn't a god who needs to be appeased or a god who demands to be loved and adored but a God through Jesus Christ who loves us completely and brought us into true peace in Him.

This kind of love and grace is so overwhelming it causes us to give our all. If we haven't really experienced God then we won't understand that glorious compulsion. This compulsion is not an external legalistic imposition but an inward decision of a free man in Christ. Upon reading the responses of the early disciples to their new life in the love of Christ. I do not find any room in their hearts for passivity or apathy or inactivity in extending the Kingdom being justified as 'resting in grace'. Grace is free but it it not cheap. We need a people to arise motivated by love just like Jesus to draw a line in the sand and with great conviction stand up and bring hope into situations of despair and condemnation. 

The spirit of the age is fear. Let our conviction of truth in the Word of God be immersed in the love of the Father, the grace of Jesus and the dynamic fellowship of the Holy Spirit. Perfect love casts our all fear. Perfect love is never compromised by fear and perfect love has backbone and conviction to stand for truth.

The Pope, the Archbishop and Opinions

“Well, if you want my opinion…” 

I have heard that statement so much over the last few days concerning the recent appointments in the Catholic and Anglican communities. I have also read so many opinions on line, on ‘facebook’ and in the newspapers. Therefore I thought I would add an opinion about these issues for what it is worth and also an opinion about opinions!

Even though I would neither identify myself as an Anglican or a Catholic, but as a follower of Jesus. I was for the most part blessed to hear something of the nature and faith of both, the new Pope, Francis and the new Archbishop, Justin Welby.

Firstly the Pope, regardless of all that Christians and non-Christians alike criticise the Catholic Church for it was refreshing to hear a Christian leader talk of brotherhood and helping the poor and living well but living simply. Pope Francis seems to portray characteristics of Christ in his life. I believe it is God’s heart to pray for him to live from a continual encounter with Jesus.

Secondly, the Archbishop has stood up publically for Christian marriage values. He is clearly an evangelical and more importantly he clearly communicates a friendship with Jesus. I am also aware He is baptised in the Holy Spirit. He also needs our prayer.

Neither, the Catholic Church or the Anglican Church is a blueprint for what church looks like from a New Testament perspective. Actually, we really only get glimpses of what church can be when reading Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles.

I believe in the offices of ministry stated in Ephesians 4 by the Apostle Paul, I believe in these ministries as foundational to church life and maturity and to the church being an agent of the Kingdom of God into this world system. I believe in the priesthood of all believers, I believe in one holy nation under God made up of those from every tribe and tongue purchased by the blood of Jesus. I believe in the restoration of all things and in covenant relationships and Kingdom advance.

I also believe in the restoration of the person and their identity in Christ, not just the restoration of the church as community.

I believe that the Love of the Father needs to motivate every ministry and be the core of every office.

I believe the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is to be the empowering gift for every believer to live a life worthy of the calling they have received, free from condemnation and fear.

I believe that only through fellowship and continual immersion in the Holy Spirit, in whom the Kingdom of God pulsates and advances, will we be ministers of reconciliation and be appealing and convicting to those around us both attracting them to and convincing them of Jesus and all he has accomplished.

I believe that God is judge, and not you or I, and for too long we have judged the world, the church, the denominations and each other. It is time to partake in our heavenly calling, not to judge in a condemning fashion but love from a heart being healed by the presence of God. It is time to stand tall and pray for our Christian brothers and sisters who call on the name of Jesus and not criticise them because we believe they might be ‘in error’.

I don’t believe the monarch or a Pope is the head of the church – Jesus is the head of the church and as the head of the church and the Lord of my life he has asked me to follow him not criticise everyone else in their understanding without expressing love and solidarity towards them.

The unbiblical nature of the foundation of the Church of England has not stopped God moving in an amazing way through the Alpha Course – an Anglican ministry.

The hierarchical structure of the Catholic Church and their non-scriptural practice of praying to saints and to Mary have not stopped the Holy Spirit moving upon the Catholic church to the point that a high percentage of the Cardinals who met for the recent conclave are baptised in the Holy Spirit.

Doesn’t this say something of the heart and nature of God and give us something to imitate as dearly loved children?

Religion and fads are always a concern for the body of Christ and those who care for the church. Even out of the ‘New church movement” in the UK we have seen division and schism, elitism and the experiments of deconstructionism, but we have also seen so much blessing and revelation flow from this movement to the wider body and to the nations.

Thank God the church is becoming more ‘missional.’ Thank God Christians are serving their communities. Thank God that Christians, no matter what label, are standing up for what they believe in grace and humility.

The bottom line surely is this – no matter how great our revelation is of the church, how deep our sound doctrinal roots go, how wide our mouths open to argue our position or how vast our apostolic and prophetic insight and influence is, we remain narrow as people and shallow as leaders if we choose judging and criticising and speaking against others over loving, serving, nurturing, believing in and listening to others.

Let us be slow to thrust our opinions and interpretations on others and be quick to share God’s love and God’s Word. Let us stop being against things and live for the One who gave all for us. Let us throw off every hindrance of spiritual pride and doctrinal superiority and get excited about Jesus again and turn the world upside down or possibly the right way up!

The Love, The Presence and The Word

For some out there what I am about to write here may be difficult to read at times because of your own journey and before we go any further I want to assure you that I love to be in the tangible presence of God and carry His tangible presence and I love all the wonderful encounters with our Father that He gives us.

My attempt here is to simply highlight the need for us to be anchored in the Word of God and by the Spirit of God and to let our experiences of God be amazing additional adventures into closer intimacy with Him.

Some popular Christian books have passionately declared the need to “chase after” the presence of God.

Well God is not running away from us that we have a need to ‘chase after Him’, and the cloud of glory in Solomon’s temple now resides in the temple of God on earth that is the people who make up the Body of Christ.

There is however a great power in the action of corporate praise

Why?

Praise means speaking or singing God’s creative word under the Anointing of the Holy Spirit. There is a manifestation when His people praise Him with faith-based praise. Songs birthed from intimacy with God and from revelation of His nature and purpose, anointed by the Holy Spirit when sung will produce a substance of manifested Word. This is the glory of God, people can get healed, delivered, convicted of their need for a Lord and a Saviuor, whole cities and nations can be covered with a glorious presence as God’s people move in the power of praise and prayer. You only have to read the accounts of this happening in the lives of Charles Finney, Sadhu Sundar Singh, John G. Lake and other heroes of faith to be inspired that it is possible in our day and even in our nation.

God’s response to His people in praise is not based on the emotion of the people or the numbers of people there. His response is based upon Anointed faith-filled words being sung out of the overflow of hearts filled with His glory. God longs to touch us in our emotions and is touched by ours but He acts upon faith expressed in Him and in His Word

What does praise accomplish?

Well, firstly, it stills, silences the enemy according to Psalm 8: 2. It puts him in a stupor. A great deal of what passes for praise and worship today seems to be guitar driven entertainment where the congregation remains in a stupor rather than engaging with God and participating in high praise.

According to Psalm 149: 6 - 9 Word based prayer and praise when in the mouths of believers – ‘inflicts vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, to bind their kings in fetters their nobles with shackles of iron, to carry out the sentence written against them this is the glory (goodness) of all His saints’.  The glory of the saints is to praise and manifest God’s glory in spiritual government over nations, and principalities and powers.

   

Psalm 22:3 (KJV) “ But thou art holy, O thou that inhabits the praises of Israel”

Psalm 22:3(NRSV) “Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel”

An interpretation of this verse could describe how God does not come down to honour the praises of His people but he actually inhabits, lives in the very praises themselves, because praise is prophetic speaking, God-kind of speaking, and you cannot separate God from His Word.

The New Revised Standard Version gives the idea of God being enthroned through the prophetic speaking of His people. Perhaps through our praise God’s rule is made more prominent in our lives and in our sphere of influence and beyond that’s why the Psalmist says “I will praise the Lord at all times I will constantly speak His praise” Psalm 34: 1 (NLT)

The prophet Moses in one of his epic conversations with God raises some interesting questions about the importance of presence.

Exodus 33:14-19 (NIV)

“ The Lord said ‘My presence will go with you and I will give you rest.’ Then Moses said to Him. ‘If Your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. How will anyone know that You are pleased with me (individual) and with Your people (corporate) unless You go with us? What else will distinguish me and Your people from all the other people on the face of the earth? … Then Moses said ‘Now show me Your glory’ And the Lord said ‘I will cause all My goodness to pass before you.”

What does this passage really tell us about the need for the presence of God?

What was Moses really asking for when he asked for the presence?

The word presence there in Hebrew means face or favor. Moses was not requiring to feel the sensation of God’s tangible presence wherever he goes, but was asking God to distinguish between the people of Israel and all the other peoples on the face of the earth by favor. Now favor is recognized when God’s goodness is seen in the visible realm. Interestingly enough in chapter 34 God enables Moses to receive the new stone tablets upon which were written the very words of God. This Word was carried in the Ark of the Covenant by the priests and went in front of the people on all their journeys. The Word that went before them produced favor wherever they went. We as priests of God need to carry His Word to our generation and manifest His glorious favor. When Joshua took over from Moses, the people had to mature quickly and simply follow the Ark containing the Word of God and not the cloud of smoke or pillar of fire. (See Joshua Chpt 3). In chapter 6 of the book of Joshua it can be clearly seen that the people’s obedience to shout the Word of the Lord was rewarded in the glorious manifestation of the walls of Jericho falling down. A sovereign presence of God did not bring about this miracle but a people in obedient partnership with the Almighty, together brought down the walls of Jericho. God’s instruction to Joshua as the new leader was not to wait for the ‘felt presence of God’ before you do anything. But the instruction was to ‘not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it then you will be prosperous and successful.’ (Joshua 1:8)

God said this to a man who knew what it was to be in the tangible presence of God.

Ex 33:11 (NIV)

‘The Lord would speak to Moses face to face as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.’

Obviously Joshua loved the presence of God.

Joshua served the man of God for forty years.

Feeling the presence of God and being available to serve are two great characteristics of leadership, but to be face to face with God is to be in His Word and be communing with His Spirit and to be intimate with our Father is the first priority. In that place we not only feel God but we hear him and the ‘eyes of our heart’ see Him. It is an intimacy deeper than only touching our emotions. (But our emotions will be deeply touched too which is wonderful!)

Clearly from Joshua 1:8 we see God is looking for leaders who speak and action out what they see and hear from Him. Surely at the end of the day to be intimate with the Father and carry out the Lord’s instructions and His will as a leader, shepherds the people and is more beneficial to the people than only putting out chairs and letting them enjoy their own agendas. The correct image of God is created by the living Word of God, if this is not in first place in the lives of believers then what image of God are we worshipping in our gatherings? The Spirit of God and the Word of God give us the real image in our hearts of what Jesus is like. An image that is not fully built upon the Love of God and the Word of grace and the Spirit of Jesus is perverse and creates a religious deception or an illusion instead of a clear image of God. Perhaps the reason why many Christians have become disillusioned and have fallen away is due to the fact that God did not meet up to the illusionary image they had of Him. People do not get disillusioned if they have no illusions! The truth, what is real, reality is found in relationship with the Father and in the Word. Jesus said this; ‘… if ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth and the shall make you free’ (John 8:31-32 KJV)

The writer to the Hebrews put it this way; “We must pay careful attention to what we have heard so that we do not drift away.” (Heb 2:1 NIV) Notice he doesn’t say ‘pay careful attention to what we have felt or to our experience or to our circumstances or sufferings, not even to what we have seen with our physical eyes’ but he tells us the way to not drift away is simply to give close attention to what we have heard from our Father through His word living in our hearts. Please don’t simply desire to be in the presence of God for feelings sake or to jump on the latest bandwagon of conferencing. I have nothing against conferences – I speak at some and go to a few myself at one particular conference a church leader came up to me who I had never met before and asked me the usual insecure question that some church leaders ask - “how many people are in your church” and when I responded 350,000 which is the size of the city I live in he wasn’t best pleased but upon leaving the conversation said – “anyway, its great to be in the Father’s Love isn’t it?” I asked God for more love for him right there otherwise in my own strength I probably would have got into a ‘heated debate!” You see the Father’s love is not a brand or a tag line it is not a corporate identity. The Presence of God is not for us simply to consume but to be consumed by. His presence and His love are for us to receive so that we are forever changed. Please when you gather as the church which is important and go about everyday of your life simply desire to meet with Your heavenly Father face to face – to live in that place of knowing His face shining upon you, giving you peace and therefore becoming a peace maker and peace giver (nothing missing, nothing broken and everything completely put back together)– seeing yourself no longer an orphan but a dearly loved child and being seen as a son of God.