Thoughts On New Covenant Leadership

The Bible is filled with examples of great and not-so-great leaders and there are powerful leadership principles in both the Old and New Testaments. In this document, however, I focus mainly on New Testament Leadership because it is so radically different from secular leadership. Much of the leadership discussion in today’s church is based more upon secular ideas rather than the New Testament, and this needs to be corrected by a careful look at God’s Word!

Before we look at characteristics specific to New Covenant leadership, let’s view some leadership principles found in both the Old and New Testaments:

·     Leading is a matter of the heart. It starts with the heart (1 Samuel 13:14/Acts 13:22, 1 Samuel 16:7, Psalm 78:72, etc., and is marked by obedience from the heart (Acts 13:22).

·     Leading is the result of God’s call and is accomplished through the Holy Spirit’s anointing.

·     Leading is always done in community with other leaders. This principle is much clearer and more prominent in the New Testament, but it’s still present in the Old Testament. Despite our tendency to think of OT leaders as “loners,” Moses had Aaron, Miriam, and Joshua and the 70 elders leading with him; Elijah and Elisha had schools of prophets around them, David had Nathan and other counselors, etc. It’s best to think of biblical leadership in terms of a leading from within a community of people in mutual submission to one another rather than a “one man/woman show.” 

The Bible records a huge shift in how leaders lead with the beginning of the New Covenant. 

·     The nature of the people being led was radically changed by the New Covenant. 

·     New Covenant leaders are leading people who have the same relationship with God that the leader has. They lead people who can hear God in the same way they do. 

·     Nowhere in the New Testament are God’s people told to follow anyone except Jesus or the Holy Spirit. The leaders and people are to follow God together as a listening, loving community. 

This doesn’t mean that New Testament leaders don’t “lead” in some way, but their goal and how they lead is radically different from secular leadership. Let’s look at some of these key differences via some of the key leadership passages in the New Testament. 

Love Above All Else

John 13:34-35 (Wuest Translation) A commandment, a new one, I am giving you, that you should be constantly loving one another with a divine and self-sacrificial love; even as I loved you, you also be loving one another. In this all shall know that you are my disciples, if you constantly have love for one another. (Consider, too, the Apostle Paul’s many outpourings of love for his readers….)

We may forget that this is the most important characteristic of a New Testament leader. Those who lead must, above all else, truly love those they lead. Leaders in the church must constantly be asking themselves, “Do those I serve know by experience that I love them as Christ loves them?” One of the best ways to get accurate answers to this question is to ask this question of those you lead and those who lead with you. Willingness to deeply listen and to receive feedback, even hard-to-hear feedback, is one of the most important marks of a New Testament leader.

Serving Most of All

Mark 9:33-35 (NIV) They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.”

Mark 10:42-45 (NIV) Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” See also Matt. 20:25-28 & 23:8-12, Luke 22:24-27, John 13:1-17.

2 Corinthians 4:5 (NRSV) For we do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. See also Peter’s similar words in 1 Peter 5:1-4.

Jesus draws a very clear, impossible-to-miss, distinction between New Covenant leaders and leaders in this world. NT leaders are servants (Greek = “slaves”) above all else. They are not the boss, the top dog, the master, etc., but the servant. A good question for a leader to ask those s/he leads is, “How can I serve you?” or “How well am I serving those who have been entrusted to me?” 

Character not Charisma or Charisms (gifting)

Acts 6:3 (NIV) Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them. (Note that “full of the Spirit” refers as much to the fruit of the Spirit—character—as it does to the gifts of the Spirit).

1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NIV) Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. (See also 1 Timothy 3:8-13, Titus 1:6-8)

In the New Testament, proven character is the primary qualifier for leaders. This is because NT leaders were called to lead by modeling and by the influence of their proven character. Paul pointed to his character and his example many times. He would say with confidence, “All of you know…” (my character, and my good example, my hard work, etc.). Consider his words in Acts 20:18-19 (NIV) “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” (See also, 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12, 1 Timothy 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:10-15) Paul also said confidently, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” (1 Corinthians 11:1). We could list many more Scriptures, of course, but the bottom line is that New Covenant leaders are those who are able to say with confidence, “Come, hang out with me, get to know me. Treat your spouse the way I treat mine. Treat others the way I treat them. Handle your finances the way I handle mine. Imitate my life as I imitate Jesus.” 

Marked by Humility, Kindness and Gentleness

Matthew 23:1-12 (NIV) Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them. “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others. “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Philippians 2:5-8 (NRSV) Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited, but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.

2 Timothy 2:24-26 (NIV) And the Lord's servant (slave) must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Humility may be a given in the light of what we have said about being a servant and about character, but I highlight it because Jesus highlighted it. In the passage from Matthew, Jesus draws a sharp contrast between His followers and those “leaders” who craved human attention and respect. The Apostle Paul echoes this thought in Philippians where he urges all followers of Jesus to live with the same attitude of humility that Jesus displayed. Then, in his later letter to Timothy, Paul fleshes out what humble, servant leadership looks like: It is marked by kindness to everyone and gentleness even to those who oppose the leader. 

Humility, gentleness and kindness, however, do not preclude our leading with confidence nor the proper exercise of authority. Let’s look at New Testament authority.

The Authority of A Parent for the Purpose of Building Up

2 Corinthians 10:7-11 (NIV) You are judging by appearances. If anyone is confident that they belong to Christ, they should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as they do. So even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority (ἐξουσία) the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed of it. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.” Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.

2 Corinthians 13:10 (NRSV) So I write these things while I am away from you, so that when I come, I may not have to be severe in using the authority (ἐξουσία) that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.

Philemon 1:8-9 (NIV) Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order (ἐπιτάσσειν) you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. (Paul puts deliberately lays aside his authority because he knew that coercion never serves Kingdom purposes nor helps relationships.)

Titus 2:15 (NIV) These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority (ἐπιταγή—"strong command”)  Do not let anyone despise you.

Paul doesn’t mention authority very often in his letters, but when he does, he is remarkably consistent in referring to authority as given by the Lord for the purpose of building others up. (Even the strong words to Titus to exercise the authority Paul had delegated to him are in the context of building others up). Paul’s authority was rooted in his calling, his integrity and in his relationship as a spiritual parent. Consider:

1 Thessalonians 2:1-13 (NIV) You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority (βάρος). Instead, we were like young children among you. [NET: “although we could have imposed our weight as apostles of Christ; instead we became little children among you.”] Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Like leadership, authority is rarely mentioned in the New Testament. This may seem remarkable to those who live in human cultures built on hierarchy and coercive authority. But the New Covenant is about family, about relationships, about serving together and submitting to one another. This means that no matter what word is used for authority in the New Testament, the purpose for its exercise is always to build up and serve. It is rooted, of course, in the servant mindset Jesus described for those who lead in His Kingdom. NT authority is mostly hidden in the background, is based on character and love for others and is exercised in order to serve. 

Leading from within the Community

Acts 13:1-3 (NIV 1984) In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.

Because a New Covenant leader is hearing God with the people, not for the people, leaders lead from within a listening community. One the goals of New Testament leaders is to raise up those who are indeed led by the Spirit, who are internally motivated, guided by the Spirit rather than controlled by men. Leading as a part of listening community is one of the ways that NT leaders model and teach these things.  

 

As we noted in the beginning, Old Testament leaders also led from within a community but in the New Testament leading as part of a community was a given. Jesus sent the disciples out two-by-two (as a small community). Paul felt it odd to be alone in Athens (Acts 17). Paul always traveled with an apostolic band. Barnabas and Saul (Paul) were sent out as a community by the community (Acts 13 referenced above). Later, in Acts 15 we see Paul and Barnabas submitting their teaching to the community of leaders in Jerusalem. Leading from a community as a community seems to fly in the face of the individualistic leadership models so common in the US church, doesn’t it? I wonder how you and I can help shift our church culture to better match New Testament leading from/as a community….

A Summary of Some New Testament Leadership Truths

Here are a few truths about NT Leadership. New Testament leading is about…

·     Being a servant more than a supervisor and certainly not ever as merely a “boss.”

·     Leading from among and “below,” not from above.

·     Leading a family, not a flock of sheep (the shepherd passages in the NT are about how we care for folks not about leading a bunch of helpless, mindless animals).

·     Being a brother, sister, father, or mother not being a CEO. Submission in the New Testament is mutual and is based on a family paradigm.

·     Empowering, not controlling.

·     Releasing, not restricting.

·     Equipping more than accomplishing.

·     Invitation not coercion or compulsion. 

·     Influencing by means of character, trustworthiness and serving, not position (“positions” don’t exist in His Kingdom except the position of all believers as God’s beloved children and servants of God and one another J). 

 

 

  

Conspiracies, Deception and the Mark of the Beast!

     The following, a post on FB generated quite a response: "Why I never pay attention to conspiracy theories or worry about The Mark of the Beast:

• It’s not my job to protect myself (that kind of thinking comes from an orphan mindset). The Lord is my shepherd and He is committed to protecting His sheep. My responsibility is to follow Him, listen for and trust His voice, etc., not anxiously make sure I am not deceived. I am to focus on Him, not what the enemy is up to.
• If I stay humble and in community with other healthy believers, I won’t be deceived. John 10:2-5 (NIV) 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice.”

      When I made the FB post, I promised to write more about this here on my blog, so I will write a few thoughts here and also post links to earlier blogs on this subject.

     The point of my original statement is that fears about being deceived or fearful fascination with conspiracies, etc., are  unnecessary and even harmful for believers. Fear itself can be a doorway to deception! That doesn't mean, however that we are to live in la-la land! I gave hints as to how we can stay safe in the original post: humility, community, intimacy with Jesus, etc. When I first started hearing God's voice clearly and moving in the supernatural, I asked Him how I could be sure I wouldn't be deceived by these "subjective experiences." Here's what He said to me:

• Humility: His first answer was "Humility." It's proud people who are vulnerable to deception, not humble ones. Pride is what caused, the devil, our adversary to be deceived into thinking he could be equal to God. Pride is now one of our enemy's favorite landing zones. :-) But God gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-6) and that grace keeps us deep within His shalom and shelter.
• Community: God's second answer to my question (after humility) was community. People who allow mature and trustworthy others to speak into their lives won't be deceived. I have heard more than one wise leader say, "The way to be sure you aren't deceived is to trust someone more than you trust yourself." We need to be wise in whom we trust, but having community around us is essential. Isolation is often a first step down the path of deception.
• Scripture: The third thing Papa mentioned was, of course, His Word. Why is it listed third? Not because it's not the most important, but because it needs to be interpreted in community from a place of humility. And when I speak of Scripture I am speaking of the whole of Scripture and especially of the nature and character of God as revealed in Scripture. Psalm 119:104 is one of many passages that remind us of this: "From your precepts I gain understanding; this is why I hate every false way." (CJB 2016) 
• Intimacy: God's fourth answer to me was, "Stay close to me, remain intimate with me." After many years of living close to Him, I know a bit more about what He meant. I have learned that I can trust Holy Spirit to give me little nudges when I start to wander from living aware of Papa's presence. I have learned that He will also alert me to the temptation to pride, to any tendency to rationalize, etc. When we pray, "Lead us not into temptation" we are affirming that God will for sure lead us, dear ones! And our surrendered hearts that follow Him wherever He leads and our sensitivity to any movement away from Him will keep us secure and safe in the midst of His love and protection.
• Authenticity: God added this one to my list just recently. I have come to realize that most people who wander off track choose, at some point, to stop being honest with God, themselves and others. Community won't help us if we hide, and intimacy with God isn't possible if we are not fully honest with Him and with ourselves. Being alert to the slightest movement towards rationalization or compromise will help to keep us far from the big D.
• I could write more, of course, but perhaps my other blog entries will cover most of that! The links are at the bottom.

     But what about conspiracies? I am sure there are some conspiracies out there, but I know I can trust God to alert me to anything I need to know, especially if I live as described above. The same goes for  "The Mark of the Beast" and anything else that may come my way. The point of my original post on FB is to live focused on God and pay attention to what He is doing, trusting Him and others who know Him well (as evidenced by the fruit of their lives) to guide you and protect you as you live intimately with Him and join Him in advancing His Kingdom. 

     Here are the links to earlier thoughts: 

• Avoiding the Big D(deception)
• The Discerning Community, Part One
• The Discerning Community, Part Two

Stay lost in His love, safe in His arms,

Tom, one of Abba's sons

Avoiding the Big D (deception)

     This is an update of an earlier post (February 28, 2008). For many reasons, it is a good time to update it.
     As you probably know, the Internet has just about every kind of warning you can imagine about being deceived. Many of these websites generate a lot of fear with their self-appointed "ministries of warning" as they "inform" people about the dangers of being deceived in "the Last Days."
     Now the problem with being deceived, of course, is that you don't know you are deceived! So we do need to be wise and cautious about what we read, hear and allow into our minds and hearts. But we aren't left on our own in terms of being wise. The Bible offers some wonderful help (and assurances) to those of us who are born-from-above followers of Jesus. Here are a few of those biblical helps that will help you evaluate not only these "warnings" but the websites themselves and the things they warn about.
     First, the Apostle John supplies us with a way to check out various "spirits" and teachings. In 1 John 4:1-3 he tells us the test of any teaching/spirit is whether or not it confesses that Jesus Christ came in the flesh. When John first wrote those words, many false teachers were going around teaching something called "Gnosticism" which taught that "the Christ" never really became flesh (because of the Platonic view that all material things were corrupt). We can still use his test, though, because it's a good one: anything that lessens or diminishes either Jesus' humanity or His divinity or questions the mystery and miracle of Him being fully God and fully man should be thrown out. 
     Another helpful passage is Matthew 7:15-23. In this passage Jesus makes it clear that He expected His followers to be able to identify false teachers. We are able to detect false teachers/teaching by their "fruit." This means that we will be able to detect deception by determining whether a person's ministry is characterized by (and produces things) like increasing love for God and others, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, humility, generosity, etc. A second "test" Jesus gives is that those who are true and good will be obviously committed to knowing Jesus and His Father more and more intimately and clearly committed to obeying Him, etc., (as it implies in verses 21-23).
     The Apostle Paul also gives some keys to detecting things in his discussions about those who would try to deceive others. I won't list the passages for these, but some of the things Paul gave as indicators of deceivers are: they will be self-promoting and draw people to themselves more than to Jesus, they will be self-indulgent and self-oriented, they will proud and arrogant, focused more on earthly things than on the things of God, etc.
    Based on these "clues" and others in Scripture, it will prove helpful for you to ask questions like the following as you seek to discern truth and error.

• Does this (book, ministry, person, etc.) lead me closer to God as Father, Jesus as Lord, and help me to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit?
• How does this person treat others, especially the "unimportant," the unnoticed, the poor, the disadvantaged, etc.? For me, how people treat the "least" is a huge indicator about whether or not I should trust them.
• Does this website (book, message) cause faith or fear to rise up in me? Many of the websites out there that warn people about deception literally exude fear and cause fear to in those who read their stuff. Does that sound like God to you? Isn't He the one who is able to keep us from falling? (Jude v.23).
• Does it build people up, really?
• Does it respect those with other viewpoints even while correcting them? (See 2 Timothy 2:24-26)
• Does it "feel humble"? Pride and deception go hand in hand.
• Does it go against most of the rest of the Body of Christ? Many websites out there attack very well known leaders who are known by many to be godly, trustworthy people.
• Does this person who is warning me have a faulty view of Scripture? Many of the websites out there that warn people about everything under the sun are written by those who are stuck in a non-Biblical understanding of the supernatural (they are deeply afraid of it). They hold this faulty view because they are trapped in a western,  highly rationalistic worldview that is no more biblical than paganism. 
• I think you get the picture. Ask questions that relate to things like humility, love, kindness, etc. That will help on both sides of any issue. It will keep you from being filled with fear from those deceived people who are warning us about deception, and it will keep you from following someone or some teaching that may truly be deceptive.

     That's enough for now. And for the record, The Shack, as you know, has been used by God to bring untold numbers of people into a wonderfully close relationship with the God of Scripture, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Any who would suggest that it's a deception are simply missing its message, a message that reveals the loving and redemptive heart of Papa God.

Stay lost in His love!

Tom, the least of Abba's children

Praying for Our Nation

Tom's note: This is an update of a post I made on October 7, 2018. I have had two other visions (one a repeat) about our nation since I wrote the original one.

    This post was originally the fulfillment of a promise I made to our VCC family. It is not intended in any way to be a political statement but rather a call to pray for our nation and leaders as we are urged to do in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Historically, every great Spiritual Awakening has been preceded by fervent, united prayer and deep repentance. Here's what I saw on Friday night, October 4.
     During worship I was taken in my mind (taken in the Spirit) to Washington, D.C. I was sort of "in the air" looking down at the city. From that perspective I first saw a large church building that began to be clothed in fire (Heaven's Fire), and I heard the Lord tell me that spiritual awakening will begin to happen in this (and other) significant congregations in Washington, D.C. This building may have represented the National Cathedral, but it at the very least represented a key congregation or congregations in our nation's capital. As I was looking at the church building, I felt God encourage me to declare, "Fire, fire, fire..." (Those near me on Friday night would have heard me doing so.)
     The next thing I saw was thousands and thousands of angels assembled around the city. They were in battle array and ready to be deployed. They were to be deployed against the hordes of the enemy, which I could also see. The enemy's soldiers were like storm troopers and had already successfully penetrated the city with wave after wave of warriors. But God's armies formed a larger and fiercer army, and they were already unsheathing their swords and preparing for battle. I sensed God telling me that these Angel Armies were going to be fully released/activated by the prayers of God's people.
     The third thing I saw was a large worship banner with "Jesus" written on it being waved over the Capitol. This occurred as we were singing "What a Beautiful Name." I could not see who was waving this flag, but it was a clear picture (and, at the very least, another invitation to pray).
     I also saw Spiritual Awakening ("revival") come to at least four other places in the U.S.  I trust there will be more than these four, but these may have been shown to me to let us know that awakening is coming: I saw God's fire come upon Denver, Dallas, Houston and Redding, CA. Regarding Redding, I heard Papa say that "Fresh Fire" was coming to Bethel Church, Redding: a "revival of the Revival." I sensed that this is close at hand and will validate the rest of what I was seeing. 
    I submit this to you as one of the most significant visions I have had in quite some time, and I invite you to consider joining me in prayer for the purifying, renewing, strengthening Fire of God to fall upon our nation's capital--its key churches, our leaders, and everyone else, too, of course. 
     This is what has been added since the original post! Several months ago, I was again in worship and went in my mind to Washington, D.C. This time I aw a huge angel come to the Washington Monument and take the Masonic cap off of the monument and replace it with a cross. This is quite significant, methinks! 
     Three weeks ago, during a Sunday morning, I had a "repeat vision" of the Jesus banner being waved over the Capitol building. I had forgotten that I saw this in the first encounter, so I guess Papa wanted to reminded me about it. Again, the more I think about this, the more significant it seems in light of events in our nation since October 2018!
     I am not at all inclined to be "political," my friends, and am generally put off by politics. My calling is more to be a prophet to the larger Body of Christ, not to the US or US churches, so I am sure these pictures were given to me because they are yet another urgent call to prayer and repentance on the part of the Church in the US. Our nation is even more divided and more drenched in evil, compromise, hatred and spite (no matter what political stripes people wear) than 2 years ago. Will you join with the thousands of others who are praying in cooperation with God's heart? Will you choose not to be pulled onto the enemy's turf of hatred, judgment, assumption, etc., and choose instead to humble yourself before God while also living in expectancy of a Great Awakening? 

Praying for our sadly divided, broken nation with expectancy blended with sorrow...

Tom, one Abba's children

Have You Seen Him? The Key to Transformation

      Can transformation be as simple as living a "Father-fascinated life"? Is the "gaze of the soul" really the key to an ever deeper and more transformed life in Jesus. Today's rewrite of two older entries (from 2009) seeks to answer that question.
     "One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple." (Psalm 27:4, NIV)
     "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, NRSV, italics mine).
     Surely transformation can't be as simple as this, can it? Don't we need lots of effort and "oughts and shoulds" to be transformed? YES, it is this simple! And, NO, we don't need "oughts and shoulds." A focus on our own efforts makes deep transformation virtually impossible because it keeps the emphasis upon us. 
     Quite some time ago, I ran across a hymn by a rather obscure 19th century lover of Jesus, Ora Rowan (1834-1879), that still encourages me to the point of tears: God has always had people who understand that gazing at Him, really getting to know Him, is the key to transformation. See if you catch the message of this remarkable hymn (some words edited for clarity).

Hast thou heard Him, seen Him, known Him?
Is not yours a captured heart?
Chief among ten thousand own Him,
Joyful choose the better part.

Idols once they won thee, charmed thee,
Lovely things of time and sense;
Gilded thus does sin disarm thee,
Honeyed, lest thou turn thee thence.

What has stripped the seeming beauty
From the idols of the earth?
Not a sense of right or duty,
But the sight of matchless worth.

Not the crushing of those idols,
With its bitter void (emptiness) and smart (pain);
But the beaming of His beauty,
The unveiling of His heart.

Who extinguishes their taper
Till they hail the rising sun?
Who discards the garb of winter
Till the summer has begun?

'Tis the look that melted Peter,
'Tis the face that Stephen saw,
'Tis the heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw:

Draw and win and fill completely,
Till the cup o'erflow the brim;
What have we to do with idols
Who have companied with Him?

     It's hard for me to describe what the words of this hymn did to me the first time I read them! I hope you see what I see! I trust that you especially catch the lines that remind us that "duty" or attempts to crush "idols" don't lead to transformation.  Instead, it is the radiant "beaming of His beauty" and "the unveiling of His heart" that changes us. Who can know Him, really encounter Him and experience His love and power in an ongoing manner, and not be transformed?
     But so many well-meaning Christians would tell us we need to try harder! Surely something as simple as the deep surrender that comes through gazing at Him doesn't work, does it? Oh yes, dear ones! You cannot hear Him, see Him and know Him and not become ever more like Him.
     But is it really possible to be so "God-blinded," God-intoxicated, that our obedience flows from love rather than fear, duty or obligation? Absolutely! This is what Jesus modeled and intends for us to live out. It was Jesus' sense of the Father's constant love for Him and His love for the Father that enabled Him to obey the Father's will perfectly. This is made wonderfully clear in John's Gospel. Read it from the perspective of the love relationship between Jesus and His Father, and you will see it. 
     It was Jesus' ability to look into the Father's face that enabled Him to wrestle through the time of His suffering. And perhaps the most tender example of this is in the Garden of Gethsemane. In Mark's Gospel we find the one recorded evidence of Jesus using the term "Abba" for His Father (Mark 14:36).  There in the Garden, as He wrestles with things beyond our comprehension, His first word is "Abba" (Papa!), the word that His lips had first assigned to His Father when He was a child. And Luke's Gospel tells us that Abba answered Jesus' prayer, not by eliminating the cross but by sending angelic help (Luke 22:43).
     Furthermore, while Jesus was on the cross, in spite of popular songs that suggest otherwise, His mind was fully on His Father (not you and me). We see this in the seven sayings from the cross: His first record words are, "Father, forgive them..." and His cry of terror "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me" was clearly due to His sense of the Father's withdrawal (not in reality but the sense of it), and His final words are, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
     So I am convinced, my friends, that only by gazing at His Father's loving face (momentarily obscured at one crucial point) was Jesus able to endure the incomprehensible pain that He endured. The joy of obeying the One He loved the most (the "joy set before Him" described in Hebrews 12:2--note that the context is gazing upon Jesus just as He did upon His Father), the sense of His Father's complete trustworthiness and the constant awareness of His Father's love and delight are what enabled Jesus to say at the end, "It is finished."
     The question in all of this, of course, is "Do we think that some other, lesser motivation will work for us?" If Jesus lived loved and therefore lived fully and in total obedience, dare we think that we can do something different?

'Tis the face that Stephen saw,
'Tis the heart that wept with Mary,
Can alone from idols draw.

Gazing ever more intently,

Tom, one of Papa's little boys

Those Who Walk With The King...

This post in an update of an earlier one. In the process of working on a couple of books (at last!), I am rewriting some of my earlier posts that may be included in them. 

     When the movie rendition of Prince Caspian came out a few years back, I was really grieved because they portrayed Peter as such a jerk at times! The writers of the script brought his character down to the current level of poor character so typical for our generation. In the process of doing so, they almost completely obliterated the noble character of Peter that C.S. Lewis intended us to see. 

     The thing that is most wrong with this, I think, is that it completely misses the point of C.S. Lewis’ stories: those who "company" with Aslan are deeply changed. This is especially true of those who walk with him as kings and queens. Yes, Lewis himself writes of Susan’s later abandonment of some of the Narnian principles, but not in the way portrayed by those who rewrote the Caspian story. One of the main points of the Narnia Chronicles is the noble character of those who learn to walk as Kings and Queens with Aslan, the King of Kings.

     I have seen such true nobility in some of Jesus’ joint-heirs, those who will reign with Him and who walk with Him now as a Royal Priesthood. Yes, I actually know some of His royal brothers and sisters who really do live as He lived: confident but humble, richly generous and benevolent, noble of character and outlook, patient with the weak, and gracious with the broken. These people are in all walks of life, from the simple and weak to the powerful and highly sophisticated. Like their King, they don’t draw attention to themselves, but neither are they uncomfortable with greatness, should it come their way, because they recognize where true greatness comes from. Like their King, an air of peace, concern for others and nobility emanates from them like the fragrance of a heavenly rose.

     I think right now of the true stories of some of Jesus' kings and queens of who died with dignity in experimental gas chambers in the prisons of North Korea, people who were at peace even as they sought to protect their children who died with them. I think of a friend’s meeting with humble, self-effacing Chinese men who were also powerful overseers of millions of underground house church believers. I think of a quiet but courageous woman who has faithfully poured out love to the children in the poorest neighborhood in Las Vegas for many, many years. I think of a businessman who leads with grace and kindness as God has prospered him beyond anything he ever dreamed. I think of how he carries himself with quiet humility, freely giving away large sums as God leads without anyone knowing. I think of Nick, now in Heaven, who was one of the humblest and meekest of men I have ever met. He quietly served my dad's family business as janitor for many years. Nick had a quiet but rock-solid faith in Jesus. As I think of his gentleness and meekness so many years after his passing, I realize that he also carried the mark of a King, a nobility of character and grace. I think of a humble, but courageous, man I met in Papua New Guinea who has raised the dead but speaks of it with joyful meekness. And I think of many more royal souls, some of them loud and outgoing, some of them quiet and almost invisible. My life is rich with many kings and queens who have spent their lives in fellowship with the King of Kings.

     And it is this last thing, I think, that is the common thread in all of their lives and the reason that nobility hangs on them like a heavenly robe. Whereas some people may settle for a “get-out-of-hell free” ticket, for these remarkable souls “companying with their King” is the pulsating center of their lives. And in hanging out with their King, the fragrance of their King somehow has come permeate their lives. Make it so in me, in all of us, my King!

Hanging out with Royalty,

Tom, one of Abba's children

Pray for Our Nation

     This post is the fulfillment of a promise I made to our VCC family this morning. I promised to post the longer version of something I saw this past Friday night during worship. It is not intended in any way to be a political statement but rather a call to pray for our nation and leaders as we are urged to do in 1 Timothy 2:1-4. Historically, every great Spiritual Awakening has been preceded by fervent, united prayer and deep repentance. Here's what I saw.
     During worship I was taken in my mind (taken in the Spirit) to Washington, D.C. I was sort of "in the air" looking down at the city. From that perspective I first saw a large church building that began to be clothed in fire (Heaven's Fire), and I heard the Lord tell me that spiritual awakening will begin to happen in this (and other) significant congregations in Washington, D.C. This building may have represented the National Cathedral, but it at the very least represented a key congregation or congregations in our nation's capital. As I was looking at the church building, I felt God encourage me to declare, "Fire, fire, fire..." (Those near me on Friday night would have heard me doing so.)
     The next thing I saw was thousands and thousands of angels assembled around the city. They were in battle array and ready to be deployed. They were to be deployed against the hordes of the enemy, which I could also see. The enemy's soldiers were like storm troopers and had already successfully penetrated the city with wave after wave of warriors. But God's armies formed a larger and fiercer army, and they were already unsheathing their swords and preparing for battle. I sensed God telling me that these Angel Armies were going to be fully released/activated by the prayers of God's people.
     The third thing I saw was a large worship banner with "Jesus" written on it being waved over the Capitol. This occurred as we were singing "What a Beautiful Name." I could not see who was waving this flag, but it was a clear picture (and, at the very least, another invitation to pray).
     I also saw Spiritual Awakening ("revival") come to at least four other places in the U.S.  I trust there will be more than these four, but these may have been shown to me to let us know that awakening is coming: I saw God's fire come upon Denver, Dallas, Houston and Redding, CA. Regarding Redding, I heard Papa say that "Fresh Fire" was coming to Bethel Church, Redding: a "revival of the Revival." I sensed that this is close at hand and will validate the rest of what I was seeing. 
    I submit this to you as one of the most significant visions I have had in quite some time, and I invite you to consider joining me in prayer for the purifying, renewing, strengthening Fire of God to fall upon our nation's capital--its key churches, our leaders, and everyone else, too, of course. 

Praying for our sadly divided, broken nation,

Tom, one Abba's children