This is just a note to inform you that we have a podcast. You can log on to it at:

http://kingdomrising.podomatic.com

Along with myself, Carman Niesley, is Jim Collier with whom I collaborate not only in the podcast, but also in other facets of ministry here in the Harrisburg area of central Pennsylvania. Eventually we want to make this podcast interactive with our listeners.

We trust that these podcasts will not only encourage and inspire, but also challenge and confront in a way that will cause listeners to evaluate and think, or rather rethink some of the accepted practices within Christianity that need to be questioned if we are to advance the kingdom of God in the 21st century. 

If ever there was a time to reconsider the label "Christian", it is now. The terrorist responsible for the Norway killings claimed to be a Christian, which was immediately picked up by the media who lost no time in making sure that everyone knew this terrorist was a Christian.

Yet this terrorist, Anders Behring-Breivik, writes in his manifesto that he does not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, but believes in Christianity, "as a cultural, social identity and moral platform." This, he says, "makes [me] Christian."

And there it is, Christianity is nothing more than a "cultural, social identity and moral platform". Whether we want to admit it or not, what Behring-Breivik says is spot on concerning conventional Christianity. It has nothing to do with being disciples of Jesus.

For some time now, I've been reluctant to call myself a Christian. Now I have the perfect illustration to support that reluctance. In fact, if asked whether I am a Christian, my answer will be "no". As followers of Jesus Christ as Lord, we need a new identity totally separated from the corrupted word "Christian".

I much prefer to call myself a disciple of Jesus. Though I have a long way to go, I'm in the process of learning how to live like Jesus in the love of the Father, to touch others with that love.

Saying one is a disciple of Jesus keeps Him front and center. He must be the focus, not a religious doctrine or ideology.

Throughout humanity's existence, the basic desire of every individual is to have his/her own way. In order to achieve this end, it is necessary to gain control, which invariably involves manipulation. This is inherent in human nature, as we have witnessed even small children manipulating their parents to get their own way. As small children mature, they become more sophisticated in using manipulative tactics in their teen years and finally as adults. Let's face it, we've all done it, whether we were aware of it or not, simply because it is part of the human condition.

However, it's in the political arena and the corresponding media coverage that manipulation has been made into an art form. Terminology has been developed, hiding the fact that the public is intentionally being manipulated with the information that is being presented. While the term "spin" is widely known, most people do not equate it with manipulative propaganda designed to influence public opinion in favor of the source's agenda. William Safire, writing in the New York Times (December 22, 1996), notes that "spin" is often, though not always, deceptive and highly manipulative. These are the kind of tactics that have historically been associated with totalitarian regimes. Yet, now it is common practice of every government and every political party. That which was always attributed to tyrants and megalomaniacs has now become the conventional form for all who rule or hope to rule. Therefore, people are caught in the spin of those vying to govern them.

We are naive if we believe the incessant propaganda spewed forth by the spin-doctors promising their agendas will alleviate the overwhelming problems plaguing society. It's all a ploy to gain and maintain control. All of their plans are ultimately doomed to failure. In the words of Albert Einstein, "The thinking which created the problems we have today is insufficient to solve them."

Enter Jesus and his agenda. His thoughts are not our thoughts, neither are his ways our ways. It will take something that doesn't originate from this world to solve the problems created by this world's thinking. It requires a creativity that is above and beyond even the greatest composite wisdom of humanity. It is here we must take note of Jesus' words to a ruler in this world's system: "My government is not of this world."

Ah, there is hope! But it doesn't rest in the flawed plans of men. It looks expectantly to Jesus assuming his rightful governmental authority over all the earth, in glorious truth without any need of spin whatsoever. In the meantime, we will occupy by the governmental principles of his agenda until he comes.

Are we fast approaching a tipping point? Are we on the threshold of climatic circumstances converging to launch us into a sphere of action no one alive today has ever been before?

National and global events taken into consideration suggest that something is afoot that is beyond the control of the human mechanisms that have been put in place to maintain the status quo. Futurists and experts in disciplines ranging from economics to ecology, from politics to religion, from science and technology to nationalism, and everything in between have floated out all kinds of scenarios. While everyone seems to have a theory, no one really knows, except that most all are agreed that something major is coming.

All of this sounds so ominous, if not downright apocalyptic. Yet, throughout history there have been tipping points that transitioned civilizations from one era to another. All the signs point to another paradigmatic transition where life as we know it will cease to exist as a new order bursts forth. What is this new order? That's anybody's guess.

There is much talk about a new world order. However, there are all kinds of interpretations as to what that new world order will be. To the political progressives it will be a socialist state that will span the globe, ushering in a one-world government that will bring equality to all. To the political conservatives here in America it means a return to traditional values and adherence to the Constitution. To the Muslim world it means the establishment of a caliphate while to evangelical Christians it means the second coming of Jesus Christ. Though there are radical differences that separate the different groups and their ideologies, the common denominator is that they all recognize that there is a phenomenal change looming on the horizon that is about to engulf the whole world.

So the question is put forth, "What can we do?" Many pose this question seeking an answer as to how to avert the coming disruption of life, as we know it. To that, there is a simple one-word answer: "nothing". We are witnessing from within, the march of history to its climax. There is this sense that we now stand at the juncture of two great historical epochs, one passing away before the onrushing new epoch about to take its place.

There is however, one constant. The writer of Hebrews makes this declaration: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever." With the upheaval of all that was so stable, we have hope and confidence in the one who is the Lord of history. 

"Walking in the Spirit" and "filled with the Spirit" are common phrases, especially in charismatic and pentecostal circles. These are biblical terms, but are often misused. Too often we fail to interpret the Scriptures properly simply because we're doing so through a western 21st century lens. This lens is overwhelmingly individualistic in its perspective. And therein lies the problem. The Scriptures, for the most part, are addressing a corporate people.

Seldom do we use the aforementioned phrases concerning the Spirit in a corporate way. By neglecting to recognize the corporeity  of these "Spirit" phrases, we have forfeited life in the Spirit as God intends. The sad result is a rejection of the Spirit-led life because of subjectivity. The distrust of an individual to correctly hear and interpret the voice of the Spirit has led to the substitution of the Bible for a living relationship with the Lord. This is a form of idolatry.

In the context of relational community, there is the dimension of walking in the Spirit that is impossible to experience individually. It's the community being directed by the Spirit of God whereby the individuals within that community have a joy of knowing they are moving in the Spirit. But there is another ingredient that is part of this walk in the Spirit, and it is the missional aspect.

The Spirit of God is all about mission because that's what God is engaged in. The mission of God is directed and administrated by the Holy Spirit here on planet earth. So any community of God's people must be missional if they are to walk in the Spirit. The fact that so many are not missional, whether individually or corporately, clearly indicates a lack of life in the Spirit. But in a missional community whose being and purpose is to be directed by the Spirit, one is immersed in the midst of Spirit-led life.

This morning I was reminded of Jeremiah 29:7: "And seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf; for in its welfare you will have welfare."

This verse is especially pertinent due to our present circumstances. The primary story here in Harrisburg is the financial crisis of the city. Being the capitol of Pennsylvania, this crisis has brought unwanted publicity from the national news services such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CNN among others.

Due to a botched scheme to retrofit its state of the art trash incinerator, Harrisburg now has a $310 million debt that threatens to bankrupt the city. After six months' work, a state task force just issued its 400 plus page report to resolve this crisis. This report contains nothing creative; instead, it is the product of a slash and burn mentality that ravages the city even more with the curtailing of services, the laying off of police and firefighters, and increasing taxes on the residents.

As you may have guessed, this report was not well received by city officials. But here's the kicker: the city now has 25 days to review this report and accept it, or come up with a new plan of their own, something that took the state task force 6 months to accomplish. What idiocy! Failing to do so, the city would then fall into the hands of a state appointed group to oversee the city. And if the state appointed task force that issued this report is any indication of what to expect, the immediate future looks bleak indeed.

All agree that this is a tremendously difficult problem we're facing. There is no magic wand that can be waved to make it vanish. Hard decisions and hard work will be required to overcome the present dilemma. But it can be done. History recounts numerous occasions of seemingly impossible circumstances that were overcome.

We see Joseph being used of God to effectively deal with the famine that hit the land of Egypt. I believe that what God did through Joseph, he desires to do through his people in any given area, to be a blessing and a source of God's provision. I believe God's people hold the key to Harrisburg's problem. The question is whether we will take the risk and rise to the occasion to seek the Lord on behalf of the city, and then put hands and feet to our intercession.

 

This post may be the beginning of a shift of thematic material on this blog. For some time now I have been contemplating the subject matter that has been the primary source of conversation. I'm doing some thinking and wondering out loud here, so everything that is said is not written in stone, and is open to evaluation and constructive criticism.

On occasion, this blog has addressed the fact that we western evangelicals live in a spiritual bubble, to the exclusion of being conversant in the matters of everyday life. I fear that this blog has contributed to that bubble mentality. As a result, consideration is being given to a change in direction where the focus is not exclusively on the Christian community and its function.

There is this sneaking suspicion that we evangelicals are like a fish out of water, very uncomfortable talking with people about the things that are of interest to them. We are not knowledgeable enough, or are too reticent to engage in the issues that are of concern to them. So we retreat into our spiritual conclaves to dialogue at length about the church, doctrine, and theology. Please don't misunderstand me here. I'm not suggesting that issues pertaining to the dimension of the Spirit and his community are not important and can be ignored. But when we immerse ourselves in this to the exclusion of the issues of life that confront people, including ourselves, we are ill prepared to relate the kingdom of God to where people are living and what they are experiencing.

Can we be true disciples of Jesus and not relate to those outside the Christian camp? Jesus seemed comfortable with whomever he was with. Though he invested deeply in the disciples he chose, he spent a lot of time with others as well, with the people "out there", but he had his disciples with him so that they could learn how to relate to people who are just trying to cope with life.

How can we effectively carry out his mandate to go and make disciples if we refrain from moving into their world? How will they ever be exposed to the kingdom of God and its relevance to their everyday lives if we hide this "under a bushel"?

So, I'm seeking to burst this spiritual bubble that I've promoted here, launching out into the deep where the fish are. I'm asking you to help me do this.

I just ran across the following statement by A.W. Tozer:

"A church that can't worship must be entertained; and men who can't lead a church to worship must provide entertainment."

Sadly, this observation describes a large portion of the church in America. We have become too much like the self-indulgent culture in which we live. Thus, good worship is equated with that which makes us feel good, with the kind of music we like, providing the emotional highs we're looking for.

What a contrast to what we read in Romans 12:1, "I urge you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship."

Self-indulgence knows nothing of sacrificial service. Yet we call the Sunday morning show "worship", thinking that we're worshipping God because we enjoy the presentation. That which entertains us is not worship unto God. We have been deceived.

The popular trend for new churches is to rent the use of movie theaters on Sunday mornings for their worship services. While I have no problem with using such facilities, I think it is a striking commentary on the value the church places on entertainment. In fact, I know of one church that meets in a theater whose pastor chooses the latest movies from which he develops his sermons. The thought may be that this is simply being contemporary and relevant to attract people to the church. But I have a hard time picturing Paul using popular Greek dramas to develop his sermons.

This kind of pop Christianity will evaporate in the midst of the coming storm. There is nothing of substance that will withstand the shaking designed to remove all such created things so that those things that cannot be shaken will remain.

Wolfgang Simson's phrase, the Wheel of the Kingdom, describes the methodology of Jesus in carrying out the mission of God. Yet the western church has all but forsaken Jesus' proven way of advancing the kingdom of God.

This method employed by Jesus involves three aspects - gathering, discipling, and scattering. Continued repeatedly, the gathering, discipling, and scattering will result in the exponential growth that we see in the book of Acts as well as the contemporary examples of China and India, among others.

However, the western church has been content to gather people to the exclusion of discipling and scattering. There has been a subtle departure from the gospel of the kingdom to the gospel of the church. This demonic scheme, unknowingly embraced by the church, gathers people unto itself using Jesus as the means to strengthen and enlarge its institution. But it is the discipling and the scattering that follows the gathering that advances the kingdom of God.

Thus, the development process of the spiritually conceived is aborted after only one third of the development process is completed without ever bringing the new life to full term. Even where there are instances of discipling taking place, in the great majority of cases disciples are made for the institution, not for Jesus. If they were made for Jesus, the final third of this trio, scattering, would be implemented. That almost is never done because it weakens the institution.

By eliminating the scattering we have removed the apostolic dimension from the church. Without the apostolic, the sending out, the church will only decline, wither, and die. We see this death process happening before our very eyes as thousands of churches are closing their doors every year. People are leaving the institutional church in record numbers. But this leaving is not necessarily bad, however. On the contrary, I see it as phase one of the scattering process. God is restoring his missional intent to the church, and he is beginning by getting the laborers out of the barn.

This is where the apostolic comes in. God works through the apostolic coupled with the prophetic to thrust these laborers out into the harvest. Those sent ones will gather the harvest, disciple those who have been gathered, and then scatter them back out into the harvest where the process will be repeated over and over again. And the Wheel of the Kingdom will continue to roll on to fulfill the mission of God.

I just finished reading The Starfish Manifesto by Wolfgang Simson. It's a long read, but well worth it. In the words of the author, the download is free, but if you read it, it will cost you. I can attest to that, because anyone who reads this will be confronted with a decision: Do I continue with business as usual, or do I make the necessary change required to align myself with God and his ways?

Of course none of us want to think that we are not in alignment with God, or functioning according to his ways. However, I think if Jesus were to confront us, a la the churches of Revelation, we would be deeply disturbed by what would be revealed.

A question arose in my mind in the process of reading Simson's work: "What are we doing?"

It appears to me that we're like little children playing in a sandbox, building our own little sandcastles that are here today and gone tomorrow. What is all of our praying, strategizing, teaching, pastoring, and evangelizing accomplishing? Can we look around and see the marked change that has been wrought in the growth and expansion of God's people in our communities, cities, and regions as a result? Sad to say, the effect of our efforts is practically non-existent. Why?

I've come to the conclusion that God will not bring forth the desired results as long as we insist on doing it our way to the exclusion of his way. We can pray and fast all we want, but it will not yield the breakthrough we're believing for. We have substituted our blueprint for God's, usurping his rightful place as architect and construction superintendent. Whether we realize it or not, we are the living and breathing example of the futile laborers in Psalm 127:1, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it."

The foundation of pastors and teachers, and yes, evangelists, is not sufficient to support the house God has chosen to build. The only foundation that will support God's building is the foundation he has prescribed: apostles and prophets. He will not answer our prayers and reward our efforts to build on a foundation that is not in his blueprint, knowing that such a foundation will collapse, bringing the building down with it.

This is the primary theme of The Starfish Manifesto, the advancement of the kingdom and the building up of the ekklesia through God's ordained foundation of the apostles and prophets. Only through these intentionally developed networks of apostles and prophets will we see the purpose and mission of God fulfilled. It's time to scrap what we are doing and join in with what God is doing and the way he is doing it.