The Importance Of Community When It Comes To Faith

Normally when I sit down to write I pretty well know what is going to be said from intro to conclusion. However, this morning I only have a simple thought, "Faith is meant to be lived out in community".

Remember what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about love? He was saying that he could be this super-sized Christian, living a faith-life large and beautiful but if he didn't have love then he had nothing and was nothing. You can be the most dynamic, Holy Spirit filled, power wielding Christian achieving great things but if you do not understand and so do not act from a position of love then it amounts to nothing.

Faith is not something we develop. It is something that has been given to us and it increases according to the Spirit. Our responsibility is to act on the faith that we have and as we are faithful to this the Spirit will increase it. That is his work. But this faith is a gift of love that is for the benefit of the community in which we continue to daily work out our salvation.

We are not to live in isolation, and I know this can be hard because not everyone thinks like us. Every Christian is at a different place in their maturity and their revelatory knowledge. This is why our community bond is not based on our knowledge but on what we have in common, which is the love of our Lord Jesus Christ and our love for each other. We are a community because of love not because of knowledge. And we are able to function together in our differences because of this supernatural, over-the-top, self sacrificing, person-focused, celebratory, selfless love.

Just as faith does not originate in us neither does love, and it is this gift of love that enables us to live in community with all our diversity. Let me repeat myself : It is not a bond of knowledge but a bond of love. This is not setting aside the importance of revelatory knowledge, just setting the priority that after everything else passes love remains. Realize, love is even greater than faith because you need love to make faith authentic.

This is important to grasp because it tells us the importance of community. Faith is worked out in community because it is in community that we get to exercise love. It is not simply loving those who love and value us. Jesus asked where the value is in that. The love gifted to us is great enough to form a bond between people who may not see the same way or accept the same things. In the world they may have been enemies but in Christ they are family, brothers and sisters. There is no getting around this. This is truth because it is Father's will and design. We must choose love.

When we try living for Christ by our old nature we will find we desire to be a lone-wolf, to be in isolation, to shout for a mountain top instead of walking with the family. We miss the principle of "iron sharpens iron" and miss the Lord's voice when we aren't paying attention. Our community, our tribe, our family is there to lift us up, encourage us and to remind us of the King's promises. We are there to laugh with each other, to cheer in times of someone else's victory and to cry in times of loss. If we see ourselves set apart from the body, who is going to encourage us in the day of evil? We are also easy pickings for the enemy because when we are alone we are weak and vulnerable.

Faith is lived out in community. Faith is increased by the Spirit when we live what we have. Community happens because of the bonds of love, not the bonds of knowledge. Love means we are united even with people who see differently from us because love is from the Spirit and it is the Spirit who unites us. Unity does not happen because we will it. Unity happens because we choose it. It already exists and we need only walk in it. In this community of love we will find all kinds of places to exercise our faith and see it rewarded with increase. We are in this together.

Faith is possible. Love is possible. Unity is possible. And it is all found in community.

The Number One Need Of Every Human Being : Connection

I noticed something very interesting as I do my daily walk around my neighbourhood. Every time I am passed by someone else out exercising there is either a nod of the head or a smile that is exchanged. This is true whether it is someone walking, running, or cycling. It seems to be an acknowledgement that we are sharing in something together, that we have something in common. Perhaps it is something that you have noted between bikers, truckers, bus drivers or any group of people that share something in common.

The most common basic need that is shared among us humans is the need for connection. We have this deep seeded need to belong to something that is greater than ourselves, to feel part of something. This is not a need that everyone has found met in their lives and is a real challenge for any community, to ensure that everyone feels like they belong and are valued.

I heard recently that unity does not mean uniformity. In fact, real unity requires diversity in order to be strong. The example I gave of my connection with other exercisers is a good illustration of diversity. I walk and cycle but I spend more time walking. Yet this doesn't seem to make a difference to the jogger who nods his head to acknowledge our unity. The cyclist who passes by does not look down on me as a lesser being but smiles broadly in celebration that he is not alone in his effort.

The community in which my family and I live is large and is beautifully diverse. Each neighbourhood is unique in character, charm and architecture. Where one lives does not make you any more or less part of the community. Neither does the colour of your skin, your place of origin, or your opinion on various matters. Our geography and the challenges within that territory are things we all have in common. The laws apply to everyone in the same way no matter the diversity of thinking concerning them.

If this is true for the things of this world how much more when considering the unity of the Body of Christ. It doesn't matter where we live, what we do, the language we speak, the colour of our skin or even our diversity of thought. What matters is the territory that we belong to, the Kingdom of God, and the one we belong to, our Lord Jesus Christ. We share in the same Spirit and the same love. We come from the same Father.

Unfortunately too many of us see no difference between unity and uniformity. There are believers who think there is no way for unity to exist without uniformity.  Yet, Paul described a beautifully diverse Body in 1 Corinthians 12. The unity was found in what we had in common which is the headship of Jesus and the unifying relationship of the Spirit. I heard it said that unity is not something we make but something that exists wherever the Spirit has influence.

Paul recognized the challenge of people understanding diversity within unity so he said he would show us how it was possible. Then he gave us the great chapter on love in 1 Corinthians 13. So again, unity is not our work but is the work that Jesus completed. We only need to learn surrender in relationship and then to walk in the Spirit. He produces unity where he has influence. It is possible to disagree with someone and still stand united with them when that person is more important to us than the disagreement. It's all about the people.

Perhaps I should focus that by saying what is important is the connection with people, that everyone knows they belong and are valued. If this is not the culture that exists within our various tribes then we are not following the Biblical expression of the Body of Christ. No one should feel undervalued by any believer in Christ because the relationship with Christ by itself defines our value.

The real power of our witness will not be seen until the world can see unity empowered by love in the Body of Christ.

Simplifying The Complicated, part five - Honour Everyone

Keep it simple. That is the overwhelming thing I hear the Spirit speaking in this age of confusion and complication. This is my fifth blog entry on this subject. We have considered the simplicity of loving God, loving ourselves and loving our neighbour. These are the three biggies and are covered in what Jesus called the greatest of the commandments. Today I want us to consider the instruction to honour everyone. Let's start with 1 Peter 2:17 :

"Honour everyone. Love the family of believers. Have respectful fear of God. Honour the emperor." CEB

Let's focus on the "honour everyone" using the TPT translation but let's start with the lead up:

"As God's loving servants, you should live in complete freedom, but never use your freedom as a cover-up for evil. Recognize the value of every person."

Some Christians struggle with the idea of honouring people not deserving honour so the TPT translation may help some people uncomplicate the issue : treat every person as valuable to Father. 

We have been called to a place that is above differences, above grievances, above insult or injury. What do you think Jesus was talking about when he said to love your enemy? He has called us up to a place where we have been given the capacity to love with the same love that we have been loved with and he has called this an obligation. His love has indebted us to love other people in the same manner he loved us. Isn't that amazing? Isn't that uncomplicated?

When we honour someone we are saying that we recognize they have value. No one said that you have to agree with that value because the value is not assigned by you. You are simply told to recognize the value Father has placed on that person. What you recognize as valuable you will treat well, or you should. That's the whole point. We complicate it when we think we can show value without treating people well.

I show value by giving people my time, by choosing words that do not insult but instead lift up. I show value by taking actions of love and kindness which have nothing to do with what the person deserves because I received Father's best when I did not deserve it. I demonstrate value with my words, tone, actions, attitude and investment.

I complicate this matter of honour when I try to base that honour on my own ideas and ideals. Honour is based on my Father's will and I act on it "as God's loving servant". I keep it simple when I keep everything based on my relationship with Father and not according to my ideas and values. He is my source. My desire is to live a life rooted and growing in Kingdom values.

Now imagine how this would change our approach. Instead of approaching people in an adversarial manner we would see the value of us being in their lives, perhaps even as their friends. Instead of seeing people as projects we would simply want to position ourselves so that Father could pour out his love and grace into their lives through our friendship with them. We could discuss the methodology of such a relationship but the challenge is to see that you are their for their benefit and not your own.

We complicate it when we keep thinking we are the most valuable person in the room. This causes us to be offended when people do something against us. Scripture tells us to act as if everyone else is more important than ourselves, not because we have no value, but because we should already understand our value to Father. There should be no insecurity. Where there is insecurity you will find people lifting themselves up above everyone else. Complicated. We are in that person's life, be them friend or be them foe, to demonstrate that they have value with Father.

The conclusion of the matter is that Father has not made this complicated. When we live according to his values, according to what he says is important, according to who he says to love, being taught and led by Spirit, it's simple. When we decide to be our own teacher and to live according to what we think are the values of Father, promoting ourselves above everyone else, taking offense, defending ourselves, pushing our agenda, honouring those we think deserve it, we very much complicate what Father designed to be simple.

 

What If We Have A Martha Spirit And A Mary Desire?

There is this wonderful tension in the Body of Christ between work and rest. It shouldn't be a tension and the reason it exists is because most of us have a wrong understanding of work and rest. There is no time like the present to get a better grasp on these Kingdom positions.

Most of us have heard the story of Mary and Martha many times. We have sat through many sermons, maybe looked at it in a Bible study and may have even read a book about it. Let's sum it up for those who don't remember.

Jesus was visiting the home of his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus. While he was teaching, the two ladies took up two very different positions. Martha was the oldest woman in the house so she took up the traditional position of hostess and was occupied in the kitchen with meal preparation for their guests. Mary should have been assisting her big sister but she took up an unfamiliar position.

As a woman at this time it was demanded of Mary that she be in the kitchen with her sister. According to the Pharisees it was illegal to teach a woman the Torah. But here we find Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening, learning and being taught. This is when tradition reared its ugly head and attacked the unfamiliar position and it tried to involve Jesus. Much to Martha's shock Jesus lifted up Mary's position and told tradition that Mary had made the better choice.

Now what do we do with this? Most of us have some of the Martha attitude. We like to be busy doing things. We like work. We were actually made for work and feel much better when we are doing it. So what if we have a Martha spirit and a Mary desire? How do we deal with this tension considering how much value churches put on doers?

When Jesus told Martha that Mary had made the better choice he was not condemning work. Instead he was demonstrating the order of position. We are told through Scripture that our actions matter. We are told to be doers of the Word. We are told love is not love without action. So work is not the problem but the root can be. Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy:

"Consider carefully all that I've taught you, and may our Lord inspire you with wisdom and revelation in everything you say and do. But make Jesus, the Anointed One, your focus in life and ministry." 2 Timothy 2:7-8 TPT

Work is not the problem, our position is. We are meant to always be in a position of relationship, a position of receiving, a position of student, of growth, of maturing. It is a position where we keep Jesus as our focus, our center, our raison d'etre, our First Love. Now we can say that he is all that and more to us but our actual position will reveal if he is.

Most of us have the desire of Mary but we act on the habits and traditions of Martha. We do everything in his name but not necessarily from a First Love relationship. You know what I mean. We get in the habit of doing, responding and working according to the needs of others but he has called us, not to strive, but to rest. It is in this position of rest that he is able to work through us. It is in this position of rest that we hear his voice and know his heart. It is in this rest that we are able to follow his instructions and from the overflow of this relationship the Kingdom advances.

There is a big difference in work that is done from a position of rest and work that is done from a position of work. What we do for the Lord will always fall short of what the Lord wants to do through us. His work through us will never exhaust us and will produce fruit beyond our imagining.  It takes a mindset of surrender to remain in this position of rest.

When we can go days or weeks without talking to Jesus or hearing from him then we have slipped from position. When our day's schedule is filled with his work  and not his relationship then we have slipped from position. When being industrious becomes our measuring rod instead of being like the King, we have slipped from position. Being a Martha is not the problem. The problem is being a Martha without Mary's position.

If we are finding ourselves in a place of striving, in a place of "stressed out" from doing, a position of exhaustion then we are walking in Martha's footsteps, serving from our own strength instead of the King's. That does not honour him. We are suppose to steward our calling and ministry better than that. Make Jesus your focus in life and ministry. In this way you will honour your King, honour yourself and honour your neighbour. Martha, may the Lord open open your heart to receive this.

 

Division In The Body Explained By A Bunch Of Cobras

Recently I heard a great lesson taught that included the event of Aaron's rod turning into a Cobra. As I listened to this great lesson the Spirit suddenly applied it in a different manner. He used it to highlight the growing division in the Body of Christ. Yes, as much as we are seeing strains put on certain societies during these days of pandemic we are seeing strains in the Body. When something is put under pressure the weakest points begin to reveal themselves. 

You recall the "rod to Cobra" sign found in Exodus 7. This was the second time Moses and Aaron were meeting with Pharaoh. In anticipation of Pharaoh not recognizing Moses' authority Yahweh had trained Moses in a couple of signs. The first was to throw down his staff and it would transform into a Cobra and then when he would pick it up again it would transform back to a staff. So Moses had Aaron throw down the staff. I am not sure Moses was prepared for what happened next.

Pharaoh looked at this sign of authority and immediately called for his spiritualists. Each one of them threw down their staffs which also transformed into Cobras. But the Lord demonstrated his authority over all things by having Aaron's Cobra consume all the others.

In our current age we have not done well in developing our relationship with the Lord. We have all the tools. We worship, we study, we fellowship but we fall short in actually understanding relationship. We don't understand that Dad just wants to hang out with us because he enjoys us. We reserve certain times of the day for him never realizing that he is always with us because he wants to be involved in our day. He enjoys ongoing conversation and so do we once we get use to it. But our failure in this means we are not overly familiar with his heart, his ways and his voice.

So, what does this have to do with Cobras?

Jesus said that we would know the Spirit intimately and for the most part we don't.* But we do know that the enemy makes counterfeit moves. The Cobra is only one example. The Lord transformed one staff and the enemy transformed many. Now because we lack the discernment that comes in intimacy with Spirit, we run away from all Cobras. We avoid them at all cost and call them all works of the enemy and are ready to stamp them into the ground.

A portion of the Body has made it their purpose to act as exterminators to rid the land of all the phony Cobras. But they lack the intimacy to have the discernment to know the difference so when they attack the Cobra they have no idea if they are attacking the Lord or the enemy.

Remember when the disciples were complaining about the man who was casting out demons when he was not part of them? And what did Jesus tell them? He said leave him alone because who ever is not against us is for us. Check out the end of Mark 9. We spend far too much time on worrying about the counterfeit to the point that we lump the authentic in the same category. Consider Moses.

Moses didn't freak out and swear off miracles and signs after seeing the counterfeit. In fact it appears that Moses didn't say a word or blink an eye. He simply stood and watched as the authenticity of Yahweh consumed the feeble-minded counterfeit. The enemy came to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to give life. If something brings life and gives God the glory then what are we doing attacking it. If it has come to steal, kill and destroy it will become apparent. What are we doing when we set our sights on things we don't agree with or that we don't understand? We are joining the "steal, kill and destroy" column. 

Stop being afraid of snakes. All we are saying to the world is that we don't trust that Dad can take care of his own. Does he need us to steady the cart when the oxen stumble? I don't think so. And by attacking the snakes you could be coming against Dad himself and that never turns out good. Just stand and watch the authentic Cobra consume the counterfeits.

Don't forget that we have been given another test for the authentic besides the discernment of the Spirit : love. Many of the ministries I see being attacked these days have demonstrated authentic love for Jesus and his people. These ministries recognize the source of their blessings and seed huge amounts of money into other ministries. They are consumed with building up and never tearing down. They make it a point never to speak against another ministry and where there is problems they come alongside to help, not to destroy. Can we say the same about those who seem to relish in passing on bad reports that are nothing more than gossip? They will know us by our love not by our doctrines. (Not saying good doctrine is not important only that they have no value without love).

I feel bad for those who see it as their life's purpose to tear down others. All the scripture I read tells us to be occupied with lifting up, building up, encouraging, supporting one another. Looking for counterfeit Cobras under every stone and around every corner can mess you up. If the the Spirit does point something out to you (make sure it is the Spirit) it is so you can pray for the situation or that person, that Jesus will be glorified in it or them.

I know these words won't make much of a difference in the divided and fractured Body but it will share with those I love what I received today and maybe help them see what I see. In writing these words I feel a release of something that was building in me this week. You and I can disagree and still love each other because the Lord is the Lord of us both and he will bring correction wherever it needs to be applied. 

*John 15:16-17 And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you will know him intimately, because he will make his home in you and will live inside you.

Simplifying The Complicated, part four - Loving Yourself

The premise of this series is that we have over-complicated something our Father designed to be simple. That is the only way to describe the confusion surrounding the subject of self-love. When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment he referred to three objects of love : God, our neighbour and ourselves. Look at it again:

“‘Love the Lord your God with every passion of your heart, with all the energy of your being, and with every thought that is within you.’ This is the great and supreme commandment. And the second is like it in importance: ‘You must love your friend in the same way you love yourself.’ Contained within these commandments to love you will find all the meaning of the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40 TPT

Note : love you friend in the same way you love yourself. 

I have written on this subject on many occasions and it never fails to provoke a negative reaction from some readers because they read titles and not substance. I fully agree that our society often fails because of the self-centered attitude of individuals. But Scripture makes it pretty clear that we are to take a supporting role to the leading role of others. We are to see ourselves as serving others because all our needs have already been met. But that does not negate "in the same way you love yourself".

We don't have to complicate this. Self love is a necessity. If we do not look after ourselves we will not be in any position to help others. We were created with certain needs. We need to eat well. We need proper rest. We need good hygiene. We need friends, and we need to be needed by friends. We need forgiveness. We need mercy. We need love. We need a solid relationship with Father, Son and Spirit. Not complicated but important.

Most of us are not very good at this because we take "consider others more important than yourself" to mean "neglect yourself", which it does not. This same scripture says to "consider the needs of others along with your own". We actually are doing wrong when we are not taking care of what Father has given us.

If we were given a car I am sure most of us would follow the maintenance schedule, keep the fuel tank full and wash the thing as often as we could. It is being a good steward of what has been given to us. It is not different with our life. Our heart, mind and body have needs that must be meet to maintain what has been given to us. Then there is the matter of other people.

When we take the time to understand our needs we will also begin to understand the needs of others. We will give ourselves as a friend because we understand the importance of friendship. When we see someone hungry we will want them to have the best food because we understand the need for good food. When we see someone without a home we will want to help because we know the importance of having a secure place to call home. When someone needs forgiveness we will forgive. When someone needs grace we will shower it upon them. But if we neglect these and many more things for ourselves then we will also neglect them in the lives of others.

We complicate it when we try to push this ministry onto the institutionalized Church or we try to get all religious about it. Stop complicating it. Is Father our provider? Does he provide for our spiritual, emotional and physical needs? Of course he does. So he expects us to be ministering at this level as well, understanding our needs so we can understand the needs of others.

Remember the passage concerning the sheep and goats. Jesus said "whatever you have done for the least of these you have done for me" and vice versa "whatever you have not done for the least of these you have not done for me". Simple. Not complicated. This is the reason James wrote:

"Your calling is to fulfill the royal law of love as given to us in this Scripture: “You must love and value your neighbor as you love and value yourself!” For keeping this law is the noble way to live."   James 2:8 TPT

I appreciate that, "the noble way to live". To love yourself enough to look after your needs is the noble way to live. You position yourself to love others by building it on the foundation of you first loving God, then taking care of what he has given you and by taking care of the objects of his love (people).

Can we do this? Of course we can because Jesus said that love will empower us to obey his commandments. It has nothing to do with whether a person is deserving or even what they will do with what we give them. They may throw our friendship away, spit on our gifts and despise our desire to help. They may walk away from our forgiveness and trample over our grace. Then again it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship that may help a person enter the Kingdom of God. Regardless, it will be from a place of authenticity because we love them in the same way we love ourselves. It's beautiful. It's not complicated. It's simple. We just need to do it.

Simplifying The Complicated, part three - Love Your Neighbour

We live in the age of misinformation. That has become clearer for us since the pandemic hit, as half-truths and lies have muddied the waters to the point that people are just shutting down and shutting off. This is the same tactic the enemy uses in trying to get us to shut off the voice of our Father.

It is an old tactic that we first see with Eve as the enemy tried to muddy the waters around Father's instructions. Today he does the same thing to provoke division and distrust. And he doesn't have to do much. He simply whispers an half-truth about someone (half-truths are so much more effective than full lies when people don't check it out) then walks away and watches us create an eco-system from it. One lie will perpetuate more likes until we have this wonderful system feeding on itself.

Father made it simple but we have complicated it. This is the third installment on this subject of simplicity with God and in this I want us to consider the simplicity of our purpose.

A lot of us complicate what Father made to be very simple. We take lots of classes, courses, write assignments, listen to sermons, read books but it comes down to this. I will let James explain it:

"Your calling is to fulfill the royal law of love as given to us in this Scripture: 'You must love and value your neighbour as you love and value yourself!' For keeping this law is the noble way to live." 2:8 TPT

This is exactly what Jesus said is the most important thing in life after loving God. When questioned about what he meant by 'neighbour' Jesus gave the example of the good Samaritan. He purposefully chose a Samaritan sacrificially helping a Jew because these two groups considered themselves theological enemies.

Jesus made love a simple thing in every example he gave us and we complicate it. We muddy the waters.  James said that there is no way that anyone filled with love could praise God and then curse a brother, but guess what we do all the time when we are attacking ministries we do not agree with. We do opposite to what Jesus said and then we cover this by saying we were "called" to the task of tearing down people we measure as wrong. Self-appointed hate-mongers. We love complicating things.

It is simple : We are to love. We build up. We encourage. We support. We give generously. We forgive. We live by grace. We are positive. We are hopeful. We believe God will do it where we can't. We remember our testimony and believe Dad will do the same for everyone. We allow the Spirit to do his thing. We do this by getting our minds out of the sins of others. Scripture tells us:

"So keep your thoughts continually fixed on all that is authentic and real, honorable and admirable, beautiful and respectful, pure and holy, merciful and kind. And fasten your thoughts on every glorious work of God, praising him always." Philippians 4:8 TPT

Paul wrote this in a portion where he was telling two sisters to work out their differences. Where we focus matters. If we focus on the faults and failings we will struggle to see value and be able to love. When we focus on the Kingdom then we will see everyone as the King values them and we will concentrate on the person not their actions. This is not a "nice if you can manage it" but the core of our being as the Child of God.

Part of our problem is not understanding our purpose as James has described it. We see ourselves as Old Testament prophets bent on calling out sin and pronouncing judgement. This muddies the waters, cuts off Father's voice, causes the enemy to dance in delight. Instead we are suppose to proclaim the good news, that the Kingdom of God is at hand and that there is an invitation to enter the King's rest. We are in an age where grace enables us in all things and where the Spirit of God is responsible for conviction.

Our assignment is to carry the Kingdom of God into every situation we encounter and to demonstrate the love of Father for every single person regardless of their actions. It is in relationship with people that we get to demonstrate the value Father has placed on them. It's as simple as that: to love.

Of course it goes a lot deeper than that but this is where we start. In fact, if we do not start at sacrificial love we can't go any deeper. Doors into the hearts of people will not open. We will spend all of our days trying to conform the behaviour of people without ever touching their heart. There is no exception to this purpose. There is no exception in love. We do not get to exclude any person, even our enemies. All of our days are spent learning how to love God, ourselves and others better, higher, deeper, wider. 

The enemy has been muddying the waters, getting us to do opposite to what Father has designed. Muddied waters allow us to believe that attacking differences is a holy action. Muddied waters allow us to take part in the enemies goal to steal, kill and destroy and we do it all in the name of Jesus. Muddied waters got us kicked out of the garden and it prevents us from unifying and growing up into the fullness of Christ.

Perhaps the real problem with loving people is that we have failed to understand the importance of learning to love ourselves. "Love and value your neighbour as you love and value yourself." How can we love others as we love ourselves if we do not know how to love ourselves? That will be our next entry.

Simplifying The Complicated, part two - Love God

In case you have happened to stumble upon this blog, this is the second part of a series concerning the simplicity of our relationship with Father and our service to the King. Father has designed it to be simple but we have complicated it, as we usually do with most things. We find the same division and hatred in the Church that we find in our society and this should not be. In this, the second part, we are considering the simple command to love God.

I believe we are all familiar with the scripture that instructs that the most important thing is to love God. We find it in the ten commandments given to Moses which we see as a law, missing the point entirely.

Yes, Scriptures refer to it as the Law but the Law was a summary of relationships based on honour. At the base of all law you will find relationships. The law forbidding jay walking is addressing the unequal relationship between pedestrian and driver. The driver can easily kill a pedestrian so a system was put in place designating places for crossing roads and the rule that drivers must stop at those places. In turn, these places are the only acceptable place to cross. This honours the pedestrian's need to cross and the drivers need to drive. It protects both.

The law given to Moses is based on relationships of honour. The first few have to do with us honouring Yahweh and the last few are concerning us honouring each other. Honour is only possible when all relationships develop from the foundation of love. So it should not have been any surprise that when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment that he answered, to love God with your entire self, and the second, to love and value your neighbour as yourself. So let's consider the simplicity of the first.

Love only happens in relationship. You can admire someone from a distance. You can be sexually attracted to them without knowing them. But love happens as you know them. Then how can Jesus command us to love our enemy and to love strangers? Because there are all kinds of levels and types of love, which takes more than a blog to explain. But this love that we find in Scripture is referring to the complete giving of self. It is a love that provokes trust, faith. It is uncomplicated. A total surrender.

Without understanding the simplicity of this relationship we will always struggle with obedience. There is a reason Jesus stated that love will empower us to do what he has commanded. We often talk about obedience, the importance, the struggle to surrender. We even develop systems for "getting there" but there is not a system that we could ever develop that will not complicate this simple relationship. Obedience is never a struggle when it is empowered by love. Love is the key and relationship is the key to love.

All that is required for salvation is belief and you can get to belief without love but once you have encountered Jesus, gratitude should provoke us to a passionate love that says "all of me Jesus". This is not the end but the beginning of a journey of discovery. Love is not complicated but the size of it takes a lifetime to grasp. We are always learning and growing. Our heart and mind are under constant transformation by the Spirit. It is not a self-improvement project but an ongoing lesson of surrender.

Salvation requires belief but love requires relationship. This is the key to the simplicity of our life in Jesus. Our focus is on Jesus and our relationship with him. Everything flows from this relationship. We spend all day with him, including him in all our thoughts, ideas and plans. We include him in our conversations. We sing to him and show gratitude to him for everything in our day. It is exciting to have conversation with him and actually hear his voice in the many forms he uses for communication. We don't restrict the relationship to some complicated system of prayer, Bible study and acts of service.

It is as we walk with him throughout our day that his voice becomes louder and his desires clearer. We begin to see the patterns of his love, who he draws us to and what he has us do. We begin to appreciate his heart for people because it reminds us how much he loves us. Our heart is filled with gratitude and our passion grows. Relationship with him, our love for him, pushes out anything that does not honour him. 

It really is simple. Loving Father causes his will, his love, his desire, his plan to be more important than anything else in our life. We gain the perspective that our lives are no longer ours because Jesus has brought us into himself and now he lives Father's will through us. We don't even really think about obedience any more as all we want is what he wants. No complicated system is going to change us like this. So nothing should be more important to us than pursuing this relationship with him so that we love him with our entire being.

Simplifying The Complicated, part one - The Context

The world is a pretty messed up place right now with growing divisions and hatred. Unfortunately it has been my experience that what is happening in society will soon be reflected in the Church. It is suppose to be the opposite with the Church influencing society but in my twenty-eight years in ministry as a pastor I have watched the Church change to reflect our society. So sure enough, we are seeing growing division and even hatred increasing in the Body.

We are complicating what our Father designed to be simple. Sure, we can allow the deep study of theology turn a simple thing into layers of complication but when we get down to what is really important we discover how simple it is. I don't usually find a lot of helpful things in Solomon's Ecclesiastes but there is one phrase he wrote that I try to keep close to me:

God made human beings straightforward, but they search for many complications. (7:29)

Yes sir, I find that sums us up quite well. So I want to uncomplicate things by taking a few days to consider what is simple and important according to Fathers design. We are going to look at : 1. loving God, 2. loving and valuing ourselves, 3. loving and valuing our neighbour, 3. honouring everyone, 4. loving each other in the same manner Jesus loved his disciples. Along the way we will also touch on considering others more important than ourselves, considering the interests of others along with our own, and loving our enemies.

Before we get into these sub topics we need to consider the context which is really the main topic. We have been called into the ministry of Jesus Christ, our King. His ministry is not one of judgement and condemnation but of reconciliation. Ours is a ministry of reconciliation as Father invites all of humanity (ALL), to leave the path of rebellion and return to a full and healthy relationship with him.

This is where we tend to take something that is so simple and complicate it with a terrible perspective and wrong theology. Our Father has no desire to destroy anyone but we do get to chose our own path. He has paid the price to cover our rebellion, making it possible for us to return to him. The cross should be all the evidence we need that Dad is for us not against us. And the fact is, if he is for us who could be against us because there is no one like him.

We need to examine all of our thinking and attitude in this ministry because we need to assume that we are complicating it. We need to measure the motivation of our words and actions against the fact that while we were the enemy of God Jesus died for us. He did not require us to change before we came to him. If we could have changed we would not have needed him. But we were desperate for him because we could not help ourselves.

Yet too often we require people to clean up their act before we will hang out with them. We require them to change before we will call them friend. We want them to conform to us before they are transformed by the Spirit and this is terrible and dangerous. Too many of us think our job is done when people conform to the church we belong to and so they miss out on the One who transforms. Because they are satisfied with "fitting in" they think they have found Jesus and so stop looking. We have complicated Father's simple design.

Our responsibility is simple, to be witnesses of Jesus. We are to teach everything that Jesus taught but this is done with actions and attitudes that match Jesus' words. It is with power. It is flavoured with hope. It reeks of peace. It overflows with joy. It looks past situations, conditions and circumstances and focuses on people. It recognizes that each person, regardless of status, position or rebellion, is the object of Father's love. He is chasing after them and he has placed us in their lives so that he can. All that matters to him and to us are people.

So over the next few blogs I want to unpack the simplicity of our life in Christ and in this world. I want us to recognize :

"Everything we could ever need for life and complete devotion to God has already been deposited in us by his divine power. For all this was lavished upon us through the rich experience of knowing him who has called us by name and invited us to come to him through a glorious manifestation of his goodness." (2 Peter 1:3)  

You've got it. Everything you need for simple living has already been deposited in you. We let go of systems, methods, false expectations, arm length evangelism and we go after those Father loves by entering their lives as friends, in purity of relationship and desire. Let's do this!

Influencers

At different times of my life the Spirit has highlighted specific lessons he wants me to grasp. These lessons become foundational stones in "who I am" as the Spirit refines my image bearing responsibilities. I realized a while ago that I will never arrive at a point where I have a full revelation of any of the attributes of Yahweh because they are so much higher, wider, deeper than I can grasp while clothed in flesh. But what I can grasp I have the responsibility to act on as my "dna" is re-written.

I have always been attracted to the servant nature of Jesus and understood that he modeled the attribute in which we are to serve. He told the disciples that leadership in the kingdom looks opposite to the model of leadership in this world. James told us our purpose is to "love and value our neighbour". Paul wrote that we are to consider other people more important than ourselves and to consider their interest and not just our own. Jesus told us to love each other in the same manner he has loved us.

Jesus spoke with a megaphone when he took on the servant's role and washed his disciple's feet. It wasn't so much the washing the feet as much as this was the responsibility of a servant. This is an attribute that has escaped much of the Church for much of her history. There is a reason that we are not very attractive to the world and why so many sins have been committed in the name of Jesus.

A simple thought has been given to me in recent days that best sums up this new foundational stone that is being formed in my life. It is a thought I have chased after all my life because my heart's desire was to be a servant to the Church. In my earlier years I did not understand that this desire was due to my calling in the Body and in later years it was more a fleeting thought than a foundational stone. Yet, the thought sums up this "dna" transformation concisely:

We have greater influence when we live as supporting actors than as leading stars.

The great failing of the Church has been her desire to control society, forcing people into behaviours that can only be supported by a transformed heart. Father has no desire to force control on anyone but he gladly welcomes our surrender to his will and his ways. Jesus extended an invitation to the world and told us that his yoke is well fitting and his burden is light. This is in comparison to humanity trying to earn its way. Jesus had the authority to give the invitation because he took on the role as a servant and paid for our invitation. There is no other way.

What happens when we place ourselves in the starring role is that we place everyone else in a supporting role. We try to control them into thinking like us, acting like us, talking like us, dressing like us. I don't think it is done maliciously but neither is it done with love. We are attempting to do something that our Father has never done.

In this age of grace he has given everyone a bit of breathing space to discover him. One day is reserved for judgement and what will be judged is whether a person accepted Jesus' invitation or not. Those of us who have accepted that invitation and have become citizens of God's Kingdom have been given a ministry of reconciliation. It is not a ministry of hatred, manipulation and fear. It is a ministry of support and influence. We enter into the lives of people and become part of their life for them, not ourselves. The focus is on their success and a demonstration of the Kingdom for them so that they discover that while we were in rebellion Jesus died for us because Father is for us not against us and if he is for us who could be against us. 

The message of the cross is love and forgiveness. Too often we make it an instrument of condemnation. Too often we forget the "While we were still" part and we expect people to clean up their act before coming to Jesus. We try to control them by controlling their behaviour. Even after they bend their knee to Jesus it is wrong for us to force change. We teach but the Spirit convicts and with his conviction comes ongong transformation because it is a process. Meanwhile, the mature are encouragers, cheerleaders of the immature because we have all been there and we know what Jesus is doing.

We influence the world for Jesus not control it. We become friends with the rebellious so the influence of the Kingdom is present in their lives. We never make it about us. We never put ourselves in the center. We stand on  the ground we have been given and we fight for others from a position of peace not fear. And we remember that behaviour is only a symptom. It is the heart that matters. Always the heart. We are influencers.

Are You Tempted To Build A Monastery?

As a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ it is getting harder to live peacefully in this world. Everyone seems to be doing what they think to be best and it is quite the mess. There is such a temptation to run to the hills, to circle the wagons, to build high walls and hide. When things get messy the tendency is to want to separate ourselves from the mess. But that is avoidance not a solution.

Most people like simple and easy but my experience is that we will never allow simple to be easy. Jesus always knew that we would be facing a mess. It is the reason he told his disciples that in this world they would have trouble and sorrows. He said it is the reason he was giving us his peace. We are intended to live in a state of peace while facing a world of chaos. Check out the end of John chapter 16.

We are facing a society that no longer aligns with Father's heart. Truth be told, most people just stopped pretending and brought into the open what was being done in the dark. Unfortunately what is now done in the light is also now taught as normal and acceptable. But what else do we expect in an unbelieving world? At least now we know what we are dealing with and have to learn how to walk in it without normalizing it. And yes, we do have to live and love in this society.

I know the pull is to just shut the door but we can't because our purpose is to "love and value our neighbour as we love and value ourselves". The writer of psalm one spoke truth when he said that delight would come to us when we don't keep step with the wicked nor share in the way of the rebellious nor sit in the scorner's seat. Instead our delight would be found in obedience to our Father's heart. Yet, at the same time, Jesus commanded us to go out into the world. He told us to teach people everything he taught.

It is an interesting dynamic we have with the world now because there was a time when the Kingdom and the world seemed to match up. Or were we just confused? Jesus told us that we can't afford to be double minded. James told us that flirting with the world's values amounts to adultery, that we can't afford to be friends with the systems and values of this world. We are called to live according to the higher values of the Kingdom. So where does that leave us?

Well it doesn't leave us in a place of hating people. Most of them are deceived, unable to see their condition and need a true friend. It doesn't leave us in a place where we join in with them, become like them and celebrate their rebellion. We have to walk through the sewage as we walk along with them but it doesn't mean we need to drink the stuff.

We are in this world to demonstrate the Kingdom of God, to live so Jesus is revealed, to love who our Father loves. The greatest values of the Kingdom we live are love, respect and honour. Our calling is to fulfill the royal law, "You must love and value your neighbour as you love and value yourself". This does not mean that we agree with our neighbour but we do not have to agree with them in order to love, respect and honour them. But I guarantee you it does mean walking with them as a friend until the Holy Spirit convicts them of the need of Jesus.

The world is a scary place for believers right now but we are not alone. We cannot fulfill our calling if we are reacting in hate because of fear. There is no place for fear in our lives. It's the reason Jesus gave us the gift of his peace. It is not our place to correct, convict or condemn this world. That's the Spirit's job. We need to relax, live, teach, demonstrate what Jesus taught and showed us. How we live and love has the greatest impact on our neighbours and the world. We need to learn to look past the situations and see the people who Jesus went to the cross for, so that they too can enter the Kingdom. But it's not going to happen if we are building walls.