How many sermons have you heard in your life? How many have you heard in the last year? How many were memorable? How many left an eternal mark inside of you adding to the very makeup of your being? Leonard Ravenhill said to his son,

“Be careful when you preach, because if you don’t have a word from God, you are not only wasting your hour but as many hours that are sitting in the pews.”

I have had the privilege to hear some of the greatest sermons ever preached. I also have been in meetings where I felt like life was being sucked out of me. I know that you know the feeling of the latter, and hopefully you have had the experience of the former. Leonard Ravenhill said,

“When was the last time you tip toed out of the sanctuary because you met God.” In Titus Paul said that the, “Word was made manifest through…preaching.”

A living word from the throne has that much power–it brings men face to face with Jesus. A word from heaven can sweep one up by the wind of the Spirit into the reforming gaze of God.

I have noticed a few things about these messages. I have noticed that they all seem to have some undeniable and inescapable qualities. After I noticed these things, I made a mental note to weigh each word that I am hearing by this Spiritual scale. I submit to you that this is a very good way to test the spirits. A solid factor in hearing God. A distinguishing marker to determine the origin of a preached word. Maybe this falls short, maybe it’s spot on.  I have seen it to help me.  So humbly I share it with you, to take a piece of paper and mark down how many times in a month that you hear these themes selected by your pastor. If you find them lacking, I suggest to sensitively share it with him so that he might take it back to God in prayer. There are 5 points. I believe the first is most important but the following four are not in order of importance.

1) Christ

Listen closely to note how much is Jesus the emphasis. Not just the historical Jesus, but the person. Notice how challenged you are to know Him more and how personally He is referred to. Note in your heart if you genuinely and undeniably see Jesus as the centerpiece.

2) The Cross

Are you challenged to take up your cross? Are you able to see the evidence of the cross in your life or lack there of? Note if the doorway into the resurrected life is proclaimed to your soul.

Have you a constant Spiritual remembrance of God’s suffering punctured into your heart? Does the preacher cause you to see the dripping blood of God?

Is there any encouragement to take up your cross in relation to one another? Is the cross the heart of all wisdom presented to you and the universal solution to the problem of man?

3)  How Does What Is Being Spoken To You Relate To Those in Chains?

In America we often forget that Paul told us to “remember those in chains.” Not just to pray for them but that the constant meditation upon the fact that our brothers are suffering throughout the world will affect the very fabric of our thinking. It is not an equal balance to weigh a prosperity message next the father who has just been ripped away from his children for the Gospel. I mean, how foolish would a man feel to stand before Richard Wurmbrand, who suffered 14 years in Romanian prisons for Jesus and tell him about his best life now? Or that there is a rich blessing of material things coming his way as he gazes from the floor with a bleeding back unable to walk from his last beating, shivering from eating only one slice of bread per week?

We need to remember those in chains when we speak. I am all for being provided for, but if the preaching doesn’t ring true for those in chains, we have forgotten them. If we are giving a revelation of Jesus to the inner man, it will ring to to all men. Not just a select portion of the world.

4) Conviction

Paul said that his words came with…”conviction.” Conviction is being convinced inwardly beyond intellectual reason. Conviction is the influence of the Holy Spirit on the soul. Conviction is the power to arrest a man not just about sin but about God. I am moved in the core of my being by words from another world entering into my soul. Prophets burn with this gift. Ravenhill said, “you want to meet a prophet? You probably want to see one but not hear one. Because he will leave blisters on your soul.” Though not all men will carry such a deepness of conviction there must be a sense that this man speaking to me has been with God. Some people describe honey and others dispense honey.

5) Incentives

What are the incentives that are being laid down in front of you? Is it something eternal? Is it a vision of eternity? Has the essence of eternal significance been injected into you? Is there a negative incentive rooted in eternity, that to disobey will have consequences? We cannot preach an emasculated word. It must carry the essence of a positive eternal incentive and a negative incentive as well or it will create a loose generation no matter how great their gifting, their calling or their power.   Without the fear of God, we will create an emasculated Christianity that cannot overcome the devil.

These things are very important to me. You may add some or disagree with some, but I feel that it is a crucial layout for weighing a word that is claiming to be from God. If we have failed in these areas, God will have mercy on us. And He will move in spite of us, but to have these qualities is a great indication that you are standing before a man that you can be assured has come forth from the counsel of the Most High.

Eric Gilmour is an Associate Editor for Voice of Revolution, overseeing Revival & Evangelism. Visit his website at agonypress.podbean.com

I have been pondering on the phrase “plastic Jesus” lately and how it relates to us today.  We use the term “plastic” today sometimes in reference to people that we consider to be “fake” or not genuine and real. The literal definition of plastic is any synthetic material that can be shaped when soft and then hardened. Plastic is a material that is capable of being molded or of receiving form.

I believe that the literal definition is a metaphorical picture of the “jesus” that many people serve. Rather than surrendering to the real genuine Jesus of the Bible.  People prefer to form and mold their own image of a “jesus” made up of their own ideas, reasonings, lifestyles, etc.  A “jesus” they have shaped and formed to fit their religion apart from the true Gospel of the true Jesus. From early on in Scripture we see that people desire to depart from the real God and serve a “plastic” god. One they have molded and formed themselves and many times even in their own likeness. We see this with the children of Israel who turned from the Lord to serve “plastic” gods that were made, formed, and fashioned by themselves in the following passage:

When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.”  Aaron answered them, “Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.”  So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:1-3 NIV)

Now it is important to clarify who was guilty of serving “plastic” gods. It was covenant people and not mere pagans. It was those delivered from Egypt by God. We must take this to heart and as a warning knowing that we too can fall prey to serving a “plastic god”–that which we fashion and form ourselves and worship in place of God himself. Notice too that while Moses was receiving divine revelation from the real God, the children of Israel were occupied with their own god. We will either serve the real God (who imparts spiritual truth) or be content with “polished Christianity” void of spiritual truth. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians actually made reference to this very situation and warns us to not be like them (see 1 Cor.10:6-11). Remember also the commandment “You shall have no other God’s before me.” God goes on to warn us of forming our own gods and/or idols after another image (see Ex.20:2-5).

Paul mentions in his letter to Timothy those who “have a form of godliness but deny its power” (2 Tim.3:5) Hmmm…he mentions them having a “form” of godliness. The word “form” means having the external appearance of; the shape of a thing or person. Could it be that these are individuals that claim to be “Christian” in some regards but are merely possessing a plastic form of Christianity–that which is superficial and merely surface level?  This was the very thing that Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for.  They looked the part on the outside but failed to cultivate it inwardly. Jesus even called them “white washed tombs” (Matt.23:25-28).  This “form of godliness” Paul mentions is a religion that they have fashioned and formed including another “Jesus” to go along with their other “Christianity”. They may even, like the Pharisees, look good on the outside but are empty and filthy on the inside, because that the god they serve is a poor replica (molded Jesus) of the genuine Christ. Paul said:

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.  For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough. (2 Cor. 11:2-4 NIV)

There are two things I would like to expound on in this verse. First of all, Paul mentions being sincere. In studying this word I have come to learn that in its origin it literally means “without wax.” That is very interesting to me especially in light of this idea of a plastic Jesus or plastic Christianity. Let me explain:  in biblical times there were many who sold clay pots for a living. Due to the handling of many at the market place and just day to day hustle and bustle, some pots would become cracked, chipped, scraped, etc.  Many dishonest people who sold pots would “wax over” their cracks, chips, and scrapes with a wax coating giving it the appearance/form of wholeness and beauty,  when in reality the pots were in horrible shape and time would tell as the wax disappeared and the cracks, chips, and scrapes would begin to show up. Because of this problem, honest potters would advertise their product as sincere (without wax).  In other words, it did not just look the part but was indeed a beautiful, and genuine pot.

Having understood the meaning of “sincere” brings a whole new meaning and understanding to me when I see the countless Scriptures that deal with us being sincere with both God and others.  To put it in today’s terms, we are literally being told in Scripture not to be “plastic”–appearing to be something we are not. In the same way we are not to serve a custom-fabricated Jesus we have just made to fit us and our ways of life.

Secondly, Paul mentions “another Jesus” and “another gospel.” I cannot help but think to myself and ask; how many people have received “another Jesus” and “another gospel” that has been formed and fashioned by people and not God?  I am reminded of Jesus Himself asking his disciples “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” He then brings it closer to home and asks them “What about you, who do you say that I am?” (see Matt.16:13-15). On another account Jesus asked the Pharisees “What do you think about the Messiah?” (Matt.22:42)

I want to leave you with that very thought and question: Who is Jesus to you? Is your idea of Jesus in line with the Scripture? Do you serve the real Jesus or have you settled for a plastic Jesus?

“You can’t patch up your prayer life when you get to the judgment seat”

~Leonard Ravenhill

“You can delegate many things, but prayer is not one of them.”

~A.W. Tozer

“Yesterdays praying will not suffice for today.”

~E. M. Bounds

“This period we are in now is a dressing room for eternity, that is all it is.”

~Leonard Ravenhill

“In everything by prayer.” ~Philippians 4:6

I intend to write to you on the subject of the significance of a life of prayer. This word can be taken as three things, an encouragement, a challenge or an offense. It has little significance to me, for “if you have the smile of God what does it matter if you have the frown of men?” (Ravenhill). I write to you in obedience to God. If you take it as a challenge, you can potentially lift the quality of your life above what it is now, as you rapidly move in time to that great day of accountability. If you take it as an encouragement, then most likely you are living for and in the means of prayer, effecting your circle of influence and empowering your pursuit of Christ’s kingdom in an honest and fruitful way. If you take this word as an offense, it will profit you nothing but merely add to your hardness of heart storing up for yourself more to give an account for on that great day of judgment. As I stated, all is well with me, for my heart is not to write for the profit of any other than he who desires to reach the heart of God and stand before Him unashamed and confident in the day of reckoning.

The sorrowful truth that such a spiritual employment is largely neglected has negative effects upon more than just our personal standing with God. It dampens what could have otherwise thrived in fire before the Lord. As intercessory prayer remains that which it has always been, we have been tremendously privileged to the ear of God having been justified, encouraged and empowered by His grace to live an obedient life.

The obedient life alone has access to God’s ear (Psalm34:17; Prov. 15:8; James 4:2, 3). Scripture, in no uncertain terms, vastly teaches us the power, significance and details of a prayer life that God acknowledges.

“All our libraries and studies are mere emptiness compared with our prayer closets” (E.M. Bounds)

King David overflowed with prayer in the Psalms he penned throughout his earthly life, seeing not only its privilege but also its importance by praying morning, noon and night (Psalm 55:17). He saw the connection between the enlightenment of the word of God and intimate pleading for the same (Psalm 119; 18, 19). The apostle Paul was moved by the same spirit encouraging us to pray “in everything” (Phil. 4:6). This would entail all our dealings in life, family, money, ministry, study and the like. This great privilege and importance wasn’t something to be active infrequently but rather “at all times”(1 Thess. 5:17). “All times” encompasses the positive, negative and mundane. Jesus encouraged us to not only pray, but to endure with persistence not giving up or “fainting” (Luke 18:1). Christ emphasized the importance of prayer by ignoring the potential of its absence in our life. He simply said, “When you pray” (Matt. 6:6). Christ also coupled enduring temptation with prayer (Luke 22:39-46). Scripture reveals to us the aid in our sufferings is prayer (James 5:13).

Our aid in worthy living is prayer (2 Thess 1:11). Our aid in wisdom is prayer (James 1:5). Oh how our lives would be of such a higher quality if we lived in persistent, fervent prayer when trying situations occur instead of aimlessly roaming about! What greater impact would our counsel, words and life have upon those weak-hearted Christians who surround us, if our hearts overflowed with burdened persistent prayer for them instead of hidden gossip, jesting and squandering of time! Let us not take lightly that he who prays effectually has first lived effectually. In the words of E.M. Bounds, “He who prays must obey.” For the wonder of the availability of God’s ear to His people can be blocked by our living! (1 Peter 3:7; Psalm 66:18; 1 John 3:22). The effective prayer of the righteous man can effect much (James 5:16)! The availability of God’s ear is as glorious of a privilege, power and grace as it is a responsibility in our way of living and use of time.

Christ revealed that prayer for another can keep one “from the evil one”. Prayer can ignite a disciple’s life to be “separated by the world”. This reveals that merely hearing or reading the word may need the service of divine assistance in prayer to effect such a sanctification of a disciple. As well as the great ability to “keep” one “in His name”, prayer can effect unity amongst disciples (John 17:11, 15, 17, 21).

Christ having complete understanding of God’s sovereignty continually imposed upon Himself isolation for the purpose of prayer (Mark 1:35). Do you recall how Christ spent a night in prayer before choosing His twelve disciples (Luke 6:12)? The disciples at Christ’s side were interested in learning, not how to teach or heal, but how to pray (Luke 11:2).

Once the potential of true prayer is understood a man can never return, in right heartedness, to a prayerless life. Samuel connected prayerlessness with sin (1 Samuel 12:23). God Himself is seen in Scripture searching for a man to pray (Isa. 59:16). Where is the man who will stir himself to get a hold of God in prayer (Isa. 64:7)? “Oh, for determined men and women, who will rise early and really burn out for God” (Hodge). True prayer is not a light matter. Nor is it an exercise for the slothful. Christ Himself offered up prayers with loud crying and tears (Heb. 5:7). He burned in agony and fervency in Gethsemane (Luke 22:14). Christ taught us that prayer isn’t a weak hearted matter, nor an exercise for lazy knees. For the key to its effectiveness is importunity (Luke 11:5-13). Hezekiah’s prayers moved God to add fifteen years upon his life (Isa. 38:1-5). God hears. God listens, to the righteous (James 5:16; Psalm 66:18). He who has the ear of God and sincerely applies himself to such a divine employment has access to a fruitful ministry. The writer of Hebrews asked for prayer (Heb. 13:18). Paul asked for such a divine assistance to be added to his ministry (2 Thess. 3:1). Paul knew the power of true prayer could turn events in the spreading of the Word of God (Phil. 1:19).

He saw the aid to his ministry was none other than true prayer (2 Cor. 1:11). Prayer can open doors for uttering the word of God (Col.4:3-4). What a responsibility that will, without question, be one of many things we give an account for before the Judgment seat!

The recorded lesson from the apostolic Church was that dedication of one’s self should be given to the Word of God but equally to prayer (Acts 6:4). Just as Elijah in the Old testament prayed for eyes to be opened to see, Paul prayed for the enlightening of the eyes of our heart that we may see (2 Kings 6:17; Ephesians 1:19). Ignore not the radiant evidence of a praying life. It may well open and enlighten a man’s heart to see what he couldn’t by study alone. The hope revealed in the Scriptures is the anchor of our soul (Heb. 6:19). It must be the center of our life if we are to live a life pleasing to the Lord (Heb. 11:6; 10:39). At times and in many cases, we, dull of hearing, slow of heart people need the grace of prayer to quicken us with grace to walk out that which is currently in our mouths (Col. 1:9-11; Eph. 1:16-19; 3:14-20). The great protection to prayerless praying (a disease rampant amongst the unstudied) is first of all, the honest, humble and correct study of the Scriptures. For nothing else is a lamp unto our feet as we tread down the dark path of a deceptive world and religion (Psalm 119:105). Paul prayed according to God’s working (Eph 1:19; 3:20). Christ eclipsed His will with God’s (Matt. 26:39).

“Prayerless praying, how popular! Yet, useless” (E.M. Bounds)

The Pharisees prayed to be heard, seen and recognized with many words and a prideful disposition for the good they have done (Mark 6:5; Luke 18:10-14). Leonard Ravenhill said, “the secret of prayer is praying in secret (Matt. 6:6).” As the culmination of man’s day draws to a close, the sobriety of our secret place will be our secret to preparation (1 Peter 4:7). We must soberly strive in prayer and allow the Spirit of God to move us in intercession and personal longing for Him so as to sweeten the bitter areas of our lives and the lives of those that God has given us, knowing, at times only the Spirit will know the will of God (Rom. 15:30-31; 8;8:26).

A burden is a revelation of a tremendous spiritual need, able to be satisfied by God alone, having no avenue where by it can be expressed, save, groanings which cannot be uttered, explained or understood. “Prayers that cannot be uttered are often prayers that cannot be refused (Spurgeon).”

Leonard Ravenhill challenges,

“No man is greater than his prayer life…let me live with a man a while and share his prayer life and then I will tell you how tall I think he is or how majestic I think he is in God…You may impress others but you can’t impress God. You can show off on the platform, singing, preaching and doing your stuff, but not in prayer…Praying men stop sinning and sinning men stop praying. A man first collapses in the prayer closet…Can he share His sorrow with you? Can you remember the last time you couldn’t go to bed because men were dying without Christ?

When was the last time you pushed the plate away and said, “No, I need more time with God?” God looks for a man, not a seraphim, not a cherubim, not a half man and half deity. God looks for men, not money, not methods, not machinery, not movements…Men! We need to say, “Lord I’m concerned, I am speeding up to judgment, look at my ministry, look at the secrets of my life, look at my fruitlessness, look at my dry eyes, look at my poor spirit that has no ache in it, look at me!” The great day of accountability alone will reveal all that could have been effected through a selfless management of your time to invest in prayer.

Beware to stand not ashamed. You cannot return to live the way you should have. Dr. Michael L. Brown urged us, “Are you spending your time, energy and efforts on things that are just going to burn?” I tell you after a diligent study of God’s Word you will find this common thread, that an obedient life lived in humble intercession avails greatly in the eyes of God. A.W. Tozer at the end of his life said this challenging statement, “I don’t think that I will be ashamed of the things that I have done in my life, but rather what I could have done.” Samuel Chadwick at the end of his life said this sobering statement,

“I have spent two thirds of my life in bible study and one third of my life in prayer. If I had the chance to do it all over again, I would spend two thirds of my life in prayer and one third of my life in bible study.”

The Word of God should never be neglected or despised (thought little of), for without its direction, one will more often than not, spend his time amiss. They together constitute the whole of God’s assistance toward us.

Let us sincerely ask ourselves, in the light of Him who sees through the outward actions and into the motives and intents, (Rev. 2:23; Hebrews 4:12.); what does it matter if we boldly dance in the assembly, pray with eloquence and volume, shamelessly raise our hands amongst others or even speak the depths of the Scriptures if we are bankrupt before God in the quiet place? “The true test of a man’s soul is when he is alone” (Jeremy Taylor). Have you come to the face of others from the face of God (figuratively)? To truly know God is to truly share, in our small degree, His feelings, revealed to us in His Word, experienced by us in prayer. To share not God’s burden is to share not in His heart and He who is most dear to God is he who lays his head upon His breast (John 13:23, 25).

“Nothing will so test and stimulate the Christian life as the honest attempt to pray for others”(Andrew Murray).

“The men who have done mighty things for God have always been mighty in prayer, have well understood the possibilities of prayer, and have made the most of these opportunities… Men who know how to pray are the greatest boon God can give the earth-they are the richest gift earth can offer heaven.”(E.M. Bounds).

A disciple who will give himself to the divine preparation and work of a constant receiving and obeying God’s Word, soaked in personal and intercessory prayer will be more confident at the judgment. Knowing that he not only fed his spirit with the truth of God’s Word but he opened his spirit to share God’s heart. A disciple who will give himself to the divine work of pure ministry of the Word and prayer for others will effect greatly the course and pattern of living of these to whom he ministers (Col. 4:12). Of what greater significance can prayer be than that ministry which makes effective all else? The reward for a correct, sincere and fervent life of prayer will, more so than all others, be most significant in that great day.

“There is no alternative to prayer and obedience” (Ravenhill).

“For it is a great honor to speak to men on behalf of God, but an even greater honor to speak to God on behalf of men” (E.M. Bounds).

Let us not know the guilt of a life that chose to avoid the power, importance, privilege and responsibility of the availability of God’s ear.

Let us not forget that even He who was the Word made flesh lived a life of fervent Prayer. Let us plead for divine assistance for ourselves and others as we pursue the offered Kingdom through conformity to the image of God’s Son through nothing other than interaction with His Spirit!

Based in Orlando with his wife Brooke, Eric William Gilmour is burning with a burden to see a sleeping Church wake up and rise to her calling to prayer, purity, power and life together. He hosts all his compilation mp3s on a new podcast site, which can be found at agonypress.podbean.com.

This week Dave Edwards and Steve Bremner sit down to talk about something burning in our hearts, but wind up having a spontaneous discussion on idolatry, and what that looks like in our society culture.

Do you have anything you’re setting up in your life “beside” or “near” the altar of God that is taking up your focus and time, in actuality AWAY from God? Do you have any seemingly holy and right ingredients you’re adding TO the Gospel’s power in your life, that are actually evil and subverting the role of the Holy Spirit in your life?

If you aren’t sure, and want to know how you can discern your spiritual condition, listen to this discussion and get challenged and encouraged.

This week’s intro: Sundown Motel, by Stavesacre.

Related posts that were mentioned in the discussion:

Undrinkable Water

Do You Have Stranglers In Your Life?

Counterfeit Mixed In With the Genuine (Matthew 13:24-30)

Also don’t forget to visit Dave’s new Daefire Ministries site at http://daefire.com.

If you’d like to subscribe to the Fire On Your Head Podcast, visit our directory in iTunes, or visit FireOnYourHead.com for more subscription options.

Reflections on Francis Chan’s decision to leave the pastorate

by Mark Harrell Jr.

“They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia; and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them…” (Acts 16:6-7 NASB)

I, like many of you perhaps, have just read a brief article regarding Francis Chan’s apparently sudden decision to leave his pastorate in Semi Valley, CA and move to Asia to minister to what we might call the “down and outers”.  He leaves behind a thriving “mega” church of 4,000 and growing, to say nothing of a quick rise in popularity and having become a sought after speaker in conferences.

I’d like to look at, in his own words, what his reasons were for leaving and what implications this might or should have on Western and North American Evangelical ministries and ministers today.

It seems that the number one thing grating on him was his own popularity and how it kept him from dealing one on one with people the way he felt he should be able to:

“When there is a large constituency, there’s a lot of voices,” he said. “It makes you arrogant or  it makes you want to shoot yourself.  When thousands of people tell you what they think, how can I be quick to listen, like the Bible says?  I don’t want to be a jerk and tune everyone out.  At the same time you, can’t love every single person and answer them.”

I almost don’t know how to put words to my impressions here.  This man has a desire to pour into people in a way that just isn’t practical in a large church full of bodies.  What a remarkable, relational heart that beats in the man!  How often do we hear of–if ever–pastors laying down secure positions such as his to pursue individuals at the sacrifice of being “Christian Famous”?

It seems to me that the last several decades in the Western Church (specifically North America) have seen an exponential increase in an idolization of leaders.  A gift for speaking, healing, miracles or prophesying is made manifest and suddenly an unwritten law appears to take hold and almost by force impel men and women to travel abroad endlessly or plant churches that seem to grow and grow and grow in proportion to the fame of the man/woman that was usually someone genuinely used and gifted by God.  We seem to like gathering around these types so as to be near the power of God when it is made manifest because the works of the Lord are so wonderful to behold, yet so often it seems that this turns the man or woman of God  into a wet nurse for the whole church body rather than this anointing creating multiplication of leadership and Godly character to facilitate more of God’s grace.  It’s easier to just be near someone else’s fire than to learn to chop down a tree, quarter it and then make our own fire.  “Do that again!!” seems to be the inner refrain of congregations who, with the leader, fall prey to the stardom mentality.

Back to Chan:

“I think there has been too much emphasis on me. I want to be used by God, but I think we have this desire to make heroes out of people rather than following God and the Holy Spirit.”

Wow.  You know, I wonder…is it at all possible that during these last several decades in North America (dare I speak of Europe?) that God called many men and women out of the spot light and into seclusion so as to pour into individuals like Jesus and Paul did?  I wonder how many ministries continued to exist after God requested a vacating of a position or title? Yes, Jesus ministered to crowds but He spent a lot of time with His 12 boys also.  He made it a point to and if he had not done so, we wouldn’t be here.  When Jesus died that would have killed off the whole deal altogether.  He poured His very self into these men so that they could in turn do the same, and they do the same and so on.  We are here, in Christ, because of individual attention given to 12 young men.

What if Paul had suffered from the icon complex?  Would we have ever had 1^st and 2^nd Timothy to draw Godly riches from?  What about Titus?  What if he believed his own press to the extent that it was actually more difficult for him to be restricted by the Lord from going to certain places or staying in places too long?  What if the Holy Spirit spoke and said, “Don’t go to Asia or Bithynia” and Paul said, “that must be the devil trying to keep my anointing out of Asia”?  I find it interesting that when the Lord does not permit them to go to these two localities that He does not provide a reason, only the restriction, what I call a “negative witness”.  Is that good enough for us?  It was good enough for Paul, and apparently good enough for Francis Chan.  But look what happens as the result of the obedience to the restriction of the Holy Spirit:

A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”  When he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.  (Acts 16:9-10)

Had Paul not been willing to submit to the Lord’s unexplained restriction from going to Asia and Bythinia, I am convinced that this vision never would have happened and an entire region full of souls would have never heard the Gospel, perishing in and from their sins.  The spread of the gospel to the whole world through them would then never have existed.  Just try and get your head around that for a second.

Oddly enough, we know full well that Paul was sent to Asia eventually.  But whose wisdom did he submit to?  It’s hard to conceive of God saying, “No, don’t go there to preach” and if we were to say such things to some of our peers we would be quoted the Great Commission and told how wrong we were.  All of Jesus’ commands in Scripture have to be unctionized by the Spirit or else we are calling our own shots and playing foot loose and fancy free and sanctioning it with Scripture.  I don’t mean this in regard to living righteously; I mean this in regard to specific direction in your own situation in life.  The Lord might be speaking to you out of one passage and to me from another.  This is a Spirit-led life, not a grab-a-verse-and-throw-it-on-my-own-desire life.

Let me get on record as saying that I am not against people being well known or even superintending a large flock.  Some of my favorite men of God are in positions of this kind.  It’s not unscriptural to be in a place of this kind.  I’m only wanting to suggest that it’s possible that many a man and woman today are clinging onto something that God may have only intended to be temporary but fame, and book/DVD/conference fees have kept them in the machine way beyond God’s intention for that individual and the love of money or being greeted in the market place has dulled their inner man’s sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.  There’s only one story in scripture about a guy killing 1,000 people with a donkey jawbone but I wonder if today we would erect the First __________ of Jawbone Hill Fellowship?

We seem to have no mental or spiritual grid within us to conceive of our God not giving us freedom in an area and that is where many draw the line.  But what is the eternal cost of this?  Why do we shy away from this kind of Spirit led living?  Is it that we only believe that the Spirit guides us with positive direction as opposed to negative or restrictive direction?  Do we believe there to be a such thing as a Spirit-led obedience that keeps us from doing a thing?  Is there a such thing as Spirit-led silence?  Refrain?

I fear that we may have given ourselves to an idea that God is only ever and always in affirmation mode and would never tell us “no” without giving a reason.  This is bad for our leaders because we will affirm them in things that God isn’t and this is because in our heart of hearts we want God to deal with us in this fashion.  So we foist upon people what we want God to be like to us.  This creates an endless cycle of behavior and ministry endeavors that were never Spirit-born but have the approval of man that masquerades as the approval of God.  This spirit has even crept into prophetic ministry.  Lord forgive and purge us!

So in conclusion, kudos to Francis Chan for his obedience.  Thank you for not getting suckered into your own press.  Thank you for having your eye fixed on Jesus and being sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

You’ll be seeing a man from Macedonia soon…

“Yet when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, for I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” I Corinthians 9:16

The above scripture reflects the heart of a man consumed or owned by the call of God that stems from the message and the reality of the gospel. The Apostle Paul’s divine unction reflects a normal mindset when it comes to what it really means to love the Lord and to be completely His. As we look at his life and the level of commitment that he ascribed to, one must be honest and say that much of what we see and even promote as Christianity and ministry today is in stark contrast to what Paul lived, preached and reproduced while fulfilling his call on earth. Therefore, the question must be asked; “Is there another gospel being promoted and propagated in this hour?” My immediate response to this is, “absolutely yes!”

In much of the industrialized world and especially in the West, there has been a dire phenomenon that has taken place over the last several decades with regard to the gospel of Jesus Christ and the state or condition of His church. It is as if a spiritual decapitation has occurred and the result has been the creation of ministry expressions and accomplishments that are void of the power and presence of God. A beheaded gospel (a social, utilitarian message void of the Cross) has been presented and promoted that has bequeathed a spell of dullness and compromise to fall upon many who name the name of Jesus. In many respects the modern church has become a hollow giant that presents itself as mighty, while in reality in many regards she is empty, emaciated and pitiful in comparison to the scriptural pattern and mandate so clearly seen in the New Testament.

Though it may be painful, the Church must look in the mirror of reality and ask some hard questions in light of the condition of our society and our lack of conviction and power to address it effectively. We must get honest before the “Holiness of the Lord” and allow Him to probe deeply into the core of our existence and exorcise anything within us that aligns us with a gospel that reflects a model of self-fulfillment, personal ministry success (idolatry), an alignment with the spirit of this world, and a message that calls people to social, religious reform void of true repentance and discipleship. The white elephant in the room (the midst of the modern church) has this question written on its side, “How is it that we have gained so much ground socially, politically and economically and still yet we by and large are not having a real impact on this generation?” Some honest answers follow.

1. We have exchanged the gospel of the cross for a gospel of accommodation. (We have learned not to offend man while at the same time condoned grieving the heart of God). Ref. Matthew 10:37-39
2. We have exchanged the anointing and unction for entertainment and the wisdom of this age. (We have learned to use talent, carnal knowledge and performance based ministry to entice individuals to become a part of our social, religious gatherings while neglecting the eternal condition of their souls). Ref. I Corinthians 1:18-25
3. We have exchanged an eternal awareness or consciousness for the passing delicacies and allurements of this present age. (We invest in the things of this world that will eventually be consumed while neglecting the reality of eternity and the world to come). Ref. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
4. We have exchanged prayer and fasting (which begets divine assistance) for furious religious activity. (We focus more on ministry mandates and activities then we do on God’s availability to us through intimacy with Him). Ref. James 5:16
5. We have exchanged the fear of the Lord for the approval of men. (We concern ourselves more with what people say and think about us as believers then we do about what God has called us to be as His children). Ref. Psalm 111:10
6. We have exchanged the burden of the Lord for a life of feel good experiences that oftentimes only breed more of the same. (Even though spiritual, feel good experiences are great, if the burden of the Lord’s heart is not real in the life of the church, we become self-fulfilling while neglecting the great commission). Ref. Jeremiah 4:19, 8:20, 9:1

Lastly, let me say that this is the hour for the Church to arise and shine. We must stir ourselves in such a way that our level of commitment is not just a seasonal or temporal emotional disturbance that leads us to make covenants that are only broken when the emotion of the moment flees. This is the time to allow Jesus to be the head of everything that we are and do. When this happens, He will become more than just our mascot that we use to further our religious, selfish causes. He will be our Lord and leader that directs us into a life of obedience that will bring glory to His name.

More Articles from Keith, click here.

Keith Collins is the Director for FIRE School of Ministry and Founder of Generation Impact Ministries

Visit Keith’s Blog Passionate Ponderings

“O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.“ Song of Solomon 2:14-15 (ESV)

I originally wrote an article on this a number of years ago specifically about the insights I had at that time about the effects of praying in tongues, but with the revelation and insight into this Bridal paradigm God’s giving me lately–and to flow with the articles I’ve been posting in the last few months–I couldn’t help but feel that a re-working and revisit to this subject were necessary.  Especially in light of our spending significant time lately reflecting on truths of Christ based in the Song of Solomon and talking about “love being more excellent than wine”.  I have always had a profound revelation from this passage about the way speaking and praying in tongues builds up the believer and helps them overcome in their life and ward off the foxes and demons trying to ruin the work of the Spirit in our lives.

The whole book, whether you read it allegorically or just as a song, is about the love between the Bridegroom and His Bride.  We can glean from it in more specific and personal ways for our individual journeys with the Lord, and not just the collective Body of Christ.  When I read these simple yet profound verses in the Song, I’m compelled to think of passages like the following in the Gospel of John:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. (John 15:1-8 emphasis mine)

We go to the “hiding place”, signifying a place of privacy, but more specifically that of intimacy with Christ in our relationship with Him.   It speaks of letting Him hear our voice, hence re-enforcing that you can’t only think your prayers, but He desires to hear it out of our mouths as well.  Click here for more articles on the importance of confession and just what it is exactly.  Hearing our voice is also applied to our worship of Him.

The Hebrew for the word “ruin” in S.O.S. 2:15, is Châbal: A primitive root; meaning to wind tightly as a rope, or to bind, specifically by a pledge. It also means figuratively to pervert, or destroy; also to writhe in pain, especially of parturition.  The English Standard Version I quote from uses the word spoil, which shows the same concept.

The foxes represent the devil or demons, and could also be applied to our flesh and our carnal leanings & tendencies.  I believe it represents both: in our own neglect of our relationship with Christ, the opportunity is created for outside spiritual and demonic schemes to come in when we’ve let our guard down through neglect or lack of personal devotion.  In either case, if the foxes are not dealt with at this time, they will cause more damage and be more difficult to overcome.  When we’re growing and the vineyard is in bloom and ripe, THAT is the time they are the most vulnerable and sensitive.  Little foxes can destroy the vine that yields fruit. They do this by gnawing and breaking the little branches and leaves, and the bark, by digging holes in the vineyards, and so spoiling the roots by eating the grapes, and any other way to hinder the growth of the vine.

Our First Fruits

What are vineyards for? Grapes.  And what are grapes used for?  To produce wine.  Chapter 5:22-23 of Galatians lists the fruit of the Spirit, and these are some of the evidences there will be in our lives if we’re intimately connected to the vine, we’ll produce fruit and become more like Him whom we’re beholding and Whose image we’re being transformed into. Though many times different symbols are used in different ways in Scripture, the vineyard is often a type or a symbol of the Church in the New Testament, Israel in the Old Testament, and just the people of God in general. And of course, if you’ve been reading my series on “Love, the More Excellent Way” you’d already be familiar with examples of how wine is correlated with the work of the Holy Spirit, and used in chapter 1:2, and 4:10 in the song as representative of GOOD things and finer pleasures of this world.  The devil is always seeking to destroy us in any way he can.  He desires to ruin the work of the Spirit, in our lives individually and collectively as the Body of Christ, and there’s no better way to do it than at the foundational root level, like the foxes seek to do to the vineyard.

More specifically, we know one symbol for the Holy Spirit is new wine–which is made from fresh just-picked grapes, and the passage here in Song of Solomon talks about how the foxes ruin the vineyards that are in bloom–when they’re young, tender or sensitive.  Most plants and trees require that you remove the first fruits as soon as they appear, and then after that the fruit appears in larger size and more quantity.  But if it’s not obtained properly in that first fruit stage, the tree will never grow properly and yield very much fruit–in other words, will never realize its full potential.  I’m sure there’s a sermon in that on giving God our first fruits with all things in our lives, but that’s another post.  Suffice it to say, it’s the first fruits the foxes are trying to spoil, so the vine never comes to its full potential.  Therefore it’s at this crucial moment the foxes must be stopped from doing any damage or else it will be irreparable and the young one in Christ may not fully recover from the damage caused.

Intimacy with God

God calls us through this passage to the hiding place in the rock (the Rock Christ Jesus) and wants to see our face and hear our voice.  This is indicative of prayer, and definitely indicating intimacy.   Viewing these verses in that lens, we see that going and being alone with God and praying, we’ll wind up “catching those foxes” that ruin the Spirit’s work in our lives because we’re bound to them instead of walking in freedom.  When the vineyard is getting watered with the Word of God (Eph 5:26), then the things of the Spirit, such as the gifts and the fruit, and new wine revelation will flow, and it’s THIS the foxes try to destroy, stop or pervert and prevent from happening.

If you are struggling with fleshly tendencies, or overcoming habitual sin, experience and my understanding of this passage encourages me to encourage you to go be alone with Christ and ‘behold Him’ in this manner. Doing so will help you catch the foxes in your life that spoil the work of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit in turn will help you grow strong in your inner man to overcome these areas.

Notice how it states in verse 14 that He loves the sound of her voice, so what better thing to be offering up with our voices than tongues since according to Romans 8:26 we don’t know what we ought to be praying?  Jude 20 mentions praying in the Holy Spirit to build ourselves up in the the most holy faith.  Another way of saying it, is that praying in tongues builds up the inner man and helps keep those foxes from spoiling the vine.  Jude was writing to the early Church–which was young and still in formation like ‘tender grapes’–to contend for the faith because false doctrine (foxes) had gotten into the Church and was rendering it powerless at this crucial moment in its history.  Early on, while the Body of Christ was still young and getting established, much like the vineyard with grapes in bloom in spring time–was the most sensitive and important time for false doctrine to be weeded out from spoiling things.  So the remedy to that is verse 20, praying in the Holy Ghost. Praying in the Spirit is our inoculation against false doctrine (the foxes) because it is how the Holy Spirit teaches us.

The Apostle John stated in his epistle: “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing [of the Holy Spirit] that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” (1 John 2:26-27, emphasis mine, and parenthesis mine).  The Holy Spirit, and abiding in Him IS the way you’ll avoid and be protected from deception.

So the application of this teaching?  Be intimate with Christ, and pray a whole lot in tongues as well. Not only will it help with your understanding and revelation of the Word of God, but it will help crucify your flesh and overcome the foxes that are holding us back.  As you dwell in the pure Word of God and allow it to ‘water your vineyard’, it will result in wine being produced.

The Holy Spirit is more easily able to flow through those who are intimate with Christ.

Related posts:

What Are You Feeding Your Tree?

How’s Your Connection To The Vine?

“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. Love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears has not been made perfect in love.” 1 John 4:16-18

In our first part of this series, we looked at how the love of God as motivation for operating in and serving with the Spiritual gifts was more important than any use of the gifts in and of themselves.  Our phraseology has been that ‘love [agape] is better than wine [works of the Spirit] but not excluding them as mentioned in Song of Solomon 1:2, and 4:10.   We’ve been establishing the context for which I’ve been saying those things: that the gifts and ministries of the holy Spirit are not either/or, but both/and and that true filling and operating in the Holy Spirit will also be characterized by love for God and for one another. Then in our second part, we looked at Ephesians 5:17-33 for another witness in Scripture about this and how it ties into the Bridal paradigm of the New Testament. Reading the first two parts of this study will be highly beneficial for proceeding further, but not necessary.  Hopefully we’ll destroy some misconceptions about the fear of God.  Let’s face it, how can we be intimate with someone if we’re afraid of Him?

The reason I’d like to look at these verses from 1 John for some reflection and meditating in this context of our series, is because most of us still view God with fear, instead of awe.  Many people feel obligated–myself included oftentimes to be completely honest–to obey God out of fear instead of out of love and appreciation of Him.  Many preachers I love listening to and reading emphasize the consequence of disobedience, and the consequences of sin, and talking about what we’ve been saved FROM, but they don’t nearly emphasize as much what we’ve been saved TO.  The side effect as a result, is fear, shame, and guilt motivating much preaching rather than obedience as a fruit of intimacy.

Love Instead of Fear as a Motivation For Obedience

In Revelation 1: 17 we read the Apostle John say upon seeing Jesus in all his glory in the verses preceding, that “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.” Most of us don’t finish the sentence and read Jesus’ reaction to this: “But he laid his right hand on me saying, “Fear not.” Even though Jesus is clothed in all his splendor–and the human heart’s reaction would be to be fearful of being struck by lightning or something of that sort–we are SAFE in the presence of the Savior.  He reaches out His hand, yearning for us to come near and not fear.

A friend of mine once remarked to me that most of us are so preoccupied with loving God with all our heart, that we forget to realize and accept how much He loves us. Author, speaker and teacher S.J. Hill says this:

Personally, I’m deeply troubled by messages that use the fear of punishment as a motivation for obedience. Jesus deserves so much better! In fact, if our obedience is not motivated by love, it’s not the kind of obedience Jesus is wanting from us in the first place. If some want to talk about God testing our motives, then let’s talk about the proper motivation for walking in holiness. Our obedience must be affection-based. If it isn’t, then it’s not true obedience at all. How can an obedience motivated by a fear of punishment in this life or the life to come really be pleasing to the Lord?

In my book, ENJOYING GOD, I write, “Passages such as 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 have been used to provoke individuals to radical obedience. However, what’s overlooked is John’s statement in 1 John 4:16-18 (Emphasis mine)

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The man who fears has not been made perfect in love.‘”  (v 18)

Most of us mistakenly view fearing God as the same thing as being afraid of Him.  How on earth could we be intimate with Him if we were afraid of Him?  How many children have had deep meaningful relationship with their earthly fathers if they were afraid of them–maybe growing up in abusive situations?  Afraid that at any given moment the father might fly off the handle and snap.  When you’re afraid of a parent, you’re not going to be close to Him.

We’re not going to spend eternity with God afraid He might wake up one day in a bad mood.  There won’t be some day in the year 5 million, where we hear a loud grouchy thunderous voice, and have fear instilled in us as we ask someone nearby ‘what was that?“

“Oh, that was God–He’s in a bad mood today!  Don’t look at Him wrong!“

Of course not!  He is the most pleasant person to be around, and our worship of Him should reflect that.

The fear of the Lord is more rightly translated as the awe of Him.  We are to be in as much awe and fascination of Him as possible.  The idea that He dwells in unapproachable light is not to be taken to mean HE is unapproachable, but that that is our reaction in holy fascination of His beauty.

Putting the Cart Before the Horse

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:21-23)

This is a very important and sobering concept and you might not have heard it put this way before, but hear me out: I’ve heard fear-based messages on this taught more times than not, using this passage to point out that just because people do things in the name of the Lord doesn’t mean they’ll be in heaven.  I don’t disagree with that, but I think it’s over-emphasized by most.  Notice the things mentioned–these people were proclaiming to Jesus that they were prophesying, casting out demons in His name, and performing mighty works which one cannot do in His name without being saved and filled with the Holy Spirit. They were boasting of all the great ministry they were doing in His name.  His response isn’t that he merely didn’t know them, but the text says never.  Not just because they didn’t know him, but because they didn’t know Him and then after the comma, in the same sentence He states, “you [are] workers of lawlessness“–or as other translations put this phrase–’workers of iniquity.’

I’d like to submit for consideration a different angle to view this from:  it’s not just that these people were workers of lawlessness or iniquity who this will be said to on that day when the sheep are separated from the goats, but that doing anything–even of the spiritual gifts–WITHOUT agape love and coming from a place OTHER than out of agape love and intimacy with Christ–is itself iniquity. Even when our motives are good, our righteous deeds are still as filthy rags (Isa 64:6).  Hosea 6:6 mentions how God desires mercy–or as some translations say loyalty–more than sacrifice, which could signify the ‘right’ religious rituals and activity. God wants us, and stands at the door knocking so that He may fellowship with us, first and foremost.  Anything ministry-wise that we will ever do effectively for God must come from a place of intimacy with Him.  It is such a reason as this that He will take one look at many, and say “I don’t know you.  In fact, I never knew you.“  It’s not that spending time in intimacy with Christ is important so that He won’t cast you aside on that day, but because NONE of the works you could ever do for Him to present to Him on that day will have any significance if they aren’t birthed from an intimate relationship with Him.

The point is not to put fear in our hearts for why we’re doing things for the Lord so that on judgment day we will not be cast aside as people He doesn’t know.  Rather, I want to encourage you to just focus on your intimacy with God first and foremost, and then take ministry and your deeds for the lord–your operations in the gifts of the Spirit such as the prophesying, healing and casting out demons like mentioned–let these things flow FROM your intimacy with Christ.

I speak from experience as well as just posing the question: how many of us rely on our works, our ministry, our deeds for God to replace our relationship with God? How many of us are so preoccupied and busy doing ministry, that we have no relationship with God? Friends, never allow yourself to get to a place where you’re too busy to spend time with the lover of your soul, because you’ve put the cart before the horse and are finding yourself too busy to spend time with him.

For further discussion on these matters, be sure to check out our most recent episode of the Fire On Your Head Podcast where we discuss love-empowered holiness and asked the question “Do Happiness and Holiness Mix?” with speaker and author S.J. Hill and missionary & world traveler Gregg Montella.

Download this episode (right click and save)