Living In The Eternal NOW!!!

This past week I introduced a theological concept to our home group that seemed to hit a major chord.  The basic concept is this…

As human beings we are bound by time and space.  In beginning God creates time – known as days.  He says our days are numbered, so our lives are constantly referenced by time – we have a past, a present and a future.  As a counselor, the majority of the people I speak to are either dealing with regret, disappointment and guilt over the past or anxiety and fear over the future.  Some I meet are so enslaved by their emotions and beliefs about the past or future that they are unable to cope with present reality.  I’ve had people angry at me because I couldn’t help them find a way to change the past or manipulate the future.  Some have even placed their displaced anger towards God on me – probably because it’s easier to blame the preacher, the parent, the counselor, everyone in the world  than it is to blame God.  And even if we did blame God (who is blameless by the way) then we would ultimately have to face the reality that we are responsible for our lives and the turmoil that happens as a result of our broken and fallen selves.

Contrast that to God…

God exists outside the context of time and space.  That means God exists in the eternal NOW.  Everything is eternally present with God.  Past and future are not separate realities for God – they are all part of the ETERNAL NOW.  My small brain doesn’t really grasp this – if I’m totally honest.  It’s beyond me, but there are times when glimpses of this reality do start to make sense.  Imagine living life where you are fully present, fully alive, fully engaged every second of every moment.  Where instead of being split off from ourselves and looking to ourselves analytically as we live life – we are fully engaged, no analysis, just simply living life to the full as God intended us to do?  Where every day is a new day.  The past is really past and the future is left to tomorrow – but all our focus and attention is truly invested in the PRESENT TENSE.

I wonder if that would change how I relate to people?  I wonder if I would allow time to pass when there is a breakdown in relationship or a disappointment?  I wonder if I would be quicker to deal with things before the sun goes down – like scripture teaches?  I wonder if we would talk to the right people instead of talking around people?  I wonder if I would be consumed with anxiety about the future?  I wonder if it would change the way I planned for things?  Is it living outside the present to plan?  Absolutely not, but it is living outside the present to be ruled by the unknown future.

What about the tyranny of the crisis?  Here’s the stabilizing component.  Jesus said He only did what He saw the Father doing.  His present activity was regulated or constrained by obedience to what God was putting in front of Him.  Did Jesus disappoint people by not reacting to their personal crisis?  Yes… remember the story of Lazarus?  But was Jesus outside of God’s plan for that day?  No… Jesus conducted His life in the Eternal NOW.  And when the time came, Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead according to PLAN.  Jesus literally turned history upside down – affecting both past and present tenses – simply by living in the ETERNAL NOW.

Here is the question… What is God doing RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW?  What is God placing in front of us TODAY?  Is God speaking to you to let go of the past?  Is God speaking to you to release the future?  Maybe God is leading you to do something that will prepare you for the future – not out of anxiety, but obedience to His plans for you today.  I know if my own life God has moved in such sovereign ways to prepare me for things that I would have never anticipated.  One major example is how God prepared me to be the worship leader of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa.  When I was 16, I was asked to be the worship leader of a Bible Study.  I was given Praise 1 – 4 to learn.  Years later, when I became the worship leader of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa… do you know what their favorite songs were?  Praise 1 – 4!!!  Who would have known!!!  The church would come alive when I would play those songs.  And here’s the catch… it wasn’t out of my character to do it.  I truly loved those songs.  They were life to me and instantly brought me back to those early days of worshipping God alone in my bedroom.

This is what I believe Paul is saying when He says REDEEM THE TIME.  He is saying… stop wasting time on the boring drudgery of the past…. stop wasting time worrying about the future that is totally unknown.  Stay in the PRESENT TENSE.  Sin locks us in the past or keeps us focused on the future.  It holds us captive in the familiar ways of our dead and dying selves.  It keeps us from living the present.  It leads us to waste large amounts of time, energy and resources that are spent on caring and repairing what God renders over and done with.

I just want to leave you with this same question.  Is the past creeping in to your present?  Are you worried about the future?  Let it all go and ask yourself instead… What is God doing RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW?  And be fully PRESENT in the ETERNAL NOW as you walk moment by moment in that intimate relationship with God that He created you for.

“I Will Stand” selected for Top 20 Indie compilation…

Hey everyone…

Just a little note of good news in a sea of confusion…. “I Will Stand” has been selected to be included in the next Top 20 Indie Worship Compilation. I just received an email from Chris Thomason.  I had the privilege of working with Chris on the WoW Worship Series when I worked with Maranatha! Music.  At the time he worked with Integrity Music and his wife was also known as Miss Patty Cake.  “I Will Stand” is the title track of my new CD that is set to be released any day now!!!

To find out more about it check out their website… http://www.top20indie.com/

Top 20 Indie 2008

Signs Of The Times…

I am deeply saddened by the course of events in Lakeland, Fla.  No one enjoys hearing this kind of news and regardless of the vast feelings of disappointment towards Todd Bentley, the thousands of people who have fallen victim to his charisma and appeal will need our prayers – not to mention his wife and family.

Unfortunately, we are warned that in the last days deceivers will come who will even deceive the elect of God.  The problem with those who are deceivers is that we don’t often recognize their deceit until it’s too late.  That’s way it’s called deception – because it’s hard to see at first.  It sounds right, but it’s not right according to scripture.  That’s why it’s so important to be in a Bible believing church that teaches the whole counsel of God – verse by verse, line upon line – leaving nothing out.  Topical teaching really leaves it up to the interests of the pastor where verse by verse teaching brings the balance of the whole counsel of God in it’s context. That’s why it’s so importnat to not be led by the latest revival fad or to run after miracles.  Rather to have a faith built solidly on an intimate relationship with God based on His Word.

If it goes outside the bounds of scripture, then we need to move away from it.  If it goes outside the simplicity of loving God, loving each other and obeying God’s Word, then we need to move away from it.

Hopefully, we can avoid these kinds of tragedies in the future and help those who are in error to come back to the truth of scripture…

LIFE AFTER LAKELAND: Sorting Out the Confusion
-by J. Lee Grady.

Todd Bentley’s announcement that his marriage is ending has thrown our movement into a tailspin-and questions need to be answered.

It was not supposed to end like this.

Evangelist Todd Bentley had heralded the Lakeland revival as the greatest Pentecostal outpouring since Azusa Street. From his stage in a gigantic tent in Florida, Bentley preached to thousands,
bringing many of them to the stage for prayer. Many claimed to be healed of deafness, blindness, heart problems, depression and dozens of other conditions in the Lakeland services, which ran for
more than 100 consecutive nights. Bentley announced confidently that dozens of people had been raised from the dead during the revival.

But this week, a few days after the Canadian preacher announced the end of his visits to Lakeland, he told his staff that his marriage is ending. Without blaming the pace of the revival for Bentley’s
personal problems, his board released a public statement saying that he and his wife, Shonnah, are separating. The news shocked Bentley’s adoring fans and saddened those who have questioned
his credibility since the Lakeland movement erupted in early April.

I’m sad. I’m disappointed. And I’m angry. Here are few of my many, many questions about this fiasco:

Why did so many people flock to Lakeland from around the world to rally behind an evangelist who had serious credibility issues from the beginning?

To put it bluntly, we’re just plain gullible.

From the first week of the Lakeland revival, many discerning Christians raised questions about Bentley’s beliefs and practices.  They felt uneasy when he said he talked to an angel in his hotel room. They sensed something amiss when he wore a T-shirt with a skeleton on it. They wondered why a man of God would cover himself with tattoos. They were horrified when they heard him describe how he tackled a man and knocked his tooth out during prayer.

But among those who jumped on the Lakeland bandwagon, discernment was discouraged. They were expected to swallow and follow. The message was clear: “This is God. Don’t question.”
So before we could all say, “Sheeka Boomba” (as Bentley often prayed from his pulpit), many people went home, prayed for people and shoved them to the floor with reckless abandon, Bentley-style.

I blame this lack of discernment, partly, on raw zeal for God. We’re spiritual hungry-which can be a good thing. But sometimes, hungry people will eat anything.

Many of us would rather watch a noisy demonstration of miracles, signs and wonders than have a quiet Bible study. Yet we are faced today with the sad reality that our untempered zeal is a sign of
immaturity. Our adolescent craving for the wild and crazy makes us do stupid things. It’s way past time for us to grow up.

Why didn’t anyone in Lakeland denounce the favorable comments Bentley made about William Branham?

This one baffles me. Branham embraced horrible deception near the end of his ministry… and his strange doctrines are still embraced by a cultlike following today…

Why didn’t anyone correct this error from the pulpit? Godly leaders are supposed to protect the sheep from heresy, not spoon feed deception to them. Only God knows how far this poison traveled from Lakeland to take root elsewhere. May God forgive us for allowing His Word to be so flippantly contaminated.

A prominent Pentecostal evangelist called me this week after Bentley’s news hit the fan. He said to me: “I’m now convinced that a large segment of the charismatic church will follow the anti-Christ when he shows up because they have no discernment.” Ouch.  Hopefully we’ll learn our lesson this time and apply the necessary caution when an imposter shows up.

Why did God TV tell people that “any criticism of Todd Bentley is demonic”?

This ridiculous statement was actually made on one of God TV’s pre-shows. In fact, the network’s hosts also warned listeners that if they listened to criticism of Bentley, they could lose their healings.

This is cultic manipulation at its worst. The Bible tells us that the Bereans were noble believers because they studied the Scriptures daily “to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11, NASB).  Yet in the case of Lakeland, honest intellectual inquiry was viewed as a sign of weakness. People were expected to jump first and then open their eyes.

Just because we believe in the power of the Holy Spirit does not mean we check our brains at the church door. We are commanded to test the spirits. Jesus wants us to love Him with our hearts and our minds.

Because of the Lakeland scandal, there may be large numbers of people who feel they’ve been burned by Bentley. Some may give up on church and join the growing ranks of bitter, disenfranchised Christians. Others may suffer total spiritual shipwreck. This could have been avoided if leaders had been more vocal about their objections and urged people to evaluate spiritual experiences through the filter of God’s Word.

Why did a group of respected ministers lay hands on Bentley on June 23 and publicly ordain him? Did they know of his personal problems?

This controversial ceremony was organized by Peter Wagner, who felt that one of Bentley’s greatest needs was proper spiritual covering. He asked California pastors Che Ahn and Bill Johnson, along with Canadian pastor John Arnott, to lay hands on Bentley and bring him under their care.

Bentley certainly needs such covering. No one in ministry today should be out on their own, living in isolation without checks, balances and wise counsel. It was commendable that Wagner reached out to Bentley and that Bentley acknowledged his need for spiritual fathers by agreeing to submit to the process. The question remains, however, whether it was wise to commend Bentley during a televised commissioning service that at times seemed more like a king’s coronation.

In hindsight, we can all see that it would have been better to take Bentley into a back room and talk about his personal issues.

The Bible tells us that ordination of a minister is a sober responsibility. Paul wrote: “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others” (1 Tim. 5:22). We might be tempted to rush the process, but the apostle warned against fast-tracking ordination-and he said that
those who commission a minister who is not ready for the job will bear some of the blame for his failures.

I trust that Wagner, Ahn, Johnson and Arnott didn’t know of Bentley’s problems before they ordained him. I am sure they are saddened by the events of this week and are reaching out to Bentley and his wife to promote healing and restoration. But I believe that they, along with Bentley and the owners of God TV,
owe the body of Christ a forthright, public apology for thrusting Bentley’s ministry into the spotlight prematurely. (Perhaps such an apology should be aired on God TV.)

Can anything good come out of this?

That depends on how people respond. If the men assigned to oversee Bentley offer loving but firm correction, and if Bentley responds humbly to the process by stepping out of ministry for a season of rehabilitation, we could witness a healthy case of church discipline play out the way it is supposed to. If all those who were so eager to promote Bentley now rush just as fast to repent for their errors in judgment, then the rest of us could breathe a huge sigh of relief-and the credibility of our movement could be restored.

I still believe that God desires to visit our nation in supernatural power. I know He wants to heal multitudes, and I will continue praying for a healing revival to sweep across the United States.  But we must contend for the genuine, not an imitation. True revival will be accompanied by brokenness, humility, reverence and
repentance-not the arrogance, showmanship and empty hype that often was on display in Lakeland.

We are weathering an unprecedented season of moral failure and spiritual compromise in our nation today. I urge everyone in the charismatic world to pray for Bentley; his wife, Shonnah; his three young children; Bentley’s ministry staff; and the men and women who serve as his counselors and advisers. Let’s pray that God will turn this embarrassing debacle into an opportunity for miraculous restoration.

~SOURCE:  http://www.charismanews.com/

Waves Of Mercy Over Scotland – Week 2

Alot has happened over the past week… here is a recap:

Night Of Worship @ Bridgeton Life Christian Fellowship

Tuesday and Wednesday we were in Glasgow.  Wednesday we did a Night Of Worship at Bridgeton Life Church.  It’s almost like a Dream Center type of feel… they have many who come to church drunk or high on drugs.  We had the opportunity to pray for several folks in need.

Thursday we were at Calvary Chapel Denfermline where we did a Night of Worship and a skate demo at the local skate park.  It was amazing.  We experienced our first heckler on the street.  Apparently… there are some in Scotland who object to the preaching of God’s Word and prayer.  The meeting hall we held our concert in was covered with paintings depicting almost demonic themes.  There is an art teacher at the school that is leading the kids to this kind of expression.  We need to join Pastor Ken Scott in praying the art teacher out of there and replacing him with an art teacher that will lead the kids to painting godly themes.

Dakota praying with kids at the local skatepark in Denfirmline

Friday we went to Calvary Chapel Stirling where we did street evangelism, a skate demo and a Night of Worship.  The little church held just a few people and 9 new people came.  That is amazing for Scottish standards.

The following day we did a Worship Life Conference with 15 worship leaders from many different cities.  Again by Scottish standards this was considered a hugely successful event.  There were several different churches represented from the surrounding regions.  One group came from around 1 hour away.

Saturday night we ended up in Carluke where we held a Night of Worship at the Calvary Chapel there.  It was a great time of worship and the church was packed to capacity.  What a great church with a great community.  It was a well rounded family church with good healthy leadership.

Sunday was a killer day.  We led worship Sunday AM at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Hamilton.  That was a lively time of worship with a very fun church.  Then we went to Kirk O Shotts where we held a Conventical service.  A Conventical service is a service that the Covenanters used to hold in secret due to persecution.  It was a great time of prayer for revival.  After that, we quickly went to Coat-Bridge where we did a Night of Worship at Elim Familiy Church.  This was another dynamic, packed to capacity crowd.

Every where we’ve gone we’ve been giving away our CDs and resources to worship leaders.  It’s our prayer that they be equipped and empowered to go further and deeper with our Lord!!!

Blessings

Holland

Waves Of Mercy Over Scotland

Here I am speaking to a group of hard core rockers in Scotland

First of all, I have to say that I can’t believe I’m in Scotland.  What an amazing country.  Beautiful countrysides, lots of history and culture, fish and chips and some of the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted!!!

Our first official day of ministry is Wednesday, but God has had other plans.  He’s breaking out all over!!!  The first night we arrived, one of our team – Dakota – a world class trick scooter rider went to a local skate park and blew the place up!!!  He started to skate and immediately a crowd of kids started to gather.  Over 130 kids turned up and he dominated the crowd.  They had to shut down the park.  Pastor Jim and myself were talking about how effective this kind of outreach is to draw a crowd of kids, give away free t-shirts, hats and skateboards – but more importantly to give away the gospel!!!

Tuesday was to be a light touring day – but while we were sitting in the city square of Glasgow a group of hardcore rockers sat next to us.  I took it as a divine appointment and started talking to the kids.  It was evident just how lost and without hope these kids are.  It also pointed out that we need a good church plant in Glasgow that will reach this generation of kids.  I don’t think the acoustic guitar and djembe laden style that characterizes many churches in Scotland will work.  They need a cool, vibey, rockin church with amazing Bible teaching and loving folks who will literally be the parent that these kids don’t have in their lives.  I would encourage you to join me in praying for these kids.  Without a good church community to disciple them it is most likely that many will grown up never experiencing the power of the gospel in Christian fellowship.  Many churches and missions teams from the US will come, leave their deposit of God and then go away and leave these kids to their hopeless lifestyles – making literally zero lasting impact.  I’m praying that God will either lead us to partner with dynamic churches in Scotland or to plant dynamic churches in Scotland.

Hari Krishna Evangelists

I was also blown away by the presence of cult evangelists like the Hari Krishna’s.  While their presence was known in this city, the presence of Christians was strangely absent.  I don’t think we need to make this point further… but how shall they hear unless someone tells them?

We’re excited about the divine appointments that God is already bringing our way!!!

Blessings!!!

Hd