I once asked a man how often we as a group take a look at our standards and make sure that everything we were being taught was actually still relevant and update those items that weren't relevant anymore. He replied that we never update the standards because they were Biblically based and that meant that they were correct and you don't change something that is correct. He also implied that any standard that we taught had always been relevant and would always remain relevant.
This discussion happened over a decade ago and it was one of those "aha!" moments for me. His answer got me thinking. Ever since I've always wondered just how true that the statement that everything that will ever be relevant would always remain relevant really was. I've always wondered just how change effects us here and now in our Christian walk.
Jesus never changes (Heb 13:8), but does that mean that nothing ever does? I wondered this and searched the scriptures and found some things that I question whether or not they are still relevant.
You knew that there was going to be one example dealing with clothing, so I'm going to get it out of the way. Currently I'm wearing 100% cotton clothing other than on my feet. My socks are a poly-cotton blend, which are a sin (Lev 19:19). As a matter of fact many of the articles of clothing that we wear, regardless of whether they are modest or not, are sinful. Sure, these socks breathe and my feet don't sweat like they do in some of my Holy socks (no pun intended), but they are still a sin. I have found a Biblical solution though and plan to correct the situation very soon (Matt 18:8).
Today I ate lunch at a Chinese buffet, and ate three little skewers of crab meat. They were tasty little abominations (Lev 11:10), but fortunately for me I found out that they were actually imitation crab made out of whitefish. Still it did look like crab so I think it was technically still a sin (1 Thess. 5:22).
I live in Michigan and the economic troubles here are greater than those just about anywhere else. I've always got an eye out for alternative sources of income and I think I found one (Exodus 21:7). Sure, it might not be a recurring stream of income, but at least it's one less mouth to feed right?
Keeping with the economy, I've noticed that more and more people in my church are working non-traditional schedules. I've also noticed that more and more you hear about the person who is missing church because they had to work. Now I know that we have to kill these people (Exodus 35:2), but the thing I've always wondered is how?
Should we be exempting our children who attend school from playing football (Lev 11:7-8)? What about all the good Christian men who shave? When we use the verse Lev. 19:28 to state we shouldn't have tattoos, why does Lev. 19:27 get overlooked when it tells us not to trim our beards? Lev. 19:26 means your steak must be well done and that even medium-well is out. Does this verse doom Holy people to dry steak?
Am I being silly in bringing up these absurdities here? Maybe just a little bit, but only to make a point. If you are going to make a statement that everything that has ever been relevant will always be relevant, then these scriptures are definitely relevant. They are at least as relevant as the old standard that made it a sin to drink soda from a bottle. At least the items I'm bringing up are Biblical (though that term is subjective).
If you are going to make a point of being under the law, you must take it all; you can't pick and choose (Gal 3:10). Of course we are not under the law now, at least not if we are led by the Spirit (Gal 5:18). So in going from being under the law to being led by the Spirit, things have changed, at least once.
We have changed how we do things outside of this massive shift from the law to grace as well. Let's face it, life is changing all the time. Let me tell you that just over the last few years I've seen pay phones, department stores, and dial-up modems become much less relevant to today's society. Carriages will never be the standard of transportation again. The majority of people no longer live on farms. Newspapers will eventually become a nostalgia item because they are on their way out of the mainstream. Why is all of this true? Things change.
It was the Greek philosopher Heraclitus that said "The only constant is change" [1]. Isaac Asimov said "It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be ..." [2]. Why is it that these men, one of which was a professed atheist, have a better grasp on how people work that we seem to? What is it holding us onto the idea that change is evil other than righteous indignation?
This post is not meant to address any particular standard at all and is merely addressing the question of should our standards ever change. I'm simply going to sum up by asking you a question. Just how far should we reject change? Should we just plant our feet and stand our ground every time the word is even mentioned or should we find a way to accept it, deal with it, learn from it and come out on the other side of change better than we started?
Just one additional thought. There definitely are some timeless truths that really shouldn't change, but when you lump everything together and make blanket statements that nothing should ever change, when that very blanket statement ends up being questioned these timeless truths are questioned as well. I know that Gal 5:9 is talking about sin and not classification, but the point of it certainly applies.
References:
[1] http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Heraclitus
[2] http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Isaac_Asimov
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Reva Mears Bio
Reva Mears Bio
Newborn, 1898 in christening gown
I’m sure it was cold that wintry day in 1898 when little Reva was born. It was the 24th of January in the small town of Carmi, Illinois. James and Margaret Mears already had a two-year old son named Ralph. Soon after Revas birth James was disastrously killed while working in the coal mines. In 1900 Margaret re-married a man by the name of Louis Jones. (Commonly referred to as “Daddy Jones” by Will Sowders and others that became acquainted after his coming into the church years later.) Louis was a widower, and had two sons (Bill and Earl) of his own that were almost the exact same age as Ralph and Reva, so he and his new wife raised all four boys showing no distinction between any of them.
Reva as teen working coal mines
Reva was raised in the small town of New Haven, Illinois. He must have been around 9 or 10 years old (circa 1907 or 1908) when he dropped out of school his 3rd or 4th grade year and began working.
Approximately 1915 he re-located to work in the coal mines in western Virginia and then on to Norfolk for about a 5-year period.
Just after the start of WWI not only did he begin working as a long-shoreman at a naval station loading and unloading freight on the docks, but he also married ~1917. I’m sure after finding solace in his new found relationship he was devastated when tragically his wife and child both died. (Possibly tied to the 1918 TB epidemic)
Surely these heartbreaking events contributed to him finding his way to a Pentecostal church where he was saved and filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. He worked in a factory in Evansville, Indiana, and one night after work he had a very unusual dream: He was on a riverbank and there was a torn fishing net lying at his feet. He could hear the oarlocks of a small boat coming up the river in his direction but could not see because of the thick underbrush on the banks of the river. Soon a muscular, red-faced man with his sleeves rolled up, came into view and rowed to the shore and called for him to aid him in the project of repairing the net. He began to show him a special kind of knot that would mend this torn net. He told Reva to start on one end and he would start on the other and they would meet in the middle.
Reva & Elva 1923
So this brings our story up to 1920 in Evansville, Indiana. Reva, being 21 years of age when visiting a local Pentecostal church, is shocked to recognize that the guest preacher from Anna, Illinois, as none other than the fisherman from his dream. The following year (1921), Will Sowders having some trouble with the church in Anna moved to work with the folks in Evansville. It was also in this same church that Reva met his bride-to-be Elva Fulton. She had been attending this same church since 1917, prior to the visit from Will Sowders or Reva Mears. They were married on June 22nd of 1922.
Reva began receiving keys to the scriptures from Will Sowders. He began giving more and more of his time to the study of God’s word. It seemed that one scripture would unlock another and then another and the Bible came to life in a new way.
Reva baptizing in the river.
Reva with Cornelius 1923
Reva & Clyde Dixon holding a Tent Revival in Memphis, TN.
In June of 1923 his first son Cornelius was born. Also at this time Will Sowders began to send him out with men like Alonzo Shoemaker to hold tent revivals throughout Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois and Tennessee.
After unusual experiences in July of 1925, Reva and Elva establish a church in his hometown of New Haven, Illinois. In 1928 he was holding a tent revival meeting in Martinsville, Indiana, where his 5-year-old son Cornelius remembers his first experience with the Lord. He would often share about Will Sowders newly converted son, James, singing “Yes I Know, Jesus Blood Can Wash The Vilest Sinner Clean” The feeling the conviction of the Holy Ghost came over him right in the middle of practicing his guitar for service that night.
Reva and his family traveled extensively and it is impossible to track all of their activity in those early years. He was very active in threshing the word at both the Olmsted and Elco camp meetings in southern Illinois. By 1929 the Mears family set up camp in Memphis, Tennessee and established a church located at 3rd and McLemore st. A number of preachers came down to host revivals for him in the area. One tent meeting of significance was held by Clyde Dixon. Many, including R. E. Dawkins received the Holy Ghost at this revival. America was ripe for the Pentecostal message and Reva, Elva and their two sons made quite a circuit. Again in 1930 they were back in Martinsville working with a church there.
Over the next several years through a series of ups and downs, Reva became discouraged and decided to back away from the ministry. Hoping to stay low profile, he lived in New Haven for a while. They ended up visiting a Pentecostal church without a pastor in Bloomington, Indiana. Bro. Fodrell, a man from that local church asked him to preach. As his gift once again began to manifest, the deacons requested him to stay on to take the roll of pastor in their church in 1935. Because the church was affiliated with the Assemblies of God, the district superintendent requested Reva to become licensed if he was going to continue working in that capacity. He felt the Lord had revealed too much about the danger of organized religion, so he refused and stepped down.
Visiting Indianapolis, Indiana he was called upon to minister by the pastor George Lawson. My grandfather relayed to me how he could feel the tension and indecision in his father as he was sitting next to him on the front row of the congregation. When he obeyed the request, the Lord came in and once again began to anoint the message that was so precious to him.
Daniel Sturgeon & his father Cheif Raincloud with Reva in KC, Missouri
After yet more traveling and just before the start of WWII at the age of 38, ~1936, Reva again moved the Mears family, this time to establish a work in Kansas City, Missouri. Over the next 8 years they worked with people there and hosted several Schools of the Prophets in their building at 13th and Winchester. I have both audio and film footage from this time period and it will be available in the future. During this time he was also active in the Shepherdsville, Kentucky camp meetings being held by Will Sowders.
In 1944 he sent his oldest son (Cornelius) and his daughter-in-law (Alberta) to scout out a place to establish a church in Southern California. Although the story has been told incorrectly, Reva continued to work closely with Will Sowders. Will Sowders not only sanctioned the move, but also was quoted as saying that Reva Mears could be separated from him for fifty years and come back together and be the same both doctrinally and in spirit. However, over the next three years his health began to deteriorate rapidly. In 1947 he felt to close the work in California and move back to New Haven and get closer to his friends and his roots. While driving back with his wife and youngest son he passed away in Magdalena, New Mexico.
Reva's funeral and burial at the Shepherdsville, Kentucky, campground.
There were two separate funeral services held. One was in New Haven, Illinois, and the other at Shepherdsville, Kentucky, which is where he is buried. Both of these transcripts will be posted on my website over the next few months. Following the service in Shepherdsville, Will Sowders ordained Cornelius Mears to preach the gospel and sent him to continue the work in California.
Reva introduced a tremendous number of people to a relationship with God and his word throughout his short 49 years. He definitely had an Achilles heel, but almost every single person that I have interviewed has pointed out to me the excessive mercy that he exhibited as a result. The Lord chose to use broken vessels of clay in the first century and it appears that he has continued to do mighty works with flawed earth. I am looking forward to a time that his bride will be presented without spot, wrinkle or any such thing.
I hope you enjoyed this look into the past. I have more history that I am working so please pray for me that I am able to successfully discover more pages to share.
Merry Christmas,
Paul Farmer
Thursday, December 17, 2009
I'll Keep Holding On To Jesus
I've been sitting here and thinking about the year 2009 and all that it has brought us. I can't speak for everyone, but personally I've been shaken more this year than in any other year since 1999. Without getting into specifics, I'd like to compare and contrast them.
Both 1999 and 2009 were transitional years for me where change was very much the norm. In both years I suffered personal loss, disappointment, frustration and much more. In both of these years I can say that important parts of my life came crashing down all around me and my faith was shaken and tested. Both of these years had a very similar impact on my life and left me reeling. However the real difference between the two can only be measured in my reaction to the trouble I experienced.
In 1999 when life became more than I could handle, I became very despondent and turned inward. I was hurting and I blamed God for what had happened to me. Resentment built inside me and I began running from God. It took a long time for me to stop running and to start turning to God instead and even when I stopped running, the hurt remained for a long time. I didn't willingly give that up, and it wasn't until years later that He just took that hurt from me and the wounds that I suffered in 1999 were finally healed. During 1999 it often felt that God didn't even know who I was.
In 2009 when life became more than I could handle, I did get very sad but this time I turned to Jesus. I was hurting, but I recognized that God is in control. My faith was strengthened because I began running to God. I've had a constant friend who has walked beside me and someone to bear my burdens for me. I've given the problems and the pain away and He took that hurt from me and the wounds that I've suffered in 2009 haven't been nearly as severe as they could have been. During 2009 I've known that God not only knows who I am, but also that He cares for me.
Why do I write about these two years in my life on my blog? Because I know that this year hasn't shaken only me. I know that there are many people out there for whom this has been a year of struggle and hardship and if this describes you, I want to remind you that God is there with you and that He cares for you. I know that He watches out for me, and you too can know this with out a doubt.
So many songs have been written that express this so well. "His Eye is on the Sparrow", "Sheltered In the Arms of God", the song I borrowed my title from "I'll Keep Holding On To Jesus" and so many, many more. However the second verse in the song "Til the Storm Passes By" caught my attention today, and I want to reproduce it here for you.
Many times Satan tells me there is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by,
But I know Thou art with me and tomorrow I'll rise,
Where the storms never darken the skies.
Do not give in to the lie that things are terrible. Remember that He is wonderful and anything that seems to be terrible looses its significance. If you are feeling pressed under the weight of the world and you are beginning to despair, I want you to pray this simple prayer.
"Jesus, I love You. Jesus, I need You."
He is there for you, always.
Both 1999 and 2009 were transitional years for me where change was very much the norm. In both years I suffered personal loss, disappointment, frustration and much more. In both of these years I can say that important parts of my life came crashing down all around me and my faith was shaken and tested. Both of these years had a very similar impact on my life and left me reeling. However the real difference between the two can only be measured in my reaction to the trouble I experienced.
In 1999 when life became more than I could handle, I became very despondent and turned inward. I was hurting and I blamed God for what had happened to me. Resentment built inside me and I began running from God. It took a long time for me to stop running and to start turning to God instead and even when I stopped running, the hurt remained for a long time. I didn't willingly give that up, and it wasn't until years later that He just took that hurt from me and the wounds that I suffered in 1999 were finally healed. During 1999 it often felt that God didn't even know who I was.
In 2009 when life became more than I could handle, I did get very sad but this time I turned to Jesus. I was hurting, but I recognized that God is in control. My faith was strengthened because I began running to God. I've had a constant friend who has walked beside me and someone to bear my burdens for me. I've given the problems and the pain away and He took that hurt from me and the wounds that I've suffered in 2009 haven't been nearly as severe as they could have been. During 2009 I've known that God not only knows who I am, but also that He cares for me.
Why do I write about these two years in my life on my blog? Because I know that this year hasn't shaken only me. I know that there are many people out there for whom this has been a year of struggle and hardship and if this describes you, I want to remind you that God is there with you and that He cares for you. I know that He watches out for me, and you too can know this with out a doubt.
So many songs have been written that express this so well. "His Eye is on the Sparrow", "Sheltered In the Arms of God", the song I borrowed my title from "I'll Keep Holding On To Jesus" and so many, many more. However the second verse in the song "Til the Storm Passes By" caught my attention today, and I want to reproduce it here for you.
Many times Satan tells me there is no need to try,
For there's no end of sorrow, there's no hope by and by,
But I know Thou art with me and tomorrow I'll rise,
Where the storms never darken the skies.
Do not give in to the lie that things are terrible. Remember that He is wonderful and anything that seems to be terrible looses its significance. If you are feeling pressed under the weight of the world and you are beginning to despair, I want you to pray this simple prayer.
"Jesus, I love You. Jesus, I need You."
He is there for you, always.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Fear
Fear is a normal part of human existence. It is a survival mechanism that is built into our very core. In a dangerous situation, fear is often what can help us make a good decision, reducing or negating harmful repercussions of the danger. Fear helps us keep from getting hurt. Fear is natural and it is a good thing.
As children we need to be taught what to fear and what not to fear. We are not born with a list of what can and cannot hurt us. Childhood fears are often irrational. Kids are scared of monsters, the dark, the elderly and a host of too many thing to list, however these fears most often have no basis in reality. On the flip side, teenagers often don't have enough fear, are reckless and take stupid risks. This irrational lack of fear shares a common element with childhood fears in that it has no basis in reality.
Children and teenagers are both more interested in what they believe that what is true, and they build their fear, or lack thereof, on their own perception instead of reality. It's often not until reality intrudes into their make-believe that they are forced to deal with the truth and see things for what they truly are. Yes, children do grow out of their fears and teenagers do eventually learn proper fear, but sometimes it takes a tragedy for our young people to incorporate understanding into their view of the world and of themselves. Adults who have experience with remorse and loss have far less difficulty knowing what to fear and what not to fear.
Fear is something you learn, something that can be taught. Herein lies one great problem with fear. People will use fear to their own advantage. Fear can be a tool of domination in any situation where one person is over another. Whether it is a parent with a child, a boss with an employee or a ruler with a nation, fear can be used to gain the advantage over another person, to control that person. Frightening people into doing what you want is not a hallmark of benevolent leadership. Using fear is the equivalent of a threat, just more subtle and perhaps more devious.
Those who would employ fear in this way may not have terrible motives, but even if their motives are pure, their methods leave much to be desired, and more often than not this is not the case. A boss might threaten discipline or termination to an employee to gain an unfair advantage over them. A parent may find themselves reduced to using fear to get their child to behave. Using fear this way does not leave the recipient of that fear with a feeling that the other person has their best interest in mind and this should be the case, especially in a loving relationship like that of a parent and child or a husband with a wife. For a while it may seem that fear is doing precisely the job it was intended to, but eventually it ends up warping both individuals, the one who uses fear and the one who is the target of that fear. Using fear in this way is not healthy for anyone.
People have a breaking point at which their anger and resentment outweigh their fear and they rebel against authority. At this point intentions are irrelevant and all that matters now is that the method, fear, will no longer be tolerated. Regardless of the outcome the person will break through this yoke of bondage that was placed on them and fight against it. Sometimes the relationship can be saved, but this is not always the case and never without reconciliation. Additionally, once a person has had to fight for their freedom this way, they are conditioned to fight, and it becomes harder for them to accept a legitimate form of authority.
When authority is built on a foundation of fear, that authority crumbles when the fear is removed. When a leader leads with fear, when they no longer are feared, they no longer lead. When this erosion inevitably begins, what often happens is that person will try to hold on to their authority and focus on that so much that they are revealed to be more interested in control than in truly leading, and their authority bleeds away from all the faster.
Unfortunately the flip side of this is that someone who has been controlled through fear this way often finds it difficult to break out of this controlling type of situation. A nation that has known no other leadership other than tyranny will lash out when that leadership is deposed unless the leadership that replaces it is equally tyrannical. A person that has had one emotionally abusive relationship, if they are able to break out of it often find themselves moving into another abusive relationship, or a series of them. Perhaps most tragic example of this regards the relationship of a parent with a child. What happens most often in this case is that this emotional abuse is channeled into the next generation, and is perpetrated on another innocent child, or children. It is a damnable cycle that is difficult to break out of.
If you haven't quite caught up with me yet, I'm going to be extremely clear in my next sentence. Using fear this way is abuse, plain and simple.
My point in presenting fear to you in this way is to point out that our lives should not be like this. We should not be oppressed by fear. However, there is a more insidious level of this that I haven't discussed yet. Religious fear.
All the things I've said about using fear to control people still applies in a religious setting, but there is another level to it that makes it more nefarious. When a religious leader uses fear to control, the recipient has been taught that to not allow himself to be controlled is rebellion or in other words, a sin. These people often are too afraid to stand up because their leader has taken a hostage, their soul, and is threatening eternal destruction if his demands are not met.
Why would you rise up against abusive authority if you have been taught that it is a sin to rebel against authority, any authority? How difficult would it be to live when you knew that you were the only one who felt this way because your leader told you that this was true and anyone else who actually did feel this way were also too scared to say anything about it too? Many are the quiet cries for understanding, love and help that are not only going unanswered, but also unspoken because the very people who have been called to care for the flocks have abdicated this responsibility and instead have held the flock in check through fear.
Jesus asked Simon Peter three times in John if he loved Him. When he answered, yes Lord, you know I love you, Jesus replied "Keep my sheep in check." (John 21:15-17) Of course He didn't say something so foolish; He said "Feed my sheep". A shepherd who does not care for the sheep does not love the sheep and therefore is not a good shepherd.
I've heard it said that God uses the shepherds as His conduit to speak to His sheep. This is true, but it is not exclusive. It is also not inclusive of those who take it upon themselves to be more than a conduit of God. It is God's responsibility to convict, not man's, and any man who would take this upon themselves steps in between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). These people have taken on the roll of Christ. I find those who abuse their position in the Kingdom of God this way to be an abomination.
Should we submit ourselves to people posing as Godly authority when they are not? I will not rebel against Godly authority and do not have a problem with submitting myself and supporting proper authority. Certainly Heb 13:17 isn't talking about submitting to an impostor. No instead it tells us to submit to those who watch over our souls, not watch out for themselves. I may not outwardly rebel against such a man, but neither will I submit to him; I will not suffer false leadership. I claim Jesus Christ as my ultimate authority, and if any man makes himself to be more than simply a vessel for Christ's authority, he is usurping Christ's authority. No man can take the place of Christ in my life.
Now I do want to make clear that I set a big division separating the man from the fear. While I will never let myself be controlled through fear this way, I will forgive the man who does so when he repents. I may never support that man's "ministry" but I can still love the man. To do otherwise would be to continue resenting a situation that no longer exists, and is symptomatic of delusion.
I want to wrap up this by talking about fools and quoting a scripture. I looked up a quote and was kinda surprised to find that it came from the movie Star Wars, but it is a good quote, so I'll still use it anyway. "Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" Don't fool yourself into believing that it is right to follow a man who you know is wrong simply because of a position that he holds. Instead, let your attitude and mind always be to do what is right and submit yourself to Jesus.
Brothers and Sister, if you are living in this kind of oppressive situation I'm speaking to you right now. You don't have to live this way. Don't be fooled, God doesn't use fear to control us and anyone who would isn't operating through Him when he does. Paul told Timothy this very same thing in 2 Tim 1:7 when he said "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." This is your key my friend to combating fear. "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 1:13). In fact, read the rest of 2 Timothy if you are interested in seeing the proper way for a shepherd to feed the sheep.
I write because I feel that your burden has been laid on my heart and I feel for you. It may not be much, but when you shed a tear, you're not alone. I'm praying for you and will continue to do so, always. Never forget that you are not alone. Run to Jesus when you have been torn down and He will comfort you.
Fear not.
As children we need to be taught what to fear and what not to fear. We are not born with a list of what can and cannot hurt us. Childhood fears are often irrational. Kids are scared of monsters, the dark, the elderly and a host of too many thing to list, however these fears most often have no basis in reality. On the flip side, teenagers often don't have enough fear, are reckless and take stupid risks. This irrational lack of fear shares a common element with childhood fears in that it has no basis in reality.
Children and teenagers are both more interested in what they believe that what is true, and they build their fear, or lack thereof, on their own perception instead of reality. It's often not until reality intrudes into their make-believe that they are forced to deal with the truth and see things for what they truly are. Yes, children do grow out of their fears and teenagers do eventually learn proper fear, but sometimes it takes a tragedy for our young people to incorporate understanding into their view of the world and of themselves. Adults who have experience with remorse and loss have far less difficulty knowing what to fear and what not to fear.
Fear is something you learn, something that can be taught. Herein lies one great problem with fear. People will use fear to their own advantage. Fear can be a tool of domination in any situation where one person is over another. Whether it is a parent with a child, a boss with an employee or a ruler with a nation, fear can be used to gain the advantage over another person, to control that person. Frightening people into doing what you want is not a hallmark of benevolent leadership. Using fear is the equivalent of a threat, just more subtle and perhaps more devious.
Those who would employ fear in this way may not have terrible motives, but even if their motives are pure, their methods leave much to be desired, and more often than not this is not the case. A boss might threaten discipline or termination to an employee to gain an unfair advantage over them. A parent may find themselves reduced to using fear to get their child to behave. Using fear this way does not leave the recipient of that fear with a feeling that the other person has their best interest in mind and this should be the case, especially in a loving relationship like that of a parent and child or a husband with a wife. For a while it may seem that fear is doing precisely the job it was intended to, but eventually it ends up warping both individuals, the one who uses fear and the one who is the target of that fear. Using fear in this way is not healthy for anyone.
People have a breaking point at which their anger and resentment outweigh their fear and they rebel against authority. At this point intentions are irrelevant and all that matters now is that the method, fear, will no longer be tolerated. Regardless of the outcome the person will break through this yoke of bondage that was placed on them and fight against it. Sometimes the relationship can be saved, but this is not always the case and never without reconciliation. Additionally, once a person has had to fight for their freedom this way, they are conditioned to fight, and it becomes harder for them to accept a legitimate form of authority.
When authority is built on a foundation of fear, that authority crumbles when the fear is removed. When a leader leads with fear, when they no longer are feared, they no longer lead. When this erosion inevitably begins, what often happens is that person will try to hold on to their authority and focus on that so much that they are revealed to be more interested in control than in truly leading, and their authority bleeds away from all the faster.
Unfortunately the flip side of this is that someone who has been controlled through fear this way often finds it difficult to break out of this controlling type of situation. A nation that has known no other leadership other than tyranny will lash out when that leadership is deposed unless the leadership that replaces it is equally tyrannical. A person that has had one emotionally abusive relationship, if they are able to break out of it often find themselves moving into another abusive relationship, or a series of them. Perhaps most tragic example of this regards the relationship of a parent with a child. What happens most often in this case is that this emotional abuse is channeled into the next generation, and is perpetrated on another innocent child, or children. It is a damnable cycle that is difficult to break out of.
If you haven't quite caught up with me yet, I'm going to be extremely clear in my next sentence. Using fear this way is abuse, plain and simple.
My point in presenting fear to you in this way is to point out that our lives should not be like this. We should not be oppressed by fear. However, there is a more insidious level of this that I haven't discussed yet. Religious fear.
All the things I've said about using fear to control people still applies in a religious setting, but there is another level to it that makes it more nefarious. When a religious leader uses fear to control, the recipient has been taught that to not allow himself to be controlled is rebellion or in other words, a sin. These people often are too afraid to stand up because their leader has taken a hostage, their soul, and is threatening eternal destruction if his demands are not met.
Why would you rise up against abusive authority if you have been taught that it is a sin to rebel against authority, any authority? How difficult would it be to live when you knew that you were the only one who felt this way because your leader told you that this was true and anyone else who actually did feel this way were also too scared to say anything about it too? Many are the quiet cries for understanding, love and help that are not only going unanswered, but also unspoken because the very people who have been called to care for the flocks have abdicated this responsibility and instead have held the flock in check through fear.
Jesus asked Simon Peter three times in John if he loved Him. When he answered, yes Lord, you know I love you, Jesus replied "Keep my sheep in check." (John 21:15-17) Of course He didn't say something so foolish; He said "Feed my sheep". A shepherd who does not care for the sheep does not love the sheep and therefore is not a good shepherd.
I've heard it said that God uses the shepherds as His conduit to speak to His sheep. This is true, but it is not exclusive. It is also not inclusive of those who take it upon themselves to be more than a conduit of God. It is God's responsibility to convict, not man's, and any man who would take this upon themselves steps in between God and man (1 Tim 2:5). These people have taken on the roll of Christ. I find those who abuse their position in the Kingdom of God this way to be an abomination.
Should we submit ourselves to people posing as Godly authority when they are not? I will not rebel against Godly authority and do not have a problem with submitting myself and supporting proper authority. Certainly Heb 13:17 isn't talking about submitting to an impostor. No instead it tells us to submit to those who watch over our souls, not watch out for themselves. I may not outwardly rebel against such a man, but neither will I submit to him; I will not suffer false leadership. I claim Jesus Christ as my ultimate authority, and if any man makes himself to be more than simply a vessel for Christ's authority, he is usurping Christ's authority. No man can take the place of Christ in my life.
Now I do want to make clear that I set a big division separating the man from the fear. While I will never let myself be controlled through fear this way, I will forgive the man who does so when he repents. I may never support that man's "ministry" but I can still love the man. To do otherwise would be to continue resenting a situation that no longer exists, and is symptomatic of delusion.
I want to wrap up this by talking about fools and quoting a scripture. I looked up a quote and was kinda surprised to find that it came from the movie Star Wars, but it is a good quote, so I'll still use it anyway. "Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" Don't fool yourself into believing that it is right to follow a man who you know is wrong simply because of a position that he holds. Instead, let your attitude and mind always be to do what is right and submit yourself to Jesus.
Brothers and Sister, if you are living in this kind of oppressive situation I'm speaking to you right now. You don't have to live this way. Don't be fooled, God doesn't use fear to control us and anyone who would isn't operating through Him when he does. Paul told Timothy this very same thing in 2 Tim 1:7 when he said "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." This is your key my friend to combating fear. "Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim 1:13). In fact, read the rest of 2 Timothy if you are interested in seeing the proper way for a shepherd to feed the sheep.
I write because I feel that your burden has been laid on my heart and I feel for you. It may not be much, but when you shed a tear, you're not alone. I'm praying for you and will continue to do so, always. Never forget that you are not alone. Run to Jesus when you have been torn down and He will comfort you.
Fear not.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
It's Good to be Weak
I've got to say that writing this blog has been a wonderful experience for me. As I've spent time writing and praying about what I've written, I've been reminded over and over how good God has been to me, and how good He is to all of us. I've been so blessed, and I want to try to share some of that blessing with you.
You see, in my life I've constantly needed to watch my spirit as it is just so each for me to think down of people who don't see the truth, and would hide their eyes to illumination. I have to remind myself that they are where God wants them and that God is in control and for me to think less of them only diminishes me, not them. But recently, I've learned another lesson from these situations that I've had to deal with in my spirit, and I'm so glad to have seen it.
You see, some of these people have an attitude that screams "How dare you disagree with me. Don't you know who I am? I'm right and you're wrong! I know more than you. Don't challenge my position." I still have to watch my spirit, maybe more so with these kind of people, but the lesson that I've learned from them sadly is just how easy it would be for me to take up the same mantra and have the same attitude and be just as sure of myself as they are.
Instead though God has worked in my life in a way that reminds me of who is really in control. Almost every time I've had that thought that things were going good and that I had anything to do with it, that good thing has come crashing down on me so fast that it seems that I can't even breathe. But through it all, I've learned to rely on Jesus, and my life is better for it. I've only started on a path of complete reliance on Jesus for my needs, but I've learned the hard way that the only strength that will ever be evident in my life is His strength, because I have none myself (2 Cor 12:9).
I'm a musician, and for just about every point I have to make, I know about a dozen wonderful songs that make that point so much better than I ever could, and this post is no different. There is a wonderful hymn that I think tells of the lesson I'm still learning, and that is "God Will Take Care of You"
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
There are three more lovely verses that I will leave it to you to look up, but I've learned that this is true, God will take care of you.
There is so much I could go into, so much support throughout the Bible of what I'm trying to point out that I could just go on and on, but instead I'm going to close this post out by rephrasing another scripture. I love the scripture Phil 4:13, but if someone were to ask me what it means, here's what I'd tell them. I can't do anything without Jesus for He is my strength.
You see, in my life I've constantly needed to watch my spirit as it is just so each for me to think down of people who don't see the truth, and would hide their eyes to illumination. I have to remind myself that they are where God wants them and that God is in control and for me to think less of them only diminishes me, not them. But recently, I've learned another lesson from these situations that I've had to deal with in my spirit, and I'm so glad to have seen it.
You see, some of these people have an attitude that screams "How dare you disagree with me. Don't you know who I am? I'm right and you're wrong! I know more than you. Don't challenge my position." I still have to watch my spirit, maybe more so with these kind of people, but the lesson that I've learned from them sadly is just how easy it would be for me to take up the same mantra and have the same attitude and be just as sure of myself as they are.
Instead though God has worked in my life in a way that reminds me of who is really in control. Almost every time I've had that thought that things were going good and that I had anything to do with it, that good thing has come crashing down on me so fast that it seems that I can't even breathe. But through it all, I've learned to rely on Jesus, and my life is better for it. I've only started on a path of complete reliance on Jesus for my needs, but I've learned the hard way that the only strength that will ever be evident in my life is His strength, because I have none myself (2 Cor 12:9).
I'm a musician, and for just about every point I have to make, I know about a dozen wonderful songs that make that point so much better than I ever could, and this post is no different. There is a wonderful hymn that I think tells of the lesson I'm still learning, and that is "God Will Take Care of You"
Be not dismayed whate’er betide,
God will take care of you;
Beneath His wings of love abide,
God will take care of you.
God will take care of you,
Through every day, over all the way;
He will take care of you,
God will take care of you.
There are three more lovely verses that I will leave it to you to look up, but I've learned that this is true, God will take care of you.
There is so much I could go into, so much support throughout the Bible of what I'm trying to point out that I could just go on and on, but instead I'm going to close this post out by rephrasing another scripture. I love the scripture Phil 4:13, but if someone were to ask me what it means, here's what I'd tell them. I can't do anything without Jesus for He is my strength.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Governing the Body
I'm going to endeavor to keep this post shorter than some of my other posts, but we will see. I tend towards clarity over brevity, but in this case I believe that both can be accomplished.
Over the past few years, and this year especially, I've seen a change in our meetings. They have become more politically charged than I've ever seen before. Who should be in charge, how should we do things, where should people sit, what meetings to attend, the list goes on and on, and quite frankly sickens me. I hear statements like "did you hear what happened in that meeting" more and more frequently and it disturbs me. When did we forget about Jesus in our meetings, and when did worshiping Him take second billing behind body operation? We don't yet totally ignore the moving of the Spirit when we assemble together, but I wonder how long it will be before this happens in one of our meetings.
All the bickering and posturing that goes back and forth is hardly different from a session in one of the houses of Congress. The threshing floor that we all hold so dear has been replaced by the thrashing floor, and clandestine decisions are made in back room meetings. Later, when a minister questions one of these decisions, there is another squabble about who is in charge, and who the greater ministers in our group really are. Jesus had something to say about this, but we've forgotten it (Matt 23:11).
I'm starting to hear terms like "special ministers meetings" or "closed session meetings" in common conversation and it leads me to think that these meetings are only about dealing with a specific issue or so that only a few people who we want involved are. Even in general meetings and at the campground taking care of issues has become much more important, and I wonder just how much room we are going to leave for the edifying of the saints and for simply worshiping Jesus. I ask myself, are we holding church meetings or business conferences?
As a group, I see ministers as less likely to participate in a "down front" service unless it is to bear the burden of praying for someone. I see more ministers at meetings sitting around their chairs while the laity is pressing in, bringing down the Spirit and I ask myself why this is so? Shouldn't our spiritual leaders be on the forefront when we're praising God and getting blessed by Him? Still, I wonder to myself why the seats that most often remain occupied at a meeting when the Spirit is falling are on the platform.
I've come to the conclusion that it is because of the burden that these men bear. There is a burden for each gift, something I plan on writing about later, and what I'm seeing is that many of these men have taken on too much of this burden themselves and that there is too much for these men to do and still pastor their churches effectively. There used to be a time when there were four to six meetings a year, but now there are so many more than that. You cannot go four weeks without there being a meeting that needs to be attended, and because they are so prevalent, they have ceased to be as special for those who attend so many of them, and those often attenders also happen to be the ministry that I am talking about. Even if a meeting is missed, the DVD's of the meeting are available so we can keep up to date and informed about what happened. Our meetings seem to me to have become little more than a repetitive task for our ministry, and this is not something that should be allowed to continue.
So I have a proposal, one that I think would take the pressure off of these men, at least for a while, and help them regain their focus. I think it would alleviate some of the political infighting and stress that has become so prevalent, and restore a joy when it comes to attending these meetings instead of it being the chore that it so obviously is. I suggest a six month hiatus in our meeting schedule starting as soon as is possible.
Some are probably thinking, we can't possibly do this, everything would fall apart in the body, but this is just not the case. What we need is a vacation from meetings. Taking six months off from our busy meeting schedule with a determination to just lay down our issues as they are and pick them right back up later would be a blessing in our group. The time would allow us to take some of the heat out of our arguments and allow tempers to subside. A break could remind us of the good times we've had in our meetings, and strengthen our resolve to not let the current situation reoccur.
Now I know that this post will be thoroughly ignored by those who have any chance of making this happen, and that even if there were a six month break in our meeting schedule, some enterprising church would only see this as an opportunity to have a meeting, but the fact remains that if we don't step back and remind ourselves about what meetings are for and why it is we have them, we will lose what makes meetings special, and eventually meetings won't be any good to anymore other for the entertainment value they can provide while seeing who is mad at whom.
Over the past few years, and this year especially, I've seen a change in our meetings. They have become more politically charged than I've ever seen before. Who should be in charge, how should we do things, where should people sit, what meetings to attend, the list goes on and on, and quite frankly sickens me. I hear statements like "did you hear what happened in that meeting" more and more frequently and it disturbs me. When did we forget about Jesus in our meetings, and when did worshiping Him take second billing behind body operation? We don't yet totally ignore the moving of the Spirit when we assemble together, but I wonder how long it will be before this happens in one of our meetings.
All the bickering and posturing that goes back and forth is hardly different from a session in one of the houses of Congress. The threshing floor that we all hold so dear has been replaced by the thrashing floor, and clandestine decisions are made in back room meetings. Later, when a minister questions one of these decisions, there is another squabble about who is in charge, and who the greater ministers in our group really are. Jesus had something to say about this, but we've forgotten it (Matt 23:11).
I'm starting to hear terms like "special ministers meetings" or "closed session meetings" in common conversation and it leads me to think that these meetings are only about dealing with a specific issue or so that only a few people who we want involved are. Even in general meetings and at the campground taking care of issues has become much more important, and I wonder just how much room we are going to leave for the edifying of the saints and for simply worshiping Jesus. I ask myself, are we holding church meetings or business conferences?
As a group, I see ministers as less likely to participate in a "down front" service unless it is to bear the burden of praying for someone. I see more ministers at meetings sitting around their chairs while the laity is pressing in, bringing down the Spirit and I ask myself why this is so? Shouldn't our spiritual leaders be on the forefront when we're praising God and getting blessed by Him? Still, I wonder to myself why the seats that most often remain occupied at a meeting when the Spirit is falling are on the platform.
I've come to the conclusion that it is because of the burden that these men bear. There is a burden for each gift, something I plan on writing about later, and what I'm seeing is that many of these men have taken on too much of this burden themselves and that there is too much for these men to do and still pastor their churches effectively. There used to be a time when there were four to six meetings a year, but now there are so many more than that. You cannot go four weeks without there being a meeting that needs to be attended, and because they are so prevalent, they have ceased to be as special for those who attend so many of them, and those often attenders also happen to be the ministry that I am talking about. Even if a meeting is missed, the DVD's of the meeting are available so we can keep up to date and informed about what happened. Our meetings seem to me to have become little more than a repetitive task for our ministry, and this is not something that should be allowed to continue.
So I have a proposal, one that I think would take the pressure off of these men, at least for a while, and help them regain their focus. I think it would alleviate some of the political infighting and stress that has become so prevalent, and restore a joy when it comes to attending these meetings instead of it being the chore that it so obviously is. I suggest a six month hiatus in our meeting schedule starting as soon as is possible.
Some are probably thinking, we can't possibly do this, everything would fall apart in the body, but this is just not the case. What we need is a vacation from meetings. Taking six months off from our busy meeting schedule with a determination to just lay down our issues as they are and pick them right back up later would be a blessing in our group. The time would allow us to take some of the heat out of our arguments and allow tempers to subside. A break could remind us of the good times we've had in our meetings, and strengthen our resolve to not let the current situation reoccur.
Now I know that this post will be thoroughly ignored by those who have any chance of making this happen, and that even if there were a six month break in our meeting schedule, some enterprising church would only see this as an opportunity to have a meeting, but the fact remains that if we don't step back and remind ourselves about what meetings are for and why it is we have them, we will lose what makes meetings special, and eventually meetings won't be any good to anymore other for the entertainment value they can provide while seeing who is mad at whom.
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