The 5 Point Evangelism Method of Jesus

The 5 Point Evangelism Method of Jesus

By Joseph Mattera www.josephmattera.org


This is a good reminder by Joseph Mattera of how Jesus simply moved in the foundation of love and obedience to the Father to bring Kingdom transformation to the hearts of men. It was practical and supernatural all at once... Robert R.

The Lord Jesus was the greatest influencer and evangelist the world has ever seen. Proverbs 11:30 teaches that the soul winner must be wise. Jesus called His followers to become fishers of men (Mark 1:17).
Text: John 4:1-26
Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John (though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.
So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.
Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.
Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, You have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. Where then do You get that living water? Are You greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, as well as his sons and his livestock?”
Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.”
Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”
The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.”
Jesus said to her, “You have well said, ‘I have no husband,’ for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; in that you spoke truly.”
The woman said to Him, “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.”
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”
The Lord Jesus was the greatest influencer and evangelist the world has ever seen. Proverbs 11:30 teaches that the soul winner must be wise. Jesus called His followers to become fishers of men (Mark 1:17).
The following five principles taken from His encounter with the woman at the well teach us Jesus’ evangelism method.
I. He Was Compelled (John 4:4)
1. Jesus needed to go through Samaria; He was compelled. His desire to lead lost people back to His father compelled Him to go where He would bear the most fruit.
II. He Had Contact
1. One of the great mysteries is how Jesus could have been fully God and fully human at the same time. If God desired to reach out to the human race so much that He would take upon Himself the form of a human being, how much more should Christians put themselves in places where they can be in contact with the lost!
2. Jesus put Himself in a place (Jacob’s Well) where He would have contact with the lost.
3. Too many Christians fail to take advantage of the extensive contacts they have with unbelievers at their job, while shopping, their neighbors, etc.
A. The greatest mission field for the Christian is not in another country but on their job, their block, or with their unsaved family members.
III. He Connected (John 4:7)
1. He purposely engaged in conversation based on common human need (for a drink of water); He didn’t just come out of nowhere and start preaching to her. He made her feel comfortable using water as His point of contact.
A. Depending on who you are speaking to, you can use sports, art, fashion, current events, the weather, etc. as a point of contact to share the Gospel. I usually never just come out and start preaching to people; I wait until God gives me a conversational opening as a segue to share my faith, lest the person I am attempting to evangelize gets the wrong impression of me and counts me as a religious fanatic.
B. Although Jesus was God He was also fully human. He often capitalized on His humanity so He could bridge the gap of understanding between humans and the Father.
C. Too often Christians attempt to witness of God using ethereal, abstract theological terms that confuse, turn off, or don’t relate to unbelievers.
D. The primary way to be a witness of God is by our sanctified (set apart) “humanness.” As Jesus preached using the vernacular of His day, we also ought to speak and act in such a way that connects people to God, not scaring them off with religious nomenclature they can’t understand and/or super-spiritual behavior they will flee from. (Personally, one of my obstacles to becoming a Christian was the frequent use of terms like “Amen,” “praise the Lord,” “Hallelujah,” etc. that the saints used when I was with them.)
E. I am convinced that more people are turned off from Christianity because of excess religious baggage of Christians than because of the offense of the Cross!
IV. He Offered the Cure (John 4:10)
1. At the right time He offered her living water.
2. Sometimes I find Christians make a mistake by trying to relate too long to a person as “prep time” without ever attempting to share their faith.
3. After we have related to a person, we need to pray for an opening and then not be afraid to share the Gospel with them.
V. He Confirmed It (John 4:16-19)
1. The Bible teaches that the Gospel comes in power and not just with words (1 Corinthians 2:1-4).
2. Jesus moved in a word of knowledge (one of the nine manifestations of the Spirit found in 1 Corinthians 12:4-8) and supernaturally told the woman about her male relationships.
3. In this way He was confirming the power and validity of what He preached to her.

Spiritual Authority and theThings We Love, Part 2

Spiritual Authority and theThings We Love, Part 2

by Francis Frangipane www.frangipane.org

To read Part 1...As wide as our sphere of love, to that extent we have spiritual authority. We see this in the mother who loves her child. Such a woman has authority to protect, train, and nurture her offspring. She has authority to protect what she loves. The same is true of the husband over his family. His authority is not merely to rule but to establish in his home the life of Christ. True spiritual authority is born of love.
The individuals who love their local congregation have authority to build up that congregation. Their authority is not extended, however, beyond the boundaries of their love. If we love the entire body of Christ in a locale, our authority touches the lives of those in our city or region, either through the burden of prayer or through teaching or outreach and service.
The testing ground of all spiritual things is love, for love alone purifies our motives and delivers us from the deceitfulness of self. Even authority in spiritual warfare must be rooted in love. David gained the skills to slay Goliath, not on a battlefield, but by defending his father's sheep from predatory animals. David loved the sheep so much that he risked his life for them. So also we grow in authority as we protect our Father's sheep, the flock He has given us to love.
Authority is muscle in the arm of love. The more one loves, the more authority is granted to him. If we love our cities and are willing to lay down our lives in service to our community, God will enlarge our hearts. He will grant us new authority in spiritual warfare. However, no man should ever engage in confrontational warfare who does not love what he has been called to protect. If you do not love your city, do not pray against the ruling forces of darkness. Satan knows the genuineness of our love by the brightness of the glory that surrounds us. A man or woman without Christ-inspired love will soon shrink back and fail in spiritual warfare. Only love "never fails" (1 Cor. 13:8).
Indeed, when it comes to spiritual warfare, there are many things the Holy Spirit has to say that we are not able to hear until the base of our love is expanded. In His wisdom, the Lord protects us from presumptuously attacking the strongholds of hell and suffering loss. Yet, if we are truly anointed in God's love, the price to see our culture saved is not too great. But it will be a price that love alone can pay.
Authority to Build Up the Body of Christ
"For even if I should boast somewhat further about our authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you . . . " (2 Cor. 10:8).
Many so-called "prophets" today think they are called, like Jeremiah, to "pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow" (Jer. 1:10). Jeremiah's message was to a people who were destined to be carried off into Babylon. The prophet spoke to a people who did not have the Holy Spirit and the blood of Jesus. Israel was, at that time, a nation that God Himself said was destined for captivity, and had been speaking and warning against judgment for over 250 years.
Yet, even if we had only the prophet Jeremiah as our example, God's commission of Jeremiah was more than confronting sin. It also included promises of restoration and deliverance, "to build and to plant" (Jer. 1:10). To represent the heart of the Lord, which is the true prophetic role, the servant of God must know both God's grace and His truth. We must know by revelation whether the Holy Spirit is preparing to destroy or seeking to rebuild.
Today, in my opinion, we are a people coming out of captivity, a people whom God is encouraging to build, as they did in the days of Nehemiah, Ezra, Haggai, and Zechariah. We have been in exile from the promises of God, but we are returning to rebuild the Lord's house. Yes, we are in a time of judgment, correction and discipline, yet it is not a time to tear down the body of Christ; it is time to establish and to build up.
The authority coming to the Church in this next outpouring will be an authority to restore the local, citywide church. Like Paul's authority, ours will be given for building and encouraging and not for destroying.
God has this new leadership constantly before His eyes. Pastors from many denominations, along with their congregations, are meeting together in prayer, seeking to draw the very fire and heart of God into their souls. Emerging from this foundation of humility and prayer is a new authority to make disciples of Christ. Because their love extends outward into their cities, their authority reaches outward as well, even into the heavenly places. These are the leaders whom God is raising up. And those whom God raises up, He backs up with His power. Authority is muscle in the arm of love.
Dear Lord, make me a willing sacrifice. I desire Your authority, Lord. Give me courage to surrender in obedience, even when I do not see the outcome and when all I see is loss. Help me to trust as I walk through the narrow gate. Establish in me Your love that I might defend Your people with authority. In Jesus' name, amen.

Spiritual Authority and theThings We Love, Part 1

Spiritual Authority and theThings We Love, Part 1

by Francis Frangipane www.frangipane.org

While the doctrines of Christianity can be taught, Christlikeness can only be inspired. By their humble and holy lives, this next generation of leaders will inspire multitudes. They will truly walk in Christ’s love; they will be granted great authority.
The Church has many administrators, but few examples of Christ; many who can explain the doctrines of Christianity but few who walk as Jesus walked. Indeed, while many stand in leadership today, not many function in the higher realms of authority that Christ purchased for His Church. However, a new badge of authority is coming to the Church. It will bring deliverance on a scale unprecedented; in some cases, entire cities will be turned toward God.
What is spiritual authority? It is nothing less than God Himself confirming with power the word of His servant. Moses exemplified spiritual authority when he warned unrepentant Pharaoh. The Spirit of God confirmed Moses’s judgments with power that broke the pride of Egypt. Jesus manifested spiritual authority when He confronted demons in people, silenced storms, healed diseases, and then fulfilled redemption in resurrection power. The Father let none of Christ’s words go unfulfilled.
The Bible provides us with many examples of those with spiritual authority. Every example tells us the same underlying principle: those who are raised up by God are backed up by God. They will "decree a thing, and it will be established" (Job 22:28). Such is the nature of spiritual authority.
The Source of Authority
Obviously, as pastors, leaders, and intercessors, we need to operate in greater authority. Yet while we enjoy a variety of graces that add to our personal edification, God gives us authority for one specific purpose: to fulfill His purposes on the earth. What are God’s purposes? One main unveiling of the divine purpose is seen in the Great Commission. Jesus said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations" (Matt. 28:18-19).
Christ gave the Church authority to make disciples. We have been much more successful in making converts than disciples. In our day, many are believers in Jesus, but few are truly followers of Christ. If the goal is discipleship, how do we accomplish this? We are to take our converts and teach "them to observe all that [Jesus] commanded" (v. 20). When the Church returns to teaching all that Jesus taught, our disciples will have authority to do all that Jesus did.
Yet, spiritual authority is not something we possess merely because we strive for it. We cannot buy it as Simon the magician attempted to do (Acts 8:18). The power of authority will not function simply because we copy the methods of another, as the sons of Sceva realized (Acts 19:14-16). Nor can it be attained automatically because we read books about building the Church. We cannot pretend to have spiritual authority. As we focus upon obeying the words of Christ, there are divinely ordained ways for Christ’s authority to unfold in our lives.
From the beginning of our salvation we have enjoyed the Father’s unconditional love. As we mature, however, there comes a time when the Father’s love toward us seems conditional. As it was for Christ, so it is for those who follow Him. He said:
For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life.
---John 10:17
Jesus lived in the deepest intimacies of the Father’s love because He laid down His life for the sheep. If we will grow in true authority, we will do so by laying down our lives for His sheep. Have you felt the drawing, the divine working of the Father bringing you into Christlike surrender? Be encouraged: He is equipping you for this next outpouring of His Spirit. But also be advised: your authority will be an outgrowth of your life laid down in love.
As leaders, we do indeed have administrative authority due to our positions in church government; however, spiritual authority transcends administrative authority. Here is the path to true spiritual authority: in full possession of our souls, without fear or intimidation by any outside source, we choose to lay down our lives for Christ’s sheep. Yes, in full freedom, with avenues of escape plainly within view, we fearlessly surrender our souls to God.No one controls us but God, yet our lives are laid down, like Christ’s, in intercession for others. When we could easily fight and win, yet turn the other cheek; when we are unjustly opposed, yet quietly endure---at those moments spiritual authority is entering our lives.
No one has taken [My life] away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative.
---John 10:18
Jesus was not forced to accept crucifixion; He chose crucifixion. Christ’s Gethsemane prayer was not an entreaty to escape the cross, for while Jesus was still in the garden, He told Peter, "Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" (Matt. 26:53). Jesus had a choice: legions of warring angels and immediate personal deliverance, or death on the cross and deliverance for the world. He chose to die for us. The willful decision to lay down our lives as Jesus did is the very path upon which true authority develops. Jesus said, "I have authority to lay [My life] down" (John 10:18). His authority came in the laying down of His life. Our authority comes from the same source: picking up our cross and laying down our lives for others.
Authority, Not Control
Spiritual authority is the provision of God to transform the temporal with the power of the eternal. It is not something our flesh can imitate, nor is it found in the tone of our words or the gaze of our eyes. Divine authority requires divine sanction. This sanction comes from passing the tests of love.
When authority is administered without love, it degenerates into control. God does not call us to control His people but to inspire and guard them. The outcome of control is oppression, witchcraft, and strife. But the result of love is liberty and the power to build up and protect God’s people.
True spiritual authority exists above the realm of fleshly control. Our lives, and the lives of those who follow us, are laid down on our own initiative. It is a choice we make because of love. Since true authority itself is born in freedom, freedom is what it breeds.
We will walk in either the true authority of love, the false authority of control, or no authority at all. Both false authority and no authority are rooted in fear, and we react to fear in either of two ways. The first reaction, which produces false authority, is to seek to control those around us, thus making the circumstances around us more predictable and less threatening. The other response to fear is to refuse to accept and exercise any authority at all. Many relationships are simply the pairing of these symbiotic needs: the desire to control and the willingness to be controlled. Both are fueled by overreactions to fear.
Scripture tells us, however, "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear" (1 John 4:18). Since true authority is built upon love, its goal is to liberate, not dominate. Therefore, before one can truly move in spiritual authority, he must be delivered from fear and its desire to control; he must be rooted and grounded in love.
Authority to Inspire Christlikeness
When our teaching about God and our obedience to Him are one, spiritual authority accompanies our lives. Jesus astounded the multitudes, for He spoke "as one having authority" (Matt. 7:28-29). What He taught was consistent with how He lived. Therefore, we also must live and display the virtue we seek to teach.
Dear pastor, if we seek to train our congregations to pray, we ourselves must first be intercessors. You may say, "But out of a congregation of several hundred, only three people join me for prayer." Then with those three develop your intercessor base. Do not be discouraged, for you will win others. But the measure of our success is not the numbers in attendance on Sunday mornings. God has given us people so we may train them, not merely count them. Of this group, those whom we inspire to live like Christ are actually the measure of our success, the test of our effectiveness in the ministry.
Another may say, "But I’ve never been a leader." When anyone lays down his or her life in Christ’s love, others will see and follow. Whether you are a business owner, a housewife, or a teen, such a one can speak with confidence and authority as Christ’s disciple. In truth, if you are following Christ, others are following you. You are, indeed, a leader.
This next generation will not just teach the people; they will inspire the body of Christ to live like Jesus. Their example in all things will awaken godliness in those around them. From true virtue shall the leaders of tomorrow draw true authority, for when the nature of Christ is revealed, the authority of Christ soon follows.

Empowering and Disempowering Leadership Styles

Empowering and Disempowering Leadership Styles

By Joseph Mattera www.josephmattera.org


Eight Contrasts between Empowering and Disempowering Leadership Styles
Knowing how to nurture people so they reach their maximum leadership potential is as much psychological as it is an art. There are ways leaders limit the creativity of others, and there are ways to get folks to reach new heights they haven’t even dreamed about. The following are ways leaders can empower others to fulfill their potential:
I. Empowering leaders allows others to make mistakes
Some leaders are more concerned with getting a job done correctly than about empowering people to learn how to do a job. When all leaders care about is getting a job done right they won’t truly delegate authority to others to perform a task. This is because they view their workers merely as an extension of their arms and legs but not their brain, because they don’t let their workers think for themselves. Often, those they give a task to perform are constantly corrected as the job is being done.
On the other hand, empowering leaders often allow those who are assigned tasks to make mistakes and then gracefully critique those workers after each finished task is done.
II. Empowering leaders don’t micromanage
Micromanaging should only be done if a leader is working with a person that is completely untrained or unskilled at a particular task. This kind of working arrangement should only be temporary because a person should not be assigned a task they don’t have the potential skill to perform and, once the transition to job proficiency is complete, the leader should allow the worker to perform tasks with only macro oversight.
Micromanaging breeds an atmosphere of distrust and tells the person given the task that the leader doesn’t really believe in them. Habitual micromanagers usually don’t have a clue when it comes to being an empowering leader.
III. Empowering leaders focus on the positive traits of others
We all stumble in many ways. All of us usually drop the ball on assignments at least 10% of the time depending on how much extra work we have. In addition to this, there is always going to be mistakes in a certain percentage of the tasks we perform. Also, one person will always do a job differently than the next person. Consequently, a leader will always have the opportunity to point out things that a person didn’t do correctly. Thus the leader should attempt to focus most on what the person given the task did right and the results of the work performed. Of course, the exception to this is if someone totally messes up a task or doesn’t follow the guidelines given to them.
When we focus on the positive contributions of others we impart confidence to them and motivate them to continue to perform at a high level.
IV. Empowering leaders give constructive criticism, not destructive criticism
There should be regularly scheduled times after each major task is completed to review the work and assess whether objectives were met. This should be based on the criteria given before the task was attempted so there is an objective way to gauge whether or not the task was performed with excellence. Regular debriefing times like this allow the person given a task to understand whether or not they are growing in the job and where they stand in regards to their employment.
It is not fair to tell a person one year after they start a job that they are not performing well. By this time their job is already in jeopardy and they haven’t even been given a chance to improve because they had no feedback.
Those who desire to work with a spirit of excellence usually welcome consistent, constructive criticism. Of course, when a leader puts a person down, calls them names, belittles them, or speaks in a condescending manner to them, they are dispensing criticism that can destroy, not build up, those working under them.
V. Empowering leaders give expected guidelines, goals, and outcomes
Empowering leaders usually always give those working for them general guidelines for a job and the objectives of tasks along with the end result they are looking for. This enables the person given the task to “run downfield with the ball” creatively without constantly looking over their shoulder wondering if they are still on the playing field.
Disempowering leaders merely give a person a task but have amorphous guidelines, goals, and objectives so that no one but the leader really knows if the job is being done right or wrong. When leaders do this it is a sign that either they themselves don’t even have real objectives for a task, or that they are simply trying to keep exercising psychological control over their workers.
VI. Empowering leaders connect people to their passion, gifts, and calling
Empowering leaders always attempt to match people with jobs according to their gifts, passion, and abilities. Disempowering people don’t take these things into consideration and often are guilty of attempting to force a square peg into a round hole. Empowering leaders take pride in being able to help people soar like eagles to the highest heights imaginable, while disempowering leaders care more about getting tasks accomplished than releasing human potential. Empowering leaders also are sensitive and lead each person differently according to their experience, personality, and temperament.
VII. Empowering leaders focus on inspiring people as opposed to forcing people to perform
Empowering leaders cast vision so as to inspire their followers to perform great things, while disempowering leaders often get things done merely by giving orders and making demands on people. When you inspire people they perform at a much greater level because they are allowed to make their own decisions to serve and have a greater amount of buy-in, while those merely following orders will do just enough to please the leader and usually don’t tap much into their creative juices.
VIII. Empowering leaders engage in dialogue while disempowering leaders dictate their desires and ideas
Empowering leaders attempt to allow a flow of dialogue between themselves and their followers in work-related projects. These leaders understand the importance of receiving regular feedback from their subordinates so they will have a better understanding of how to go about accomplishing tasks. In contrast, leaders that disempower others don’t usually engage in dialogue but merely dictate what and how they want a project done. Folks under this kind of leader eventually lose their motivation to think and just robotically follow orders because they know their opinions don’t really matter. Dictating leaders usually don’t multiply other leaders; they are merely retaining followers who have allowed their creativity to be capped.

The GREATEST DANGER

The GREATEST DANGER
-David Wilkerson.

The greatest danger we all face is not being able to see Jesus in
our troubles - instead we see ghosts. In that peak moment of fear
when the night is the blackest and the storm is the angriest, Jesus
always draws near to us, to reveal himself as the Lord of the flood,
the Savior in storms. "The Lord sitteth upon the flood; yea, the Lord
sitteth King for ever" (Psalm 29:10).

In Matthew 14, Jesus ordered his disciples into a boat that was
headed for a storm. The Bible says he constrained them to get into
a ship. It was headed for troubled waters; it would be tossed about
like a bobbing cork. Where was Jesus? He was up in the mountains
overlooking the sea; he was there, praying for them not to fail in the
test he knew they must go through.

You would think that at least one disciple would have recognized
what was happening and said, "Look friends, Jesus said he would
never leave us or forsake us. He sent us on this mission; we are
in the center of his will. He said the steps of a righteous man are
ordered by himself. Look again. That's our Lord! He is right here!
We've never once been out of his sight."

But not one disciple recognized him. They did not expect him to
be in their storm. Never, ever did they expect him to be with them,
or even near them, in a storm! But he did come, walking on the water.

There was only one lesson to be learned, only one. It was a simple
lesson, not some deep, mystical, earth-shattering one. Jesus
simply wanted to be trusted as their Lord, in every storm of life.
He simply wanted them to maintain their cheer and confidence,
even in the blackest hours of trial. That's all.

SOURCE -  http://davidwilkersontoday.blogspot.com

Copyright (c) 2009 World Challenge, Inc.

NOTE ABOUT the WORD & THE SPIRIT JOINED

NOTE ABOUT the WORD & THE SPIRIT JOINED:
The world awaits a move of God that truly brings together
the strong, piercing preaching of the word along with miracles and
healings. For too long these have been separated into rival camps.
Smith Wigglesworth prophesied about a last great Revival- "There
will be evidence in the churches of something that has not been
seen before: a coming together of those with an emphasis on the
word and those with an emphasis on the Spirit. When the word
and the Spirit come together, there will be the biggest move of the
Holy Spirit that the nation, and indeed, the world has ever seen. It
will mark the beginning of a revival that will eclipse anything that
has been witnessed within these shores, even the Wesleyan and
Welsh revivals of former years..."

The piece below makes some interesting points about this:

THE WEDDING of PURITY AND POWER
by Paul Holdren.

The wedding of purity and power is a concept that the Holy Spirit
is promoting among believers in these latter days. As stated
earlier, in the late 1860s after the Civil War, a wave of the Holy
Spirit came like a mighty wind moving across the land bringing a
fresh awareness of the requirements of God to live a life pleasing
to Him. This was to be accomplished by the baptism of the Holy
Spirit. In the 1906 Azusa Street outpouring in the City of Los
Angeles, the church began to be reawakened to the powerful
manifestations of the Holy Spirit. This too was to be accomplished
by the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Since the advent of the Azusa
Street outpouring, the body of Christ has been divided into the
purity and power camps.

For the past 100 years the Body of Christ has gotten as much
attention from its wild fires as it has from its Holy Ghost fire. For the power camp the emphasis upon purity was almost anathema.
For the purity camp the emphasis upon power was almost
anathema. This was because each camp expressed doctrinal
positions that were unacceptable to the other. They vehemently
rejected each others' positions. The power camp noticed that
purity expressed without power became both legalistic and
limiting. The purity camp noticed that power expressed without
purity became both carnal and limiting. Only by the wedding of
these two beautiful doctrines can the Spirit of God gain full
authority and appreciation within the Body of Christ.

In the present time, the Spirit of Christ is calling the Body of Christ
to be reunited in a mighty outpouring of His Holy presence - the
Spirit's wedding of purity and power. Each doctrine has something
the other needs to hear, a compliment to and completion of God's
design for the wholeness of the church. The power camp needs
to know of an exclusive holy love that is expressed out of a pure
affection for the Holy ONE. The purity camp needs to know a
holy power being expressed out of a manifestation of the Holy
Spirit's gifts. The purity camp needs to share the beauty of
holiness in the spirit of humility. The power camp needs to share
the gifts of power in the spirit of humility. The purity camp needs
to exercise the power of Christ in "signs and wonders." The
power camp needs to exercise purity in "laying one's life down"
for another. With a discerning spirit, each can benefit from the
other, for these are perilous times in which we live.

Ezekiel added this dimension when he wrote of the prophecies
involving the requirements of how the priests were to keep the
holy law of the temple (Ezekiel 44-45) and when he wrote of the
river flowing from under the threshold of the temple (Ezekiel 47:
1-12). The purity of the priests was revealed in that they were to
have a certain appearance, conduct themselves in a particular
manner, and serve others in a specific way. Everything about
the Holiest of All is pure: pure oil, pure clothes, a pure man
placing the lamb's pure blood on the pure gold of the mercy seat.
This was to be a pure presentation of righteousness, given to a
pure and Holy God. The "Holiest of All" is the place of purity. It
is here that the river of life has its head waters, emanating from
the holiness of God.

The power of the river of God continually increased. The farther
away from the temple it flowed, the deeper and wider it became.
As the river flows, healing comes to everything in its path. Notice,
however, it is the purity of the waters that allows it to contain
healing virtue. It is the river's purity that allows the river to be saturated with holy power. By comparison, only powerful men
can serve, but powerful men must serve with a pure love for God
and their fellow man. It is time for a wedding of purity and power.

-From "The Wedding of Purity and Power" by Paul Holdren.

Learning to be Content

Learning to be Content

By Don Walker basileia2009@yahoo.com


“Godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:8)

Having traveled to a number of Third World nations, I have had the opportunity to observe many believers that live far below the poverty level in the United States. I have been in the mountain villages in Mexico. I have been in remote areas of the Philippines, and in the former Soviet Union after the fall of communism. I have seen people living from “hand to mouth,” in primitive shelters, with little more than the clothes on their back. In all of these situations, the thing that struck me most forcibly was the obvious joy and contentment that these Christians possessed. Particularly, as I compared it to the lack of contentment evident among many believers in our much more prosperous nation. I found that contentment does not come through the things that we possess, but rather is an inward condition that is satisfied with what God has provided.

The prevailing discontentment, fueled by the advertising industry, has lead to a credit-driven economic system that now finds itself in crisis. Back in the 80’s, William Simon, then the Secretary of the Treasury, described America’s problem in one word – “More.”

Christians are not immune to this disease. There are Bible teachers, who have placed such emphasis on “prosperity” that many believers have forgotten that Jesus said, “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things that he possesses” (Luke 12:15). Paul warned us of those who would “imagine that godliness is a means of gain” (I Tim. 6:7).. In contrast Paul tells us that “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (I Tim. 6:8). Just as godliness is connected with contentment, discontentment is connected with unrighteousness. Paul observes that “those who desire to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction” (I Tim. 6:9).

Why is godliness related to contentment? Because the degree of my contentment determines the degree to which I am susceptible to fall into temptation. Discontentment makes me vulnerable to temptation. But, if I am content with what God has supplied in all areas of my life, temptation, though it will come, can be resisted. The tempter always strikes at the area of our perceived discontentment. Discontentment, whether it be with our spouse, our position, or our financial provision, is the “chink in our armor” that Satan looks for in his attack. Jesus, who lived in perfect contentment, said: “The ruler of this world is coming, but there is nothing in me” (John 14:30). Jesus knew that there was no area of vulnerability in His life where Satan could successfully strike. He was content with what His Father had commissioned Him to do, and He was content with the Father’s provision. He had no desire for something more or different. Therefore, Satan had nothing with which he could “bait” his trap.

The Scriptures show us that contentment is a skill to be learned. The Apostle Paul said, “I have learned to be content” (Phil. 4:11). His lessons were not theoretical, but practical, as he experienced both “being filled and going hungry, both …having abundance and suffering need” (Phil. 4:12). Paul recognized as well that it was only by God’s grace that he could embrace these lessons, and says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

Apart from Christ teaching us to learn what it means to be content, contentment is an elusive thing. We live under the false notion of “when,” as in “when I get enough money” or “when I get that job promotion” or “when I retire,” then “I will be content.” But when these goals are achieved we find ourselves no more content than before. Frustration and discontentment seem to be always “nipping at our heels” and like Mick Jagger said, “I can’t get no satisfaction.” This is Man’s dilemma. Contentment seems to be always just out of reach.

But God’s grace is sufficient (II Cor. 12:9). In this time of economic distress, I believe that Christ can bring us to a place of learning what it means to be truly content. His promise to us remains that if we seek first His Kingdom, and His righteousness, all of our needs shall be supplied (Matt. 6:33). Discontentment is the result of a self-focused life that seeks to find fulfillment apart from God. Contentment is the result of a Kingdom-focused life that rests in the agape love of the Father.

The Missing Ingredient

The Missing Ingredient
by Chip Brogden
“And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved” (II Corinthians 12:15).
Besides prayer, no other subject has been talked about more and practiced less than the subject of loving one another. We all know we are supposed to love one another. We have heard it preached a thousand times. But there is a difference between knowing the Path and walking the Path.
I want to speak specifically to the issue of love as it relates to “ministry”. That word “ministry” is a loaded word now, and we really need to question someone when they use that word so we can find out what they really mean. I think most people will agree that what passes for “ministry” these days is something very far removed from the ministry practiced in the New Testament. And I am not referring to some kind of method or technique that they practiced. The “missing ingredient” is not something so superficial as meeting in homes versus meeting in buildings. How far we have fallen to think that the secret of New Testament life is found in some way of conducting a meeting.
Leadership exists in the Bible, and leadership exists in the Church. There is no getting around that. Jesus showed us, both in word and in deed, that His idea of leadership is based on service to God and to others. The question we need to ask is what constitutes godly, Spirit-led, Christ-centered, servant leadership? What makes someone a spiritual father? What really qualifies someone as an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, or teacher?
You might say the calling of God is what qualifies someone. Perhaps, but many are called and few are chosen. Many are called but they fail to respond to the call. You need more than a calling.
You might say the gift of God is what qualifies someone. Let me tell you something, brothers and sisters. Gifts no longer register much with me anymore. Gifted brothers and sisters are really a dime a dozen. I am just speaking frankly. Often I will meet people and come away thinking how gifted they are, but they leave me hollow inside. They have a lot of potential but I would not trust them to watch my dog much less watch over people’s souls. Many of them claim to be in some kind of pastoral or prophetic or apostolic ministry. But that in and of itself does not qualify a person. I have seen gifted brothers and sisters with absolutely no wisdom, no maturity, and no spiritual discernment make a real mess of people’s lives.
You might say revelation from God is what qualifies someone. I absolutely believe that revelation is a necessity for teaching others because you cannot point the way to a place you have never been. But revelation by itself does not qualify a person.
There came a time in my life when I realized I was called, and I was gifted, and God had given me great revelation, but I still lacked something. Now when I was younger I believed that having a calling from God and being gifted by God was all you needed. Then I began to learn some things by revelation and thought that was God’s seal of approval upon me.
Even so, I could not get away from the fact that there were then, and there are now, lots of people in the world besides me who are called by God, have spiritual gifts, and enjoy an abundance of revelation. But God cannot trust them in any kind of a servant leadership capacity. They may have a title or a ministry but they are unqualified because they do not have the missing ingredient. I noticed they lacked something, and worse, I lacked the same thing. Eventually I discovered what everyone, including myself, is lacking.
What is the missing ingredient? The missing ingredient is LOVE.
Let me share something to illustrate what I mean. A pastor told me something that happened many years ago between him and his associate pastor. They worked together in the church but fortunately they were also good friends. He said his associate came to him one day with tears in his eyes and told him, “You’re the best preacher and teacher of the Word I have ever heard in my life. But you just don’t love people.” When the pastor shared this story with me he had tears in his eyes, too. It was a powerful reminder to him, and an important lesson to us. We can be called and gifted and full of revelation and still fall short because we are not walking in love with people.
Now we could go to many examples of love demonstrated and love commanded in the New Testament. You know them as well as I do. But when I turn to this little obscure passage in II Corinthians 12 I find something mostly overlooked. Paul writes, “I will VERY GLADLY spend and be spent for you; though the more ABUNDANTLY I love you, the less I am loved.” Now that is what qualifies a person. That is the missing ingredient.
Paul wrote this to the Corinthians. You know Paul had more trouble with the Corinthian church than all the others combined. Most people would have quit, but not Paul. Paul has the heart of a father. That is a real apostle. That is a real pastor. We know he was called, we know he was gifted, and we certainly know he had a depth of revelation. We could understand if he felt like he was wasting his time with Corinth and wanted to turn his attention elsewhere.
You see, that kind of thinking has the flesh all over it. I read something many years ago that I accepted at first as wisdom, but have since changed by mind. A man wrote, “Go where you are celebrated, not where you are tolerated.” At the time I was feeling very unappreciated so I thought this was sound advice. But God has been gracious to me, and He has helped me to see that this attitude is the whole problem with “ministry” today. We love people who love us, and we serve people who serve us, and we thank people who thank us, and if you scratch my back then I’ll scratch your back. What kind of Christianity is this? What if Paul only went where he was celebrated and avoided places where he was just tolerated? What a foolish statement, but this is the prevailing attitude among “ministers” today.
Paul gave us an example to follow. Don’t just look at his calling and his gifting and his revelation. Look at his heart of love. He gave all – not just for the Lord, but for the Lord’s people. And they were a most carnal, unappreciative bunch of people. Even so, the heart of a father is demonstrated. That is the reason he had authority. I tell you his authority was not in his title, his position, or his status as having founded the church. His authority was not in his calling, gift, or revelation. His authority was in the abundant love he showed.
Make no mistake: I am not there yet. I still struggle with how to be a good brother, much less a spiritual father with abundant love for everyone. I obviously have a long way to go, but now I see the missing ingredient and I am following after love. How about you?
You know, the days of a person just “showing up” to exercise their gift and do their little ministry event are just about over. I have been guilty of that, I think we all have either done it or seen others do it. Is that what Jesus has called us to do? Is that being an example? Hold some meetings, have some talks, shake hands and go home? It doesn’t mean a thing if we are not loving one another. It is all tinkling brass and clanging cymbals.
Paul saw himself as a father caring for the needs of his children. He entered right into the heart of God, because that is exactly the way God sees it. That is why Paul was able to love them more even as they loved him less. There is a vacuum of that kind of leadership in the Body of Christ today. We have people who cannot even be good brothers and sisters and yet they aspire to be spiritual fathers and leaders, apostles and prophets and pastors and teachers. Instead of serving people WITH their gift they expect people to serve them BECAUSE of their gift. It is seen in things so seemingly insignificant as the pastor’s reserved parking space right by the front door.
In recent months I have prayed, “God, take away my calling, take away my gifts, take away my revelation, but give me a heart of love.” Really friends, we have plenty of gifted brothers and sisters. But where are the Pauls and the Peters and the Johns of our generation? Where are the spiritual fathers, the leaders, the elders, the ones giving a godly example to those who follow after? An example is most definitely being given, but all too often it is an example of what NOT to do.
Where are the ones who will very gladly spend and be spent in the service of God and of others – who will love abundantly even when they are not loved in return? One father is worth more than ten thousand teachers.
All you who are called and gifted, hear me. Love is the missing ingredient. Follow after love and the calling, the gifting, and the revelation will find its deepest and fullest expression.