I believe in planting the seed of the gospel in a place of need, where the Spirit leads. If this gospel grows into 'believers', and those believers begin to gather together to grow, I believe in supporting that new 'local church' - that God has built.
'During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ... We went outside the city gate to the river... We began to speak to the women who had gathered there. One of those listening was Lydia... The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left. (Acts 16:9-40)
0 Comments
Go Where You're Not Known - A reflection for spiritual leaders in need of awakening and refreshing.3/2/2022 When Peter found Jesus praying one early morning, he said, 'All the people are looking for you.' Jesus responded, 'Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages - so I can preach there also. This is why I have come.' (Mark 1:35-38) I'm an evangelist. Called and equipped to share Jesus with people. This is what energizes me. However, this is also what tires me. Can you relate? So one thing I do is try to get a team around me, get them working. I supply them, and they witness. This is effective, but it is not the essence of my call. The essence of my call, and that which was bound up in the spirit of my 'first love', was God's call on me to witness. I mentioned that equipping and 'supplying' other people, inspiring the troops, well, that can be restful for me, and even purposeful in God, but it can also become a hiding place. I can easily justify getting behind the troops, when God is in fact calling me to get out in front of the troops. Even to go to new places alone, or to pioneer paths. I see in Jesus a dynamic. A forward motion. Even after 3 days in Samaritan village where there was sweeping revival with one of the most profound, corporate professions of faith, Jesus moved on after three days. Oh, how tempting to build a 'tent' there, equip, celebrate, and send people out. But no. Jesus himself left, moved on. (John 4 - note verse 42) He was often in places, and moving through places, where he was not known. I'm struck by the event where he was on his way back to Jerusalem, the culmination of his ministry, and a village would not even let him pass through. Even his disciples were offended at this lack of honor. Not Jesus. He rebuked his disciples and went through another village. Amazing, powerful lowliness! (Luke 9:51-56; Phil 2:6-7) As a leader now, when was the last time you were at the helm of actually leading - and reaching - the lost? Or are you now only leading a team of the found, the saved? Are you tired? The hard truth is you might also be ineffective. You might have lost your first love, and now be in hiding. (Rev 2:1-5) And to rekindle this first love, to get refreshed, and to get empowered? To not have the light go out in your ministry, or have the 'lampstand removed'? 'Go back and do what you did at first,' Jesus says. (Rev 2:4) Paul didn't want his 'accolades' and accomplishments as a precursor to his guest-speaking. Rather he wanted to be judged in the moment, and for the kingdom of God through him to be one of 'power' this moment, this day. (2 Cor 12:6; 1 Cor 4:20) Go back to a place - a spirit and activities - where your love was fresh, and you did what you did in 'fear and trembling', claiming to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Cor 2:1-4) Get back to that servant state, where yes, you truly knew a call on your soul and an equipping, but you also 'considered others better than yourself.' (Phil 2:3) Like Jesus - in spirit and in deed - go somewhere else now. Get back to the front of the line and face into the wind for the sake of others. Do what you were called to do. Anytime I finish a chore – something I really wasn’t in the mood to do – I see the good result, and I thank God for it. I thank God for something that I actually did.
I sweat to do it, but thank God for it. Why? Because the outcome is good, and it’s a very pleasant reality for me to be part of. I enjoy the outcome. I enjoy being ‘active’, ‘alive’, being part and present in this good space, good place. This is very much the ‘truth’ of sharing Jesus with people, being a ‘witness’. There can be a growth curve and some discipline in getting to a place of witnessing – but after every Spirit-led experience of talking to someone about the Gospel, I come away thanking God from the bottom of my heart. The ‘work’ was me; the courage and ‘words’ were mine. (You know what I mean!) But the opportunity and experience of being an ambassador for Jesus is a gift! In this ‘work’ of mine, I step into the glory of God. I step into the realm where God is at work in the soul of a person. I step into the space where God’s Kingdom is advancing relentlessly in history. (Mt 16:18) I step into what is ‘really’ going on in this universe, what is truly being built and established and fought and won… In this sacrifice of mine to stand with Jesus, share his name and promises and call, I see Christ in the eyes of people. I walk away every time thanking God for the opportunity. ‘We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.’ (2 Cor 5:20) I was a ‘missionary kid’. Our family traveled behind the leading of my dad’s ministry as a street preacher. We lived all over the world, on land and sea. We settled in Ireland when I was 9 years old, and to this day my dad preaches on the street – namely the corner of North Great Earl Street, and O’Connell Street, Dublin City. Keep an eye out for him!
But I remember in different countries and ‘outreaches’, walking behind my dad with his ‘sketchboard’, paints and microphone, heading out to do some preaching… And I can remember him saying often, ‘OK, this looks like a good spot, I’ll set up here.’ No ceremony, no fanfare, no pre-planned box to tick. Just here and now, and let’s go... Sometimes big crowds would gather. Sometimes no one would stop. Is outreach just a random thing? Does outreach only really count if it starts with a committee, a plan, printed t-shirts and a live band? What is the nature of true, Christian evangelism and outreach? Let’s keep this short. Let’s keep this simple. Spirit-led, or Spirit-endorsed outreach is never random. Let’s break this down a little:
If either of the above are at work in your outreach, it is not random. ‘Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’ (Luke 14:23) For more on ‘First Steps’ with Jesus Christ in your own life, please visit: https://1peter1three.weebly.com/first-steps.html Paul tells us that one night he was ‘caught up into the third heavens’ (heaven), and saw things that he cannot even utter. (2 Cor 12)
Paul had seen things and heard things, that others had not. His vision of reality, therefore, of life, was different. He had glimpsed life hereafter, and also had a powerful gauge on how real, how imminent, how absolutely eternal it was… This affected Paul’s relationships with everyone, his priorities, his attitudes, his zeal. Just read Philippians 3:8-14, and feel the wind in his sails… You, my friend, have seen Jesus. You believe and know he is the Son of God, and all authority in heaven and earth is his. (John 6:13:3, Mt 16:16-17) The truth is, this ‘revelation’ is upon you, not under your control. Jesus said to Peter, ‘No man has revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven.’ (Mt 16:17) You see. You know. This revelation of Jesus has poured eternal life over your soul, and marked you ‘safe’ for all eternity. But here on earth, it also carries a ‘cross’. You can’t pretend you don’t see what you see. You just can’t. This is not an admonishment, just a reality. Sometimes I struggle in my life, in moving and grooving in social and work circles that are not Christian. My struggle is that I’ve seen the map of history. I know that everything ‘serious’ here, is not as serious as Jesus being King of the heart of a person. Nothing. For this reason when Jesus looked out over the people, he wept and said, ‘If you only knew this day what would bring you peace…’ (Luke 19:42) Jesus walks with us. We don’t have to stress or fear. We can and must walk in and through this life with Jesus, and with people, until we find ourselves walking through the gates of heaven. Jesus himself prayed that we would not be taken out of this world, out of this mission field, but that we would be protected in the mission. (John 17:15) We’re here to do battle, and yet to cast all our anxiety on the Lord to carry! (1 Pe 5:7) I just want to ‘validate’ your struggle in this brief reflection. That’s all. It’s not easy to do this life with a ‘cross’ on our back. It’s tough. There’s a constant ‘mis-fit’ with secular life and the values of this world. Two very brief words: (1) Don’t deny your true identity in Christ. (in other words, don’t give in to the pressure of being ‘separate’, and try to assimilate. You’ll become lukewarm, my friend, and that’s dangerous water – Rev 3:16) (2) Don’t get stressed! Yes, you’re in a battle, and it’s uncomfortable, unpredictable. But the war is won! It’s effectively over. We’re on the home stretch to glory! (Pr 4:18) ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life.’
(Proverbs 4:23) The heart of the matter is… your heart! The angel said of Jesus that he would ‘save people from their sins.’ (Mt 1:21) Sometimes sin is the last thing on our mind, but it must be addressed on a personal level, or our faith means nothing. We’re told in Titus 1:16, ‘They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.’ Many a ‘religious’ man throughout history – a church-goer, a tither – has been ‘detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good.’ Why? Because of hypocrisy, which Jesus warned about often. (Luke 12:1) Because he/she did not actually ‘repent’ of their sin before the Lord, ‘… in spirit and truth.’ (John 4:24) People came to Jesus, looking for this or that ‘thing’ they might do, for spiritual or religious credit. But Jesus would address the heart. Like with the ‘rich young ruler’ in Mark 10. Jesus loved him (stated explicitly and poignantly in verse 21). But nonetheless Jesus could see that wealth was in the way of his relationship with God. There was a heart issue deep down, and the heart is what Jesus came to claim. So he called this man not only to sell his possessions, but to give away the money he made from the sales. Not to give more to church, not to be more generous, but to actually get rid of it once for all. When sin is in the mix, Jesus calls for us to ‘repent’, and make sacrifices to rid ourselves of the sin – no matter the value of the commodity. Jesus did not always address money issues with people. But he always addressed the personal issue of sin in people’s lives – money or envy or immorality. No matter how poor or victimized a person had been, Jesus asked them to make a ‘heart’ commitment to turn away from sin in their lives. This is called repentance. Two accounts of this ‘call’ of Christ that strike me deeply, are found in John 5:1-14, and John 8:1-11. You can read these when you have a few minutes… The key point here, my friends, is that the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth, ‘sees’ and cares about the heart. He bled and died for the heart of people, their soul. We need to live this, and we need to share this. There is no healing between a person and God, without repentance and faith. There is no healing of the land without integrity in the secret places of the heart and activity of man. (Mt 6:4,6,18) ‘No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.’ (1 John 3:6) ‘Does he who fashioned the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?’ (Psalm 94:9) ‘When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split and the tombs broke open.’ (Matthew 27:50-52)
When Jesus died on the cross, the curtain in the temple in that city, tore in two. This curtain hung in a space that symbolized a separation between mankind, and God’s presence. When Jesus died he had defeated death and sin, and opened the way between people and God. The curtain tore, the way was open. Have you stepped through this torn curtain? Have you put your hand, your heart, to Jesus Christ, and stepped through the ‘door’ to eternal life? It is a spiritual act. We turn our spirits away from sin (‘repentance’), and we turn our hearts in faith to Jesus. We believe. We whisper with our voices, ‘Jesus, you are the Lord of my life!’ Here we step through the torn curtain to eternal life, forgiveness of all sin, a ‘new heart and a new spirit’. (Ez 36:26) But there’s more. As you move through this life, one day to the next, in the Spirit of Christ, and walking with God, he will tear more curtains, and draw you into new Spirit spaces, practical spaces, paths and seasons… Is the Lord drawing you to new spaces? Is he speaking to you, leading you, through his Word? Is he ‘calling to your mind’ things he has taught, and also ‘teaching you all things’? (John 14:26) He is God of the universe, and has all authority in both heaven and earth. (Mt 28:18) He can move you into new Spirit spaces, and new earthly spaces, at any time… ‘Pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge!’ (Psalm 62:8) God is the one who makes clean. I think this is ultimately the big issue about ‘Jacob I loved, Esau I hated.’ (Rm 9:13) This has nothing to do with destining (or ‘predestining’) one person for salvation and another to damnation, because that would directly contradict God’s expressed heart that is equal towards all mankind. (Acts 10:34-35; 1 Tim 2:4; Mt 18:14, etc etc.) No, the point about Jacob and Esau is the same as with the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, and with you, me, and our lost world today. All salvation – like life itself – is ‘impossible for man’, only possible with God. (Matthew 19:26/Rm 9:16) God is the one who makes clean.
So what qualified Isaiah to be a herald for God’s word? It was not Isaiah’s willingness (‘Here I am, Lord, send me.’ Is 6:8) No. ‘Willingness’ or ‘desire’ in itself is not a guarantee of access or destiny. Remember there were angels that longed to look into things, but could not. (1 Pe 1:12) Isaiah’s qualification – his ‘unique’ authority and anointing – was not that he wanted to be sent, but that the Lord did send him. The Lord touched his lips and made Isaiah a spokesperson. Had the Lord not touched his lips and decreed identity and destiny over Isaiah, he could not have done even what he was willing to do. Was Isaiah more holy or less of a sinner than any other man? No. But God had not touched the lips of other men and decreed they speak, as he had done with Isaiah. What ‘clean lips’ has God given you? What destiny? What ‘gift’ that is already in you, but that he calls you to ‘fan into flame’? (2 Tim 1:6) You are not more holy or qualified than any other man – sinner or saint – to do God’s work. But He has touched your lips, and decreed you to do something. So by His Spirit (‘not by might or power’ Zech 4:6), you do it. ‘Woe to me!’ I cried. ‘I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.’ Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, ‘See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I. Send me!’ (Isaiah 6:4-8) The kingdom of Jesus moves steadily and eternally across the land. He takes ground, and never loses it again. His advance is solid and ‘forever’. The gates of hell cannot stop it. (Mt 16:18) Hell’s gates resist, but they buckle, break, and his kingdom moves through… (Luke 20:17-18)
The moment Jesus said, ‘It is finished!’ (Jn 19:30), a new spirit movement began – the Holy Spirit. It began to move out across the earth, ‘healing the land’ (2 Chron 7:14), healing hearts, asserting authority, claiming territory, ‘making all things new’… (Rev 21:5) Death was dethroned. (2 Tim 1:10) The very essence of evil was judged and condemned. Jesus himself said, ‘The prince of this world stands defeated.’ (John 16:11) Remember, my friends, that ‘all authority in heaven and earth’ has been given to Jesus. (Mt 28:18) That is a stunning, empowering, consummate thought. All authority. It’s finished. It’s his. And now, day by day, deed by deed, his kingdom - the only Kingdom and only King – advances and advances… When by faith in Jesus you deposit ‘deeds’ or thoughts or seeds of his Spirit, his ‘gospel of peace’, his name, for the ‘glory of the Lord’ – you are part of the living water that rushes and flows and even now fills the earth… and will one day cover it completely. ‘The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.’ (Habakkuk 2:14) Last night I lay in bed and felt fear creeping over me. It comes as an idea, then as a physical shudder. I was in a separate part of the house to the rest of my family, because I’m a little sick with a cold. I had made a bed on the floor. But sometimes, even when in the same bed as my wife, same floor as my kids, I’ve felt this fear coming to me, over me.
Last night I had an interesting experience, and wanted to share it with you. I felt a surge of indignation, even anger, at this fear. I began to fight back. Not because of shame, or even just to rid myself of the fear, but because of Truth. I share Jesus with people. I tell them in their pain, in their loss, in their poverty, in their ‘fear’, that Jesus is stronger, is with them, and gives peace. I do believe this, and this night I wanted to claim it, and experience it. This is how my prayer went, how my voice whispered, until I fell asleep and ‘slept in peace’… Dear Jesus, I claim your blood over this place! Lord Jesus, you own this world, ‘all authority has been given to you’! (Mt 28:18) Lord Jesus, the whole world is yours, every corner of it, every shadow in it! (Ps 24:1) Dear Jesus, even the darkness is light to you (Ps 139:12), so I demand that this darkness is full of your peace, your holiness. Dear Jesus, there is no power greater than you, and your ‘blood’ overcomes even the devil! (Rev 12:11) I demand, Lord, to know your peace here and now! I share your name with many, I claim that you break chains, and liberate people from fear and gloom! (Ps 107:14; Is 61:1; Is 9:1) I will not lie here and give in to fear, when I promise others that you are stronger. I claim, Jesus, I demand, Jesus, to be at peace here. The earth is yours, authority is yours, and you have said that if I bind fear, you will bind it! (Mt 16:19) You have said that if I command the enemy and darkness to flee, it will flee! (James 4:7; Mk 11:24) I will not move from this place! I will not turn on a light! I’m sick and tired of the dominion of darkness in this sinful world, and I’m ‘sleeping’ on your promises tonight – and forevermore! ‘I will lie down and sleep in peace. For you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety!’ (Psalm 4:8) |
AuthorPeter Walker. Archives
March 2022
Categories |