Follow the Money

There is a popular phrase in our culture – “Follow the money.” This phrase is used as a road map to find the source of why certain things take place. If you use this as your primary investigative tool there is a problem. At the end of your search you will only discover the depository that holds the money. You have to go one step deeper. What lies under the money is the motive that directs the power and influence the money provides. This deeper level is what you want to uncover because it will reveal what really motivates behavior and directs the expenditure of physical or emotional resources.

Human logic and reasoning cannot reveal the motives hidden at this deeper level. This requires prophetic insight and discernment. As the events of 2016 begin to unfold it will be important to dig deeper and go beneath the surface presentation of complex social and spiritual issues. Much of culture and many within the Church have parked their thinking at a shallow place where overly simplistic, “Follow the Money”, forms of wisdom are used to provide insight. Ask the Spirit to take you to the deeper place of hidden motive. In that deeper place you will uncover the works of darkness and deception that hold people in a place of bondage and blindness. Money is simply a tool to execute a motive. God wants to reveal to you the hand that holds the tool.

Women iin Minstiry, Men in Jeopardy - We Need To Be Rescued!

 

The human mind responds to trauma in unique ways.  There is something called the Stockholm Syndrome where hostages will actually align themselves with the hostage taker, instead of the rescue team. When the Stockholm Syndrome is fully developed there have been cases where hostages have actually fought back against the incoming rescue team. The hostages came to believe an attempt at their rescue would put them in greater jeopardy than remaining a hostage. They believed their survival was dependent on maintaining their imprisoned status quo – even if that meant a rescue never came.

Something similar happens to those held hostage in spiritual bondage.  Years ago, I remember trying to explain to a couple that men and women were equally qualified and empowered in Christ to do the work of ministry.  This couple had been raised up in a church that taught a woman was not allowed to speak in a public meeting or hold a leadership role.  Today, this mindset only remains within a narrow portion of the Church, but at the time it was especially prevalent in the valley where I live.

When I proposed a way out of that limited way of thinking it was the wife, not the husband, who responded with the loudest objection. While the husband was the one who parroted his church leadership’s limited and restrained view of women, it was the wife who was the one held hostage to that thinking and who had spent her entire married life forming her identity around that lie. To have someone like me come and attempt to rescue her from that way of thinking, I became a threat putting her identity and belief system in jeopardy.  She gathered up her family and promptly left our church. In essence, she was living within the equivalent of a spiritual Stockholm Syndrome.

I remember when I was a Hostage Negotiator in the real world of police work. I saw and experienced the effects of the Stockholm Syndrome firsthand.  In a hostage negotiation our ally was time.  Over time we could wear down the hostage taker or set up a plan of rescue for those held captive. The same is true in spiritual matters. When you deal with people who are held hostage by systems of belief that diminish their identity or a healthy concept of God, give them time. In the waiting, you will discover God is already at work with His own plan of rescue.  Our plan of rescue will, many times, only try to prove our point. God’s plan of rescue will always have as its desired resolution the freedom of His children.

It's Time for the Real Jesus

The Kingdom of God functions at a higher level of authority than a lesser authority defined by the political labels of conservative, liberal or independent.  These political definitions are used to describe a lower, earthly kingdom and its limited system of power and authority. It requires wisdom to tell the difference. Wisdom will eventually reveal the left wing and right wing are attached to the same bird.

The Wise Men of the Christmas story were people who came from a foreign land, a different religion and an unfamiliar social system.  They came to worship Jesus, the King of this higher Kingdom, because their wisdom allowed them to see a King inside a baby.  Because of that revelation they were willing to make the long journey from their familiar way of life to meet this new and unfamiliar King.

Our definition of Jesus must be powerful enough to draw the wise seekers of our day from their current way of life into His presence. As we become more a fearful and desperate culture we can begin wrapping our understanding of God and His Kingdom around religious definitions sourced by political agendas and a powerless representation of the Gospel instead of the higher rule of Christ and ministry sourced in the power of the Spirit. 

God is reforming His Church so He can reform the image of His Son we offer to the world. When this happens masses of people from cultures not currently honoring Him will come to us asking, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews?” When they meet the real Jesus they will bow down and worship Him.

Explosions of Hope

The only way forward in this time of terror and cultural fear is the pathway of hope. Some of you are so overwhelmed with emotion and dread at the current state of the world you feel as though you might explode. If you are going to explode – explode with words of hope.

This is not a blind hope. This is a hope that has wisely reviewed all our options and found them lacking as long term solutions. What we need in this moment in history are the sounds of hope detonating in the encampments of fear. An explosion of hope has the power to make a way when no way seems possible. It is time to light your fuse and invite your friends to the explosion!

The Curtain To Your Future Is About To Rise

In the third grade our class put on a play for our parents.  In the play we represented some of the Presidents of the United States and their most memorable speeches. I can still remember the feel and look of what it was like to attend a 1950’s vintage grade school.  San Tomas School had an auditorium that doubled as a cafeteria during the day and a stage for special gatherings that would occasionally take place in the evening.  On the night of the play, I was Abraham Lincoln. I made a top hat and fake beard from black poster paper. I was trying to not move too much to make sure the hat and fake beard didn’t fall off my head. As we waited, I could hear the sounds of the audience coming from beyond the closed curtain. 

It is nerve-wracking for a third grade kid to stand with his classmates behind a curtain waiting to be unveiled before an unseen audience.  We tried our best to suppress our nervous giggles. I remember our teacher lining us up so that our part would correspond with the progression of the program.  Once lined up we had to wait. We could hear our teacher, Mr. Raco, on the other side of the curtain welcoming the parents to the play. The waiting was a fearful experience.  I found myself rehearsing my lines and wondering if I could do it without a mistake.  The more I tried to rehearse the more nervous I became.

Then, just beyond the curtain, I heard the unmistakable sound of my father’s cough.  I have that same cough.  My wife, Jan, can tell where I am located in a large department store by simply waiting to hear that signature Elkins-man cough.

When I heard my father cough all my fear went away.  I knew I would be OK because my father was out there just beyond the dense barrier of the heavy forest green stage curtain.  My growing peace came because someone who loved me would be there to encourage me simply by his presence.  I no longer felt alone. My fear gave way to courage. When the curtain finally rose, I looked out and there were my parents. My dad was smiling the proud smile of a loving father. I didn’t miss a line that night. 

Today as I write this, I sense some of you need to know that God, your Father, is just beyond the veil that separates you from the future – a future you are not yet able to see. You are not sure you want the curtain to rise because some of the past opening night performances in your life have not gone well. This time something is different.  In the wait you are sensing a growing awareness that God’s presence is waiting for you in your future with something new and good. That awareness is the gift of hope. The hope of knowing He is there will give you the peace and courage you will need to play your part in something much larger and more wonderful than you could ever imagine.

Renewed Thinking for a New Year

One of the early indicators that revival and reformation are coming to the Church is when we begin to realize God is renewing the way we think. Each new season requires an adjustment in our thinking in order to move us forward into a fresh expression Kingdom life and revelation.

As we approach the threshold of 2016 the Lord is inviting us to take inventory of our thoughts to help align our thinking with His heart and Kingdom purpose.  Normally, I calendar a time at the end of each year to process these things with the Lord before the New Year comes, but this year an event took place that began that process a month early.

When the Paris terrorist attacks occurred our daughter, Anna, was completing a month-long teaching trip that began in Morocco and ended in Paris. She was part of a team helping people learn how to become storytellers. On the day of the attack, Anna had walked through the very neighborhood the terrorists first struck only hours before. When Anna and her team heard the first reports of the attack they gathered together in an apartment only a quarter of a mile from the café that experienced the first assault. The nation of France went into lock down.  The borders were closed. Anna was scheduled to fly home the next day. Her return home did not look like it would happen.

Jan and I knew nothing of what was taking place in Paris.  We received a cryptic text message from Anna saying, “I am OK.  We are all together. Safe.” I immediately went to a European news outlet to find out what was happening and watched the developing story as it continued to unfold.

When we first heard the news, Jan and I began to pray.  We also took our initial thoughts captive and submitted them to the good God who loved our daughter and in whose hands she was held.  Anna and her friends remained safe throughout the night and the next morning were able find a taxi driver willing to take them to the airport traveling along the deserted and fearful streets of Paris. They made it to the airport in time to board their return flight home.  Anna’s text message sent from the seat of her return flight brought us great relief.

The attacks in Paris caused me to pause and reorder my thinking for the coming year earlier than normal. I believe the Lord had a purpose in this earlier review of my thoughts. As a result, I came away with several points of reordered thinking I feel were not only words for me, but for the larger Church as we consider how to represent the Lord to our families, our nation and the larger global community in the coming year.

Thoughts to Reorder Our Thinking for the New Year

Taking the higher road of faith in seasons of intense cultural stress will always seem foolish to those on a descent into fear.

The higher road of Kingdom thinking is always up – up and above our current understanding of reality. The road of descent into despair and over-reaction is an easier road to take because it is navigated downward by human emotion and logic without the uplifting effect of the Spirit’s wisdom.  The higher road will require faith to navigate because it is paved with things not yet seen with the natural eye. Those who are descending may call you a fool for following this higher path of faith, but in the end its destination will be your testimony of God’s faithfulness.

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

An image of goodness has the power to displace an image of sorrow.

Today, take a break and turn from the images of sorrow and the overwhelming struggles taking place in culture. I had to do this with the repeated images of horror I was seeing from Paris. Reset you sight to heaven where you now sit with Christ at the right hand of the Father.  This is your current reality and God’s preferred future for each broken person and every painful situation you will encounter in the coming year.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” (Colossians 3:2)

Forgiveness is the highest form of spiritual warfare.

Jesus was sent to set the captives free.  He died and rose again to offer all of humanity the gift of forgiveness.  Forgiveness is the starting point of all He does in our lives. Without forgiveness a new beginning is not possible.

Every new thing God does in our lives can trace its beginning back to an original work of forgiveness.  As you consider the possibilities of 2016 make sure you have allowed that work of forgiveness to have its way in each of your relationships. This will be a fight, but well worth the effort. You will know you have forgiven when you no longer desire to punish the offenders in your life.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

A captive thought can no longer move with unrestrained freedom.

Every thought we entertain requires the Lordship of Jesus Christ. A thought not submitted to His Lordship will represent another kingdom and its failed disposition for the affairs of life.  Jan and I had to repeatedly take our thoughts captive because our distance from Paris did not allow us to help our daughter in any tangible way.  In these moments of disconnect it is easy to feel helpless and grow desperate.

Do not allow any thought to linger without requiring its submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. As this process of Lordship deepens in your life you will begin to evaluate your thoughts with the mind of Christ. This renewed thinking will bring freedom and peace.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Hope is always present in each and every circumstance of life.

The fear currently invading the minds of our culture wants to invade the thinking of the Church. Fear comes when hope is absent. Our hope is not anchored in political resolutions or the temporary alignment of earthly kingdoms.  Our hope is secure in heaven beyond the influence of earthly matters.  Our faith is a tether to that anchor.  Each time we choose faith in response to fear we will feel the tug on that line reminding us we are not flailing about in life unattached to something eternal. We are always secure in Christ no matter what takes place in this life.

“We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.” (Hebrews 6:19)

Our minds are being filled with an increasing display of images fueled by despair and grief.  I saw a lot of those images coming from Paris as I waited and prayed for my daughter to return home.  In that personal drama, I discovered once again the power of prayer, worship and words of hope. These spiritual disciplines have the ability to transform how we see the events of this life and give up hope in times of uncertainty. 

The power of reordered thinking allows us to see this life from heaven’s perspective. That is the perspective of reformation and revival. God has a distinct impact planned for our lives to make in the coming year. That impact will be traced back to how we allowed ourselves to think.

Our cooperation with the Spirit as a renewed thinker will yield supernatural results in 2016. Get ready! The goodness of God is coming in force to displace the works of darkness. The reality of this goodness requires a renewed mind to believe in its possibility.

Normalcy Bias

When people experience disaster or trauma unprepared and suffer a dire consequence, many times that mindset was created by something called Normalcy Bias. People who experience this bias believe that because something has never happened to them it will never happen.  They live in the illusion of their bias and once a disaster or traumatic event takes place they face the dilemma unprepared. As you trace the history of people who have come under the influence of Normalcy Bias you will see they failed to interpret the warning signs because of an overly optimistic view of life.  This bias is a form of optimism masquerading as faith. In the end, people living under this bias will put themselves and their loved ones in a greater place of jeopardy.

When Paul was trying to help Timothy deal with the pressures of his life and ministry he told Timothy, “be prepared in season and out of season”. He went on to say, “keep your head in all situations”. Paul’s instruction to Timothy resembles what a Disaster Preparedness instructor would say to a group of people wanting to learn how to deal with disaster.

We are living in a time of significant cultural change and increasing threat levels.  In these times, if we are not spiritually prepared, we can become like a person who naively hides under a small desk during an active shooter incident hoping bad things will pass them by. We can deny the realities of life, both in the Spirit and in the natural realm, and allow our bias to determine our preparation. Instead of victors we become victims.

Today, I hear an appeal from the Spirit for the Church to come back and rediscover the basics our faith. These basics are things like the truth of scripture, fellowship, confession and repentance and choosing to live a life of transparency. In times of high spiritual stress and rapid cultural change those who remain close to the basics of their faith have a greater chance of walking out alive. These basics become our survival skills when nothing is making sense - when a marriage fails or a dream becomes a living nightmare. In these times our only bias should be a bias toward the goodness of God in all seasons of life. The basics of faith and a belief in a good God will keep you anchored to what is sure and safe in a world where nothing seems sure or safe anymore.