Jesus Culture

The 5-fold ministry is described in Ephesians 4:
Eph 4:11 KJV
(11) And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

These offices are important to the body. They are just as important to the Church as having a mom and dad are to the family. Naturally, there are those who would argue this, particularly those who were raised by one parent or perhaps had to raise children as a single parent. I'm not saying the body cannot prosper to an extent without these offices, but I will argue that it's not the perfect plan, it is not ideal, and if you compare to the body that does have these offices held in rightful submission to God - there is no comparison. One moves in order, authority, and power, while the other struggles in certain areas of leadership and gifting. That said...

These positions - rightfully ordained and occupied - create within the body a 'culture' that otherwise cannot be created. It's a Jesus Culture. It's a culture wherein the body is exposed to the 5-fold potency that God instilled in His body. It's the fullness of the immune system of God. When just one office is missing, there is a chink in the armor.

To the inverse, if you take a person who is fully-anointed as a prophet and turn them loose in a church that does not believe in the gift of prophecy, you run the risk of destroying that body because the 'culture' cannot support the anointing. The result of such a mix would be offense and division. This is not God's will, but the devil's.

But oh... do we not now see the value and power of a Jesus Culture that fully operates within the Holy Spirit and with all the working parts in order? A culture where the saints are 'perfected' and the body is edified? (Ephesians 4:12)

The Sixth Day

For those that are interested in end-time prophecy, the 7-day creation week has particular significance. As most of us know, God created the 'universe' and all that is in it within a single week, with a spoken word (uni-verse). John 1 tells us that Jesus is the Word (uni-verse), and the Word was God and the Word was 'with' God - in the beginning.

On the sixth day, God created man in His image.
Gen 1:26 KJV
(26) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

If the 7-day creation week is our pattern for God's redemption plan, which I truly believe it is, then why did God wait until day 6 to create man? After all, in the grand scheme, was Adam not there in the beginning? There were 6 days and the the 7th day was the Sabbath, to which we look forward to the 7th millennium as our 'Sabbath' millennium, ruled by our Savior, the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Luke 6:5). In the same fashion, how can we apply man being 'created' on the 6th day?

In order to gain an understanding, we take a look at the Hebrew word 'create'. It's "Ahsah". It means the following:

• To accomplish
• To advance
• To appoint
• To become
• To bestow
• To bring forth
• To be busy
• To have the charge of
• To finish
• To follow
• To govern
• To grant
• To keep
• To labor
• To maintain
• To be occupied
• To prepare
• To sacrifice
• To serve
• To use

Wow! Now, understanding that before Jesus returns, He returns for His Bride that has prepared herself for Him. I contend to you that this is a 6th day event! The Bride is to look just like Him when He arrives - after all, they are to be one flesh! She is to be a laborer, a governor, one who serves, occupies, and maintains! She is accomplished, and appointed, and in charge! This could truly be an accurate description of the 'fullness' that God waits for. Yes, man has been here for nearly 6,000 years, but only in the last days when the Bride truly understands who she is to be - is she 'created'.

The Process

There is a PROCESS to greatness. God closes one door and opens another - but it's hell in the hallway.

The man that was healed at the pool of Bethesda had been sick for 38 years. Sometimes God waits a long time to act suddenly.

Heb 5:7-8 ASV
(7) Who in the days of his flesh, having offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and having been heard for his godly fear,
(8) though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered;

Did Joseph seem smart when speaking to his brothers? Perhaps he learned wisdom and obedience from the things which he suffered.

A Language We Can Understand

When dealing with small children, there are many things that are impossible to explain to them. You can go into all the physics of why it's a bad idea to stick a key in a light socket, but none of that hits home with a 2-yr old until the experiment is tried. Then there is understanding. Why? Because it hurts! Pain is one of those universal languages.

Jesus is a topic that the world at large does not understand. We can go into all the reasons why we need Jesus, but to the lost - it's a message of foolishness. What language can we use to reach the lost who just don't get it? Kingdom. Jesus went about preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom. There was much the people did not get, but they understood peace in the storm. They understood food in the desert. They understood healing for the lepers. They understood the dead walked again. Certainly not all liked what they saw, but multitudes sought out the source: Jesus.

When the church comes to a place where, as a body, it is actively and effectively sharing the Kingdom of God, then people will seek the source like the world has never seen. These are the greater things.

Word of the age: Co-labor

1Co 3:9a KJV
(9) For we are labourers together with God

Our aspirations should be tested in God ...

1Sa 14:7-10 MKJV
(7) And his armor-bearer said to him, Do all that is in your heart. Turn, for behold, I am with you according to your heart.
(8) And Jonathan said, Behold, we will go over to these men, and we will show ourselves to them.
(9) If they say this to us, Stand still until we come to you, then we will stand still in our place and will not go up to them.
(10) But if they say this, Come up to us, then we will go up, for Jehovah has delivered them up into our hand. And this shall be a sign to us.

What we would consider a pretentious aspiration... perhaps even arrogant... we will realize that God wants to co-labor even greater things with us than that. Two men taking a Philistine garrison? GET REAL!

This is co-laboring with God. It seems pretentious to the world. Step up and realize who you are in Christ. You need no other credentials.

It Is Better

Joh 16:7 MKJV
(7) But I tell you the truth, it is expedient for you that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Comforter will not come to you. But if I depart, I will send Him to you.

A good buddy was pondering this verse today. The disciples had Jesus in their midst. They walked with Him, talked with Him, vented to Him... He was their friend. When He told them it was 'better' that He go away so that the Comforter could come, they didn't really get it. After all... how could it possibly get any better? How could you beat the feeling of knowing Jesus was just right there?

Then Peter denied Jesus. It was apparent that even with Jesus in the next room, there could be separation. Even as Jesus passed right in front of his eyes, there was a separation from Peter - a gap that he didn't know how to bridge. Well, Jesus re-bridged that gap for Peter, but Peter had to be sitting there wondering how he was going to prevent that same attack from beating him again.

Then comes Pentecost. Jesus is gone, but His Spirit comes and fills Peter. Now, he knew there was no campfire too remote. There was no fishing boat too lonely. There was no place he could go that Jesus was not with him - even an inverted cross.

Jesus said it would be better. Peter knew it. But we often sit and fantasize about how great it will be when Jesus appears. TRUE! It will be awesome! But we have His Spirit now! Which is better? Jesus told us, but do we believe Him? Do we understand that fellowship with the Spirit is fellowship with God Himself?

There's no boat, or campfire, or road-trip, or living room, or business meeting... that is too lonely.

Success

Gen 39:2 ESV
(2) The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man, and he was in the house of his Egyptian master.

When we view success as God views success, then many of the worldly pressures we all feel tend to subside. Joseph was not a home-owner. He didn't have his cars paid off, and he didn't belong to the local country club. Joseph was a slave, and yet God called him successful. Why?

Success - to God - is measured by whom you serve in spite of your circumstances.

Passing You By?

Tonight it's storming. We haven't had storms in nearly 2 months. This is a treat and much needed. Before it started, I could see the light show. I knew it was coming, so I had the blinds opened. There was lightning, and more lightning, and more lightning...

A phone call from my buddy told me that he was driving in pouring rain. A monsoon, he said. Nothing here. Just the light show.

Before long, I decided it was probably passing me by. After all, storms here tend to either go north or south, lightning or no. I settled down to enjoy what was left of the light show. It was better than nothing!

Then the rain hit. Wow is it coming down - still! I'm reminded that so many times we think life has passed us by. Whatever it is... family, relationships, love, prosperity (it's right around the corner, you know)... it's passed us by. We're getting older... we just missed it somehow. It's not meant to be.

Then it arrives. All that 'stuff' we've been spouting off to convince ourselves that God's plan for us isn't nearly so fun or pleasant or fulfilling as the next guy's suddenly is revealed for what it was - hogwash.

The next time you think it has passed you by, consider the chances that it simply hasn't arrived yet.