Although when I was younger I traveled a lot by car, plane and ship, a negative experience on a trip to Houston effectively sidelined my traveling as I allowed a spirit of fear to bind me. The details are too extensive but needless to say I had become fearful of flying and traveling in general. Not a good situation given the nature of my calling and work. For several years I have dealt with irrational fear and anxiety regarding travel – but the Lord is my deliverer. Here is the sequence of events in brief.

Originally I was not going to be on this trip, only my wife and sons were to go – mainly a financial issue, but fear on my part also gave me an easy out. But the Lord had other, much greater plans. Through a surprise financial gift my ticket and our entire family expense was paid and I was offically coming. In fact, the givers specified that we had to use the money for me to go. From this point forward it was a blur. Within a few hours of receiving the gift, I was booked on four connecting flights to travel an incredible distance – both of which struck at the heart of my fear.

As I began to pray I sensed the Lord was in it and had an incredible sense of peace about the whole trip – which really had me baffled because I was expecting fear to overwhelm me. But praise the Lord Jesus it never did! From the outset the Father has graciously showed His grace and power in delivering me from fear and anxiety. I cannot describe the freedom I am experiencing and am compelled to proclaim His goodness towards me.
So then as Paul, I boast in my weakness knowing that His strength alone allows me to accomplish His purpose in the earth. I have learned to place no confidence in the flesh but place all confidence in His ability and His overcoming. This is my current testimony of His grace. I have many from the past and expect to have many in the future.

My encouragement for you is simple: His grace is sure, steadfast and more than enough in every situation. The Lord our God is stronger than all our fears, worries and anxieties – and He desires to free us from them all. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace!

God, in Christ, has satisfied our need for salvation
As we walk in the new man
Manifesting His Person and Kingdom
 We satisfy His need.

The nature of the Kingdom is Love
The essence of the Kingdom is Life
The outworking of the Kingdom is Light
From the Father, by the Spirit, as the Son

How wonderful – How immeasurable is He! 

“It is a costly and a suffering thing to come up against the religious system that has ‘ settled down ‘ here. It is far more costly than coming up against the naked world itself. The religious system can be more ruthless and cruel and bitter; it can be actuated by all those mean things, contemptible things, prejudices and suspicious things that you will not even find in decent people in the world. It is costly to go on to the heavenlies, it is painful; but it is the way of the pioneer, and it has to be settled that that is how it is.”
- T. Austin Sparks (HT: Steve Owen)

I found this wonderful quote following a link from Steve Owen’s site Biblically Speaking and it reminded me of an excellent podcast I listened to by Al Hirsch wherein he brings out some interesting points concerning the Pharisees which include:

• The Pharisees were the OT equivalent of Word people. They dissected the Word to uncover every nuance of truth and defended doctrine against the Saducees. But they were clueless as to the Spirit of the letter.
• They were tithers, who unfortunately had neglected the weightier matters of the law.
• They were self-disciplined and yet unrestrained in religiosity and desire to be seen among men.
• They were prayerful, even though their prayers were often self-righteous.
• They believed in miracles, though were quite disturbed when Jesus worked miracles in their midst.
• And they were missional, traveling many miles to win a convert only to turn him into twice a son of hell as themselves. 

By all accounts these were solid Word people (possibly evangelicals?) who took a stand for sound doctrine and righteous living. Yet for all their adherence to an outward form of godliness, they both denied His power and His person. Indeed, these are they who shouted “Crucify!”

Those of us who endeavor to walk outside the camp of the Christian religion are inevitably bound to confront Phariseeism. The question is, how do we deal with it? Do we compromise the truth revealed in our hearts by the Spirit in an effort to find some common ground? Do we seek them out and confront them to expose the tenuous nature of their spiritual position? I must admit I have spent hours considering both of these options. 

Until my wife, in her quiet wisdom, prompted me to reflect on the words of Jesus in Luke 9:60: “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” Indeed, that is what I intend to do!

“Government is the power and ability to cause a divine impact on human and Satanic systems in the earth to cause the eternal purposes of God to proceed toward the finish according to God’s predetermined plan.”

As I read and meditate on the end of this age, which Dr. Woodroffe refers to as “the finish”, I become less agreeable with the theory of Christ’s “imminent return” and more convinced that it is indeed the body of Christ that precipitates the end. Consider these verses…

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold.” Dan 2:44

“Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure – for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” Rev. 19:7-8

The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.The Lord sends forth from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your enemies! Psalm 110:1-3

Brethren, there is simply too much scriptural evidence suggesting the body has a significant role to fulfill in creating the conditions for Christ’s return. Unfortunately there have been ridiculous extrapolations of this position, especially in the “kingdom now” camp, causing us to be skiddish about this conversation. But if we would hold true to our claim of being seekers of the truth, regardless of the cost, then we must confront those doctrines that, although mainstays, need genuine reconsideration.

In another post I will share my full thoughts on this matter, but let me leave you with something to chew on. When time permits, reread the following passage from Eph. 5 with the return of Christ in mind. (emphasis mine)

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. 

“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. Eph. 5:25-32

“Union with Christ is the central truth of the whole doctrine of salvation. …There is no truth, therefore, more suited to impart confidence and strength, comfort and joy in the Lord than this one of union with Christ.” (John Murray,Redemption: Accomplished and Applied. pg. 170,171)

I am reminded of 1 Cor. 1:9

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And also 1 John 1:3

“…that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

How great a salvation we have that we are incorporated into the fellowship of the Father, Son & Spirit. May the Lord reveal the depths of His fellowship to us and that we would walk in a deeper reality of His fellowship with one another.

“For the world will allow the mere statement of any doctrine, provided no attempt be made to put it into practice. It is only when faith begins to produce works that the Christian is confronted with bitter antagonism; when he feels that he must redeem the time because the days are evil, when, being conscious of a dispensation committed to him, he is impelled to preach the Word in season and out of season, to speak as a dying man to dying men, when he can no longer take part in frivolous gaieties or time-killing pleasures, knowing that such things are but as a painted curtain used by the foul fiend to hide from men the brink of death on which they are walking, until the time comes to tear it away and thrust them over the precipice.

If any be thus earnestly minded, they will have no difficulty in regard to the line of separation: they will quickly find the cross they have to bear: they will feel that, like their Master, they are not of this world, and will indeed have tribulation in it.”

The quote is not referenced so I cannot give a source but here it is.

“The function of leadership is to grow structure, not impose it. The process is organic, the work of a gardener, not a mechanic.”