If no one ever took risks, Michaelangelo would have painted the Sistine floor.
- Neil Simon
Spiritual Impasse
Given the nature of modern life, to say that faith’s journey is filled with challenges is a vast understatement. Atheists and agnostics, the world’s religious and Christians eventually all face challenges from daunting to impossible.
While remedies vary depending on our degree of spiritual development, mankind’s most pressing crises/opportunity falls to Prophetic Christians to blaze the way, following in the steps of Christ and His apostles. Yet only a fraction of a percentage within Churchianity demonstrates the courage and fortitude necessary to understand, much less pay the price of radical discipleship.
With Biblical illiteracy and prayerlessness, entitlement and immorality at all time highs, the secularizing of society can be directly attributed to the diminishment of fervent faith within modern Christianity. Not surprising since the average church attender of any of the many Christian sects can’t quote 10 Bible verses in a row (or even 5 outside the Lord’s Prayer and/or Psalms 23) and stops and prays 10 minutes or less a day. Such statistics reveal that by and large 21st century Churchianity is primarily comprised of functional agnostics.
While the reasons for such a poor showing are many, yet in the end they all come down to unresolved issues with God. Consciously or not, billions of believers and unbelievers alike struggle with Omnity’s apparent silence and distance creating doubt and even anger in regards to God’s fairness and goodness. All the more so in light of the all too haunting specters of loneliness and depression, bitterness and loss, illness and disease, pain and death.
The 5 steps to resolving initial spiritual impasse are as follows:
1. Acknowledging the Existence of God: It’s inescapable fact that for anything to exist, it must have either been created, created itself, or possess self existence (one of the five attributes of Divinity). Such rationale holds true for everything from the tiniest particle of matter to an infinite number of universes to Omnity itself. This undeniable proof of the existence of God is easily demonstrated by the simplest math equation possible: 0 + 0 = 0. .
2. Admitting the Reasonableness of Faith: Given the unpleasant realities of mortality, wisdom dictates we must deal with life’s ultimate questions. Those intellectually honest enough to jettison atheism are left with agnosticism or some form of religion, of which there are many.
3. Recognizing Biblical Authenticity: In light of at least 10 great reasons to believe and overwhelming evidence for the Divine inspiration of Scripture, even a layman’s side by side comparison of world religions with the Bible reveals a preponderance of evidence for Scriptural authority and authenticity.
4. Discerning Truth Among Christian Sects: While the New Testament is written in such a way to leave "wiggle room" for doctrinal nonessentials, clearly we've far exceeded our quota. This begs the question, which if any is the true Gospel “once for all delivered to the saints?”
5. Choosing Between Many Christs: It’s clear that there are an innumerable variations of the gospel. Thus it might be said there are “many Christs.” Equally obvious is that by definition there can only be “One True.” Thus it greatly behooves believers to determine how closely their beliefs and practices track with those of the Christ of Scripture.
The vast majority of the small minority of mankind successfully navigating beyond the basics of Biblical faith frequently feel and/or behave as if they’ve arrived at the journey’s end. Such a propensity is unfortunate for a variety of reasons. Chief among these is the statistical likelihood that even those discerning some of the truth of Scripture may possess half a gospel or even less. With hell to loose and heaven to gain it’s easy to see how vital it is that our version of Christ and His Kingdom be as accurate as possible. Christians, as earthen vessels, are not to be cracked pots yet hundreds of millions believe, teach and obey only a portion of the gospel. One can imagine carrying some (living) water in half a jar but only if it’s the bottom (most foundational) half. The top portion or a vessel spilt vertically carries little or nothing.
The persistent problem of half a gospel extends far beyond erroneous or incomplete doctrine. Many a would be disciple can testify to the sobering fact that knowing, or even loving the truth can be lightyears away from constantly living it:
- “What I don’t understand about myself is that I decide one way, but then I act another, doing things I absolutely despise. So if I can’t be trusted to figure out what is best for myself and then do it, it becomes obvious that God’s command is necessary. But I need something more! For if I know the law but still can’t keep it, and if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?” Romans 7:15-24 MSG
- “Therefore, [there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who are in Christ Jesus, who live [and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life [which is] in Christ Jesus [the law of our new being] has freed me from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the Law could not do, [its power] being weakened by the flesh [the entire nature of man without the Holy Spirit]. Sending His own Son in the guise of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, [God] condemned sin in the flesh [subdued, overcame, deprived it of its power over all who accept that sacrifice], So that the righteous and just requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live and move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit].” Romans 8:1-4 AMP
- “For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.” 1 Corinthians 15:9-10 NJKV
- “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life. “ 1 Timothy 1:12-16 NIV
Scripture's Challenge
Through Paul’s own testimony Scripture declares that his fantastic conversion and radical discipleship was in large part to encourage future Christians that we too might emulate his example. Yet untold millions of even the most committed of modern believers find ourselves stymied somewhere between Romans 7 and 8.
Here lies mankind’s greatest challenge. With rapidly rising levels of temptation and deception rampant throughout the modern world, millennia of ethical and moral gains are being uprooted by a kind of devilishly cunning wisdom from below:
- “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” James 3:13-18 NIV
- “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” James 1:12-15 MSG
- “This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can’t tame a tongue—it’s never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?” James 3:7-12 MSG
- “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” James 1:2-8 NIV
More telling still is Peter’s second great confession. Chosen as on of the twelve among millions of Jews and hundreds of millions of Gentiles, he rises through the ranks to become one of the three most entrusted disciples. Yet, having declared his undying love and commitment to Christ he fails the test by denying The Lord three times that very night!
Just imagine yourself Peter, as tormented you watch helplessly as Christ's Passion unfolds and God the Son dies hanging on a cross for the sin of all mankind, including yours. Resurrected, the Lord you betrayed appears to you twice. All seems forgiven as joy swallows despair. Then, appearing a third time, Jesus knowing you're strong enough, asks the all important eternal question. "Do you love Me?" initiating what may be the greatest human conversation of all time:
- Jesus begins by using the word for the greatest form of love, (Greek: Agapao).
- Peter responds with a word denoting a weaker form of love, meaning brotherly affection or friendship, (Greek: Phileo). Face to face and eye to eye with God the Son, as described above, Peter for all practical purposes answers, "No. I obviously don't love you as I previously boasted."
- Jesus probes again, repeating His first question.
- Peter replies the same way.
- Here, for the first and only time in scripture, Jesus "lowers the bar" in light of the broken hearted, humble confession from His fractured disciple. He does so by restating His previous questions. This time Jesus uses the lessor word for brotherly love (See GB: Philadelphia) when asking if Peter loves Him.
- Peter, having failed the test of Agapao-love humbly stands his ground in declaring his Phileo-love for Jesus.
- Jesus, satisfied with the honesty of Peter's confession encourages him that he will indeed one day love Him so much as to be His faithful martyr.
In Peter's first great confession, "you are the Christ" he declares who Jesus is. In his second, "I don't love you with God’s perfect love but I love you like a friend" he declares something of equal value, who Peter is. Such a confession was paramount to being an unworthy washout. Jesus had previously warned His followers only those picking up their cross and following Him would be worthy of being a disciple. Peter's denials and confession made it clear he was ineligible to even be a disciple, much less an Apostle.
The meanings of this conversation are exhaustive. For our purposes the vital concept is that while Jesus always raised the bar, as in His Sermon on the Mount, upon Peter's broken hearted confession in this singular instance Jesus lowers the bar, thus showing all would be disciples the way out of our quantum quandary. Wanting to follow Christ we fail for various reasons. Yet in the end, the decision and responsibility to obey always falls to us. When we sin, we reveal our lack of agapao-love for God. However, when Peter not only confesses his sin, but his lack of love for God, Jesus acting as High Priest, forgives the sin and promises strength. When Peter exalts his love for Christ he is humbled. When humbled he is exalted or in another words, "the way up is down.”
Happily, shortly after the above conversation, Peter and his contemporaries were empowered by the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. As would be the case with Saul’s transformation into Paul, so too an extraordinary baptism in the Holy Spirit brought Simon into the fullness of his prophetic name Peter. Sadly, few today among the rank and file of modern Christianity show the resolve and commitment to Christ of even a sometimes wishy-washy Peter much less that of the full fledged Apostle. Reasons for this are many, yet individually and together their net effect is produce a spiritual impasse between what Churchianity is and what Christianity was meant be.
The spiritual vacuum produced by the stalemate between Christ and Churchianity is rapidly being filled by pseudo religiosity of many kinds. Hundreds of millions if not billions of Catholics and Protestants, liberals to conservatives, fundamentalist and charismatics alike have and are failing from grace in regards to brokenness and repentance, sanctification and righteousness.
Troubling on many levels, the inertia of this foretold falling away is problematic even among prophetic Christians. While among the remnant of the remnant the effects of worldliness are less pronounced, even we are deeply troubled by the spiritual ruin around us may be in harms way. Take the example of Lot:
- "God decreed destruction for the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. A mound of ashes was all that was left—grim warning to anyone bent on an ungodly life. But that good man Lot driven nearly out of his mind by the sexual filth and perversity, was rescued. Surrounded by moral rot day after day after day, that righteous man was in constant torment. So God knows how to rescue the godly from evil trials. And he knows how to hold the feet of the wicked to the fire until Judgment Day." 2 Peter 2:6-9 MSG
Even with Scripture bearing witness to his being a genuinely “godly man” clearly Lot’s lot was one of grief and despair. Yet note how differently Abraham, the “man of God” fared during the same ordeal. Because of this honored status before God Abraham was given an extraordinary opportunity to intercede, wrestling with God for the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. But what occasioned this honor? Likely it was Abraham's previous preparation and practice of seeking God to discern four critical spiritual truths: Who he was? Were he was? When he was? And what God was doing? Abraham understood the importance of knowing God's will and interceding until seeing it realized in the lives of those he loved. As a whole hearted man of faith and obedience, he had likely worked diligently to build his faith daily and grow into a level of righteousness and commitment meriting the description of man of God.
More, Most or All
Having dispensed with the preliminaries of errors in doctrine and lifestyle that, while somewhat obvious, nonetheless obstruct the spiritual progress of billions let us move on to the crux of the matter. Being “fearfully and wonderfully made” every person is responsible to recognize life’s ultimate questions and develop acceptable faith in their Creator and Savior. Even so, throughout Biblical history, the rise and fall of God’s people is largely dependent on leadership or lack thereof. Not being “willing that any should perish” when those in authority fall into temptation and/or deception Omnity holds open auditions, offering the often thankless task of moving the apathetic and worse towards renewal, revival or even reformation. Jesus, summarizing this principal explains: “Many are called, but few are chosen.” The questions that beg asking are:
1. Who are the many that are called?
2. What are they called to do?
3. Why are few chosen?
The answers are as follows:
1. Who are the many that are called? Everyone, seeing we are all responsible (response-able or able to respond) to the pressing need for redemption in ourselves and others. A quote from C.S. Lewis’s The Weight Of Glory captures the sentiment nicely: ”It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare. All day long we are, in some degree, helping each other to one or other of these destinations. It is in the light of these overwhelming possibilities, it is with the awe and the circumspection proper to them, that we should conduct all our dealings with one another, all friendships, all loves, all play, all politics. There are no 'ordinary' people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilizations -- these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit -- immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn. We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously -- no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner -- no mere tolerance or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment."
2. What are they called to do? Care enough to respond appropriately.
3. Why are few chosen? Because few choose to answer God’s call.
Logic dictates that the “few” in this passage must be viewed in contrast to today’s 2,000,000,0000 self avowed Christians. Clearly Jesus is referring to a level of commitment far beyond that of the average worldly and apathetic, Biblically illiterate and prayerless modern “believer.”
For this purpose the following graphic may prove helpful:
The above “Continuum of Response” is one representation of the progressive call of commitment Christ claims on the lives and lifestyles on those exposed to the New Testament. Having discussed various impasses inherent in unbelief and lower levels of response, we now turn our attention to would be disciples investing at least “More” if not “Most” in an genuine effort to give “All.”
In addressing this issue QC posits the following assertions:
1. The average Christian, untrained in the art of honest evaluation, often mistakes presumption for faith and thus considers their commitment to Christ much greater than it is in reality.
2. Millions of Christian leaders, professional and otherwise, have “a form of godliness but deny the power thereof.” Hence these too have an overinflated perception of their commitment to Biblical Christianity.
3. Charismatics are particularly susceptible to “charismagical thinking” imagine their lives full of words from the Lord and Divine appointments without appreciating the subjective nature of what is far more often than not simply wishful thinking.
4. By and large, even prophetic Christians tend to underestimate the true toxicity of entitlement and worldliness, and deception now ubiquitous within modern life. Knowing this, even those ruthlessly honest in regards to their commitment to Christ do well to rate themselves one or two increments less than they might otherwise.
5. Between the commitment level of “Most” and “All” is so great a cavern there are few indeed willing to take the leap of radical discipleship.
6. Spiritual defeat or victory, for millions if not billions, rests squarely on the shoulders of those the Holy Spirit is calling to make an uncompromising and strategic commitment to Kingdom of God.
When it comes to the issue of spiritual impasse, the importance of point 6 above can not be overstated. Consider the time tested example of the log jam. Unblocking the flow is not dependent on reordering the logs in the back or adding additional logs to the river, but rather freeing those at the front of the pack. So too, for a variety of reasons, the onus of restoring the flow of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power, fruit and gifts is most dependent on those nearest God to make the great and necessary exchange of our all for His.
The principal of all can be seen throughout the Bible, particularly the New Testament. For our purpose Jesus’ parable of the soils should suffice:
- “Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds. As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them. Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow. But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn’t have deep roots, they died. Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants. Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted! Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Matthew 13:3-9 NLB
- “Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds: The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don’t understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts. The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced. The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Matthew 13:18-23 NLB
Clearly thirty, sixty and particularly hundred fold disciples have learned the secret of overcoming the many challenges set against our fully maturing in faith. Such spiritual impasses include lack in one or more of the following areas:
1. Accurate comprehension of Scripture: Often a result of little serious and honest Bible study.
2. Personal and corporate prayer: Inappropriate response to the desperate need of not only daily personal and at least weekly corporate intercession, but extended times of “pressing in” to the point of “praying through” to constant and verifiable answers.
3. Concern for the perishing: Indicated by a small investment of time, energy or money on behalf of the those at risk spiritually and/or physically.
4. Diligence in seeking and serving God: Deficiency in either fear of and/or love for God.
5. Sanctification: Grieving and repelling the Holy Spirit through unacceptable levels of wordiness, knowingly or not.
6. Allegiance to the Kingdom: Failure to understand and/or pay the cost of radical discipleship demanded by Jesus of His Kingdom’s citizenry.
7. Genuine Christian fellowship: Deficiency in the kind of relationship and/or accountability the New Testament refers to as Church.
8. Fruit of the Spirit: Underdeveloped virtues of love, joy, peace… including Peter’s additions to faith.
9. Gifts of the Spirit: Disinterest or apathy, dishonesty or inability to experience the presence and power of the Holy Spirit. Example: miraculous healing.
10. Discerning the times and seasons: Misunderstanding of the serious nature of impending judgment as related to Scriptural prophetic advice and examples of preparation and witnessing.
11. Sowing seeds of revival and reformation: Lack of brokenness and concern in regards to the overwhelming need for personal and corporate repentance in hopes of reaping revival if not reformation.
12. Power to demonstrate the veracity of Scripture: Inability to perform in the 21st century the kinds of signs and wonders that were the hallmark of 1st century Christianity.
The above short list represent only the tip of the iceberg of the kinds of thoughts and attitudes, actions and inactions by which believers grieve the Holy Spirit. Consciously or not, billions of times a day spiritual insensitivity and worse contributes to a downward spiral often difficult to recognize must less correct.
Consider the subtle yet devastating impact of overlooking a vital yet rarely appreciated verse written by James, the head of the first Church Council in Jerusalem and half brother of Jesus:
- “Are you sick? Call the church leaders together to pray and anoint you with oil in the name of the Master. Believing-prayer will heal you, and Jesus will put you on your feet. And if you’ve sinned, you’ll be forgiven—healed inside and out. Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn’t rain, and it didn’t—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.” James 5:15-18 MSG
None of the opinions or examples in this or any other GB article are meant to be unnecessarily divisive. Rather, as in the case of the verses and observation regarding the passage cited above, the desire is to prompt honest and insightful consideration of serious issues often neglected or worse within modern Christianity.
In this case, it is clear that the Bible never teaches that the gifts of the Spirit, and in particular that of healing, would expire with the canonization of Scripture. In fact, as seen in the passage from James, the only condition placed on the promise is the ability of church leaders to pray effectively. Little wonder clergy throughout Christendom invent ways to all but dismiss such passages (cessationists) or vastly exaggerate success (charismatics).
Rather than throwing the baby out with the bathwater, or claiming to walk on it, what’s needed is a truthful appraisal of both Scripture and reality. Doing so quickly yields a simple explanation why we lack power in our prayers:
- “Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. You wouldn't think of just asking God for it, would you? And why not? Because you know you'd be asking for what you have no right to. You're spoiled children, each wanting your own way. You're cheating on God. If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn't care? The proverb has it that "he's a fiercely jealous lover." And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you'll find. It's common knowledge that "God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the willing humble." James 4”1-6 The Message
- “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” James 4:7-10 NIV
- “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.” James 5:16-20 NKJV
1. Effective, fervent: ἐνεργουμένη - energoumenē: Energetic. Given that by definition miracles are rare, so too must be the level of passion accompanying genius signs and wonders. In fact it’s been noted that God doesn’t so much hear prayer but rather desperate pray. This kind of effective fervency likely has much to do with both quality and quantity. Such as is exemplified in Christ’s parable of the persistent widow, at the end of which Jesus asks, “But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”
2. Prayer: δέησις - deēsis: Supplication. In light of the impressive power demonstrated by Elijah, logic suggests that miracle working prayer is born of whole life dedication with few if any distractions. Perhaps even strategic in nature, men of God like Elijah and James (who was reputed to have knees as hard as a camels from kneeling prayer) clearly understood powerful prayer is a mighty weapon in arsenal of the Kingdom of heaven.
3. Righteous: δικαίου - dikaiou: Positional righteousness through the atonement of Christ and conditional righteousness through obedience to the commands of Scripture. Miracle working righteousness suggests a far deeper lever of conditional righteousness than even that of which Jesus warned was essential to salvation.
Sadly only a sliver of a percentage of a percentage of Churchianity are willing to admit our desperate need for all that such effective and fervent righteous prayer might accomplish. Yet for all intents and purposes this is the most critical and challenging spiritual impasse posed by modern life.
With over 7,000,000,000 souls at risk, most entrenched in various forms and degrees of devilish deception and sin, we must rediscover this kind of overcoming prayer. For the Bible, a regularly ignored if not disdained millennia old manuscript, to be taken seriously as the “Word of God” it’s correcting interpretation and teaching must be continually accompanied with signs and wonders in the 21st century as it was in the 1st.
What is needed most are prophetic Christians who’ve coveted together to move beyond praying for, and even pressing in to praying through thus sparking the power and anointing of a blazing new Pentecost. Given the logistics and army of obstacles arrayed in defense against this all importance objective, such spiritual commandos would need the dedication and tenacity of missionaries if not martyrs to complete so impossible a task. Facing the imminent collision of the twin towering vortices of demonic deception and divine judgment, only such as these can accomplish the seven steps necessary to “Go and make disciples of all nations… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” These steps are:
1. Recognizing Truth: Successfully navigate the hurdles and minefields of doctrinal errors and mistakes to correctly interpret the Bible’s meta message and meaning.
2. Understanding Truth: Employing Biblical forensics and spiritual archeology to piece together how heaven’s angelic rebellion has spilled onto earth, how the history of eternity has, is and will continue to shape our own. Studying and being studied by Scripture honestly facing Christ’s demands of repentance and radical discipleship.
3. Living Truth: Adopting a Bible based lifestyle embracing all aspects of living faith and obedience while resisting entitlement and worldliness.
4. Experiencing Truth: Moving beyond superficial or even partial sampling and seeing that the Lord is good to the point of tasting of “the heavenly gift…and the powers of the age to come…” Fulfilling Paul’s great prayer in Ephesians that we “should know (experience) what goes beyond knowledge and be filled with all the fullness of God.”
5. Explaining Truth: Compelling and simple exposition and exegesis of steps 1-4.
6. Demonstrating Truth: Real time miracle working power in the full light of day rather than the current “stopped clock” analogy wherein prayer may work once a rotation.
7. Imparting Truth: Ability and success in making enough serious and insightful disciples to faithfully and adequately impart steps 1-7.
Easier Said Than Done
Having explained various kinds of spiritual impasse, from the most basic to advance as well as having offered insight into the nature and necessity of circumventing such challenges a final caution remains.
Simply put, nothing is more needed and thus difficult. First and foremost Scripture warns the the God we offend is not lightly mocked:
- “Blow the trumpet! Sound the alarm! Vultures are circling over God’s people who have broken my covenant and defied my revelation. Predictably, Israel cries out, ‘My God! We know you!’ But they don’t act like it. Israel will have nothing to do with what’s good, and now the enemy is after them. “They crown kings, but without asking me. They set up princes but don’t let me in on it. Instead, they make idols, using silver and gold, idols that will be their ruin… Look at them! Planting wind-seeds, they’ll harvest tornadoes.” Hosea 8:1-4,7 MSG
- “Do not be deceived and deluded and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.) [He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God.] For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap. For he who sows to his own flesh (lower nature, sensuality) will from the flesh reap decay and ruin and destruction, but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.” Galatians 6:7-8 AMP
Next, a winning strategy must be developed and agreed on to carry out just such a spiritual assault. Keeping in mind neither God, the devil or we bare much resemblance to blindly sentimental modern Christian choruses or entertainment. We do better to acknowledge old and more honest hymns like “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” by the spiritual giant John Wesley:
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.
It’s easy and somewhat shocking to see the difference between this hymn and the false doctrines of today’s disingenuously intimate and self absorbed “He loves me, He couldn’t love me not” message both so often sung and taught. As is the different commitment level required by believers, to not only survive the onslaught of the Enemy but to engage the heart of the battle for the souls of mankind. As eloquently stated by the reformer Martin Luther:
- “If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ. Wherever the battle rages, there the loyalty of the soldier is proved and to be steady on all the battlefield besides is mere flight and disgrace if he flinches at that one point.”
1. At this late stage of an all but lost war, what is the real cost of being fully reconciled to God? Answer: Everything
2. What price must we pay to honestly have a hope of overcoming “Satan, who is the god of this world, having blinded the minds of those who don't believe” that humanity may “come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.” Answer: All
3. Who is truly willing to pay the costs for reconciliation to God and victory over the Devil? Answer: Few if any
4. How exactly can cringing victims become “more than conquerers through Christ who loved us?” Answer: Radical discipleship
The issue is straightforward. God’s kingdom exchange rate is ALL. A principal repeatedly emphasized by Christ in a variety of largely ignored or minimized passages such as the following:
“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important? “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:28-30 NIV
- “Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:25-27 NIV
- “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 NKJV
- “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:45-46 NKJV
Clearly billions fall into the categories above. Nevertheless the real question before the most studied and prayerful, passionate and obedient among us is simple. Why not up our ante from Some or even Most to that of All?
The Answer: Unbelief. Unbelief as revealed by time.
For those doing their spiritual homework, growing in commitment to Christ from None to Some and Some to More is a no brainer. Who, thinking clearly, wouldn’t trade the pleasures of gross sin and the specter of hell for moral character and the hope of heaven?
The problem arises when asked to trade up from More to Most and then Most to All. Such increased investment of time and energy, thought and emotion, requires exchanging the familiarity and comfort of what may appear from an earthly perspective as simple pleasures, doubtful habits or at worse subtle sins for difficult, costly to impossible spiritual disciplines with little or no immediate foreseeable benefits. All the while aware of the likely negative impact on relationships and worldly success. This greatest of sticking points was insightfully noted by the prolific Søren Kierkegaard considered the father of existentialism:
- “The matter is quite simple. The Bible is very easy to understand. But we Christians are a bunch of scheming swindlers. We pretend to be unable to understand it because we know very well that the minute we understand, we are obliged to act accordingly. Take any words in the New Testament and forget everything except pledging yourself to act accordingly. My God, you will say, if I do that my whole life will be ruined. How would I ever get on in the world? Herein lies the real place of Christian scholarship. Christian scholarship is the Church’s prodigious invention to defend itself against the Bible, to ensure that we can continue to be good Christians without the Bible coming too close. Oh, priceless scholarship, what would we do without you? Dreadful it is to fall into the hands of the living God. Yes it is even dreadful to be alone with the New Testament.”
- “Think of a very long railway train – but long ago the locomotive ran away from it. Christendom is like this... Christendom is tranquillity – how charming, the tranquillity of not moving from the spot.”
- “The will of Christ is this: an examination in which one cannot cheat.”
- “It is true that a mirror (Scripture) has the quality of enabling a person to see his image in it, but to do this he must stand still.”
When I became a Christian I said, Lord, now fill me in,
Tell me what I’ll suffer in this world of shame and sin.
He said, your body may be killed, and left to rot and stink,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen – I think.
I think Amen, Amen I think, I think I say Amen,
I’m not completely sure, can you just run through that again?
You say my body may be killed and left to rot and stink,
Well, yes, that sounds terrific, Lord, I say Amen – I think.
But, Lord, there must be other ways to follow you, I said,
I really would prefer to end up dying in my bed.
Well, yes, he said, you could put up with the sneers and scorn and spit,
Do you still want to follow me? I said Amen – a bit.
A bit Amen, Amen a bit, a bit I say Amen,
I’m not entirely sure, can we just run through that again?
You say I could put up with sneers and also scorn and spit,
Well, yes, I’ve made my mind up, and I say, Amen – a bit.
Well I sat back and thought a while, then tried a different ploy,
Now, Lord, I said, the Good book says that Christians live in joy.
That’s true he said, you need the joy to bear the pain and sorrow,
So do you want to follow me, I said, Amen – tomorrow.
Tomorrow, Lord, I’ll say it then, that’s when I’ll say Amen,
I need to get it clear, can I just run through that again?
You say that I will need to joy, to bear the pain and sorrow,
Well, yes, I think I’ve got it straight, I’ll say Amen – tomorrow.
He said, Look, I’m not asking you to spend an hour with me
A quick salvation sandwich and a cup of sanctity,
The cost is you, not half of you, but every single bit,
Now tell me, will you follow me? I said Amen – I quit.
I’m very sorry Lord I said, I’d like to follow you,
But I don’t think religion is a manly thing to do.
He said forget religion then, and think about my Son,
And tell me if you’re man enough to do what he has done.
Are you man enough to see the need, and man enough to go,
Man enough to care for those whom no one wants to know,
Man enough to say the thing that people hate to hear,
To battle through Gethsemane in loneliness and fear.
And listen! Are you man enough to stand it at the end,
The moment of betrayal by the kisses of a friend,
Are you man enough to hold your tongue, and man enough to cry?
When nails break your body-are you man enough to die?
Man enough to take the pain, and wear it like a crown,
Man enough to love the world and turn it upside down,
Are you man enough to follow me, I ask you once again?
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said Amen.
Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen; Amen, Amen, Amen,
I said, Oh Lord, I’m frightened, but I also said, Amen.
Thankfully within the awesome and awful Scripture are passages of quantum hope. They tell of seeing and hearing, touching and being touched by the transcendent glory of the Kingdom of God before or in the process of learning to give all. One of the most promising is the previously mentioned parable of the Treasure Hid In A Field:
- “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.” Matthew 13:44 NKJV
- “God’s kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field.” Matthew 13.44 MSG
- “From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we’re telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us. We saw it, we heard it, and now we’re telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!” 1 John 1:1-4 MSG
- “My response is to get down on my knees before the Father, this magnificent Father who parcels out all heaven and earth. I ask him to strengthen you by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in you as you open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God. God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.” Ephesians 3”14-21 MSG
Paul continues God’s gracious offer in his first letter to the Corinthians. Clearly a passionate yet confused 1st century church in spiritual turmoil he opens chapter three with the rod yet closes with the carrot:
- “But for right now, friends, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you since you don’t seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything’s going your way? When one of you says, “I’m on Paul’s side,” and another says, “I’m for Apollos,” aren’t you being totally infantile?” 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 MSG
- “Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times. Be God’s fool—that’s the path to true wisdom. What the world calls smart, God calls stupid. It’s written in Scripture, He exposes the chicanery of the chic. The Master sees through the smoke screens of the know-it-alls. I don’t want to hear any of you bragging about yourself or anyone else. Everything is already yours as a gift—Paul, Apollos, Peter, the world, life, death, the present, the future—all of it is yours, and you are privileged to be in union with Christ, who is in union with God.” 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 MSG
With the highest possible of all stakes, it behooves those of us yet to give All to implore the risen Christ for help in this time of need. Let us prevail upon our faithful high priest, that as in the case of Peter, He might lower the bar at our honest confession of doubt and worse. Towards this end consider Rob’s daily prayer as a possible template. After laying a foundation of deep repentance and penetrating petition, this daily prayer strategically concludes in the following manner:
“Dear God I confess once again that I and the entire human race, perhaps a hundred billion or more past, present and future are but 'dust in the balance' before any aspect of Your Omnity or even Your creation of space, time or matter. We are 'as a mist, here in the morning and burnt off by mid morning.' We are thinking feeling sinful reeds to whom a little water added or withheld can mean life or death. We are soulish spirits in bloody meatcycles on skeletal sticks, 'fearfully and wonderfully made' yet with little or no concern over the demands of our Maker to be obedient, productive and thankful. And this, even though for the most part we are born between feces and urine and for all our pomp will die as dogs.Nevertheless, it is written that even we might become beloved dust, 'heirs of God and joint heirs of Christ.' 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’”
“So I pray that You would help us 'come today and reason together, though our sins be as scarlet that we might be washed white as wool.' That through abortion and other acts of global violence and evil we have covered the Earth in crimson, reaching to Heaven and filling it with scandal to our shame, that we might be washed white as snow. By the love and will of God the Father. By the blood and work of God the Son. By the fruit and gifts of God the Holy Spirit. Blessed Omnity, Three in One.”
“I ask that You would speak to us immediately, forgivingly and gloriously and that we 'would not harden our hearts against Your voice' and that You Oh Great, Awesome and Awful God would do the same, hearing and answering our prayers today while yet on our lips, even those which from our perspective seem long delayed. That you would help us to come humbly and boldly, successfully and repeatedly, victoriously, joyously and gloriously 'before Your throne of grace to obtain mercy, help and resource at this time of need.’”
“For while we stand before You utterly condemned for our sin, particularly my generation and the next in First World Nations and beyond and are without excuse, even our behavior is not without explanation! For is it not written that he formally known as Lucifer or in Hebrew הילל בן־שׁחר Helel Ben-Shachar, who stands accusing and condemning us, first tempted and deceived us after having led a myriad of angels astray. Ancient, holy and glorious angels from Heaven above. To which end I would ask what chance do we have dear God to stand against so great an Adversary, his army and demonic resistance given that in comparison the entire human race was born yesterday and dies tomorrow balanced if and when at all on toes of flesh. Praying if and when at all as lungs expel air strumming vocal cords to the tune of two to three pounds of brain matter, what’s to become of us without an unprecedented global outpouring of Your Spirit's presence and power, provision and protection?”
“So I pray along the lines the Lord taught: Our Father in Heaven, Your name is Holy. Your Kingdom come and will be done on Earth, today, as it is in Heaven. Thank You for giving us so much. Please give us far more as well as wisdom on how best to use it, particularly on behalf of those with the greater need. Please forgive our sins, trespasses and debts and help us forgive those who sin and trespass against us and are indebted to us as previously prayed. Particularly I ask that You lead us not into but out of all temptation. All sin, above, about and within. All evil, the evil One, the evil Him and his for Yours is the Kingdom, Power and Glory forever, of which we know little but I suspect they are to be feared, revered and desired above all things in appropriate ways.”
Author’s Note
By all indications, upcoming years and decades are likely to present ever more spiritual and social, financial and physical challenges for ourselves and families, friends and neighbors. Making matters worse, the state of current research and ministry strongly suggest that all aspects of today's anemic and all but powerless Churchianity are too subjective to successfully compete against the concrete demands and ubiquitous distractions, inflamed desires and mass deceptions presented by modern life.
Among the means at our disposal to combat such circumstances is the concept of moving beyond "praying for" into the realm of "pressing in" with the quantum hope of "praying through."
While individually Christians have over the years attempted as much, clearly our individual and even collective efforts have fallen far short. I myself have attended and/or led over 1,000 corporate prayer meetings and have yet to see Bethesda's waters significantly stirred, much less the promised and desperately needed "rivers of living water" or even "fountains springing up into eternal life."
Ruthlessly honest appraisal suggests that seeing our family and friends, fellow colleagues and Christians so often taken captive by this or that, the "strong man" among us must be bound to have been so personally and collectively plundered.
My sincere prayer is that none of the above is even remotely true. Would to God that the tenants of Churchianity prove largely correct. May everything be going to heaven rather than "hell in a hand basket.” Yet, should the preponderance of Scripture and evidence suggest the remotest possibility that the foregoing is even close to the truth, an appropriate response would begin with weekly if not daily revitalized corporate prayer. I don't mean what passes for prayer today, but rather something far more desperate, perhaps along the model of Azusa street.
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