summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
Every group that meets, a purpose evolves from it. The Spiritual pattern is it starts in prayer, seeking God's ways, getting His Divine insights. As love abounds in the group and covenant connections are cemented and grow, the power for Divine revelation and Divine Purpose increase.
The crucial thing to know is Covenant Connections increase the Power that goes with Divine Purpose... as we discover it and execute it.
We can hold on to The Apostle Paul's thoughts in Ephesians:
"In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:11-14, TNIV)
All this has been created for us long ago. We tap it in Spirit.
The promise continues for the Power to accompany it, as is continued in Ephesians "I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that can be invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way." (Ephesians 1:17-23, TNIV)
In Chapter 7, The Body of Christ , Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft expounds on this more. It is the Body, The New Body of Christ, now as a corporate unity of all the Believers as one, that this is fulfilled through. Thus, Covenant Connection takes on a very important characteristic to make it all work to the level the Scriptures exhort it will.
Jesus' teachings applies to this New Body, which is now His Body reformed or could we say morphed into another kind of Body of people in a covenant connection with each other. As we look at how this New Body functions in the Early Church a lot can be learned from this. They had problems in almost every conceivable form of fellowship... messages, ministers, morals, marriage, money.
One of greatest sections in the New Testament which deals with corporate operation comes from 1 Corinthians 11, 12, 13, and 14. The chief concern of this section is the Covenant connection. References to the theme here are from Luke 22:14-27 and John 6:53-63.
When He told His disciples that this is "my body given to you" Jesus had something more "world changing" in His mind. They would literally turn the world upside down. It is a proclamation relevant for us today.The synagogue needed 10 men to function. But Jesus said that that there can be just two or three. Again the issue is the unity of the believers is what is most important versus the number.
The early Church had four main elements. Reading the Scriptures; expounding on the Scriptures; singing of hymns and Psalms; prayers and intercession. They had a mandate to celebrate the Lord's Supper. What was the significance of the Lord's Supper?
Paul in the Corinthians letter was attempting to correct the loss of unity and oneness that belonged to the Body of Christ. One of the differences was how they celebrated the Lord's Supper. This sharing had to do with the Covenant Connection they shared.
Covenant is a powerful word. A covenant is the binding of two parties. The Bible has many covenants it refers to... covenant of circumcision, covenant of promise, everlasting covenant, first covenant, old covenant, covenant of blood. The covenant of blood suggests the binding relationship of the Body of Believers in the Body of Christ.... Christ's New Body now representing Him on earth.
David and Jonathan had a covenant relationship. Jonathan gave up his robe and sword giving up his rights. This is a love covenant and prime example of how the Body of Christ is to be. They would cut their wrists and rub their wounds together to form a blood covenant or bond between them. They were known to squeeze their blood into glass of wine and drink it jointly. Today we may use a written contract, but then these actions became binding covenants between them.... to the point of being willing to give their life for each other.
Many times the Blood Covenant was accompanied by a meal to celebrate the binding agreement. So the Passover meal that Jesus asked to be prepared as His final statement of his relationship to them would continue in Spirit. It is the relationship we are to continue with each other on earth. This is referred to as the New Covenant in the Bible.... the true meaning of the Communion service... a reminder of our binding in Spirit to Christ and our binding in relationship to each other.
When Jesus talked about eating His flesh could very well be His reference to the truth of His miraculous birth, sinless life, teaching and message, and the Power of His redemptive and healing ministry. The drinking of His blood appears to be about His death. We participate in Christ to bring His vicarious blessings to us. Intercessory prayer is a place of where we sweat drops of blood in our spirit for others. We shed our blood when we serve at the expense of self. We don't bless until we bleed. This is drinking His blood.
He washed the disciple's feet to demonstrate His humility in service. We should demonstrate the same humility in how we serve each other. Jesus said to serve one another. This is His love in action. His act is an act of service in the time of need. As we take the role of a servant and serve each other we practice the spirit of foot washing Jesus illustrated. We should practice acts of serving members of the New Body of Christ and others when they are in need. If we do not have a serving attitude toward those in need, we suffer the loss of the manifestation of His Presence. Only as we share with others do we have Part with Him.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul points out the infections coming into their times of communion. He said when they came together, they came together not for the better, there were divisions. It was not for the Lord's supper but to eat and feast. He told them they were to tarry one for another and minister to each other. Instead they lost value of their covenant connection and need for unity. Satan's goal is to divide. The Holy Spirit can't work when there is not unity.
When there is absolute unity, the windows of Heaven open for us and all of God's blessings fall on us. That's why Jesus pronounced heavy judgment on those who cause divisions. When people do that, they kill the Spirit and it doesn't manifest in the group. So we can't overemphasize the significance and value of the unity among the Believers.
We could say there is malpractice in communion when there are divisions, intoxication in other things than Spirit. When the lesser fortunate are not taken care of, and there is a glutton spirit among the ones there who indulge in overeating, then the sense of koinonia is lost.
Communion is an incarnation. It is when the Body of Believers are in Spiritual relationship to one another and in Christ. The relationship of believers is the residency for the presence of Christ. It is the Spirit affinity of the believers that Christ wishes to be present. To eat His flesh is the when we are feeding on His Spirit. We eat off of each other's personality. In that we are becoming like those with whom we associate. When we are asked to examine ourselves, we are asked to examine our relationship with each other. We are to correct wrong attitudes and adjust our attitudes to be loving and tolerant, understanding and accepting to each other.
Love heals. Love heals the loneliness away, it heals the negative emotions away, it heals blood pressure, ulcers, it heals all there is that surrounds us and in us both emotionally and physically. Our covenant connection between believers provides a way for healing love that heals the sick.
The covenant connection also brings to our attention our relationship with other believers. What comes into play are our relationships of servanthood. Are we willing to serve our associates, our fellow believers, even our enemies? When we unite, it connects us to heaven. Believer plus Believer equals unity with the Father. The Power of the Spirit is again present when we do this.
As Jesus said in John 13, a New Commandment I give to you. As I have loved you, you love each other. This is a lofty goal that is out of possibility of man. But not with God. Through God all things are possible. God knows our limitations and He has provided the Holy Spirit as One who we can make this possible. With men many things are impossible; with God All Things are Possible.
(Scripture references are Luke 22:14-27 and John 6:53-63, 1 Corinthians 11.)
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sunday, August 14, 2011
The Body of Christ ... In Intercession (6)
summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
In The Body of Christ, Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft discusses the church in intercession in chapter 6. Historically, Spiritual movements have been more powerful with loose organization and strong commitment to each other... those centered around gathering daily in a routine environment. The main activity was prayer. Those proactive in prayer, when meeting continually, would find a mission begin to surface from their praying. God then equipped them with power as their cohesiveness grew. The more they met, the more they were led to creative solutions to problems they faced, saturated with the Power of the Holy Spirit creating a miraculous path.
The main references for this chapter are from the Scriptures in Acts 3 and 4. It would be beneficial to read these chapters first or after you read this summary.
By going away, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to come and be in our meetings where prayer and the center of attention is Jesus-based issues. In John 16, Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit is at work in and among us. The Holy Spirit will convict the world, guide us, show us things to come, glorify Jesus, and take what Jesus knows and tells us. Jesus among us secures the Power of His Spirit at work through us and God's Spirit making Himself known to the world... in tangible ways.
In Acts 3 it says Peter went up at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour or middle of the afternoon. Prayer is the priority of all believers and even after great events like Pentecost, the Disciples always went back to prayer. Prayer is the priority of the believers all the time. Prayer includes all kinds of personalities with all kinds of customs. Tolerance was the rule of the day, most did not have a clear understanding of why each other did things a certain way. Love abounded and was the number one rule of the day.
When we pray, we can relate and find cohesiveness among many. When love and prayer are at the forefront, we accept each other and don't spend time talking about our different views on things. Prayer will foster unity in a group faster than anything else, as our focus is on God and not us. As we humble ourselves before God and others, the Power of the Spirit manifests in power to the level we will humble ourselves before God and to men.
Sin and unbelief blind us. They deaden our sensitivities. Our desires maybe misdirected for the wrong things. With Jesus Christ, as our mediator, we put our sins on the altar of God, forgiven, and our faith rises in belief because we depend on God's power and not ours. Prayer then becomes very powerful.
In agreement (centered around Jesus) being in harmony with each other, the Power of the Holy Spirit thrives under these conditions.
In Matthew 18:19, the significance of In My Name stands out... "Where two or three are gathered In My Name there I am."
What is the significance of using His Name?
First, we are in harmony with the instructions of Jesus. There is perfect unity between Jesus and the Father. All the authority of God is transferred to the Son of God, Jesus. What importance did Jesus place in using His Name? There is reverence in the Name of God. Blessings and cures were attached to the Name of God. Not using the name of God in vain is a commandment. Jesus started His prayer with "hallowed be thy Name." We are standing on Holy Ground when addressing God, with the authority of Jesus with us.
In His Name, is saying we respect the agenda of Jesus and are praying in light of His Will. Jesus said what we ask according to His will, we can be confident He will answer us. Jesus did what He did in the authority of the God. God, the All Powerful Creator, responds to the requests of Jesus. We now share in Jesus' authority. What a powerful thought. When we walk as Jesus directs us to walk, and fulfill the Father in Heaven's will as Jesus did, we can expect miraculous results along the way.
Jesus said He would do nothing outside what the Father told Him to do. Jesus was so tuned into His Father's will that what He did was identical to the Father. Here's another outstanding revelation.... What we see in Jesus is God!
Jesus now commissions His disciples to do the same.
So in using the name of Jesus is using His authority, we now have in God as He had with God. Using His name demands we be in Christ as He is in us and in the same way the Father was in Him and He was in the Father. God is trinity. Trinity is Relationship. This reveals to us the value of relationship and effectiveness of relationship. That's why Jesus emphasized..."that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:22)
This is a very high calling. Anything less than this is religion without power, form without substance. The power they had did not come from themselves or what they had. Their lives were totally on the side of the Spirit... not material goods. When Spirit guides us we stretch out our hands to the needy, we share our bread in fellowship. Spirit turns loose the material. His blessing multiplies the bread.
All we need is the Spirit to move us, and we will experience His promise that if we agree together as touching anything that we shall ask, it shall be done.
The Spirit is manifested into the temporal, creating the tangible. This is in contrast to those who try through the material world to accomplish Spiritual ends. Our lesson from Jesus is that we should never attempt anything in our natural selves, but always begin with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then creates the material, changes the emotions, mends broken hearts.
We see the Church as it formed, that is the Body of Christ which emerged after Pentecost, does the same things as Jesus. Corporately, we are the same as Jesus, so unity as One is essential to see the release and manifestations of Power Jesus demonstrated on earth. His plan is to do it now through a Body of Believers... versus just one person. So we all need the interconnections and relationships.
The place for prayer is not geographic. It is wherever God's people assemble together. But, it is always where believers (two or three or more) are gathered together in the Name of Jesus.
The Prayer of Intercession begins in God. It is not in us to shape prayer. It begins in God and is God. Its focus is on what He wills and what He plans to do. The action of the enemy is not against men, but against the plans of God. We rely on God's power for continued power, miracles and victory.
We know God is available, when we are in one accord, one mind and in the Spirit of God. The results...the place is shaken when people intercede and everyone gets excited about what is happening. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. One filling is not enough. They went back to prayer for a continuous flow of Spirit in Power in their lives. Jesus, when going to the mountain to pray, was transfigured anew by God. We can have this too.
They spoke the Word of God with boldness, a result of their times in prayer and through the inner presence and power of the Holy Spirit. As they shared bread and fellowship, there was no difficulty in having success when God is working in the hearts of people. Sharing all things in common, this loving fellowship and communion with each other ripped open the gates of Heaven for all the Mighty and Power of God to be seen at work all around them.
Spirit manifested in everything, in every way.
(Scripture references are Acts 3 and 4, and John 17:22, 23.)
4spirit@gmail.com
In The Body of Christ, Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft discusses the church in intercession in chapter 6. Historically, Spiritual movements have been more powerful with loose organization and strong commitment to each other... those centered around gathering daily in a routine environment. The main activity was prayer. Those proactive in prayer, when meeting continually, would find a mission begin to surface from their praying. God then equipped them with power as their cohesiveness grew. The more they met, the more they were led to creative solutions to problems they faced, saturated with the Power of the Holy Spirit creating a miraculous path.
The main references for this chapter are from the Scriptures in Acts 3 and 4. It would be beneficial to read these chapters first or after you read this summary.
By going away, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to come and be in our meetings where prayer and the center of attention is Jesus-based issues. In John 16, Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit is at work in and among us. The Holy Spirit will convict the world, guide us, show us things to come, glorify Jesus, and take what Jesus knows and tells us. Jesus among us secures the Power of His Spirit at work through us and God's Spirit making Himself known to the world... in tangible ways.
In Acts 3 it says Peter went up at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour or middle of the afternoon. Prayer is the priority of all believers and even after great events like Pentecost, the Disciples always went back to prayer. Prayer is the priority of the believers all the time. Prayer includes all kinds of personalities with all kinds of customs. Tolerance was the rule of the day, most did not have a clear understanding of why each other did things a certain way. Love abounded and was the number one rule of the day.
When we pray, we can relate and find cohesiveness among many. When love and prayer are at the forefront, we accept each other and don't spend time talking about our different views on things. Prayer will foster unity in a group faster than anything else, as our focus is on God and not us. As we humble ourselves before God and others, the Power of the Spirit manifests in power to the level we will humble ourselves before God and to men.
Sin and unbelief blind us. They deaden our sensitivities. Our desires maybe misdirected for the wrong things. With Jesus Christ, as our mediator, we put our sins on the altar of God, forgiven, and our faith rises in belief because we depend on God's power and not ours. Prayer then becomes very powerful.
In agreement (centered around Jesus) being in harmony with each other, the Power of the Holy Spirit thrives under these conditions.
In Matthew 18:19, the significance of In My Name stands out... "Where two or three are gathered In My Name there I am."
What is the significance of using His Name?
First, we are in harmony with the instructions of Jesus. There is perfect unity between Jesus and the Father. All the authority of God is transferred to the Son of God, Jesus. What importance did Jesus place in using His Name? There is reverence in the Name of God. Blessings and cures were attached to the Name of God. Not using the name of God in vain is a commandment. Jesus started His prayer with "hallowed be thy Name." We are standing on Holy Ground when addressing God, with the authority of Jesus with us.
In His Name, is saying we respect the agenda of Jesus and are praying in light of His Will. Jesus said what we ask according to His will, we can be confident He will answer us. Jesus did what He did in the authority of the God. God, the All Powerful Creator, responds to the requests of Jesus. We now share in Jesus' authority. What a powerful thought. When we walk as Jesus directs us to walk, and fulfill the Father in Heaven's will as Jesus did, we can expect miraculous results along the way.
Jesus said He would do nothing outside what the Father told Him to do. Jesus was so tuned into His Father's will that what He did was identical to the Father. Here's another outstanding revelation.... What we see in Jesus is God!
Jesus now commissions His disciples to do the same.
So in using the name of Jesus is using His authority, we now have in God as He had with God. Using His name demands we be in Christ as He is in us and in the same way the Father was in Him and He was in the Father. God is trinity. Trinity is Relationship. This reveals to us the value of relationship and effectiveness of relationship. That's why Jesus emphasized..."that they may be one, even as we are one." (John 17:22)
This is a very high calling. Anything less than this is religion without power, form without substance. The power they had did not come from themselves or what they had. Their lives were totally on the side of the Spirit... not material goods. When Spirit guides us we stretch out our hands to the needy, we share our bread in fellowship. Spirit turns loose the material. His blessing multiplies the bread.
All we need is the Spirit to move us, and we will experience His promise that if we agree together as touching anything that we shall ask, it shall be done.
The Spirit is manifested into the temporal, creating the tangible. This is in contrast to those who try through the material world to accomplish Spiritual ends. Our lesson from Jesus is that we should never attempt anything in our natural selves, but always begin with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit then creates the material, changes the emotions, mends broken hearts.
We see the Church as it formed, that is the Body of Christ which emerged after Pentecost, does the same things as Jesus. Corporately, we are the same as Jesus, so unity as One is essential to see the release and manifestations of Power Jesus demonstrated on earth. His plan is to do it now through a Body of Believers... versus just one person. So we all need the interconnections and relationships.
The place for prayer is not geographic. It is wherever God's people assemble together. But, it is always where believers (two or three or more) are gathered together in the Name of Jesus.
The Prayer of Intercession begins in God. It is not in us to shape prayer. It begins in God and is God. Its focus is on what He wills and what He plans to do. The action of the enemy is not against men, but against the plans of God. We rely on God's power for continued power, miracles and victory.
We know God is available, when we are in one accord, one mind and in the Spirit of God. The results...the place is shaken when people intercede and everyone gets excited about what is happening. They were filled with the Holy Spirit. One filling is not enough. They went back to prayer for a continuous flow of Spirit in Power in their lives. Jesus, when going to the mountain to pray, was transfigured anew by God. We can have this too.
They spoke the Word of God with boldness, a result of their times in prayer and through the inner presence and power of the Holy Spirit. As they shared bread and fellowship, there was no difficulty in having success when God is working in the hearts of people. Sharing all things in common, this loving fellowship and communion with each other ripped open the gates of Heaven for all the Mighty and Power of God to be seen at work all around them.
Spirit manifested in everything, in every way.
(Scripture references are Acts 3 and 4, and John 17:22, 23.)
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The Body of Christ ... The Practical (5)
summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
In The Practical (chapter 5), The Body of Christ by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, he says that everyone hungers for reality. We must go beyond theory. The program for practical ministry in the Scriptures is expressed in Acts 2:41-47. When Jesus' disciples gathered, they were centered in the Scriptures. They continued steadfastly. It means they devoted themselves to the study of God's Word.
We are to be doers of the Word, James 2:22 , and not just hearers. To accomplish this daily devotion is necessary. A personal discipline is required with specific times set aside just for this... every day. A personal Bible reflection time done daily is just as important as group discussions of the Scriptures. Their goal was to learn and obey the Scriptures. Deuteronomy 6 says we were to do this all day long, and then all would be well with you.
The early church learned the apostles doctrine through kerygma.. the proclamation of Jesus. We learn it, become the Word and the proclamation is natural when it's naturally part of us.
Deuteronomy 6:7-9. Instruction is vitally important to make the Scriptures a walking, living, breathing part of us. "Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." It is vital to be a powerful proclaiming group. We proclaim it to each other and all we come in contact with.
Staying continually in God's word and God's presence yields great power. It transforms our minds to be Minds of Christ. The apostles spent 10 days in prayer. Peter gave a 3-minute sermon and 3000 people were converted that day. In the modern day we may give a 3-minute prayer, have ten days of preaching and not have one convert. We may very well be doing things backwards. Prayer must precede and exceed our proclamation times.
Then in addition to being centered in God's Word, they continued in fellowship. Their fellowship was immersed in the power of Spirit. It was an unconditional sharing, sacrificial love. They were gathered together in His Name. Jesus promised when we do that, He will be among us, in person, right there with us. It made koinonia possible... the intimate sharing of fellowship.
People were more important than property or policies. Needs were common. Communion is more than a ceremony to acknowledge Jesus as part of our lives. The sharing of bread with those who are in need is the spirit of communion. The bread the world wants, is hungry for, is both physical and spiritual. When it was necessary to meet the needs of others they sold their possessions. It's not as important to know how they met needs but that they did it. Their willingness to do it is what stands out. Such willingness proved the unselfishness of those members of the Body of Christ.
The role of Koinonia is found in Ephesians 4:2,3 and 1 Cor 1:9,10. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (NLT)
Some think just having a place to meet fosters koinonia. The assembly is just ecclesia. The Church centers around koinonia... a close knit sharing of all things in common, and looking out for the well being of everyone there. It's not a legislated thing. But it comes from Spirit in and among each other as expressed in Love they have for each other. They are gathered together in His Name.
It is important again to remind us that unity is what is important; not the specific number.
In Acts, there were a number of homes mentioned where they met. The home was their central meeting place. They met together in the Word and in the Name of Jesus. He was there. They were internally and externally blessed. They faithfully went from house to house, breaking bread, and eating with gladness and with singleness of heart. It is most dramatic to see the sacrificial love they had.
Paul found such sharing in as well with the Macedonian Christians. They were people persecuted and disenfranchised. With no source of income, they had to find ways to feed themselves. In the midst of this abject poverty they were willing to share with other saints. When they needed to, they would liquidate a portion or all of their assets for the benefit of the dependent members of the fellowship. They did not consider what they had as too valuable to sacrifice for those in need. The real truth that should shine through all this is the spirit of sacrificial sharing, the willingness to give up our self-interests was the top priority.
"If anyone should come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
An expression in the early days of the Pentecostal movement was "being sold out." Being sold out was that you held nothing back. To hold something back illustrated our selfish priority. It meant physical death to Ananias. It means Spiritual death to us. These people recognizing their desperate need, sold their possessions as they saw the desperate need of the community to know Christ in a living, vital relationship. Is it any wonder they had such a response from the people?
In the midst of sharing they were praising God and enjoying their food with gladness. This puts into perspective the unity of the mind of each and all. They were not split between the sacred and secular. The supernatural result of people who are sold out, committing all that they are to Him, is that many come into the Kingdom of God. This is the supernatural result of koinonia. Such love was a magnet that drew people to Christ. Power exuded all around them. With great power they gave witness of the resurrection.
The unity of the believers in koinonia caused the presence of the Lord to draw near. As they acted in unity, they became the manifestation of the presence of the Lord. The early life of Jesus was the bodily form of God on earth.The unity of the believers becomes a new body of flesh where God manifests himself in the world, now in the place of the physical presence of Jesus. We, as a unit, now walk the earth as the physical presence of Jesus. That's why unity is essential to see the power of Jesus, when on earth, to be manifested now.
"The works that I do, you will do even greater works than these." (Jesus)
This new man of Jesus, the believers unified in the Body of Christ, will do the works even greater than Jesus when He was on earth.
(Scripture references are Acts 2:41-47, James 2:22, Ephesians 4:2, 3 and 1 Cor. 1:9,10, Acts 4: 31-33, John 14:12.)
4spirit@gmail.com
In The Practical (chapter 5), The Body of Christ by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, he says that everyone hungers for reality. We must go beyond theory. The program for practical ministry in the Scriptures is expressed in Acts 2:41-47. When Jesus' disciples gathered, they were centered in the Scriptures. They continued steadfastly. It means they devoted themselves to the study of God's Word.
We are to be doers of the Word, James 2:22 , and not just hearers. To accomplish this daily devotion is necessary. A personal discipline is required with specific times set aside just for this... every day. A personal Bible reflection time done daily is just as important as group discussions of the Scriptures. Their goal was to learn and obey the Scriptures. Deuteronomy 6 says we were to do this all day long, and then all would be well with you.
The early church learned the apostles doctrine through kerygma.. the proclamation of Jesus. We learn it, become the Word and the proclamation is natural when it's naturally part of us.
Deuteronomy 6:7-9. Instruction is vitally important to make the Scriptures a walking, living, breathing part of us. "Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates." It is vital to be a powerful proclaiming group. We proclaim it to each other and all we come in contact with.
Staying continually in God's word and God's presence yields great power. It transforms our minds to be Minds of Christ. The apostles spent 10 days in prayer. Peter gave a 3-minute sermon and 3000 people were converted that day. In the modern day we may give a 3-minute prayer, have ten days of preaching and not have one convert. We may very well be doing things backwards. Prayer must precede and exceed our proclamation times.
Then in addition to being centered in God's Word, they continued in fellowship. Their fellowship was immersed in the power of Spirit. It was an unconditional sharing, sacrificial love. They were gathered together in His Name. Jesus promised when we do that, He will be among us, in person, right there with us. It made koinonia possible... the intimate sharing of fellowship.
People were more important than property or policies. Needs were common. Communion is more than a ceremony to acknowledge Jesus as part of our lives. The sharing of bread with those who are in need is the spirit of communion. The bread the world wants, is hungry for, is both physical and spiritual. When it was necessary to meet the needs of others they sold their possessions. It's not as important to know how they met needs but that they did it. Their willingness to do it is what stands out. Such willingness proved the unselfishness of those members of the Body of Christ.
The role of Koinonia is found in Ephesians 4:2,3 and 1 Cor 1:9,10. "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful. I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought." (NLT)
Some think just having a place to meet fosters koinonia. The assembly is just ecclesia. The Church centers around koinonia... a close knit sharing of all things in common, and looking out for the well being of everyone there. It's not a legislated thing. But it comes from Spirit in and among each other as expressed in Love they have for each other. They are gathered together in His Name.
It is important again to remind us that unity is what is important; not the specific number.
In Acts, there were a number of homes mentioned where they met. The home was their central meeting place. They met together in the Word and in the Name of Jesus. He was there. They were internally and externally blessed. They faithfully went from house to house, breaking bread, and eating with gladness and with singleness of heart. It is most dramatic to see the sacrificial love they had.
Paul found such sharing in as well with the Macedonian Christians. They were people persecuted and disenfranchised. With no source of income, they had to find ways to feed themselves. In the midst of this abject poverty they were willing to share with other saints. When they needed to, they would liquidate a portion or all of their assets for the benefit of the dependent members of the fellowship. They did not consider what they had as too valuable to sacrifice for those in need. The real truth that should shine through all this is the spirit of sacrificial sharing, the willingness to give up our self-interests was the top priority.
"If anyone should come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23)
An expression in the early days of the Pentecostal movement was "being sold out." Being sold out was that you held nothing back. To hold something back illustrated our selfish priority. It meant physical death to Ananias. It means Spiritual death to us. These people recognizing their desperate need, sold their possessions as they saw the desperate need of the community to know Christ in a living, vital relationship. Is it any wonder they had such a response from the people?
In the midst of sharing they were praising God and enjoying their food with gladness. This puts into perspective the unity of the mind of each and all. They were not split between the sacred and secular. The supernatural result of people who are sold out, committing all that they are to Him, is that many come into the Kingdom of God. This is the supernatural result of koinonia. Such love was a magnet that drew people to Christ. Power exuded all around them. With great power they gave witness of the resurrection.
The unity of the believers in koinonia caused the presence of the Lord to draw near. As they acted in unity, they became the manifestation of the presence of the Lord. The early life of Jesus was the bodily form of God on earth.The unity of the believers becomes a new body of flesh where God manifests himself in the world, now in the place of the physical presence of Jesus. We, as a unit, now walk the earth as the physical presence of Jesus. That's why unity is essential to see the power of Jesus, when on earth, to be manifested now.
"The works that I do, you will do even greater works than these." (Jesus)
This new man of Jesus, the believers unified in the Body of Christ, will do the works even greater than Jesus when He was on earth.
(Scripture references are Acts 2:41-47, James 2:22, Ephesians 4:2, 3 and 1 Cor. 1:9,10, Acts 4: 31-33, John 14:12.)
Friday, August 12, 2011
The Body of Christ ... In Baptism (4)
summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
The banding together of Believers after the Acts explosion (Acts 2:1-4), brings us into a new understanding of this dynamic element which now exists called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft elaborates on what this all means in his chapter, In Baptism, The Body of Christ, chapter 4.
If anything is to be accomplished for God's Glory and the overall well being of mankind, it must be done through the direction and orchestration provided by the Holy Spirit. It will require the collaborate cooperation of the Believers called the Body of Christ... where Christ's Spirit now exists on earth through man. This union when unified, is so powerful and magnificent, that this is truly another incarnation of God manifesting himself through men and women.
Exploding into civilization, coming and never leaving, the Body of Christ (Believers as one group) is now referred to as The Church. It's all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and ban as one with each other.
God's presence then moves within us rather than something on the outside like ceremonies, temples, altars. We, now as connected Believers are the new Temple where God exists in all the Power just as Jesus had when on the earth. That's why being in unity in heart and Spirit is absolutely necessary. This is where all power is now.
The Scriptures say we are built together as the place of habitation of God's Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21-22)
So the believers in unity is the power and significance for seeing the manifest presence of Jesus in our lives today. In the Bible the word manifest means to open to sight. The Holy Spirit has people through whom He can show himself. When the Body of Christ is in proper relationship to God and to one another, The Holy Spirit works through it.
This is no secret of what happened. God forecast it through all His prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus is not a stand alone person. We as a unit, united, cooperating, loving each other as One, are Now Jesus. Jesus went from one person to now a Corporate Unit of many who believe in Him connected by God's Very Own Spirit. God's plan could not be aborted by anyone. His people were ready to receive His plan.
They met in one room and waited for this baptism or explosion of Spirit to deluge over them. Those in this room were different nationalities, sexes, religious backgrounds. Yet they came together and waited as One. They were in one accord, in harmony, one mind. The reason it took ten days for all this to happen was maybe it took that long for them to work out the differences, put them aside, and become one. They probably spent much time in self examination.
The power became internal, but manifested itself externally. The word incarnation is an appropriate word here. Its meaning is to embody in Spirit as an earthly form. It is God, Himself, now dwelling in those who received the Holy Spirit.
Then the explosion of the Holy Spirit came.
1. There was sound. It came as a strong wind going through the place.
2. There was something to see. It looked like fire on top of their heads.
3. There was compound reaction: They spoke in languages unknown, but each person hearing His own language. This noise went abroad. Everyone was amazed and marveled at what was happening. All the17 dialects represented heard people praising God in their own language.That very day 3000 more people became Believers and were added to the Body of Christ.
Koinonia emerged. They were no longer just a group meeting together, but an intimacy among them became obviously apparent. It was an intimate sharing fellowship as all things were considered to be in common and shared by all. This was done to such an extent, no one person in the group was without. All needs were met. Individuals seemed to lose individual identities in the group. There was a vicarious unselfishness to share all blessings with each other.
Unity in all things was the word of the day.
1. They were in unity as One with God.
2. They were one in themselves, one with the Holy Spirit now working vigorously through them. They turned over selfish ambitions for God's directives speaking unceasingly through them.
3. They were one with each other. As Peter spoke to the crowd afterward... He was speaking as the whole group of 11 disciples. A unique occurrence.
4. They were in unity with all Believers. Togetherness was the characteristic of the group, as well as the condition behind why they all had so much power now.
5. They were in communication. The Spirit was communicating through them from the Spirit within them. They had God's voice in them speaking to them.
6. They were in unity in material things. They shared things of value with each other... food, clothing, shelter, houses, transportation. Even though most were in poverty, in their sharing they all become a group without any lack among them. Prosperity seems to promote individualism... individualism weakens Spiritual power. Their power came from their sharing... a new concept of power's origins.
7. They were in unity in witnessing. They had favor with all people and people listened to them. They were amazed that they seemed to know so much, and were bold as an authority in their field even though not educated. The warmth and love they had among each other, attracted many to them.
All this centered around the unity of Spirit as One Group they had. When there is disunity, the power is zapped. We should avoid disunity at all costs. Satan's premiere tool to make the Church powerless is to create disunity. When that happens, Power is diluted, exponentially, from the group. To the same degree, when their is unity, power is added exponentially to the group.
The Unity of Believers Brought the manifestation of God's Presence. A common ministry emerges when we are in unity in any group. As one in Spirit, the specific directives of Spirit become apparent for that particular group. Again, that's why Satan attacks to create disunity. Then power wanes.
From this outpouring of Spirit, all forms of power ministry became evident. The Word of God was preached. The prophetic words of God were expressed through common men. As a group they guarded doctrine so it was stable, and there was fellowship.They ate together and shared together.
Believers were without livelihood due to persecution and ostracism. Those were times of deprivation of family and food. They shared the basics of life with each other.
During all this, they were in constant prayer and worship. As one in worship the powers of the Supernatural presence of God created all forms of Supernatural gifts, healings and miracles of immediate manifestations.
The Very World-Creating Spirit of God was at work... regularly. This is our challenge today.To find ourselves completely lost in our Lord Jesus Christ so that we lose sight of all that brings individualism, division, unfeeling relationships within the fellowship. With the Baptism of Spirit in our whole group, many will come running to us.
(Scripture reference is Acts 2.)
The banding together of Believers after the Acts explosion (Acts 2:1-4), brings us into a new understanding of this dynamic element which now exists called the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft elaborates on what this all means in his chapter, In Baptism, The Body of Christ, chapter 4.
If anything is to be accomplished for God's Glory and the overall well being of mankind, it must be done through the direction and orchestration provided by the Holy Spirit. It will require the collaborate cooperation of the Believers called the Body of Christ... where Christ's Spirit now exists on earth through man. This union when unified, is so powerful and magnificent, that this is truly another incarnation of God manifesting himself through men and women.
Exploding into civilization, coming and never leaving, the Body of Christ (Believers as one group) is now referred to as The Church. It's all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and ban as one with each other.
God's presence then moves within us rather than something on the outside like ceremonies, temples, altars. We, now as connected Believers are the new Temple where God exists in all the Power just as Jesus had when on the earth. That's why being in unity in heart and Spirit is absolutely necessary. This is where all power is now.
The Scriptures say we are built together as the place of habitation of God's Spirit. (Ephesians 2:21-22)
So the believers in unity is the power and significance for seeing the manifest presence of Jesus in our lives today. In the Bible the word manifest means to open to sight. The Holy Spirit has people through whom He can show himself. When the Body of Christ is in proper relationship to God and to one another, The Holy Spirit works through it.
This is no secret of what happened. God forecast it through all His prophets in the Old Testament. Jesus is not a stand alone person. We as a unit, united, cooperating, loving each other as One, are Now Jesus. Jesus went from one person to now a Corporate Unit of many who believe in Him connected by God's Very Own Spirit. God's plan could not be aborted by anyone. His people were ready to receive His plan.
They met in one room and waited for this baptism or explosion of Spirit to deluge over them. Those in this room were different nationalities, sexes, religious backgrounds. Yet they came together and waited as One. They were in one accord, in harmony, one mind. The reason it took ten days for all this to happen was maybe it took that long for them to work out the differences, put them aside, and become one. They probably spent much time in self examination.
The power became internal, but manifested itself externally. The word incarnation is an appropriate word here. Its meaning is to embody in Spirit as an earthly form. It is God, Himself, now dwelling in those who received the Holy Spirit.
Then the explosion of the Holy Spirit came.
1. There was sound. It came as a strong wind going through the place.
2. There was something to see. It looked like fire on top of their heads.
3. There was compound reaction: They spoke in languages unknown, but each person hearing His own language. This noise went abroad. Everyone was amazed and marveled at what was happening. All the17 dialects represented heard people praising God in their own language.That very day 3000 more people became Believers and were added to the Body of Christ.
Koinonia emerged. They were no longer just a group meeting together, but an intimacy among them became obviously apparent. It was an intimate sharing fellowship as all things were considered to be in common and shared by all. This was done to such an extent, no one person in the group was without. All needs were met. Individuals seemed to lose individual identities in the group. There was a vicarious unselfishness to share all blessings with each other.
Unity in all things was the word of the day.
1. They were in unity as One with God.
2. They were one in themselves, one with the Holy Spirit now working vigorously through them. They turned over selfish ambitions for God's directives speaking unceasingly through them.
3. They were one with each other. As Peter spoke to the crowd afterward... He was speaking as the whole group of 11 disciples. A unique occurrence.
4. They were in unity with all Believers. Togetherness was the characteristic of the group, as well as the condition behind why they all had so much power now.
5. They were in communication. The Spirit was communicating through them from the Spirit within them. They had God's voice in them speaking to them.
6. They were in unity in material things. They shared things of value with each other... food, clothing, shelter, houses, transportation. Even though most were in poverty, in their sharing they all become a group without any lack among them. Prosperity seems to promote individualism... individualism weakens Spiritual power. Their power came from their sharing... a new concept of power's origins.
7. They were in unity in witnessing. They had favor with all people and people listened to them. They were amazed that they seemed to know so much, and were bold as an authority in their field even though not educated. The warmth and love they had among each other, attracted many to them.
All this centered around the unity of Spirit as One Group they had. When there is disunity, the power is zapped. We should avoid disunity at all costs. Satan's premiere tool to make the Church powerless is to create disunity. When that happens, Power is diluted, exponentially, from the group. To the same degree, when their is unity, power is added exponentially to the group.
The Unity of Believers Brought the manifestation of God's Presence. A common ministry emerges when we are in unity in any group. As one in Spirit, the specific directives of Spirit become apparent for that particular group. Again, that's why Satan attacks to create disunity. Then power wanes.
From this outpouring of Spirit, all forms of power ministry became evident. The Word of God was preached. The prophetic words of God were expressed through common men. As a group they guarded doctrine so it was stable, and there was fellowship.They ate together and shared together.
Believers were without livelihood due to persecution and ostracism. Those were times of deprivation of family and food. They shared the basics of life with each other.
During all this, they were in constant prayer and worship. As one in worship the powers of the Supernatural presence of God created all forms of Supernatural gifts, healings and miracles of immediate manifestations.
The Very World-Creating Spirit of God was at work... regularly. This is our challenge today.To find ourselves completely lost in our Lord Jesus Christ so that we lose sight of all that brings individualism, division, unfeeling relationships within the fellowship. With the Baptism of Spirit in our whole group, many will come running to us.
(Scripture reference is Acts 2.)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Body of Christ ... In Revelation (3)
summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
In chapter three, In Revelation, The Body of Christ by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, he leads us to the realization that as a body we are Christ, the same as Christ with all of Jesus' power on earth plus more. John the Baptist said this of Jesus, "He speaks God's words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit."( John 3:34, NLT)
So we have, as a Body, One, united, sharing in the Same Spirit, we have all of Spirit that was freely Given to Jesus on earth. We, still on earth, have all of this too... as a Body. Separated from each other we are powerless.
What is so astounding is that Jesus comes to us, even when we lock Him out. The doors where shut and Jesus was locked out. "That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!" (note John 20:19-23)
In the middle of our turmoil, disheartening experiences, grief, Jesus is there. He comes through all the things that may block Him. He loves us so much, He comes even when we are blocking Him out. They had closed the doors for fear. Their leader was assassinated. Because of their association to him, they may be in jeopardy. Their fear could very likely be, "Am I next?" They just witnessed one of the most horrible deaths, or executions, one could go through. Fear overwhelmed them.
Fear always closes the doors. Fear kept them from seeing the resurrection. Our negative emotions trips our minds up. We need to be aware of what strong negative emotions can do to us. Jesus healed the blind more than likely to heal us out of our own blindness, both physical and spiritual. We can easily be led astray by depending on our limited resources when making decisions. When we lean on our own "flesh," the makeup of our mind and emotions, we limit the very power of God that wants to work in our lives then.
The principle to see is that Jesus came to them when they were gathered together. The secret to Spiritual Power is here: get with other believers when things get really bad, in every crisis and disturbing situation. It is the sure way to take advantage of the law of manifestation... He Will Be There.
When things get bad, we go back to what we have been doing before... Peter went fishing. Being fearful, the thoughts of God had gone out of their mind.They could not sense His Presence. Nothing could stop His coming to them, even walls and locked doors. He breaks through our fears, our flimsy plans to protect us. He will break through our locked up emotions and give the peace of His Presence.
The Manifest Presence of Jesus the Christ with us has these components active and intertwined.
1. Two or more
2. Gathered together
3. In Jesus' Name
That includes the Spiritual interaction of loving each other as Jesus loved us, sharing with each other in thoughts and goods, and serving each other with the attitude of considering others more important than ourselves. When you have all these components in the mix, you can expect the manifest presence of the Lord, that's all the creative powers of God's Spirit at work. (note Matthew 18:18-20, Acts 1-4)
With this, Jesus personal presence is there. Jesus came to His disciples with door's locked and afraid. He addressed their fears first and said, "Peace to you." When clouds of grief surround us we close our eyes to the reality of His closeness. At the Mount of Transfiguration, a cloud kept Jesus' out of sight. Clouds often obscure our vision, although, God is in the clouds. God was in the cloud at the Tabernacle in the wilderness. When clouds of grief or fear surround us, we can know God is in this phenomenon.
In this Manifest Presence we encourage one another and are in intimate fellowship with each other. We, from our hearts, easily enjoy the laws of His manifest presence. He is God and nothing is so comforting as His Presence. In our deepest of hearts, we just want to know He is there. Knowing this we are comforted, we have peace, and His Power comes over us.
The Manifest Presence provides peace. Jesus rebuked the winds when He was in the boat with His disciples and a storm raged around them. He simply said, "Peace, be still." Jesus, now through the Holy Spirit in our lives, says this to the storm that ranges around us, just like when He was there in the same boat. He says to our hearts and emotions, "Peace be Still."
The Manifest Presence provides pleasure and a deep gladness. When the disciples saw the Lord they were elated, ecstatic, spiritually wrapped in intense pleasure. Nothing that man can do can hinder God's purposes from being fulfilled. Healing is ours, eternal life is ours.
The Manifest Presence provides purpose. It seems selfish to be so concerned about our own happiness when the world is in grave misery. God wants us to be glad for a purpose. He sends us to share in His Purposes.... to bring peace, joy, and power to all around us... to bring hope, life and a future to every one we come in contact with. What a tremendous purpose... to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth! To accomplish this, God used and uses ordinary people. It can be farmers, janitors, factory line workers, waiters, nurses, tax accountants, carpenters, mechanics, salespeople, a handyman, check out attendants, lawyers... all play a part in this purpose of being the Kingdom of God on earth. He has something special for all of us. When we think of what God sent Jesus to do, and its meaning and impartation to us, the magnitude of this assignment is staggering. As we follow in the life pattern of Jesus, we share in the great mission Jesus was on... to bring hope, salvation, love, power, and eternal wonder to mankind.
We have the assurance that as united believers we have His presence, and if we have His presence all things are, in a true reality, possible. God's callings are His enablements. He enables us to the assignments He gives us. We can expect supernatural signs to follow. As the Scriptures say, "These signs shall follow them who believe in Him." It's up to us.
We have a choice, to use His Presence or lose it for sake of inactivity in Him. If we think we can just take Him, to soak in His Presence in prayer and worship and not share, we fail in the task God has commanded each of us to perform. We are to share all the love, joy, power that is coming into our lives. Those who hoard the gifts God gives them will lose them. The faithful servants who invest His Gifts in others will have even more and those who don't use them will have them handed over to those using them.
Our lives are about finding needs and filling them. As we attempt Great things for God, He is there backing us up and filling us with His Power. We are being filled with a Divine supply. As we unite with another believer we see this being true. Then we become the manifestation of Jesus, as the Body of Christ.
The Manifest Presence provides power. We are not called to do the impossible, but to know that Jesus will provide the power to be and to do His will. Jesus breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit," which is Creative, Energizing, Exciting. This is the same Spirit responsible for the original creation of man that was breathed into us. We are to participate in redeeming action which takes personal sacrifice and transforms it with ability and power to share and serve our generation. His Spirit makes it all possible. His Spirit with us is His Presence with us. Thus we have the power to be and do. (Acts 1:8)
Hopefully, the awareness this brings is finding a newer and greater significance to our meeting together as believers. Greater awareness may result in our recognizing the presence of the Lord with us. The Body of Christ manifests in these times of fellowship. Whenever two or more believers meet in the name of Jesus in Prayer, the potential is immeasurable.
The importance that lies in how we relate to each other cannot be stressed enough. It must be a sacrificial love, a compassionate love. Love implies a giver and a receiver. The Body of Christ gathered together, one in Spirit, manifests the presence of the Lord. When His Presence manifests, the Body of Christ increases in love, power and size.
(Scripture reference is John 20.)
4spirit@gmail.com
In chapter three, In Revelation, The Body of Christ by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, he leads us to the realization that as a body we are Christ, the same as Christ with all of Jesus' power on earth plus more. John the Baptist said this of Jesus, "He speaks God's words, for God gives him the Spirit without limit."( John 3:34, NLT)
So we have, as a Body, One, united, sharing in the Same Spirit, we have all of Spirit that was freely Given to Jesus on earth. We, still on earth, have all of this too... as a Body. Separated from each other we are powerless.
What is so astounding is that Jesus comes to us, even when we lock Him out. The doors where shut and Jesus was locked out. "That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them!" (note John 20:19-23)
In the middle of our turmoil, disheartening experiences, grief, Jesus is there. He comes through all the things that may block Him. He loves us so much, He comes even when we are blocking Him out. They had closed the doors for fear. Their leader was assassinated. Because of their association to him, they may be in jeopardy. Their fear could very likely be, "Am I next?" They just witnessed one of the most horrible deaths, or executions, one could go through. Fear overwhelmed them.
Fear always closes the doors. Fear kept them from seeing the resurrection. Our negative emotions trips our minds up. We need to be aware of what strong negative emotions can do to us. Jesus healed the blind more than likely to heal us out of our own blindness, both physical and spiritual. We can easily be led astray by depending on our limited resources when making decisions. When we lean on our own "flesh," the makeup of our mind and emotions, we limit the very power of God that wants to work in our lives then.
The principle to see is that Jesus came to them when they were gathered together. The secret to Spiritual Power is here: get with other believers when things get really bad, in every crisis and disturbing situation. It is the sure way to take advantage of the law of manifestation... He Will Be There.
When things get bad, we go back to what we have been doing before... Peter went fishing. Being fearful, the thoughts of God had gone out of their mind.They could not sense His Presence. Nothing could stop His coming to them, even walls and locked doors. He breaks through our fears, our flimsy plans to protect us. He will break through our locked up emotions and give the peace of His Presence.
The Manifest Presence of Jesus the Christ with us has these components active and intertwined.
1. Two or more
2. Gathered together
3. In Jesus' Name
That includes the Spiritual interaction of loving each other as Jesus loved us, sharing with each other in thoughts and goods, and serving each other with the attitude of considering others more important than ourselves. When you have all these components in the mix, you can expect the manifest presence of the Lord, that's all the creative powers of God's Spirit at work. (note Matthew 18:18-20, Acts 1-4)
With this, Jesus personal presence is there. Jesus came to His disciples with door's locked and afraid. He addressed their fears first and said, "Peace to you." When clouds of grief surround us we close our eyes to the reality of His closeness. At the Mount of Transfiguration, a cloud kept Jesus' out of sight. Clouds often obscure our vision, although, God is in the clouds. God was in the cloud at the Tabernacle in the wilderness. When clouds of grief or fear surround us, we can know God is in this phenomenon.
In this Manifest Presence we encourage one another and are in intimate fellowship with each other. We, from our hearts, easily enjoy the laws of His manifest presence. He is God and nothing is so comforting as His Presence. In our deepest of hearts, we just want to know He is there. Knowing this we are comforted, we have peace, and His Power comes over us.
The Manifest Presence provides peace. Jesus rebuked the winds when He was in the boat with His disciples and a storm raged around them. He simply said, "Peace, be still." Jesus, now through the Holy Spirit in our lives, says this to the storm that ranges around us, just like when He was there in the same boat. He says to our hearts and emotions, "Peace be Still."
The Manifest Presence provides pleasure and a deep gladness. When the disciples saw the Lord they were elated, ecstatic, spiritually wrapped in intense pleasure. Nothing that man can do can hinder God's purposes from being fulfilled. Healing is ours, eternal life is ours.
The Manifest Presence provides purpose. It seems selfish to be so concerned about our own happiness when the world is in grave misery. God wants us to be glad for a purpose. He sends us to share in His Purposes.... to bring peace, joy, and power to all around us... to bring hope, life and a future to every one we come in contact with. What a tremendous purpose... to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth! To accomplish this, God used and uses ordinary people. It can be farmers, janitors, factory line workers, waiters, nurses, tax accountants, carpenters, mechanics, salespeople, a handyman, check out attendants, lawyers... all play a part in this purpose of being the Kingdom of God on earth. He has something special for all of us. When we think of what God sent Jesus to do, and its meaning and impartation to us, the magnitude of this assignment is staggering. As we follow in the life pattern of Jesus, we share in the great mission Jesus was on... to bring hope, salvation, love, power, and eternal wonder to mankind.
We have the assurance that as united believers we have His presence, and if we have His presence all things are, in a true reality, possible. God's callings are His enablements. He enables us to the assignments He gives us. We can expect supernatural signs to follow. As the Scriptures say, "These signs shall follow them who believe in Him." It's up to us.
We have a choice, to use His Presence or lose it for sake of inactivity in Him. If we think we can just take Him, to soak in His Presence in prayer and worship and not share, we fail in the task God has commanded each of us to perform. We are to share all the love, joy, power that is coming into our lives. Those who hoard the gifts God gives them will lose them. The faithful servants who invest His Gifts in others will have even more and those who don't use them will have them handed over to those using them.
Our lives are about finding needs and filling them. As we attempt Great things for God, He is there backing us up and filling us with His Power. We are being filled with a Divine supply. As we unite with another believer we see this being true. Then we become the manifestation of Jesus, as the Body of Christ.
The Manifest Presence provides power. We are not called to do the impossible, but to know that Jesus will provide the power to be and to do His will. Jesus breathed on them and said "Receive the Holy Spirit," which is Creative, Energizing, Exciting. This is the same Spirit responsible for the original creation of man that was breathed into us. We are to participate in redeeming action which takes personal sacrifice and transforms it with ability and power to share and serve our generation. His Spirit makes it all possible. His Spirit with us is His Presence with us. Thus we have the power to be and do. (Acts 1:8)
Hopefully, the awareness this brings is finding a newer and greater significance to our meeting together as believers. Greater awareness may result in our recognizing the presence of the Lord with us. The Body of Christ manifests in these times of fellowship. Whenever two or more believers meet in the name of Jesus in Prayer, the potential is immeasurable.
The importance that lies in how we relate to each other cannot be stressed enough. It must be a sacrificial love, a compassionate love. Love implies a giver and a receiver. The Body of Christ gathered together, one in Spirit, manifests the presence of the Lord. When His Presence manifests, the Body of Christ increases in love, power and size.
(Scripture reference is John 20.)
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
The Body of Christ ... In Mystery (2)
summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
In Mystery, chapter two of the Body of Christ, Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft takes us down the road to Emmaus. It is a lonely road thinking the most important person in our lives is gone. As they communed together on this road these two followers of Jesus didn't even recognize it was Jesus with them. (Note Luke 24:13-18).
They were intense in their conversation. They were so intense that the one they loved appeared and they didn't even recognize Him. The point here is Jesus pays particular attention to believers in Harmony and meeting in His name. They were so in the natural, that the Supernatural was apparent but not obvious to them. We fail to identify the presence of Christ in our daily lives and activities. We have not suffered the cross, thus we are not able to fully appreciate the Spirit and identify it at work in our lives. So, the presence of the Lord escapes us as it normally would seem present.
What the cross means for us is death to the self-life.
As we are able to disconnect the sovereignty of self, we are able to enthrone the sovereignty of the Spirit. The New Testament and the Body of Christ helps us to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
On the road to Emmaus, the two were preoccupied with their thoughts... of the temporal, the natural, and were blinded to the presence of Jesus, the Spirit of God. In so many instances, the Lord is with us and we don't even know it.
Can anything separate us from the Lord? We are promised of His presence when two or more meet and Jesus is the center of our interests. We can be blinded by grief like these two and fail to see Jesus being with us in our human circumstances.
If Christ came to them in the midst of their doubt, he will come to us in our time of anxiety. As we understand the powers of Spiritual relationship among believers, our anxieties in the face of loss will be calmed.
Jesus after His death, resurrection and even appearance to the disciples stood on the shores and they again didn't recognize Him. (John 21:1)
This Spiritual blindness that afflicts us from time to time is caused by inattention, panic, grief, even ecstasy. It keeps us from seeing Jesus who is with us. We must allow Him to teach us to "see" Him in all the ways He may manifest himself to us. We can become so self-absorbed we are indeed blind to Him being beside us.
The point is that Jesus was with them. He has promised to be with those who meet in His Spirit and in His name. He keeps His promises even though we don't recognize it. When we don't recognize Him we become people of despair and a sad countenance. Like us, they were trying so hard to figure things out, in their own human thoughts, they totally missed Him.
We cannot see God when we limit seeing Him to our own intelligence. Our own intelligence, in absence of Spiritual intelligence, makes us sluggish, and dull-witted simpletons. God said His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
We have one solution: the Holy Spirit must totally over take our lives so we can be responsive to each occasion of His Presence with us. We must turn our eyes from the temporal, natural, and be fixed on the Heavenly, the Supernatural. "I will teach you all things," Jesus. (John 14:26)
Our part is to desire Him, seek Him diligently with all of our hearts. He has told us that in the day we seek him diligently with our hearts we will be found by Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Once you have felt the presence of the Lord you hunger for more, continually. Once you have recognized Him you long for His communication. It is in the time of the evening shadows when we may feel that Jesus is not with us. We want His presence in the dark times of our lives... times of uncertainty...times of loneliness...times that are threatening.
His promise: "where two or three are gathered in My Name.... there I am." (Matthew 18:20) If we desire Him, He will not disappoint us. It is comforting to know that if we call on another believer friend, meet in Jesus' Name, the promise of the Holy Spirit, creative power of everything, is guaranteed.
When does He meet us? He meets us in the common activities of our lives. He is the center of our focus. He blesses our bread. It is in our sharing that He is revealed to us. When did they recognize Him... during the breaking and sharing of bread. When we are broken, and then share, His power erupts.
Additional emphasis should be placed on that it is in the sharing that He becomes known to us. We cannot keep Jesus to ourselves as our own little treasure. Jesus must be shared to be ours.
Just remember. Jesus' appearance may be a mystery. He appears in ways we least expect. He will come to us, but not as we may naturally think. He delights to surprise us, so be attentive to Him as He appears in surprising ways.
Live expectantly and Jesus will appear in the most unexpected ways...He truly delights to surprise you.
(Scripture reference is Luke 24.)
4spirit@gmail.com
In Mystery, chapter two of the Body of Christ, Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft takes us down the road to Emmaus. It is a lonely road thinking the most important person in our lives is gone. As they communed together on this road these two followers of Jesus didn't even recognize it was Jesus with them. (Note Luke 24:13-18).
They were intense in their conversation. They were so intense that the one they loved appeared and they didn't even recognize Him. The point here is Jesus pays particular attention to believers in Harmony and meeting in His name. They were so in the natural, that the Supernatural was apparent but not obvious to them. We fail to identify the presence of Christ in our daily lives and activities. We have not suffered the cross, thus we are not able to fully appreciate the Spirit and identify it at work in our lives. So, the presence of the Lord escapes us as it normally would seem present.
What the cross means for us is death to the self-life.
As we are able to disconnect the sovereignty of self, we are able to enthrone the sovereignty of the Spirit. The New Testament and the Body of Christ helps us to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit.
On the road to Emmaus, the two were preoccupied with their thoughts... of the temporal, the natural, and were blinded to the presence of Jesus, the Spirit of God. In so many instances, the Lord is with us and we don't even know it.
Can anything separate us from the Lord? We are promised of His presence when two or more meet and Jesus is the center of our interests. We can be blinded by grief like these two and fail to see Jesus being with us in our human circumstances.
If Christ came to them in the midst of their doubt, he will come to us in our time of anxiety. As we understand the powers of Spiritual relationship among believers, our anxieties in the face of loss will be calmed.
Jesus after His death, resurrection and even appearance to the disciples stood on the shores and they again didn't recognize Him. (John 21:1)
This Spiritual blindness that afflicts us from time to time is caused by inattention, panic, grief, even ecstasy. It keeps us from seeing Jesus who is with us. We must allow Him to teach us to "see" Him in all the ways He may manifest himself to us. We can become so self-absorbed we are indeed blind to Him being beside us.
The point is that Jesus was with them. He has promised to be with those who meet in His Spirit and in His name. He keeps His promises even though we don't recognize it. When we don't recognize Him we become people of despair and a sad countenance. Like us, they were trying so hard to figure things out, in their own human thoughts, they totally missed Him.
We cannot see God when we limit seeing Him to our own intelligence. Our own intelligence, in absence of Spiritual intelligence, makes us sluggish, and dull-witted simpletons. God said His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8)
We have one solution: the Holy Spirit must totally over take our lives so we can be responsive to each occasion of His Presence with us. We must turn our eyes from the temporal, natural, and be fixed on the Heavenly, the Supernatural. "I will teach you all things," Jesus. (John 14:26)
Our part is to desire Him, seek Him diligently with all of our hearts. He has told us that in the day we seek him diligently with our hearts we will be found by Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Once you have felt the presence of the Lord you hunger for more, continually. Once you have recognized Him you long for His communication. It is in the time of the evening shadows when we may feel that Jesus is not with us. We want His presence in the dark times of our lives... times of uncertainty...times of loneliness...times that are threatening.
His promise: "where two or three are gathered in My Name.... there I am." (Matthew 18:20) If we desire Him, He will not disappoint us. It is comforting to know that if we call on another believer friend, meet in Jesus' Name, the promise of the Holy Spirit, creative power of everything, is guaranteed.
When does He meet us? He meets us in the common activities of our lives. He is the center of our focus. He blesses our bread. It is in our sharing that He is revealed to us. When did they recognize Him... during the breaking and sharing of bread. When we are broken, and then share, His power erupts.
Additional emphasis should be placed on that it is in the sharing that He becomes known to us. We cannot keep Jesus to ourselves as our own little treasure. Jesus must be shared to be ours.
Just remember. Jesus' appearance may be a mystery. He appears in ways we least expect. He will come to us, but not as we may naturally think. He delights to surprise us, so be attentive to Him as He appears in surprising ways.
Live expectantly and Jesus will appear in the most unexpected ways...He truly delights to surprise you.
(Scripture reference is Luke 24.)
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
The Body of Christ ... The Power of Christ as a Body of Believers (1)
summarized by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
(The Body of Christ was self-published in 1990 by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, a founder of Evangel University. After his first printing, Dr. Ashcroft died, and without it being with a publisher, the works have not been reprinted. Because of its timely value to our society today, this summary was made by one who spent a great amount of time with him during the last years of his life. When a person of importance, gives special time to a person not of great importance, that leaves an imprint burned into your heart forever.)
The Living Power of the Body of Christ (1)
The Body of Christ by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft was the life work of Dr. Ashcroft. He wanted the Church, the Body of Christ, the living organism of Jesus alive and well among us so we know what we really have. As an Inspired visionary, his hope was to help us all realize and live in the same power as recorded in the Acts Church of the New Testament. Here's a beginning of a summary of the Body of Christ, a devotional study by Dr. Ashcroft... (introduction and chapter 1).
Jesus establishes a new body.
Dr. Ashcroft had a theme line which came out of the forward to his book. "How can we love God whom we have not seen if we do not love man who we do see." (1 John 4:20) "Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these you have done it to me." (Matthew 24:40)
I recall the initial words in the beginning of what became a 7-year relationship... the last 7 years of his life. "The Power of the 21st Century Church will be in the home." At the time he didn't have the cultural research we have today. He was a man of Spirit and Spirit informed him that by 2000 with the Internet and new cultures emerging we long for connection and intimacy among each other. We connect in our homes via the Internet and smart phones keep us in touch in all places we go.
Dr. Ashcroft goes on to say in the forward, "It is my conviction that our churches will never enjoy the fuller measures of grace and gifts of the Spirit until there is Spiritual Affinity among the believers of our congregations." Today people prefer to relate in smaller environments like homes and offices. "Affinity" means to merge or progressively grow as one. "May they also be one as we are One."(John 17:21)
And Jesus said if we become One as He and our Father in Heaven are One, there will be greater things than ever in our lives. Jesus promised this. (John 14:12) This study is about the conditions we must meet to see this manifest presence of Jesus in the world around us, how we must prepare for this manifest presence. Our mandate is to seek out those who have strayed from the flock of Christ, and rekindle the fire that agreement sparks in our activities. "Where two agree as touching anything that they shall ask, we are guaranteed it will be done." (Matthew 18:18) The key word is what "agree" is. Ashcroft takes great care to define that.
Where does the Body of Christ begin? It begins with a child. "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" The child. (Matthew 18:1) Jesus saw the individual. He was aware of crowds, but it was the individual that was important to Him. We must see individuals, persons, not just audiences. Why a child? A child is most teachable. A person's best time for learning is as a child, in both speed and quality. A child is the Biblical quality of meekness. To be meek is to put oneself at the disposal of the Lord. It is this character that marks the leader that is put in charge. The seat of authority, the transfer of power is to the meek and teachable as a child; to those who receive these little ones in the Name of Jesus.
This means that a person must have an appropriate attitude about oneself, that is humble and teachable. And one must have an attitude of concern and acceptance toward others, especially the little ones. To offend a little one, the least of these, is a serious matter in the Kingdom of God. So the power to fulfill the ministry of the Kingdom of God is in the Relationship between the disciples in this way. The attitude is to be servant of all. "You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you become like (the meekness of) a little child." (Matthew 18:3)
What should be noted is the significance of receiving a little child. If we receive a little child in His name, it is as though we are receiving Jesus. How we act and receive the humblest person or the most unlovable in the body of Christ may determine how we are able to "receive" Christ Himself. It goes back to our relationship, and including even the least of those around us. Each person is important to Jesus. Too often the abjectly poor, the unschooled, different classes and races are ignored. Those who ignore these, the least, may not be in the Body of Christ. So this first part is foundationally critical to establish as a base....the importance of the individual, relating to individuals in the Name of Jesus, what Jesus stands for.
Everything depends upon our relationship to each other. Where harmony prevails we know that God commands a blessing. "Where brothers dwell in unity, the Lord commanded the blessing..." (Psalm 133:1,3) We should be careful not to offend anyone, even the least or the most insignificant, and in the smallest matters. So we do not allow the smallest of offense to hinder the harmony we should hold up to maintain. All matters that create disharmony should be resolved quickly. When disharmony prevails, it prevents the power of Spirit to function fluidly. Condemnation is not a prerequisite of an individual. Every effort at reconciliation is to be made by the individual.
Too often we focus on the numbers (two or three) as the reason for the manifest presence of Christ. The critical issue is not the number, but the relationship between the two or three. It is easier to get harmony, too, between two or three than a mass of people. The real issue is: are we relating to each other? If not, the number means nothing. Most groups are really crowds. Most are there for individual interests. These groups are ineffective when relationship qualities are weak or don't exist. Spirit is neutralized and we do not see the benefits realized.
Note that action on earth is validated by action in heaven. This is the germ of truth for this principle. The key phrase to remember is when two or three are gathered together in my name. We involve heaven when we meet in His Name. (Matthew 18:20)
This truth is supported then by the promise in Matthew 18:20. This brings us to the universal principle in Spirit which opens the door for its Supernatural power. Our relationship to others On Earth Releases God's power in Heaven.
Why? Jesus also promises to be in our midst, In Spirit in our presence, when two or three agree. With Jesus right here with us, all the creative, healing, relational powers of God are in full operation, at work with and around us. This is A Super WOW, when we take a minute to contemplate the implications of this.
We can be sure when Jesus is in our midst, present with us, all of His wisdom for guidance is with us, loving forgiveness prevails, revelation is present, knowledge beyond our understanding comes to mind, and everything about God's literal creative powers is manifested. When Jesus, the Christ, is the center of our lives and in our efforts, we have all the potential of His manifested presence.
What builds relationships more than anything else... Forgiveness.
We are to forgive without limits (Matthew 18:21, 22) This is to be a permanent attitude. When in doubt ask for forgiveness. It takes a humble person to ask for forgiveness. It takes a person confident in the resilient power of the Spirit to seek forgiveness... even when it may be someone else's fault. We ask forgiveness, and relationships built around this one principle will then manifestSpiritual Power.
The spirit of forgiveness is permanent. No individual condemnation. No grudges. No personal recrimination. This spirit of forgiveness is of staggering magnitude for creating great and invincible strength in the Body of Christ.
The foundation for power then is ...
do the Father's will,
love vicariously and sacrificially,
and be humble and forgiving.
When we are attentive to the Name of the Lord and are honest in our good attitude toward and sharing with one another, we can expect God to be joined with us in our purposes. Private or selfish interest cannot play a part in our enjoying the privilege of being a part of the Body of Christ. The private interests of any one must be sacrificed to the community. We need each other.
The word "agree" originates from the word symphony. The word "symphony" implies a harmony being heard as in a great symphonic orchestra where every instrument is in perfect harmony. They are under the synchronized directions of the conductor, being subject to the refined signs of the conductor. The conductor keeps everyone in tune, at the right volume, and with the right emotional quality to get the message across.
This is what agreement is about. A depth of spiritual agreement is much like an orchestra. When meeting in His name and this level of spiritual affinity exists, we create the power of harmony where we then see the manifest presence of Jesus among us. This takes humility and forgiveness. Thus forgiveness is the essential component of harmony among believers.
To summarize chapter one of the Body of Christ, the fundamental Spirit that guides us manifests itself in the humility of a child, a willingness to learn, and forgiveness of Jesus Spirit that is at work in us.
(Scripture reference for review, Matthew 18.)
4spirit@gmail.com
(The Body of Christ was self-published in 1990 by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft, a founder of Evangel University. After his first printing, Dr. Ashcroft died, and without it being with a publisher, the works have not been reprinted. Because of its timely value to our society today, this summary was made by one who spent a great amount of time with him during the last years of his life. When a person of importance, gives special time to a person not of great importance, that leaves an imprint burned into your heart forever.)
The Living Power of the Body of Christ (1)
The Body of Christ by Dr. J. Robert Ashcroft was the life work of Dr. Ashcroft. He wanted the Church, the Body of Christ, the living organism of Jesus alive and well among us so we know what we really have. As an Inspired visionary, his hope was to help us all realize and live in the same power as recorded in the Acts Church of the New Testament. Here's a beginning of a summary of the Body of Christ, a devotional study by Dr. Ashcroft... (introduction and chapter 1).
Jesus establishes a new body.
Dr. Ashcroft had a theme line which came out of the forward to his book. "How can we love God whom we have not seen if we do not love man who we do see." (1 John 4:20) "Inasmuch as you have done it to the least of these you have done it to me." (Matthew 24:40)
I recall the initial words in the beginning of what became a 7-year relationship... the last 7 years of his life. "The Power of the 21st Century Church will be in the home." At the time he didn't have the cultural research we have today. He was a man of Spirit and Spirit informed him that by 2000 with the Internet and new cultures emerging we long for connection and intimacy among each other. We connect in our homes via the Internet and smart phones keep us in touch in all places we go.
Dr. Ashcroft goes on to say in the forward, "It is my conviction that our churches will never enjoy the fuller measures of grace and gifts of the Spirit until there is Spiritual Affinity among the believers of our congregations." Today people prefer to relate in smaller environments like homes and offices. "Affinity" means to merge or progressively grow as one. "May they also be one as we are One."(John 17:21)
And Jesus said if we become One as He and our Father in Heaven are One, there will be greater things than ever in our lives. Jesus promised this. (John 14:12) This study is about the conditions we must meet to see this manifest presence of Jesus in the world around us, how we must prepare for this manifest presence. Our mandate is to seek out those who have strayed from the flock of Christ, and rekindle the fire that agreement sparks in our activities. "Where two agree as touching anything that they shall ask, we are guaranteed it will be done." (Matthew 18:18) The key word is what "agree" is. Ashcroft takes great care to define that.
Where does the Body of Christ begin? It begins with a child. "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?" The child. (Matthew 18:1) Jesus saw the individual. He was aware of crowds, but it was the individual that was important to Him. We must see individuals, persons, not just audiences. Why a child? A child is most teachable. A person's best time for learning is as a child, in both speed and quality. A child is the Biblical quality of meekness. To be meek is to put oneself at the disposal of the Lord. It is this character that marks the leader that is put in charge. The seat of authority, the transfer of power is to the meek and teachable as a child; to those who receive these little ones in the Name of Jesus.
This means that a person must have an appropriate attitude about oneself, that is humble and teachable. And one must have an attitude of concern and acceptance toward others, especially the little ones. To offend a little one, the least of these, is a serious matter in the Kingdom of God. So the power to fulfill the ministry of the Kingdom of God is in the Relationship between the disciples in this way. The attitude is to be servant of all. "You cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven unless you become like (the meekness of) a little child." (Matthew 18:3)
What should be noted is the significance of receiving a little child. If we receive a little child in His name, it is as though we are receiving Jesus. How we act and receive the humblest person or the most unlovable in the body of Christ may determine how we are able to "receive" Christ Himself. It goes back to our relationship, and including even the least of those around us. Each person is important to Jesus. Too often the abjectly poor, the unschooled, different classes and races are ignored. Those who ignore these, the least, may not be in the Body of Christ. So this first part is foundationally critical to establish as a base....the importance of the individual, relating to individuals in the Name of Jesus, what Jesus stands for.
Everything depends upon our relationship to each other. Where harmony prevails we know that God commands a blessing. "Where brothers dwell in unity, the Lord commanded the blessing..." (Psalm 133:1,3) We should be careful not to offend anyone, even the least or the most insignificant, and in the smallest matters. So we do not allow the smallest of offense to hinder the harmony we should hold up to maintain. All matters that create disharmony should be resolved quickly. When disharmony prevails, it prevents the power of Spirit to function fluidly. Condemnation is not a prerequisite of an individual. Every effort at reconciliation is to be made by the individual.
Too often we focus on the numbers (two or three) as the reason for the manifest presence of Christ. The critical issue is not the number, but the relationship between the two or three. It is easier to get harmony, too, between two or three than a mass of people. The real issue is: are we relating to each other? If not, the number means nothing. Most groups are really crowds. Most are there for individual interests. These groups are ineffective when relationship qualities are weak or don't exist. Spirit is neutralized and we do not see the benefits realized.
Note that action on earth is validated by action in heaven. This is the germ of truth for this principle. The key phrase to remember is when two or three are gathered together in my name. We involve heaven when we meet in His Name. (Matthew 18:20)
This truth is supported then by the promise in Matthew 18:20. This brings us to the universal principle in Spirit which opens the door for its Supernatural power. Our relationship to others On Earth Releases God's power in Heaven.
Why? Jesus also promises to be in our midst, In Spirit in our presence, when two or three agree. With Jesus right here with us, all the creative, healing, relational powers of God are in full operation, at work with and around us. This is A Super WOW, when we take a minute to contemplate the implications of this.
We can be sure when Jesus is in our midst, present with us, all of His wisdom for guidance is with us, loving forgiveness prevails, revelation is present, knowledge beyond our understanding comes to mind, and everything about God's literal creative powers is manifested. When Jesus, the Christ, is the center of our lives and in our efforts, we have all the potential of His manifested presence.
What builds relationships more than anything else... Forgiveness.
We are to forgive without limits (Matthew 18:21, 22) This is to be a permanent attitude. When in doubt ask for forgiveness. It takes a humble person to ask for forgiveness. It takes a person confident in the resilient power of the Spirit to seek forgiveness... even when it may be someone else's fault. We ask forgiveness, and relationships built around this one principle will then manifest
The spirit of forgiveness is permanent. No individual condemnation. No grudges. No personal recrimination. This spirit of forgiveness is of staggering magnitude for creating great and invincible strength in the Body of Christ.
The foundation for power then is ...
do the Father's will,
love vicariously and sacrificially,
and be humble and forgiving.
When we are attentive to the Name of the Lord and are honest in our good attitude toward and sharing with one another, we can expect God to be joined with us in our purposes. Private or selfish interest cannot play a part in our enjoying the privilege of being a part of the Body of Christ. The private interests of any one must be sacrificed to the community. We need each other.
The word "agree" originates from the word symphony. The word "symphony" implies a harmony being heard as in a great symphonic orchestra where every instrument is in perfect harmony. They are under the synchronized directions of the conductor, being subject to the refined signs of the conductor. The conductor keeps everyone in tune, at the right volume, and with the right emotional quality to get the message across.
This is what agreement is about. A depth of spiritual agreement is much like an orchestra. When meeting in His name and this level of spiritual affinity exists, we create the power of harmony where we then see the manifest presence of Jesus among us. This takes humility and forgiveness. Thus forgiveness is the essential component of harmony among believers.
To summarize chapter one of the Body of Christ, the fundamental Spirit that guides us manifests itself in the humility of a child, a willingness to learn, and forgiveness of Jesus Spirit that is at work in us.
(Scripture reference for review, Matthew 18.)
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Outliers... the common becoming exceptional
by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers means that something is situated away from or classified different from a main or related body. What has brought success to some may be due to outlier conditions as much as anything. Gladwell brings this to light. The story of success is more a story than some great secret weapon someone had in his business quiver. We must look beyond the individual. They had to understand the culture he or she was part of, and who their friends were, and what town their families came from. The values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.
Society plays a big role in who succeeds and doesn't. When a person is born, where a person is born, and starts school has a big impact in sports and many other areas. Just a three-month age difference as a child can put one child ahead of his peers.
Practice can be a defining factor. Those who excel at something put in at least 10,000 hours in that field, it seems 10,000 was the number that separated those ahead of others. People don't work harder, they work much harder to be out front, at the top, recognized the most. No one has come up with a case where world class expertise was accomplished in less time. Achievement is less about talent and more about opportunity.
Intelligence and achievement are far from perfectly being correlated. The reason many very intelligent people may by pass a lucrative job in private industry and take a professorship at a university is the university gives them more freedom to do what they want to do and what they feel is right. Practical intelligence is knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it with the maximum effect. It's procedural: it is about knowing how to do something without necessarily knowing why you know it or being able to explain it, it's knowledge that helps you read a situation correctly. The presence of analytical intelligence doesn't assure the presence of practical intelligence. Social knowledge is a set of skills that have to be learned. And many times ti comes from their families. For example some working class or poor children didn't know how
to get their way, or how to customize the environment they were in for the best purposes. It comes from a cultural advantage, painstakingly taught from the nudging, prodding, encouragement and showing them the rules of the game from mother, father, his family.
Intelligence is rated more on what we think others want us to think, how to think, rather than thinking fluidly itself.
Successful people don't do it alone. Where they come from matters. They're products of particular places and environments. It's about a skill they have been working on for years and suddenly it becomes valuable.
For work to be satisfying, three things are present... autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward. It's not how much money we make, but what makes us happy between nine to five. When these criteria are present, it is meaningful.
There's a culture of honor. Some people fight, not for money or achievement, but for their honor. The culture of honor means a man's reputation is at the center of his livelihood and self worth. For instance in the south, when you can avoid arguments and adultery you are as safe as anyone. In the back country, violence wasn't for economic gain. It was personal. You fought over your honor.
Up to this point, success rises out of a steady accumulation of advantages, when and where you were born, what your parents did for a living, your upbringing. Taking legacy seriously rates as well.
Planes are safer when two people fly a plane. One to check the other and both are willing to participate. When one ranks over the other, planes aren't as safe when the lesser ranking person is not flying. He is less likely to be direct in telling his superior when he sees a problem, and give direct orders in an emergency. In serious situations, politeness can mean disaster.
Rice patty farming is more productive than raising crops in America. Small areas of productivity and constant attention keep the rice growing. Chinese learn math faster because it is more systematic in its process. it all relates as it expands. Pattern learning makes sense and can be processed faster in the brain. Whereas, rote learning, common in America, takes more time and makes less sense to the normal brain in how its processed. Chinese math has patterns, with a system, English math is not.
.In rice paddies you work hard. Working hard is what really successful people do. The students in a south Bronx school learn to work hard and steady in a very poor environment. Shorter summer vacations and staying in the education flow, positively affect their cultures learning retention and growth. The result is higher achievement even in a recessed area, among poor families. They learn the miracle of meaningful work.
This interview with Gladwell gives more insight to Outliers:
http://www.gladwell.com/outliers/index.html
What David and Jesus had in common was that their best men were the outsiders, or should we say outliers.
What made the difference? They weren't the society cream of the crop. They were actually considered not real significant. They didn't have cultural connections except in their somewhat deprived communities. They were not educated, or considered worthy of attention by their peers. Actually David's men were a bunch of bandits, and Jesus had some despicable followers known to extort money from people.
Although, they were the ones used to be world changers. How did they do it? The answer is in the end of Matthew, the first of Mark, the end of Luke and first of Acts in the Bible.
In Matthew 28 Jesus instructed his motley crew to "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
And then Mark in his Gospel, John the Baptist said he would baptize in water, but Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!" (Mark 1)
In Luke, Jesus said they will be flooded with power from on High, the High order of Spirit, God's Power over all the universe, that all this power would fall on them.
"And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." (Luke 24)
They hung around for a few days after Jesus said this and whoom... it came. They were all inundated with this power and everyone was so impressed with the transformation that came over them. “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1, 2)
Well, they are not educated, so how do they know so much many wondered. People are getting healed, even by their shadows following on them. Everyone was in awe of them. They knew something special come over them. They naturally loved everyone among themselves. They loved everyone so much, they didn't think twice to assist those in need. They seemed like one group, and how could this happen, when they were all so different.
It boiled down to the unexplainable. When the Spirit of God comes on you, you are totally different. The shy become bold, the quiet are articulate, the poor act rich, and the rich are humble. They all become the very character of God. They had the power of God on them. No one could keep them in jail as when they all prayed and worshiped God, the cell doors opened to release them to continue sharing this wonderful new power, love that is now among us.
Was it just for then. Some of faith say it was. But, what if it can be, is, and is available to us now. Wouldn't it be fun to check out if this could happen again.To investigate the Scriptures about this possibility being available to us now.
It's all in our faith, and investigation of God's word from the perspective it could happen again. Why don't we give it another run, and see if it just won't show up, like in the Acts, and rest of New Testament.
If God could make it flood in the old days, and archaeologist point out that this is verifiable, why couldn't the same happen again, and maybe even better than before.
The answer is... our time and relationship to become One with God and our time and relationship to become One with each other, releases the power. Let's give it another run, and see what God comes up with this time.
God's Spirit Power is released in us and our circumstances around us when we worship Him. Read the Psalms... try 20 to 30... God's power is released when we worship Him. Knowledge is given, locked doors are opened, demons flee, bodies are healed, relationships restored. It all happens in worship with our prayers.
Jesus said to go, pray, and great power, the Power of Spirit will come pouring down on you, springing up from within you and you will be transformed examples of "who I am." It will be self evident as power will be oozing out from all parts of you.
The 10,000 hour rule to excellence, when applied to our Spiritual strength, will show even greater results than for anything else we attempt to master. Over 10 years, that's about 2.7 hours a day. Start at 12 and by 22, wow, or at 35 and by 45, wow. By 60, you probably have many hours already under your belt so in a years time, doing double time, you will be flying again. And if retired, make it your regular job and in a short time you will be a world changer.
It is not restrictive to a certain age, culture background, but the time you spend in His Spirit will be released proportionately in demonstrations of exceptional power, boldness, influence, love and kindness through you.
4spirit@gmail.com
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. Outliers means that something is situated away from or classified different from a main or related body. What has brought success to some may be due to outlier conditions as much as anything. Gladwell brings this to light. The story of success is more a story than some great secret weapon someone had in his business quiver. We must look beyond the individual. They had to understand the culture he or she was part of, and who their friends were, and what town their families came from. The values of the world we inhabit and the people we surround ourselves with have a profound effect on who we are.
Society plays a big role in who succeeds and doesn't. When a person is born, where a person is born, and starts school has a big impact in sports and many other areas. Just a three-month age difference as a child can put one child ahead of his peers.
Practice can be a defining factor. Those who excel at something put in at least 10,000 hours in that field, it seems 10,000 was the number that separated those ahead of others. People don't work harder, they work much harder to be out front, at the top, recognized the most. No one has come up with a case where world class expertise was accomplished in less time. Achievement is less about talent and more about opportunity.
Intelligence and achievement are far from perfectly being correlated. The reason many very intelligent people may by pass a lucrative job in private industry and take a professorship at a university is the university gives them more freedom to do what they want to do and what they feel is right. Practical intelligence is knowing what to say to whom, knowing when to say it, and knowing how to say it with the maximum effect. It's procedural: it is about knowing how to do something without necessarily knowing why you know it or being able to explain it, it's knowledge that helps you read a situation correctly. The presence of analytical intelligence doesn't assure the presence of practical intelligence. Social knowledge is a set of skills that have to be learned. And many times ti comes from their families. For example some working class or poor children didn't know how
to get their way, or how to customize the environment they were in for the best purposes. It comes from a cultural advantage, painstakingly taught from the nudging, prodding, encouragement and showing them the rules of the game from mother, father, his family.
Intelligence is rated more on what we think others want us to think, how to think, rather than thinking fluidly itself.
Successful people don't do it alone. Where they come from matters. They're products of particular places and environments. It's about a skill they have been working on for years and suddenly it becomes valuable.
For work to be satisfying, three things are present... autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward. It's not how much money we make, but what makes us happy between nine to five. When these criteria are present, it is meaningful.
There's a culture of honor. Some people fight, not for money or achievement, but for their honor. The culture of honor means a man's reputation is at the center of his livelihood and self worth. For instance in the south, when you can avoid arguments and adultery you are as safe as anyone. In the back country, violence wasn't for economic gain. It was personal. You fought over your honor.
Up to this point, success rises out of a steady accumulation of advantages, when and where you were born, what your parents did for a living, your upbringing. Taking legacy seriously rates as well.
Planes are safer when two people fly a plane. One to check the other and both are willing to participate. When one ranks over the other, planes aren't as safe when the lesser ranking person is not flying. He is less likely to be direct in telling his superior when he sees a problem, and give direct orders in an emergency. In serious situations, politeness can mean disaster.
Rice patty farming is more productive than raising crops in America. Small areas of productivity and constant attention keep the rice growing. Chinese learn math faster because it is more systematic in its process. it all relates as it expands. Pattern learning makes sense and can be processed faster in the brain. Whereas, rote learning, common in America, takes more time and makes less sense to the normal brain in how its processed. Chinese math has patterns, with a system, English math is not.
.In rice paddies you work hard. Working hard is what really successful people do. The students in a south Bronx school learn to work hard and steady in a very poor environment. Shorter summer vacations and staying in the education flow, positively affect their cultures learning retention and growth. The result is higher achievement even in a recessed area, among poor families. They learn the miracle of meaningful work.
This interview with Gladwell gives more insight to Outliers:
http://www.gladwell.com/
What David and Jesus had in common was that their best men were the outsiders, or should we say outliers.
What made the difference? They weren't the society cream of the crop. They were actually considered not real significant. They didn't have cultural connections except in their somewhat deprived communities. They were not educated, or considered worthy of attention by their peers. Actually David's men were a bunch of bandits, and Jesus had some despicable followers known to extort money from people.
Although, they were the ones used to be world changers. How did they do it? The answer is in the end of Matthew, the first of Mark, the end of Luke and first of Acts in the Bible.
In Matthew 28 Jesus instructed his motley crew to "Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
And then Mark in his Gospel, John the Baptist said he would baptize in water, but Jesus would baptize in the Holy Spirit.
"He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!" (Mark 1)
In Luke, Jesus said they will be flooded with power from on High, the High order of Spirit, God's Power over all the universe, that all this power would fall on them.
"And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven." (Luke 24)
They hung around for a few days after Jesus said this and whoom... it came. They were all inundated with this power and everyone was so impressed with the transformation that came over them. “Do not leave Jerusalem until the Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. John baptized with water, but in just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Acts 1, 2)
Well, they are not educated, so how do they know so much many wondered. People are getting healed, even by their shadows following on them. Everyone was in awe of them. They knew something special come over them. They naturally loved everyone among themselves. They loved everyone so much, they didn't think twice to assist those in need. They seemed like one group, and how could this happen, when they were all so different.
It boiled down to the unexplainable. When the Spirit of God comes on you, you are totally different. The shy become bold, the quiet are articulate, the poor act rich, and the rich are humble. They all become the very character of God. They had the power of God on them. No one could keep them in jail as when they all prayed and worshiped God, the cell doors opened to release them to continue sharing this wonderful new power, love that is now among us.
Was it just for then. Some of faith say it was. But, what if it can be, is, and is available to us now. Wouldn't it be fun to check out if this could happen again.To investigate the Scriptures about this possibility being available to us now.
It's all in our faith, and investigation of God's word from the perspective it could happen again. Why don't we give it another run, and see if it just won't show up, like in the Acts, and rest of New Testament.
If God could make it flood in the old days, and archaeologist point out that this is verifiable, why couldn't the same happen again, and maybe even better than before.
The answer is... our time and relationship to become One with God and our time and relationship to become One with each other, releases the power. Let's give it another run, and see what God comes up with this time.
God's Spirit Power is released in us and our circumstances around us when we worship Him. Read the Psalms... try 20 to 30... God's power is released when we worship Him. Knowledge is given, locked doors are opened, demons flee, bodies are healed, relationships restored. It all happens in worship with our prayers.
Jesus said to go, pray, and great power, the Power of Spirit will come pouring down on you, springing up from within you and you will be transformed examples of "who I am." It will be self evident as power will be oozing out from all parts of you.
The 10,000 hour rule to excellence, when applied to our Spiritual strength, will show even greater results than for anything else we attempt to master. Over 10 years, that's about 2.7 hours a day. Start at 12 and by 22, wow, or at 35 and by 45, wow. By 60, you probably have many hours already under your belt so in a years time, doing double time, you will be flying again. And if retired, make it your regular job and in a short time you will be a world changer.
It is not restrictive to a certain age, culture background, but the time you spend in His Spirit will be released proportionately in demonstrations of exceptional power, boldness, influence, love and kindness through you.
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
The Now Revolution ... Angels Watching Over You
by Dale Shumaker
4spirit@gmail.com
The Now Revolution by Jay Baer and Amber Haslund, is about the shifts in business that are making it a real-time event. The real-time shifts include engineering a new bedrock, finding talent you can trust, organizing your armies, answering the new telephone, sharpening response-ability, building fire extinguishers, and setting up your calculator.
In each section Baer/Haslund included "Now Hear This" features of ideas you can put to work. In this summary, those ideas will be featured too.
The adoption of the social web opens the way for the whole culture to participate. Inside and out side the glass bubble in which your business now exists. Along with the business of making money, how you balance your goals with the human and emotional sides of business becomes critically important. A healthy real-time culture has solidarity (reflections of one voice), demonstrated trust, curiosity to try things and see what works along extensive feedback lines, diversity of individuals and their ideas and rewards systems that fit their being-appreciated language. Now Hear This: If you suspect your employees would like to give feedback but are intimidated, set up an anonymous email account with a public password that anyone can log into and send an email to management with their thoughts. Know what you stand for as an organization beyond your product or service.
The second shift is finding talent you can trust. Every person is a spokes person for the company.
The best way to build this is hire the right ones. Before you bring then in, observe their LinkedIn profiles, blogs, Facebook activity, twitter and where they show up on search engines. Now Hear This: When possible, try to pair self-starters on teams with more reluctant, skeptical, or less confident employees to see if the motivated members can help instill and nurture this quality in others.
Communicate your cultural manifesto, values and guiding principles for your business in video, a public page on your website. Like Martin Luther nailing his 95 thesis to a church door, both your team and customers will have a visible, tangible picture of your values.
The third shift is organizing your armies. We all need to communicate faster without and within, with more fluidity and less friction. Crushing the things that have given us a false sense of security and bottle-necking consistency, real-time communication makes skills of social media a necessity. Stay flexible and build integrated social media teams. Each base of social media should follow this path... authenticity, listening, going where they are, personal voice, learning through action, sharing and open source.
Use your internal social networks or collaboration tools to centralize meeting notes, highlights, and let others in your organization/associate network read about what everyone is doing. Keeping everyone informed in real time. You can conduct quick, free online polls in just minutes using software programs like Polldaddy.com. Routinely share stories of triumphs, mishaps... both successes and failures teach us important lessons about speed and inter-connectivity. Everyone needs training from each other on this.
Shift four is answer the telephone. Everyone's talking online... tweets, social forums, Facebook, blogs, so we need to be listening and respond when it affects us. They may not call you to complain about your service directly, but post a comment on their Facebook wall. This is our phone ringing and we need to answer where they are talking. look for key words like "I wish they had" or "really needs". A few tweets could turn it around. Create technology tools to listen for when your name comes up. Collect, report, respond. It's a listen, respond, then talk to your group. It's real time and the committee method is too slow to get opinions and respond. In real time business, everyone on deck is the voice of the business.
Shift five emphasizes response-ability. The communication highway starts with listening, responding, participating (in a corporate blog, category blog, topic blog), and storytelling. Email is commonly use as a dissemination vehicle, but it can be used to implement stories collected. Create a story dedicated email (story@...) and ask your team, associates, fans, customers to send in all interesting tidbits to share experiences. Re-share through email, blog, your intranet page. Wiki's, LinkedIn groups are sources to consider. Add alerts at the top for "message of the day."
Shift six is to build a fire extinguisher. Real time business has it dangers. The more who know you and know what you do the greater the chances of someone lighting fires of discord, within and without. It's easy to complain and discredit someone on the social social web. If it happens, you need to be ready and have your fire extinguisher near by. People can make a mountain out of a mole hill, set a forest on fire with one match. Fires grow with wind, fuel and direction of the wind. A person or company can be hurt greatly in a short period of time. This fear was demonstrated in the financial meltdown that launched the great recession of 2009. In hours, days, within a week a country could have been ruined.
If your fire extinguisher is set up, and near by, an incident can be warded off quickly. Keep binoculars close by so you can see the smoke. Create systems to sound the alarm so the fire trucks can be dispersed quickly.
Social media crisis has eight components. Acknowledge the crisis. Fight social media fire with social water. (Make sure your CEO has a small camera with him at all times to respond quickly where ever he may be.) Be sorry, say it and mean it. Create an FAQ. Have a "communication alert" built into your social connection network so they hear your side of the story quickly, and you build your base of support quickly. Build a pressure relief valve. Create a mechanism that enables interested persons to subscribe to crisis related notifications via email or text message. Know when to take it offline. Arm your army. So they know what's going on and how to respond. Their social network will ask them. Learn your lessons. Evaluate what just happened and if your response system worked as you liked. Then rebuild your fire extinguisher for the next fire.
Shift seven is to make a calculator. Use social media to measure your culture. Create a mechanism for collecting stories and anecdotes that don't show up on graphs.
We are in a new era of democracy. The influence of size, budgets, location, product mix is waning. In their place are speed, smarts, humanization, and an embrace of social media.
The Now Revolution:
http://nowrevolutionbook.com/
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said that everything covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be known to all. (Luke 12:12)
In the Revelation, it says we will be judged by all we have done on earth, in the open or in private. What we do in the dark will be brought to light, and made known to all. (Luke 8:17) We will be given at the end of our lives all that we deserve... if good, eternal reward, if bad eternal devastation. (Revelation 2:2)
It says in Hebrews(1) that we each have angels assigned to us. They exist to care for us and watch over us.
When you think about it, when you are alone, they (angels) are there. Everything you are doing is being monitored and recorded. It will eventually be brought to light. What we are dong will be either rewarded or exposed to our demise. We really can't get away with anything if it is not a good thing. It eventually comes out in the open. First by our behavior as it will change and then the acts themselves may be revealed. What is done in the dark and brought to light is made evident with our technology age.
It is said a computer's hard drive contains information, even if stripped manually, that skilled technicians can recover whatever was ever on the hard drive. When we inadvertently have a hard drive crash, skilled technicians can recover what was on it. So what was done is there forever. What we have tried to hide can be found out. We have seen the quick devastation to lives who use text, email with inappropriate communication. When discovered, it can in an instant be shared with the whole world. Those who tried to conceal things, will have it brought to light and the whole world will know. Nothing can be concealed today securely so no one knows.
God said he would remember our sins no more, if we confess them. It is better to come clean, admit indiscretions and seek His forgiveness as soon as possible. He said He will forgive and, even more so, forget them, and we are to continue on a better path. If we have a weakness, the more we do this(sincerely ask forgiveness), the stronger we will get to eventually overcome it. God's love is enduring and will work with the sincere broken heart over a matter.
If we become arrogant and don't ask God for His help, and try to act like all is great and fine, it will be found out, and exposed to all. Some may continue in pride to do wrong in secret but act like a wonderful saint in public. Those sins will be found out, and this person will be judged on the last days. If the person does not repent and beg God's forgiveness, he will be lost forever.
So it's better to stay humble, recognize our shortcomings, admit them to God, ask for help, and not act so great around others. "Those with a humble and contrite heart are close to the Lord."
What is hidden will be brought to light. So may what is hidden be good deeds, fair actions, kind gestures to others... that the good you do is brought to light. As Angels watch over us, may they be our assistants in doing good, and not our record keepers of what we are doing wrong. Be true to God in private and in public. What you do in secret is expressed in public. May the good you do, be matured in public that helps mankind, spreads love and shows the Love of God in the universe.
Our choices then.
Know that God knows. Admit mistakes and seek His forgiveness. He will forgive and forget.
What we do that's good, that no one knows, God knows. He will note and reward us according to the good we do on earth. It encourages us to know that the good we do, even if no one knows, that God knows and He is faithful to reward us.
If we do wrong, in secret, and we try to hide it, and show arrogance in acting like we are such a wonderful person, the truth of our hypocrisy will be found out. It will come to light.
Angels are watching over all things. Think again, do what is good, commendable and worthy of praise. Angels are around us to help us do good for people. "... servants to care for people who will inherit salvation from the coming destruction." Through Jesus we escape horrors. With Jesus, all things are possible to be victorious in all we face.
Two choices... pick doing good in secret. The rewards are greater.
4spirit@gmail.com
The Now Revolution by Jay Baer and Amber Haslund, is about the shifts in business that are making it a real-time event. The real-time shifts include engineering a new bedrock, finding talent you can trust, organizing your armies, answering the new telephone, sharpening response-ability, building fire extinguishers, and setting up your calculator.
In each section Baer/Haslund included "Now Hear This" features of ideas you can put to work. In this summary, those ideas will be featured too.
The adoption of the social web opens the way for the whole culture to participate. Inside and out side the glass bubble in which your business now exists. Along with the business of making money, how you balance your goals with the human and emotional sides of business becomes critically important. A healthy real-time culture has solidarity (reflections of one voice), demonstrated trust, curiosity to try things and see what works along extensive feedback lines, diversity of individuals and their ideas and rewards systems that fit their being-appreciated language. Now Hear This: If you suspect your employees would like to give feedback but are intimidated, set up an anonymous email account with a public password that anyone can log into and send an email to management with their thoughts. Know what you stand for as an organization beyond your product or service.
The second shift is finding talent you can trust. Every person is a spokes person for the company.
The best way to build this is hire the right ones. Before you bring then in, observe their LinkedIn profiles, blogs, Facebook activity, twitter and where they show up on search engines. Now Hear This: When possible, try to pair self-starters on teams with more reluctant, skeptical, or less confident employees to see if the motivated members can help instill and nurture this quality in others.
Communicate your cultural manifesto, values and guiding principles for your business in video, a public page on your website. Like Martin Luther nailing his 95 thesis to a church door, both your team and customers will have a visible, tangible picture of your values.
The third shift is organizing your armies. We all need to communicate faster without and within, with more fluidity and less friction. Crushing the things that have given us a false sense of security and bottle-necking consistency, real-time communication makes skills of social media a necessity. Stay flexible and build integrated social media teams. Each base of social media should follow this path... authenticity, listening, going where they are, personal voice, learning through action, sharing and open source.
Use your internal social networks or collaboration tools to centralize meeting notes, highlights, and let others in your organization/associate network read about what everyone is doing. Keeping everyone informed in real time. You can conduct quick, free online polls in just minutes using software programs like Polldaddy.com. Routinely share stories of triumphs, mishaps... both successes and failures teach us important lessons about speed and inter-connectivity. Everyone needs training from each other on this.
Shift four is answer the telephone. Everyone's talking online... tweets, social forums, Facebook, blogs, so we need to be listening and respond when it affects us. They may not call you to complain about your service directly, but post a comment on their Facebook wall. This is our phone ringing and we need to answer where they are talking. look for key words like "I wish they had" or "really needs". A few tweets could turn it around. Create technology tools to listen for when your name comes up. Collect, report, respond. It's a listen, respond, then talk to your group. It's real time and the committee method is too slow to get opinions and respond. In real time business, everyone on deck is the voice of the business.
Shift five emphasizes response-ability. The communication highway starts with listening, responding, participating (in a corporate blog, category blog, topic blog), and storytelling. Email is commonly use as a dissemination vehicle, but it can be used to implement stories collected. Create a story dedicated email (story@...) and ask your team, associates, fans, customers to send in all interesting tidbits to share experiences. Re-share through email, blog, your intranet page. Wiki's, LinkedIn groups are sources to consider. Add alerts at the top for "message of the day."
Shift six is to build a fire extinguisher. Real time business has it dangers. The more who know you and know what you do the greater the chances of someone lighting fires of discord, within and without. It's easy to complain and discredit someone on the social social web. If it happens, you need to be ready and have your fire extinguisher near by. People can make a mountain out of a mole hill, set a forest on fire with one match. Fires grow with wind, fuel and direction of the wind. A person or company can be hurt greatly in a short period of time. This fear was demonstrated in the financial meltdown that launched the great recession of 2009. In hours, days, within a week a country could have been ruined.
If your fire extinguisher is set up, and near by, an incident can be warded off quickly. Keep binoculars close by so you can see the smoke. Create systems to sound the alarm so the fire trucks can be dispersed quickly.
Social media crisis has eight components. Acknowledge the crisis. Fight social media fire with social water. (Make sure your CEO has a small camera with him at all times to respond quickly where ever he may be.) Be sorry, say it and mean it. Create an FAQ. Have a "communication alert" built into your social connection network so they hear your side of the story quickly, and you build your base of support quickly. Build a pressure relief valve. Create a mechanism that enables interested persons to subscribe to crisis related notifications via email or text message. Know when to take it offline. Arm your army. So they know what's going on and how to respond. Their social network will ask them. Learn your lessons. Evaluate what just happened and if your response system worked as you liked. Then rebuild your fire extinguisher for the next fire.
Shift seven is to make a calculator. Use social media to measure your culture. Create a mechanism for collecting stories and anecdotes that don't show up on graphs.
We are in a new era of democracy. The influence of size, budgets, location, product mix is waning. In their place are speed, smarts, humanization, and an embrace of social media.
The Now Revolution:
http://nowrevolutionbook.com/
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus said that everything covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be known to all. (Luke 12:12)
In the Revelation, it says we will be judged by all we have done on earth, in the open or in private. What we do in the dark will be brought to light, and made known to all. (Luke 8:17) We will be given at the end of our lives all that we deserve... if good, eternal reward, if bad eternal devastation. (Revelation 2:2)
It says in Hebrews(1) that we each have angels assigned to us. They exist to care for us and watch over us.
When you think about it, when you are alone, they (angels) are there. Everything you are doing is being monitored and recorded. It will eventually be brought to light. What we are dong will be either rewarded or exposed to our demise. We really can't get away with anything if it is not a good thing. It eventually comes out in the open. First by our behavior as it will change and then the acts themselves may be revealed. What is done in the dark and brought to light is made evident with our technology age.
It is said a computer's hard drive contains information, even if stripped manually, that skilled technicians can recover whatever was ever on the hard drive. When we inadvertently have a hard drive crash, skilled technicians can recover what was on it. So what was done is there forever. What we have tried to hide can be found out. We have seen the quick devastation to lives who use text, email with inappropriate communication. When discovered, it can in an instant be shared with the whole world. Those who tried to conceal things, will have it brought to light and the whole world will know. Nothing can be concealed today securely so no one knows.
God said he would remember our sins no more, if we confess them. It is better to come clean, admit indiscretions and seek His forgiveness as soon as possible. He said He will forgive and, even more so, forget them, and we are to continue on a better path. If we have a weakness, the more we do this(sincerely ask forgiveness), the stronger we will get to eventually overcome it. God's love is enduring and will work with the sincere broken heart over a matter.
If we become arrogant and don't ask God for His help, and try to act like all is great and fine, it will be found out, and exposed to all. Some may continue in pride to do wrong in secret but act like a wonderful saint in public. Those sins will be found out, and this person will be judged on the last days. If the person does not repent and beg God's forgiveness, he will be lost forever.
So it's better to stay humble, recognize our shortcomings, admit them to God, ask for help, and not act so great around others. "Those with a humble and contrite heart are close to the Lord."
What is hidden will be brought to light. So may what is hidden be good deeds, fair actions, kind gestures to others... that the good you do is brought to light. As Angels watch over us, may they be our assistants in doing good, and not our record keepers of what we are doing wrong. Be true to God in private and in public. What you do in secret is expressed in public. May the good you do, be matured in public that helps mankind, spreads love and shows the Love of God in the universe.
Our choices then.
Know that God knows. Admit mistakes and seek His forgiveness. He will forgive and forget.
What we do that's good, that no one knows, God knows. He will note and reward us according to the good we do on earth. It encourages us to know that the good we do, even if no one knows, that God knows and He is faithful to reward us.
If we do wrong, in secret, and we try to hide it, and show arrogance in acting like we are such a wonderful person, the truth of our hypocrisy will be found out. It will come to light.
Angels are watching over all things. Think again, do what is good, commendable and worthy of praise. Angels are around us to help us do good for people. "... servants to care for people who will inherit salvation from the coming destruction." Through Jesus we escape horrors. With Jesus, all things are possible to be victorious in all we face.
Two choices... pick doing good in secret. The rewards are greater.
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