Partager

As you may know from my previous post, I am in Europe for the next couple of months. If you know me, you may also know that I have a love for the French language. Although I have a lot to learn, each day here is a wonderful discovery of new ways to communicate using an entirely different language. I have many insights that I’d like to share with you about that, but that will have to wait until after the trip. For now, I am compelled to share one particular French word with you that I have been dwelling on this last week.

‘Partager’ (pronounced ‘par-ta-jay’) is the French word that means ‘to share’.

As you probably know, I talk a lot about the ‘organic’ nature of the church that is described in the New Testament. When I am asked about this from others who may be less familiar, I like to describe ‘organic’ church as being a ‘shared-life’ community. Since being here in Europe these last couple of weeks, I have become much more sensitive and awake to the reality and power of sharing. The French word ‘partager‘ has been on my heart everyday. Let me explain:

My wife and I have the privilege of sharing a home with another couple who is also part of the shared life community that we are part of. One of the things that makes sharing a home with this couple beautiful (as well as being part of a larger community of saints) is the fact that we have something incredible to share with one another. We have life (Christ) to share with one another!

If I’m being honest with you, however, the thought of leaving this shared life for a couple of months was a bit daunting. Traveling overseas alone is a new experience for me. There was (and still are) many unknown details regarding this trip. Whenever we face unknown situations, there can be a temptation to become afraid. I can honestly tell you, however, that the Lord has overcome this fear because of the verb ‘partager‘.

From the time I arrived here, saints have generously shared with me. I don’t have a car here, but I have been driven everywhere I have needed to go. I don’t have a home here, but a dear brother here has completely opened up his home to me. I have a bed to sleep in, and a warm shower available to me anytime. Another brother regularly goes out of his way to leave work during his lunch hour simply to take me to his home to have lunch with his family. Other brothers and sisters have invited me into their homes for dinner. Another brother took an entire day to take me sightseeing, and took another day to share his hobby with me. I have been enormously blessed!

In addition to all of this, last week myself and another brother were invited to come to the home of a sister in Christ who lives in another city. This sister heard from a mutual friend that I was going to be in the area visiting for a period of time, and she wanted to invite us to her home for a small gathering. As soon as we arrived at her home, I knew this was going to be a special evening. The moment I saw the eyes of this dear sister, I saw the light of Christ brightly shining in her.

This sister regularly meets with a few other sisters from her town, and that night, she invited us into her home to gather with them. It didn’t take long to see that this sister had a history of suffering and hardship. She was a widow.

Through all the hardships and suffering, this sister had also been given a deep love and revelation of Jesus Christ. Throughout the evening, sitting around a table filled with food and wine, we shared story after story of the sufficiency of Christ’s provision and love. The love of Christ that was being expressed through her countenance was from a different realm altogether. It is hard for me to explain with words, but the love being expressed that evening deeply affected me. I’ll never forget it.

I felt honored to be sitting around that table with those sisters who had experienced so much rejection and difficulty. I felt honored that this widow would take the little that she had to make a feast for us. I felt honored that she invited us into her home. I felt honored she would share her story and revelation of Christ with us. The experience left me in a daze the rest of that night. The following morning as I was on a walk, I had a conversation with the Lord that went something like this:

ME: Thank you so much for the incredible privilege that I had last night with those sisters. They are truly rare and precious gems in your kingdom. Also, thank you for making me feel so welcome here. This is a very generous gift you have given me. I feel completely honored by these saints. I wonder, is this how you felt when you were on the earth? Is this how you felt whenever you were accepted into someone’s home?

LORD: This is not only how I *felt*, this is how I *FEEL* right now. The acceptance and love you are experiencing is exactly what I am experiencing. When you are loved, received, and honored, I am loved, received, and honored.

ME: Wow, there really is no separation between us is there?

LORD: No. As a matter of fact, whenever you accept one of your brothers or sisters into your home for a meal, you accept me into your home for a meal. Whenever you share the time you have been given with one of your brothers or sisters, you have chosen to spend time with me. When you listen to a brother or sister share their heart, you listen to me. When you share My life and insight that you have been given with another brother or sister, I am communing with you in your midst. I am thirsty, but I have given you my living water as a well within you. When you share that water with your brothers and sisters, and you receive theirs, you quench *MY* thirst.

ME: Wow, this must be why I feel so satisfied this morning. It’s because you are satisfied this morning! I don’t think I am going to see sharing life with my brothers and sisters the same. I think I have taken eating meals and spending time with others for granted. What a miracle and privilege it truly is.

This experience has illuminated the following realities for me:

• To ignore or separate from another is the same as to reject another.
• When we receive our brothers and sisters into our lives and homes, we receive Christ Himself into our lives and homes.
• The goal of gathering with others is never simply gathering for the sake of gathering, but sharing life (Christ).
• When we receive and share His divine life with others, we quench the thirst of our Lord.
• The opposite of a selfish life is a shared life.
• There will always be temptations that will attempt to pull us away from sharing life with our brothers and sisters. These ‘temptations’ will seem like wisdom to those with a worldly mindset.
• We have been given a special authority to share true life with others. The ultimate question is not ‘Who is sharing their life with me?’ but ‘Who is the Lord bringing into my sphere to share His life with?’

The reality of God’s Favorite Place on Earth

As you may know, author Frank Viola recently released a new book about the town of Bethany. In the book, Frank describes why this has been (and still is) God’s favorite place on the earth. I have read this book while on this trip to Europe. I cannot say enough about the life and nature of Jesus Christ that has been illuminated through this book. I can honestly say that my love for Christ and His saints has greatly deepened as a result. Because of this book, a new world of possibilities regarding welcoming and sharing life have opened up for me.

This is one of those rare books that I would wholeheartedly recommend no matter where a person may be in life. I guarantee that you will catch a breathtaking glimpse of our Lord through this simple, yet profound, book. For more information about Frank’s latest release, click HERE.

Partager la vie,

Jamal Jivanjee

Since this is my last post for a while, I wanted to let you know about something important.  As a matter of fact, what I want to tell you about is so glorious it will be dangerous.  A revelation of Jesus Christ (who is love personified) will get you killed.  It happens 100% of the time.  You will be put to death in the most brutal of ways.  You will be betrayed by those you love the most.  You will be misunderstood.  You will be rejected.  You will be slandered.  You will be lied about.  You will become the scum of the earth.  In spite of all of that, however, you will know love through it all.

This love is glorious, and is worth all the rejection.

If you’re interested in knowing more about this love, I’d like to tell you about a new book that is coming out soon that I am convinced will be a blessing to the church in profound ways.  I had the privilege of hearing some of the content of this book before it was written.  What I heard changed everything for me, and I am confident it will be liberating to you as well.

My friend Frank Viola has just released a new book called God’s Favorite Place on Earth that could literally change your relationship with God, help you defeat bitterness, free you from a guilty conscience, and help you overcome fear, doubt and discouragement once and for all.

This is a book that will jar you out of your “Christian rut” and give you new eyes for looking at EVERYTHING. It’s a quick, inspiring, and entertaining read.

In addition, if you get the book between May 1^st to May 7^th, you will also get 25 FREE GIFTS from 15 different authors including Leonard Sweet, Jeff Goins, Andrew Farley, Steve McVey, DeVern Fromke, Pete Briscoe, Frank Viola himself, and many others.  Over 47 Christian leaders have recommended the book including John Ortberg, Mary DeMuth, Jack Hayford, Tricia Goyer, Jon Acuff, Greg Boyd, Mark Batterson, Jenni Catron, Pete Wilson, Anne Marie Miller, and many others.

The premise of the book is simple and 100% Biblical: when Jesus was on the earth, He was rejected everywhere He went . . . from Bethlehem, to Nazareth, to Jerusalem. The only exception was the little village of Bethany.

The curtain opens with Lazarus, who is now ready to die, telling the incomparable story of Jesus’ interactions with him, Martha, and Mary. God’s Favorite Place on Earth blends drama, devotion, biblical narrative, and first-century history to create a riveting book that you’ll find difficult to put down. Within each narrative, the common struggles Christians face are addressed and answered.

Go to GodsFavoritePlace.com on May 1st to claim your 25 FREE GIFTS, read a Sampler of the book, and watch the gripping video trailer.

I will miss you all!

Jamal Jivanjee

The number 165 is quite significant for me. Since this blog was created, one hundred and sixty five articles have been posted here. That might not sound like a lot, but it is. The experience of writing has been like nothing else I have experienced in my life. It has been rewarding, yet heart wrenching at the same time. Although I am not a female, and I have never given birth, that is the analogy that comes to mind. Each article for me begins with a conception, a development, and finally a painful birth. While the parts of this process can be painful, the experience as a whole is overwhelmingly joyful.

The fact is, I am in love with Christ. The expression of this Christ seen through His bride has completely ruined me in a glorious way. I am captivated. I was born to love and serve this bride. I know this for a fact. The only reason I blog is because I am in love, and I’m not always sure what to do with this love. So, I write.

This blog has led to real, intimate relationships that have forever changed me, and this blog has led to some of the worst attacks against my character that I have ever had to endure to this date. It is truly bitter sweet. With that said, I am entering a brief season of pause concerning this blog.

Next week at this time, I’ll be on my way to Europe for the next couple of months. Yes, I am excited. While overseas, I do not plan to blog. When the two month trip is finished, I hope to resume blogging, but we’ll see what the Lord has in mind at that time. In the meantime, I hope you will take the next couple of months to examine this site and discover Christ in some of the older articles posted here. During this time, you are free to post comments as I will still be able to moderate them.

Next week, before my trip overseas, I will post one final blog. I hope you will tune in. If you are wondering why I am going overseas and you are interested in helping with some of the needs associated with this trip, please send me an email to: jamal@illuminate-us.com and mark ‘TRIP‘ in the subject line.

With His affection,

Jamal Jivanjee

Fear

The opposite of love is fear. As you probably know, fear is running rampant in many ways these days. Fear is used as a useful tool to control people. Fear keeps people from asking questions and venturing beyond the prescribed boundaries. Fear robs us of life and freedom. Fear is the number one tool used by our adversary to keep us in slavery.

Many times, fear is used in the attempt to accomplish what is seemingly ‘good’. While fear is common in every system of mankind, the religious system and the political system have learned to master the use of this disease in a very clever way. The fear tactics of the religious & political systems are so widely used that many of us have unknowingly been infected with it without knowing.

Whenever our status quo is threatened, our adversary attempts to inject fear into us in two significant ways. I’d like to share what these two common religious & political tactics are so we can recognize when they are used against us, and so we will not fall into the same trap ourselves.

• Maligning The Messenger

Whenever someone is presenting an idea or concept that threatens the status quo, there will be an attempt by those who have been infected with the disease of fear to malign the character of the messenger. Regardless if this is intentional or not, malignment occurs as an illegitimate form of self defense.

This can be clearly seen in the political arena each time there is an election season. Maligning the messenger is not limited to the political arena, however. Evangelical religious culture has also learned to master this type of thinking. The more time we have spent in a religious environment, the more likely we are to be infected with this kind of a fear based tactic. Maligning the messenger usually occurs in three very crafty and effective ways.

1. Maligning the messenger by questioning their motives.

Questioning the motives of a messenger is a very effective way of malignment. Even a subtle implication that another person may have an impure motive can affectively poison anything that person might say or do. This trap is very easy to fall into, and is one that I see casually happen among brothers and sisters in Christ all too often. Whenever we openly or subtly malign the perceived motives of our brothers and sisters in Christ, it is like going to an elaborate pot-luck and suggesting that one of the main dishes of gourmet food has been contaminated with poison. No one will touch that dish no matter how pure & fresh the food may actually be.

2. Maligning the messenger through labels and associations.

Maligning a messenger by putting a label on them is a tactic that I have seen used most often both in the political world, and the evangelical world. In the political world, if someone is labeled a ‘liberal’, many who consider themselves to be ‘conservative’ will automatically dismiss what that person is saying simply because their label has already tarnished them. The vice-versa is also an unfortunate reality as well. Seeing a person through a ‘label’ allows us to automatically dismiss what a person is saying without considering what that person might actually be saying.

If I had a dime for every time I saw this same political tactic used in the evangelical world, I’d be rich. Over the years, I have seen many books come across the landscape that challenged the status-quo of religious culture. Instead of actually considering what an author was saying, things were said like:

“Did you know that (insert author’s name) is one of those ‘emergent’ guys?”

or

“Did you know that (insert author’s name) is a universalist?”

Using negative terms to describe another often causes fear. Out of fear of becoming like (insert negative term), the message of that person is automatically rejected without being honestly considered. These are just two examples among many. This same fear based tactic to malign is also used regarding a person’s associations. For example:

“I can’t believe you’re actually going to read that book. Did you know that (insert author’s name here) endorsed a book written by a guy who denied the authority of the scriptures?”

Obviously, the fallacy in this kind of thinking is the assumption that is made which states that a person automatically endorses every belief or position that his or her friends & associates hold to. This is truly a ridiculous assumption, but one that is quite capable of producing fear and suspicion. This is why it is common to be shunned by those in the evangelical community once you break free from their line of thinking.

3. Maligning the messenger by digging up past dirt.

If an author or messenger is really touching a nerve and exposing something significant, this tactic is almost sure to be used. Personal grievances or past mistakes of the messenger are dug up by those afflicted by fear in order to malign the character of the messenger. Although these things usually have absolutely nothing to do with the actual message being presented, bringing a personal accusation against the messenger can be an affective distraction away from the consideration of the message itself. Ironically, the very person doing the dirt digging and mud slinging almost never apply the same standard to their own lives as it would automatically disqualify them in the same way.

Maligning the messenger is common in the cut throat industry of politics, but it is also commonplace in the evangelical world as well.

• The ‘Slippery Slope’ tactic.

In addition to maligning the messenger, another fear based tactic that is used to shut down thinking is what I call the ‘slippery slope’ tactic. This tactic attempts to focus on the worst possible outcomes of the concepts being presented. The fallacy in this kind of thinking is that it ignores the possible successes found in the concepts, and focuses entirely on fear based ‘what if’ scenarios that may occur if the status quo is not maintained.

The more that I get to know the character and nature of Jesus Christ in me, the more I see how contrary His life and nature are to these fear based tactics. Fear based tactics are not rooted in the Lord’s life. They are truly Satanic in origin. In the gospels, Jesus never used these tactics to advance His message. It was the religious leaders who used these fear based tactics in their attempts to control the people and preserve the status quo religious order.

An appeal to a higher reality…

While error is a legitimate concern, the Lord did not appeal to fear to keep people from error. The religious system has no concept of this as it appeals to fear quite regularly to keep people ‘safe’ from sin and ‘heresy’. This tactic is itself an error.

Jesus appealed to the higher reality of love to set people free.

Although already condemned by the law, Jesus personally was the very expression of love that freed the woman caught in adultery from a life enslaved to sin. To the carnal church in Corinth, Paul appealed to the supernatural nature of love as their solution to the plethora of issues they were facing as a community. Consider this passage:

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Cor. 13:1-7, ESV)

This is a description of divine love. Divine love cannot be experienced in the flesh. Divine love is internal. Christ is the personification of love that dwells within us. The solution to error & heresy is not a lower appeal to fear, but an appeal to a higher revelation of indwelling love. This is why Jesus said to beware of false teachers. He told us that we would know them by their ‘fruit’. Obviously by fruit, He was referring to joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc… These are all manifestations of indwelling love.

• Have you been affected by the disease of fear?
• Have you been guilty of appealing to fear because you are unnerved by something that is disturbing the status quo of your life?

Let’s behold the nature of Jesus Christ who dwells within. Those who have received a supernatural revelation of Jesus Christ need never to appeal ‘down‘ to fear. Rather, we have the privilege of appealing ‘up‘ to love. In the kingdom, ‘up’ is really ‘IN‘. ‘IN‘ is where the antidote resides to the deadly disease of fear.

For the cure,

Jamal Jivanjee

Lovesick’s Cure   by Brandie Jivanjee

Lovesick can be a nasty little bug

Throwing you in the hole it has dug

 

With waves of confusion running through her head

This unbearable illness, she’d rather be dead

 

Grasping and clinging, to any hope of relief

Holding on tightly, the darkness beneath

 

This demon it taunts her with moments of joy

Pulling her strings like she’s a cheap wind up toy

 

The search goes on like an unending mission

Spinning out of control until there’s a collision

 

She tasted every medicine, swallowed every pill

Nothing has satisfied, nothing has stilled

 

A true lover at heart, she never stops looking

No matter how bad it gets, she never stops hoping

 

Then one day with her arms open wide

A cure is found from deep inside

 

Piercing her being with a shock wave of life

He takes her in His arms and claims her as His wife

 

The sickness is gone, the pain has disappeared

There is no more longing, there is no more fear

 

Pulling her up upon her feet

Instantly she’s healed from His kiss on her cheek

 

Bandages of flesh that have kept her bound

Fall off her body, she has been found

 

He washes her in the River of Life

Giving her new clothes, giving her sight

 

She has been set free with no more need to roam

Lovesick’s cure has made His way home.

Let’s drink in that internal cure today,

Jamal Jivanjee

Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘falling in love’? I have. Many people will say that they ‘fell in love’ with someone, or they ‘fell out of love’ with someone. This is a ridiculous phrase, however. Love is not something that you fall ‘in’ or ‘out’ of. Love simply is. Love is a constant reality because God is a constant reality. God is love.

When people say that they fell ‘into love’, or fell ‘out of love’, they really mean to say something quite different. I’d like to propose that we change this phrase to mean something a bit more accurate. Instead of saying that we fell into, or out of, ‘love’, let’s say this:

We fell into, or out of, ‘delight’.

Gun Control

As you may know, our society is in the midst of a heated debate concerning guns. One side wants more restrictions on the ability of people to purchase and operate firearms in order to cut back on gun violence, and the other side opposes these restrictions. Many who oppose these tighter restrictions site history as their concern. In the past, when governments of other countries have sought to end private gun ownership, it usually began incrementally with tighter gun restrictions until most weapons were eventually banned outright. According to gun control opponents, this allowed tyrannical governments to take away the freedoms of their societies. With that said, I’d like to jump into the discussion about gun control.

• There actually is a conspiracy underway to take away your most powerful and feared weapon.
• If you lose this powerful weapon, you will live as a slave.
• If you lose this weapon, you will starve to death.
• If you lose this weapon, you will lose the essence of life.
• If you lose this weapon, you will become frustrated and hopeless.

The Secret Weapon of ‘Delight’

Do you remember when you first fell in love…I mean, do you remember when you first fell into ‘delight‘? Think about it. Something awoke inside of you. The little things that used to bother you no longer bothered you. Your mind and thoughts began to be continually turned toward the delight that you saw in another person. This ‘delight’ put a spring in your step. This ‘delight’ caused you to become creative & more expressive. Songs on the radio and movies you watched made you think of this person in whom you were ‘delighted’.

The relationship between you and the person with whom you were delighted had a seemingly unbreakable bond. You could overlook their faults. As a matter of fact, you were mysteriously blind to most of their faults that others pointed out to you. You noticed the little things that made them beautifully unique, and you marveled in wonder at them. Nothing could put a wedge between you and the person you were ‘delighting’ in.

Then a tragedy occurred.

Somewhere along the way, you lost sight of your secret weapon. Someone seemed to ‘turn the light off’ and your delight was gone. Your eyes were opened to another realm. You began to see issues and problems. You unknowingly began to become frustrated with your perception of people and situations, so you began trying to correct and change them. This didn’t work. You lost hope. Life began to become heavy again as you carried the chains of a slave. You looked for an escape.

Unfortunately, this needless scenario plays out repeatedly because we lose sight of the secret weapon of ‘delight’. Although we have pictures of delight in the world’s system, true delight is found only in Christ. Delight is literally our ‘meal ticket’ in the kingdom of God, and this is why a conspiracy is underway to take this secret weapon away from you by distracting you from it.

The truth is, we have been hardwired for love. Love is our food & drink. Love is the air we breathe. Without love, we’ll die. True transformation occurs when we ‘see’ love. (2 Cor. 3:18)

‘Delight’ is our ability to see love.

We have come to know that love is personified in the person of Jesus Christ. Thankfully, we have been placed into this person who is love. In Christ, we have been given the proper tools to recognize love. This tool (weapon) is ‘delight’.

‘Delight’ is our new eyes in Christ.

For those who desire to commune with others in a shared life community (New Testament church), delight is essential for a couple of reasons.

1. ‘Delight’ transcends conflict.

There are times that my wife and I have strong disagreements. Many times during these arguments, something strange and supernatural will occur in the midst of my anger and frustration. I will catch a glimpse of her beauty. At the most inopportune of times, I begin to delight in her. Suddenly, the issue we have been fighting about begins to seem like a second grade playground dispute. It’s funny how delight can transcend conflict even when the conflict never gets resolved ‘practically’.

2. ‘Delight’ is the key to intimacy.

A shared life community (ekklesia) is made up of intimate relationships. My time of being immersed into this kind of a community has taught me something profound. We have truly been given the ability to delight in our brothers and sisters! When we look at our brothers and sisters through the lens of ‘delight’, we begin to see and partake of love (Christ). This love transforms us. Delighting in our brothers and sisters allows us to see and intimately interact with the life of Christ within them. We desire to commune with those we ‘delight’ in.

Did you know that every time you see a brother or sister, you have the ability to delight in them? Delight is our supernatural choice that cannot be taken from us.

Did you know that delighting in another is not dependent on anything the other may or may not do?

Did you know that no situation that can occur to you in life is dark enough to keep you from ‘delighting’ in the light that shines in and through the darkness? (John 1:5)

If you notice your mind being preoccupied, a spring in your step, a message of love in each song or film you watch, and a strong desire to be with your brothers and sisters, don’t be alarmed. You are simply reclaiming the secret weapon of delight.

In delight,

Jamal Jivanjee

Did you know that God has a favorite place here on the earth too?

Yes, it’s true. When we look at the life of Christ in the gospels, we can see where that place is. We might be tempted to think that the ‘holy’ city of Jerusalem was Christ’s favorite place. After all, it was the center of all religious activity. All the attention of the religious world was on that city and the temple there.

but Jerusalem was NOT the desired destination of our Lord.

In His adult life & ministry, Jesus went many places and did many things, but He never spent one night in the ‘holy’ city of Jerusalem until He was condemned to die. He largely avoided that place. That’s astounding to me.

There was a place that Jesus spent many nights, however.

There was a place that Jesus frequented to relax and enjoy good food with friends.

There was a place that Jesus often went where He built and cultivated deep intimate relationships with a few people in the comforts of their home.

This place was where Jesus was fully welcomed. This was a place where He could let His guard down, so to speak. This was a place He could simply be and relax. This was a place He could share His life with those He loved. I would imagine when life got hectic for Jesus and His disciples out on the road, this was a place He longed to return to rest and commune. Do you know where this place is?

Christ’s favorite place on the earth was the little village of Bethany.

This humble village sits just outside the religious ‘holy’ city of Jerusalem. It’s easily overlooked. Nothing of worldly or religious significance seems to be happening there. Jesus’ greatest miracle happened there, however. Although Jesus loved all people, relationally speaking, He formed deep relationships with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus in this little village. Do you know what?

Christ’s favorite place on the earth still is Bethany!

Author Frank Viola has a new book coming out that will stunningly make this case in a way that you cannot begin to imagine. Personally speaking, I had the opportunity to hear Frank’s message about the little village of Bethany before this work was written. I can honestly say that it was a ‘game changer’ for me.

I had no idea that Christ’s favorite place on the earth was Bethany. The fact that Bethany was Christ’s favorite place has many implications for us today in ways that I never imagined. What greatly impacted me, however, was when Frank talked about exactly where ‘Bethany’ is today.

When I found out exactly where Bethany is today, it brought me to tears.

I simply had never considered Bethany before. I also had no idea that the little village of Bethany was still the ‘big apple’ of the Lord’s eye, so to speak. Bethany is not where you think it is. When I found out where Bethany is today, it changed everything.

If you have ever read any of Frank’s books before, you know how life altering they are. This new book by Frank titled ‘God’s Favorite Place On Earth’ is considered his best work to date. Now that is saying something.

I’d like to strongly recommend that you get a copy of this book. Although this book is heading to stores now, Frank would like you to wait to purchase this book until May 1′st. There are reasons for this. Please take a few minutes to visit the website created specifically for this book. You can also download the the free book sampler through this site as well. Here is the link:

God’s Favorite Place On Earth

For Bethany,

Jamal Jivanjee

Why The New Covenant Is A Sexual Revolution…(a review of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions by Dan Brennan).

If you haven’t yet read this review, please give that post a read before you read further here.  Because of the controversial nature of the subject of this book, I asked author Dan Brennan to come on the blog today to answer some questions about his book Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions.  He has graciously agreed.  Without further adue, let’s jump into the conversation.

Dan Brennan  

Dan, thank you very much for coming on the blog today.  It is truly an honor to have you here.

• Dan, you begin the book by stating that, in your own life, you have close friendships with three women: A single woman, a married woman, and your wife.  You state that these close relationships with the opposite sex have plunged you into the mystery and depths of love, sexuality, and divine friendship.  In the evangelical world, ‘passionate’ relationships with the opposite sex are reserved for spouses only.  Throughout the book, however, you talk openly about the benefits of having ‘passionate’ relationships in general, including with members of the opposite sex.  In your book, you site several examples of this from the life of Christ.  This is quite a break from the religious norm. Obviously, you are not advocating having erotic or romantic relationships with others whom we are not married to.  In light of this, can you describe for us what it does mean to have ‘passionate’ relationships within the context of friendship that does not involve sex or romance?

Thank you, Jamal. I’m honored to be on your blog. In the Bible we do see some passionate friendships. The friendship between Ruth and Naomi could be described as passionate. Ruth expressed a deep commitment of attachment and closeness to Naomi and we see that unfold in Ruth’s story even after she marries Boaz.

We also see a passionate friendship between David and Jonathan. We read in 1 Samuel 18:1 that they were “bound” to each other. There is no other language to describe a closer nonsexual bond than this. Jonathan loved David as much as he loved his own soul. As the narrative unfolds, we read that Jonathan had a great delight in David. It’s clear from the story that Jonathan had an abiding passion for David.  Passionate friendship involves an emotional, relational, spiritual bond which has a distinctive intensity, commitment, vulnerability, and enduring chaste intimacy.

• What is the distinction between sexuality and sex?  Why is this distinction important in regards to intimate relationships with members of the opposite sex that do not involve or lead to sex?

I think evangelicals will be exploring this distinction more in the twenty-first century. If we cannot grasp the distinction, Christians will never be open to intimate friendships between men and women unless there is a romantic trajectory. If we are able to make that important distinction between the two, closeness between a man and woman (two sexual beings) can be a chaste, nonromantic closeness.

However, there are a number of Christians across various traditions who see an important distinction between genital sexuality and what we might call relational sexuality. It’s impossible to be asexual. Men and women notice the immediate difference of the opposite sex when they are in each other’s presence. That difference is far deeper than their difference in biological parts. Genital sexuality is a significant dimension to sexuality. But there is so much more to sexuality than the genital. Sexuality “embraces” a wide ranging world of relating to the opposite sex including nonromantic warmth, compassion, tenderness, trust, and embodied physical affection. As brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, we already understand closeness with members of the opposite sex without genital focus. This is relational sexuality filled with love.

• Dan, in your opinion, why are brothers and sisters in Christ from a religious background uncomfortable being in close relationships with one another?  Can you describe how Sigmund Freud has had more influence in shaping evangelical ideas / fears about relationships than the scriptures themselves?

There is no denying Freud had a significant impact on closeness. To this day scholars debate what Freud meant, early Freud vs. late Freud, and so on. But there is no denying popular Freudianism on the street. If one scratches the surface in relationships, there are sexual issues underlying all our engagements with another.  Popular Freudianism has genitalized every aspect of closeness: tenderness, warmth, vulnerability, delight, play, desire, intimacy and on and on. If we accept Freud or read the Bible through a Freudian lens, it’s all about genital focus whether or not we know it.

So then we drastically limit the power, depth, richness, beauty, and intensity of any connection between men and women who are brothers and sisters in Christ. Most nonromantic relationships between Christian men and women do not even come near to resembling the intimate trust, depth, and richness that close healthy adult sibling bonds have achieved through the centuries. To nurture any kind of closeness is to be out of touch with the Freudian drive supposedly lurking under the surface.

• The evangelical notion that the marital relationship is the ‘be-all, end-all’ for passion, intimacy, friendship, happiness, fidelity, and depth is wrong in your opinion.  Why?  Can you define the concept of ‘romantic idealism’ and how this plays into the misguided evangelical understanding of marriage?

Romantic idealism occurs when we invest all that we mean by relational depth (intimacy, passion, vulnerability, deep trust, tenderness, fidelity) into the one couple –  under the rubric of “one flesh” – to the exclusion of any other relationships.  This glorification of the couple comports with the sexualizing of all intimacy (popular Freud). It’s the only alternative left standing. Romantic love is the only love, the only place for “true love.”

I see something different in the Bible. Go back and read all the relational depth and range in verses, passages, and stories which are nonromantic. This includes nonromantic texts which romantic idealism has ransacked for romantic intensity and endurance in wedding ceremonies such as Ruth 1:16-17, and 1 Cor. 13:4-7. Then read all there is in the New Testament about the Spirit, putting on Christ, overcoming evil by doing good, loving one another, clinging to what is good, and so on.

Also read all that Jesus said regarding marriage (which wasn’t much). Then read all the stories in which Jesus interacted with women. When Jesus mentioned the brother-sister metaphor of closeness between men and women, there was clearly more relational depth intended than just friendliness. There exists a deep bond between men and women who follow Jesus.

• Dan, In your book you make the argument that ‘oneness’ & ‘communion’ are not completely fulfilled in marriage.  Can you elaborate on this a bit more?

I love this. Once I came to this understanding, there was no turning back! There is a whole world of intimate humanity in the Bible beyond the romantic twosome. Within the contemporary evangelical worldview, the intimacy of “one flesh” is the unique focus of all intimacy, depth, and passion.  But in the ancient world, a classic definition for friendship (not romantic lover) is “one soul, two bodies.”  Evangelicals are beginning to come around to this understanding of deep oneness in nonromantic relationships.

Jesus didn’t pray for all of us to have sex or be married. However, he did pray in John 17 for all of us to experience the richness of oneness which exists between the Father and the Son. We are all called (not just husbands and wives) to an eschatological union in the here-and-now which respects marriage but also reflects the deep inner love of the Trinity.

• What would you say to those who feel your message is dangerous and degrading toward marriages and traditional families?

All authentic, engaging, vulnerable love is risky and not safe. There is the real possibility of date rape in dating. Current statistics show that physical violence occurs in twenty-five percent of dating relationships. Domestic violence in marriages is an ongoing problem. The latest statistics show that thirty percent of female victims in the United States die from either a past or present romantic partner.  Current statistics on infidelity come close to the statistics on romantic danger. Twenty-two percent of married men commit adultery.

So what makes romantic love such a glorious risk (danger minimized among evangelicals) and intimate friendships beyond marriage as “dangerous?” That’s the question that shines a powerful light on romantic idealism as a drug. You rarely hear in popular evangelical culture the fear-based logic that dating and marriage are dangerous, therefore don’t get involved in romantic love.

What do you hear? Well, you hear that if you follow Jesus and yield to the Spirit you are going to overcome date rape, violence, and oppression. If you do this, according the romantic myth accepted unexamined by many Christians, there is a greater, utopian payoff in an idealized version of love, a payoff that trumps any risk.  But there is a powerful element of truth there—not just for healthy romantic relationships but for all male-female relationships! We can learn how to be near each other, we can learn how to love each other, and we can learn to be in the presence of each other intimately, overcoming lust, sexism, and manipulation.

There is a strong argument to be made that if we nurtured healthy friendships—spousal friendships and friendships beyond marriage we would reduce divorce and infidelity. That seems counterintuitive—but only when juxtaposed against the notion of idealized romantic love.

• Dan, why do you think a breakthrough in relationships, especially cross-sex relationships, is vital in regards to building authentic Christian community?

This is what it means to be Christian men and women in the 21^st century living in between Jesus’ resurrection and his return. Intimacy is not just for those in romance. Healthy friendships empowered by the Spirit overcome lust, sexism, date rape, domestic violence, and alienation between the sexes.  As new creations in Christ, the spiritual realities of Christ (Colossians 2, 3, Phil. 2, Eph. 4-6), the Holy Spirit (Romans 8, Gal. 5:22-23), of grace and the newness of life (Romans 6), of the kingdom (Matt. 13), of discipleship (Mark 3:31-35), of love (Romans 12 & 1 Corinthians 13) are all made to apply to marriage relationships.

But they are general.

All these realities are present in this age to aid us, to assist us, to empower us to live as Christians in the immediate presence of the opposite sex—in romantic and nonromantic intimacies.

Yes, there are dangers. Yes, we can be out-of-touch with our perceptions regarding our spouses and our friends. But putting on Christ one step at a time, seeking to be intentional to not hurt or manipulate our spouses or our friends, we can nurture a deep chaste love and trust in our marriages and in our communities.

• Dan, thank you so very much for this rich and insightful conversation.  I appreciate your time very much. 

Closing thoughts for our readers…

Thank you very much for taking part in this conversation with us.  I greatly appreciate the ability of the readers of this blog to discuss difficult subjects with maturity and grace.  If Monday’s book review, and today’s interview have stirred your desire for deeper intimacy with your brothers and sisters in Christ, let me strongly encourage you to get a copy of Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions.  My prayer is that this book will enrich your life as much as it has enriched mine.

With that said, I’d like to give you a heads up about something.  I have discovered something important in my life.  The books that critics attempt to discredit by either attacking the author personally, or evaluating the content of the book before they have read the book, have actually turned out to be the most impactful books in my life.  This book is certainly in that catageory.  Let me caution you to not fall into those traps.  This book deserves honest, informed consideration based on the substance of this book alone.  I truly hope you will give this book a thoughtful read with an open mind.

With His love,

Jamal Jivanjee

In today’s post, I’d like to tell you about another bomb-shell book dealing with personal relationships that I believe is of a similar caliber.  For the last few years, I’ve had a sneaking suspicion that the New Covenant & the New Commandment that Jesus gave to us, when truly grasped, is the most radical and purest sexual revolution in relationships that the world has ever known.  In a masterful way, this book has finally put words to what I have long suspected.

SACRED UNIONS, SACRED PASSIONS by Dan Brennan

In his book Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions, author Dan Brennan makes the outlandish claim that much of what is taught, believed, and practiced in traditional / evangelical Christianity regarding relationships (specifically regarding cross-sex relationships) are actually rooted in the darker aspects of modern culture than the New Testament.

Relationships were deeply assaulted when sin entered into mankind.  Obviously, mankind’s relationship with God was divided, but so was mankind’s relationship with themselves.  This can be clearly seen in the way men and women have interacted with one another throughout history.

When Jesus came on the scene, He destroyed the division that existed between God & mankind, and the divisions that existed within mankind themselves.  In His life, Jesus demonstrated a new way to relate to one another.  This new way to relate came from an entirely different place altogether.  A heavenly place.  Specifically speaking, Jesus routinely broke social and religious rules when it came to the way He related to other women.  Jesus had deep, intimate friendships, several of which were with women.

The way He loved others was completely new.  No human being had ever loved with divine love before Jesus came on the scene.  This was just the beginning, however.  The kind of love that He envisioned would require many people loving one another with divine love.  A community of people fearlessly, passionately, and intimately loving one another is what Jesus said the world would recognize as coming from Him.  The ‘oneness’ and communion that Jesus envisioned within the relationships in His community (church) would express the very oneness and communion of the triune God Himself (John 17:21).

Unfortunately, the types of relationships that exist in the evangelical religious system are anything but this.  For example:

• Most men do not have deep, passionate, intimate relationships with one another.

• Males and females in religious communities are scared to significantly relate to one another.  At best, they have distant superficial relationships with one another, and at worst, they try their best to avoid one another altogether in the name of ‘purity’.

• Although women desire deep relationships with their sisters in Christ, even this is fraught with many issues that keep this from becoming a reality.

• In the evangelical world, all the pressure is piled on the marital relationship to be the ‘end-all, be-all’ in regards to deep, passionate, intimate relationships.  This has been detrimental to the kind of community that Jesus envisioned, not to mention marriages themselves.

Regardless of our backgrounds, most of us have been deeply assaulted by the religious system when it comes to how we relate to one another.  Fear, suspicion, and separation have been the result.  Thankfully, the book Sacred Unions, Sacred Passions, gives us a refreshing look at what New Covenant relationships can be when fear and separation are removed.

• Did you know that the deep, intimate, passionate friendship that existed between Jonathan & David rivaled that of David’s love for women? (2 Sam. 1:26)  Could it be that this pure love is a picture or shadow of relationships in the New Covenant?

• Is it possible that men and women in Christ (who are not married to one another) could have intimate, passionate, pure, non romantic relationships with one another?

• Is it possible that the Lord’s desire for ‘oneness’ and communion is fulfilled through relationships beyond marriage?

Brennan makes a powerful case that, because of the New Covenant, not only are these kinds of relationships possible, they are essential to bringing the heart of God for His people into reality.  Brennan exposes the roots of ‘romantic idealism’ and how this cultural belief has hindered our relationships.  Brennan also masterfully sheds light on the reality of ’passion’ & ‘intimacy’ that is non erotic or romantic in nature.  In this book, the case is strongly made that people can have intimate, deeply passionate, yet non-romantic relationships with one another.  Brennan defines the concept of ‘friendship love’ and the necessity of ’friendship love’ both within marriage, and in non-marital relationships.

Of all the ‘Christian’ books I have ever read regarding relationships, none have addressed the nature of relationships (specifically cross-sex relationships) in light of the New Covenant.  I can honestly say this book, for me, has been one of the most liberating and refreshing books about the subject of relationships that I have ever read.  My hat goes off to Dan for his courage in addressing a subject that is so easily misunderstood and feared.

Who Should Read This Book

Although I truly wish everyone could read this book, many should not read it.  This book will challenge the core of your relational paradigms.  As much as I loved this book, I honestly found this book to be quite unnerving.  It exposed areas of fear that I didn’t know I was still carrying.  Nevertheless, my desire to touch the Lord’s heart and experience greater intimacy in relationships within the body of Christ is greater than the fear this book exposed.  This enabled me to finish the book, and I am more than glad that I did.  If you do not strongly desire greater depths of intimacy in your relationships right now, don’t read this book.  If you do, however, this book is a must read.

Click HERE to find out more about this book, and how you can order it.

Because of the challenging nature of this book, Dan Brennan has agreed to come on the blog this Wednesday for an interview in order to explain his heart a bit further.  I do hope you will tune in as Dan will be addressing vitally important questions about this topic.

Blessings to you,

Jamal Jivanjee

Related Reading:  The Shadow of Sex & Marriage, The Future of My Marriage, & A New Reality

I am not trying to be dramatic when I say that next week's posts should not be read by everyone. For those who have been awakened to the radical nature of the New Covenant, however, these posts will be unnervingly refreshing.

Yes…something can be 'unnerving', yet refreshing at the same time.

A few weeks ago, I ordered a book from Amazon. I was excited to receive this particular book because this book had been recommended to me from a few different sources. The title and subject matter of the book had me quite curious. Like a child waiting for Christmas, I eagerly waited for this book to arrive in the mail. When it finally came, I dove into it.

The book has deeply encouraged my spirit, and it has also challenged me in new unexpected ways as well. This book has finally put words to a reality that my spirit has naturally come awake to over the last couple of years. What I have read has literally brought me to tears several times.

I will release two blog posts next week dealing with this glorious book. The first post will be released this Monday April 1st, and will be a short book review in which I will reveal the title and incredible subject matter of this book for you.

I can't wait to tell you about it!

The second blog post will be released two days later on Wednesday April 3rd, and will be an interview with the author of this book. The author of this glorious book has graciously agreed to come on the blog to explain his heart a bit further. I am truly excited about this post as well.

Have I mentioned that I am excited to introduce this glorious book to you?

I hope some of you will tune in!

Jamal Jivanjee