Ken Row's Thoughts

Walk Worthy

2022-02-01T22:23:00.002-05:00

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.
(Ephesians 4:1, KJV)

Note three things: Paul’s imprisonment, the calling’s cost, and our duty.

Paul’s Imprisonment
Paul could have omitted his imprisonment, but he didn’t. Why not? Because it added gravity and credibility to his writing. It is like the difference between a middle schooler and a veteran talking about the pledge of allegiance – one only has head knowledge; the other has experience. One cares little; the other cares greatly. The veteran knows the cost of freedom; the child has no idea.

Paul was a veteran. He knew. He gave everything for the call – his freedom, his livelihood, his possessions, and his reputation. All were gone, and he appeared to have no regrets about it. But he also was not one to miss an opportunity to use his loss for the Lord’s gain, and so he wrote, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord...”

The Calling’s Cost
The wording implies that there is a cost or value associated to the calling – it must be worth something if one is to walk worthy of it, but what is the value of that calling? What did it cost?

To us, nothing – we paid nothing to receive it, but that does not mean it had no cost. Jesus paid His own life to purchase our salvation, and countless martyrs have paid their own lives so we could get it.

Just because you did not pay for it yourself, do not think it was cheap.

Our Duty
Paul, fully realizing the value of the calling, beseeches (pleads, begs) that we would walk worthy of it.

Walk worthy by making sure you do not lose the thing to which you were called. Peter wrote, “Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure,”¹ and Paul told Timothy to “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.”² Grab hold of your calling with both hands and do not let go!

Walk worthy by demonstrating the glory of that calling. Ensure your life is always one of power and integrity. Live so that “the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him.”³

Walk worthy by not wasting our freedom and opportunities. Paul wrote the Colossians, “Be wise when you engage with those outside the faith community; make the most of every moment and every encounter.”⁴

Walk worthy so that at the end of days, God will still “consider you worthy of this calling.”⁵ Do not let Him regret having called you.

¹ 2 Peter 1:10 · ² 1 Timothy 6:12 · ³ 2 Thessalonians 1:12
⁴ Colossians 4:5, Voice · ⁵ 2 Thessalonians 1:11

Dad Jokes

2020-02-28T11:35:00.001-05:00

Experimenting with the MediBang Paint app...

Bible Coolness: Brevity

2016-01-28T13:58:00.001-05:00

Considering today’s all-inclusive media coverage of celebrities (You know: the so-and-so went out in public without makeup kind of drivel that pervades our newsstands), I find it both surprising and refreshing that scripture doesn’t tell everything.

There’s a whole slew of tidbits that “enquiring minds” might “want to know”:

Did Jesus’ grandparents support Joseph and Mary’s marriage?
Did they spend time with little Jesus?
Did they ever come to believe the conception was immaculate?
Was Mary the talk of the town?
What did Jesus look like?
Was He a bald baby, or did He have lots of hair?
What was Jesus like as a two-year-old?
Did He go through the “terrible twos”?
Did Mary ever have to tell Him, “No”?
Did Jesus like broccoli?

On and on, the list of questions could go... but scripture is pretty silent. We get bits and pieces: the birth, the circumcision a week later, the flight to Egypt, a return to Nazareth, but nothing about early childhood until a decade or so later when Mary and Joseph lose track of Jesus and find Him in the temple. And after that... there’s nothing until Jesus reaches adulthood.

I asked God, “Why don’t we get to read the [juicy] details?”

He said, “Because it’s none of your business.”

God honored Mary by keeping private both some possibly embarrassing details and also some of the special moments she had alone with her child. Those details and moments are hers, and God let her keep them.

God went on to explain, “My Word contains everything you need to know; if it doesn’t say it, you don’t need to know it.”

To me, that’s cool on two different levels:

If God’s Word is brief, it’s only because He left out something I didn’t need to know.
I know I can trust God with my own business -- He won’t blab!

Bible Coolness: Ambiguity

2016-01-24T23:37:00.004-05:00

Sometimes Bible verses can seem a little elusive in meaning, open to interpretation... and to me, that can be a cool thing.

Ephesians 4:12 is one such verse.

You read it one way, and it sounds like ministers have three jobs:

the perfecting of the saints
the work of the ministry
the edifying of the body of Christ

But if you read it in another way, it sounds like:

ministers perfect the saints,
the saints do the work, and
the work edifies the body of Christ.

This used to bug me: I wanted to know who's supposed to do the work! Did God expect the pastor to do it, or did God expect the saints to do it?

So I asked God, "Who, exactly, is supposed to do the work? The pastor or the people?"

He said, "Both."

Either way you interpret Eph 4:12, it's right -- both the ministers and the saints are supposed to do the work. Isn't it cool when ambiguous verses end up richer and fuller in meaning than straight-forward ones!

One of these days, I'll share the five different meanings I've encountered for the binding/loosing verse (Matt 18:18) -- five wildly-variant meanings, and I believe all of them!

Bible Coolness: Group Effort

2015-11-12T01:40:00.000-05:00

The Bible isn't one single book, written by one single person, but it's rather a collection of books from dozens of contributors over a span of thousands of years.

Contributors include:

Moses: Pharoah's adopted grandson, turned desert nomad
David: A shepherd boy and a warrior-poet who slayed a giant and became a king
Ezra: A priest
Nehemiah: A king's cup-bearer
Daniel: A slave turned statesman
Amos: A farmer
Jeremiah: A life-long prophet
Peter and John: Fishermen
Matthew: A tax collector
Luke: A doctor
Paul: A religious zealot

The cool thing is that although these writers have varying backgrounds and they wrote across varying eras, they agree with each other regarding who God is and how He acts. This shows true testimony (the authors are testifying about something they truly experienced) and common inspiration (all authors interacted with the same God who inspired their writings).

2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.

2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God....

Hewing Your Own Tablets

2015-07-13T12:26:00.001-04:00

Exodus 34:1

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Hew thee two tablets of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tablets the words that were in the first tablets, which thou brakest."

The original tablets... God prepared.
The second ones... Moses had to.

Fellow Christians, think about this: when God's Word and saving grace first came, it was all God's doing -- all we did was receive it.

But now, sometimes we have to prepare.

Think about the parable of the sower -- which ground produced much? Not the footpath, nor the rocky soil, nor the brier patch, but the prepared ground.

Have you prepared to receive what God wants to tell you?

Don't Let Your Past Abort Your Future

2015-02-17T11:59:00.001-05:00

From Genesis 11:

²⁷Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begat Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begat Lot. ²⁸And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. ²⁹And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram’s wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah. ³⁰But Sarai was barren; she had no child. ³¹And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son’s son, and Sarai his daughter in law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there. ³²And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years: and Terah died in Haran.

Terah had three sons: Abram, Nahor and Haran.

His youngest son, Haran, died early, “before his father”, which means “before his father died,” but could also mean, “before his father’s face” or “in front of him.”

Terah packs up his family, and leaves Ur, headed for Canaan, but he halts his journey when he comes to a place named after his dead son: Haran. Possible that the town Haran could’ve been founded by his son Haran — that happened often in those times.

Terah dies in Haran, without ever seeing Canaan.

Don’t let the memories of some dead thing from your past keep you from obtaining the promise God has for your future.

At Home with Praise

2014-01-13T16:31:00.000-05:00

While reading Exodus 15:2, I noticed something odd between two different versions.

Look at this:

Here’s the King James version:

The Lord is my strength and song,
And He is become my salvation:
He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

And here’s the New King James version:

The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and I will praise Him;
My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.

Did you see it? In the third line, the KJV says, “I will prepare Him an habitation,” but the NKJV says, “I will praise Him.”

At this point, some assume there’s a mistake in the translation, but all I see is a cue to dig deeper.

A quick check of Strong’s concordance explains the Hebrew word behind the phrase:

navah — a primitive root; to rest (as at home); causatively (through the implied idea of beauty (compare naveh)), to celebrate (with praises) — keep at home, prepare an habitation.

It seems the KJV got it right, but does that mean the newer translation is wrong?

No! God’s Word is much too cool for that.

Take a look at Psalm 22:3:

But Thou art holy,
O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

You see, God inhabits praises — you “prepare a habitation” by praising Him.

In other words: when you praise Him, God makes Himself at home in the middle of your praise.

Praise Him!

7 Web Resources for Election Season

2012-10-09T01:10:00.001-04:00

It’s mud-slinging season in the United States, and this one’s a doozy. Same-sex marriage advocates speak louder and with larger platforms than ever before. Pro-lifers continue to debate pro-choicers. Bankers and CEOs lean to the right; universities and tech companies lean to the left. Tea parties have been held; Wall street has been occupied, and everyone, everywhere seems to be hollering about something.

To make matters worse, the internet has opened up a floodgate of information. Every day, between my email in-box, my twitter feed and my facebook account, I get inundated with political messages, sent by hundreds of friends who have inadvertently become activists. They text. The internet delivers. I get overwhelmed.

How am I supposed to know who is right? If I want to make an informed vote based on reliable, unbiased information, where can I go?

The good news: The internet has some answers; we just need to know where to look.

1. WWJD: What Would Jesus Do?
The Bible contains over 30,000 verses, many of which can speak to any situation we face — whether political or everyday. Finding the answer may be as easy as reading the Bible, and to help with that, here are a couple of great Bible web sites:

Bible.cc - search multiple versions by scripture or a phrase, see results for multiple versions and/or languages at once — quick and easy! Includes maps, commentaries and word study tools.

BibleGateway.com - includes some modern translations that bible.cc doesn’t carry (e.g. The Amplified Bible, The Message).

2. Fact or Fiction?
The optimist in me wants to believe everything; the pessimist in me wants to doubt everything, but the realist in me uses sites like these:

FactCheck.org - this site consistently wins the Webby award for the best political site on the internet. FactCheck.org monitors political debates, speeches and articles and then, if errors are made, FactCheck lists the errors and points to the accurate information.

PolitiFact.com - like factcheck.org, but features a “truth-o-meter” ranking statements as true, mostly true, half-true, mostly-false, false, or “liar-liar pants on fire.”

Snopes.com - Any time I get an email or read a facebook message asking me to “pass this on to everybody I know”, I simply don’t. I never pass anything on. I do, however, check the statement against snopes.com — the “definitive Internet reference source for urban legends, folklore, myths, rumors, and misinformation”. I even check things that say “verified by snopes.com” because many things say they’re verified, but they’re actually not.

3. Follow the MoneyTo be elected, it takes money, a “war chest”, but few politicians are rich enough to pay for their own campaigns. They have to recruit supporters, often making agreements that say, “if you help me get elected, I promise I will....” So the questions for voters are: Who’s buying whom? And at what cost? These sites have the answers:
OpenSecrets.org - ran by the Center for Responsible Politics, this bi-partisan site monitors political contributions and expenditures and shows exactly where the money’s coming from and where it’s going.

MapLight.org - this site cross-references the data from opensecrets.org with legislative data from govtrack.us to show how contributions from big corporations and political action committees (PACs) are influencing current legislation.

4. Mud-Slinging on TV? Use This!
If you’re watching a political ad on TV or YouTube and you want to know immediately who’s behind the ad, how much they paid, and whether the claims are fact-based or not, the answer could be as close as the cell phone or tablet in your hand. Android and iPhone apps can listen to ads while they play, match the audio against a database, and provide details in about 30 seconds.

AdHawk.sunlightfoundation.com - For iPhone and Android, Ad Hawk shows who’s behind the ads and how much they spent.

SuperPACApp.org - For the iPhone/iPad only, the Super PAC app also shows what claims are being made and whether the claims are factual or not.

5. Straight From the Horse’s Elephant’s/Donkey’s Mouth
Instead of relying on what someone tells you about a party’s platform, you can go straight to the source and read the party platform yourself. The web sites for the Republican, Democratic and Libertarian parties have downloadable copies of their 2012 platforms.

Republicans: www.gopconvention2012.com/media-portal
Democrats: my.democrats.org/platform
Libertarians: www.lp.org/platform

6. Foreign News Sources
News businesses are businesses — entities that make money by selling news. The more news they sell (or the larger the audience), the more they make. Conservative outlets bias their news to conservative audiences, because that’s where they make their money; likewise, liberal outlets bias to liberal audiences. One way to eliminate some of the conservative/liberal (or republican/democrat) bias is to see what a disinterested party has to say, which is where these foreign news sources come in handy:

rt.com - Moscow, Russia
jpost.com - Jerusalem, Israel
bbc.co.uk - Great Britain

Note: While foreign news sources may be unpolluted by American bias, they still speak with worldly wisdom, which, according to James 3:15, can be earthly, sensual [self-centered] and demonic. No matter where you get your news, always seek the wisdom which is from above (James 3:17).

7. Something for Sunday Morning
All of this web-based information is nice, but what about the pastor who wants to put resources right in the hands of their congregation?

iVoteValues.org - provides resources just for churches and pastors, including:

Legal Do’s and Don’ts [worth reading just for this!]
Videos
Print-ready advertising materials
Voter registration materials
Presidential voter guides

The Concerns of a Mouse

2012-01-01T00:32:00.000-05:00

From the CyberSalt Digest (www.cybersalt.org):

"What food might this contain?," the mouse wondered. He was devastated to discover it was a mousetrap.

Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed this warning:

"There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, "Mr. Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no consequence to me. I cannot be bothered by it."

The mouse turned to the pig and told him, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The pig sympathized, but said, "I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but there is nothing I can do about it."

The mouse turned to the cow and said, "There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!"

The cow said, "Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin off my nose."

So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and dejected, to face the farmer's mousetrap . . . alone.

That very night a sound was heard throughout the house - the sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.

The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught.

In the darkness, she did not see it.

It was a venomous snake whose tail was caught in the trap.

The snake bit the farmer's wife.

The farmer rushed her to the hospital. When she returned home she still had a fever.

Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup. So the farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main ingredient:

But his wife's sickness continued.

Friends and neighbors came to sit with her around the clock. To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.

But, alas, the farmer's wife did not get well . . . she died.

So many people came for her funeral that the farmer had the cow slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them for the
funeral luncheon..

And the mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great sadness.

So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and you think it doesn't concern you, remember: When one of us is threatened, we are all at risk. We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another…

Enormously Gorgeous

2011-10-11T14:53:00.000-04:00

From the CyberSalt Digest (www.cybersalt.org):

My Dad says I am Enormously Gorgeous.
I wonder if I really am?

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Sarah says you need to have beautiful long curly hair like she has.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Justin says you must have perfectly straight white teeth like he has.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Jessica says you can’t have any of those little brown dots on your face called freckles.
I do.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Mark says you have to be the smartest kid in the seventh grade class.
I’m not.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Stephen says you have to be able to tell the funniest jokes in the school.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Lauren says you need to live in the nicest neighborhood in town and in the prettiest house.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Matthew says you can only wear the coolest clothes and the most popular shoes.
I don’t.

To be Enormously Gorgeous...
Samantha says you need to come from a perfect family.
I don’t.

But every night at bedtime my dad gives me a big hug and says, “You are Enormously Gorgeous, and I love you.”

My dad must know something my friends don’t.

- Carla O'Brien.

Steven Furtick on Detours

2010-08-25T12:48:00.000-04:00

Here's a clip from Steven Furtick’s blog post Detours to the Destination:

The single greatest thing standing in-between you and God’s plan for your life is not just your preconceived notion of what that life itself should be. It’s also your preconceived notion of the road you should take to get there.

Wow! How many times do we get bent-out-of-shape because we’re stuck on some road that we don’t think will take us where we’re going?

If God said we’re going to a place, we’ll get there... eventually... and usually after many God-ordained detours that He didn't tell us about up-front.

Be sure to read the rest of Furtick’s post Detours to the Destination.

The Litany of Humility

2010-08-01T00:32:00.001-04:00

One of my wife's friends recommended this litany as a help during a trying time.

I think this is the first litany I've ever read. There's a lot to think about in these words.

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.

From the desire of being esteemed, deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...

From the fear of being humiliated, deliver me, Jesus.
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated [i.e. slandered] ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I, Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world, others may increase and I may decrease...
That others may be chosen and I set aside...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should...

Obituary - Someone Else

2010-05-19T09:16:00.000-04:00

Our church was saddened to learn this week of the death of one of our most valued members, Someone Else.

Someone's passing creates a vacancy that will be difficult to fill. Else has been with us for many years and for every one of those years, Someone did far more than a normal person's share of the work.

Whenever there was a job to do, a class to teach, or a meeting to attend, one name was on everyone's list, "Let Someone Else do it." Whenever leadership was mentioned, this wonderful person was looked to for inspiration as well as results; "Someone Else can work with that group."

It was common knowledge that Someone Else was among the most liberal givers in our church. Whenever there was a financial need, everyone just assumed Someone Else would make up the difference.

Someone Else was a wonderful person; sometimes appearing superhuman. Were the truth known, everybody expected too much of Someone Else. Now Someone Else is gone! We wonder what we are going to do.

Someone Else left a wonderful example to follow, but who is going to follow it? Who is going to do the things Someone Else did? When you are asked to help this year, remember - we can't depend on Someone Else anymore.

- Author Unknown

A Warrior Must Fight

2010-01-26T22:36:00.000-05:00

Warriors aren't really warriors unless they stand up to the enemy. The warrior that always runs from the battle is just a coward wearing armor and carrying a sword.

Saul and the Israelites spent 40 days cowering before Goliath, but David defeated him the day he first heard of him. All it took was a rock and a prayer and a warrior willing to face the giant.

How about you?

What giants are on your battlefield?

What fights have you been putting off for the past 40 days (weeks/months/years)?

Perhaps it's time to...

- start that fast

- pray that prayer

- make that call

- have that talk

- give up that habit

- surrender that will

- face that giant

Draw the Sword or Keep it Sheathed?

2010-01-25T13:16:00.000-05:00

Sometimes a warrior must attack with his sword.
Sometimes he just needs to draw it.
Sometimes it's wiser to keep it sheathed.
Occasionally it'd be best to not carry it at all (when visiting a king or president, for example).

How do you think those circumstances apply to Christians today?

Are there times where quoting scripture is a bad idea?

What does Luke 12:11-12 say about this?

Three Questions to Ask After Every Event

2009-11-09T13:34:00.001-05:00

I got these questions from Rick Clendenen, who got them from Dale Yearton.

After every event, get together with the event staff and discuss the following three questions:

What is the best that happened?
What is the worst that happened?
What can we do better?

Worship Set for 8/30/09

2009-08-31T00:29:00.005-04:00

What a privilege it was to minister at Cornerstone in Bedford/Judah yesterday! I am especially honored that Pastor Reynolds trusts me to minister while he's away.

I am sure some of the songs I led were new to the congregation, but I still felt God's presence as we united our voices in praise.

A.M. Worship set:
Offering: Come and Go With Me
Friend of God (Gungor/Houghton)
Mighty Is Our God (Greco/Moen)
Let Everything That Hath Breath (Gary Oliver)
We Fall Down (Chris Tomlin)
Word of God Speak (MercyMe)

P.M. Worship set:
We've Come to Praise Him (Richard Smallwood)
Jesus I'll Never Forget
Look What the Lord Has Done
Nothing's Too Big for My God (Nancy Harmon)
Bless the Lord (Hall/Jarnagin/Sasser)
I Need Thee (Robert Lowry)
Offering: More Than Enough (Gary Oliver)

In the evening service, I got to preach as well. As usual, my message had no title, but I did my best to convey the four (!) statements God wanted me to deliver:

God's Promises are True.
But to cash in on the Word, we need to know the Word, keep the Word, and obey the Word.
References: Jn 14:23, Luke 4:18-19 (a word we can claim since we're part of Christ's body, Luke 8 (parable of the sower)
We Need the Holy Ghost
One reason: To remind us of the Word
Reference: Jn 14:26
We Need Permanency (in God)
We need to quit playing around and make up our minds we're sticking with God.
Reference: Jn 15:7
We Need to Delight in God
If lack of desire (to live for God) is a problem, we need to delight in God so that He can place new desires in our heart.
Reference: Ps 37:4

Seven Categories of Revelation

2009-08-09T02:30:00.003-04:00

David Cartledge, in The Apostolic Revolution,lists seven categories of revelation:

Reiteration or Re-ephasis of the Bible
Concepts that Parallel God's Written Word
Non-Biblical Ideas that Do Not Contradict It
Revelations that Contradict the Bible
Prophetic Direction and Confirmations
Supernatural Demonstrations and Signs
Nonsense

Over the past 25 years I've been a Pentecostal Christian, I've heard a number of "prophecies", either via interpretation of tongues or through direct speech. Some came to pass. Others did not. Some are still pending.

Cartledge's categories nicely cover the gamut of prophecies I've heard.

Reiteration or Re-ephasis of the Bible
This sort is fairly common, in my opinion. Interpretations or prophecies are often direct quotes from scripture as in "Thus saith the Lord, I am the Lord that healeth thee." (from Ex 15:26).

For what it's worth, I'm always a little amused that most interpreters of tongues deliver their interpretations in King James English. I may be wrong, but I feel like God possibly impressed a concept on the speaker's mind which the speaker then delivered using King James English. I know when God speaks directly to me, it's always in short phrases of contemporary English: "Sit down", "Pray for ____", etc. He has never said, "Sit thou down" (but He probably will now that I've posted this.)

Concepts that Parallel God's Written Word
This sort of revelation delivers a Biblical concept, but one that won't be found word-for-word in Scripture. For example, "God wants you to forgive your brother."

Non-Biblical Ideas that Do Not Contradict It
This sort of revelation isn't found in the Bible at all, but it does not contradict the Bible. Examples could be: "God wants us to hold a revival." or "God wants you to give your car to a missionary."

Revelations that Contradict the Bible
There are some who claim to have received supernatural revelation that is absolutely contradictory to what's written in the Bible.

Some have determined that they married the wrong person and that God wants them to divorce their spouse and marry another -- even though God said in Malachi 2:16 (NIV) "I hate divorce".

The Mormons claim the revelation that the regular Bible was meant for Jews and that the Book of Mormon is the Bible meant for Americans, even though the regular Bible describes its own law as the "perfect law of liberty" (James 1:25) and says it "is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim 3:16-17). Our own Bible is sufficient for both Jew and non-Jew to be made perfect. We don't need another book.

Some oneness Pentecostals have said that oneness doctrine must be understood by revelation, that it can't be understood simply by reading scripture -- even though Paul said scripture was profitable for doctrine (2 Tim 3:16) and James described our law as "perfect" (James 1:25).

Note: Any revelation that contradicts the Bible is a false revelation!

Our Scripture is "given by inspiration of God". It was recorded as "holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost". Our Scripture is a trustworthy record of God's will and word, and God himself will never contradict it. "Let God be true, but every man a liar" (Rom 3:4).

Prophetic Direction and Confirmations
This sort of revelation would lay out or confirm a direction for ministry.

Sometimes the word may come early -- many years before its fulfillment. Therefore, I do not recommend making big immediate changes just because you received such a word. Make sure the Holy Ghost bears witness. Seek the advise of an elder. Cover decisions and actions with prayer. Discern whether God said "do it now" or if He said, "you're going to do this sometime".

Sometimes the revelation comes to confirm things God has already spoken to you.

Supernatural Demonstrations and Signs
This sort of revelation is absolutely supernatural and borders on the miraculous.

It could be a prophetic word saying "God says He heard your prayer this morning when you said ____". Such a word would be delivered by someone who had no way of knowing what had happened.

It could also be a prophetic word saying, "tomorrow, such and such will happen." Again, the speaker would have no way of knowing what would happen.

This sort of revelation could also come through dreams that reveal information or events that either have not yet occurred or that already occurred, but you did not witness.

Nonsense/Prophe-lying
Unfortunately, I think much contemporary "revelation" falls into this category. Too many people "feel" things that God had nothing to do with. Too many people say things that God didn't tell them to say.

Even prophets with genuine gifts sometimes feel so compelled to deliver a "word" that they can blur the line between what God actually said and what they felt like God might have wanted to say. Take Nathan, for example. When David wanted to build a temple, Nathan first said, "Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee" (2 Sam 7:3), but later that night, God told Nathan otherwise.

Ho Hum! Could an unruly crowd improve a speech?

2009-06-15T05:05:00.004-04:00

The trouble with speaking to a well-behaved crowd is that you can never be certain if the folks are tuned in or not. Common courtesy mandates that they at least look like they're tuned in -- even if they're mentally elsewhere.

A fellow named Richard C. Borden developed a speech methodology where you imagine you're speaking to an unruly crowd.

The moment you step to the dias, this imaginary crowd yells out, "Ho hum!" Borden recommends you start a fire. That is, you say something that invokes curiousity or grabs attention.

Next, the crowd yells out, "Why bring that up?!?" Borden says to build a bridge -- relate the opening sentence to the folks in the crowd.

The crowd then yells out, "For instance?!?" Borden advises to get down to cases -- provide examples and/or tell stories, preferably ones that are simple, unexpected, credible, concrete, and emotional (read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Dieby Chip and Dan Heath for more info on stories like these).

Finally, the crowd yells out, "So what?!?" This is the time to ask for action. Determine beforehand what you want the audience to do, then ask for it.

The 10 Commandments, in TXT Spk

2009-06-08T18:10:00.002-04:00

I found this on Fast Company's site, but they'd reposted it from a group named McSweeney's.

RT@theLORD:
no1 b4 me. srsly.

dnt wrshp pix/idols

no omg's

no wrk on w/end (sat 4 now; sun l8r)

pos ok - ur m&d r cool

dnt kill ppl

:-X only w/ m8

dnt steal

dnt lie re: bf

dnt ogle ur bf's m8. or ox. or dnkey. myob.
M, pls rite on tabs & giv 2 ppl.

ttyl, JHWH.

ps. wwjd?

The Last Lot

2009-05-04T09:50:00.001-04:00

I've often thought casting lots would be the perfect replacement for modern church elections - just toss the names in a hat and pick one.

And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (Acts 1:26, KJV)

I just recently realized, however, that this method was only used before the Holy Ghost was given. You never again see anything regarding lots after Acts 2.

In place of lots, you find the Holy Ghost leading and guiding.

Jesus said the Holy Ghost would do so:

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. (John 16:13)

The Holy Ghost was involved in Saul/Paul and Barnabas's appointment:

¹Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
²As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
³And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they sailed to Cyprus. (Acts 13:1-4)

The Holy Ghost led the way in resolving the circumcision conflict in Acts 15:

For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; (Acts 15:28)

I wonder why we depend so much on elections nowadays?

More Faith in Suffering Than In Blessing

2009-04-30T09:00:00.001-04:00

Here's some food for thought from David Cartledge's book The Apostolic Revolution:

The reason why much preaching is negative is because the preachers themselves have no confidence in God or His promises. They cannot conceive that God would bless His people, and actually have more faith in suffering and limitation than in victory and freedom. Because of this, they often oppose the idea that God delights to prosper His people in their spirit, soul, body and social areas.

I asked my wise wife why she thought this was so. Her answer: It doesn't require faith at all to believe in suffering or limitation, because faith is the substance of things hoped for.

Humility vs. Stagefright

2009-04-29T10:10:00.000-04:00

In his book, Playing from the Second Chair, Rick Clendenen states:

Humility is not thinking less of ourselves; it is simply thinking of ourselves less. It is putting the needs of others above our own.

Somehow I managed to mash together the above in my mind. For several days, I went about reminding myself that "Humility is not thinking less of ourselves; it is thinking more of others."

I once heard someone say that stagefright is a form of pride. We mask it as fear of speaking, but it's really a fear of failing in front of others. Our focus is on us - not on the ones who need our messsage.

Humility, remember, focuses more on others.

I remember the first time I taught at a district event. About a hundred people from a dozen or so churches were gathered, and I was starting to get nervous. I then remembered two things:

Stagefright is a form of pride.
The message is key - the message matters more than my own discomfort.

I recited 1 Thess 5:24 under my breath (Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.) Reminding myself that the message is key, I focused and delivered it with confidence.

I find it interesting that by focusing on others instead of myself, my nerves calmed and my confidence increased.

I humbled myself in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord lifted me up (see James 4:10). I did not demean myself - I just focused on others. The Lord lifted me by giving me confidence and anointing to deliver the message.

Judging Prophecy

2009-04-27T12:10:00.001-04:00

Paul told the Corinthians to "Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (1 Cor 14:29)," but I've always wondered how to do that.

How can one prophet judge another's prophecy without hurting their feelings or undermining their authority?

I gained insight through a story David Cartledge included in his book The Apostolic Revolution. Cartledge repeated a story originally told by Barney Coombs:

"I was sitting with a group of men in a council meeting. The evangelist with us brought a word of prophecy. The prophet turned to me and said, 'Barney, are we allowed to judge that prophecy?' Now we were like family around this table but you could have cut the atmosphere with a knife. I said, 'Be my guest.' He said, 'I don't think it was from God.' I turned to another man who is wise and also a prophet and said, 'John, what do you feel?' 'No,' he said, 'I don't think it was from God.' Then the man who was in charge of the business and also prophetic said, 'The prophecy we have heard is not from God, but the Spirit says that so and so did not share all he saw, and when he shares all he saw, it will be from God.' I felt goosebumps up and down my spine! I turned to the evangelist and said, 'Is that true?' And he said, 'Yes.' When he shared all that he had seen, all the men said, 'This is from God.' It changed everything."