Birth Pangs

It stands to reason that any level of understanding of a realm so completely different (foreign) from our own requires a total rethinking of our view of reality. Further, a plane of existence that is so different from our own experience is completely beyond our full understanding. We can only have the level of understanding of this realm we have been called into that the Father chooses to reveal to us. “No one can receive anything except he receives it from heaven”. Please read some earlier thoughts that have flowed into these from here.

As I ponder on what I have said here, what comes like a piercing arrow to my thoughts is much akin to the total all consuming display of wonder and delight on the face of Lucy who in one moment before standing in one realm and then in the next step blown away as she stepped into the realm of Narnia.

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

This past Saturday I was invited to attend in a (gathering) conversation with Wayne, that being with Wayne Jacobson. This gathering was being held at the Fletcher residence, parents of Janna, and Paul LaFrance, just east of Toronto Ontario. What a day it was for us all, I traveled there with a good friend and brother, Ron just for the Saturday, as we could not make it for their first get together Friday evening.

I am still basking, soaking in so much that was graciously poured out in our mutually time of listening and interacting. As a side note I was reacquainted with a brother and his wife from our former city we use to live in, it had been 18 long years since our last time together, what sheer delight to see and hear his heart song and deep love affair with Jesus!

What I believe I am being exposed to over and over from different angels, different siblings in Christ is a distinct and more in focus understanding of the blue prints for the church, Christ said he is building. Without a plan, blue print, the Lord building the house, the labourers are building in vain.
As there were succinct and exacting definitions, descriptions, within the blue prints handed to Moses from God regarding the building of the tabernacle (tent of meeting) and all that pertained to the worship of God which needs to be seen here and now but a mere shadow of something so much more permanent and eternal!
I’m talking about the blue prints given to our brother Paul when he was caught up in the unfolding revelation of the ascended and glorified Christ.
Let me tell you right up front, these heavenly designs were not about forming or establishing the home church movement, or the organic or missional movement or anything to do with man’s poor limited rendition of trying to bag and tag what Christ alone is doing!

Like our brother Paul, I see there being so many other siblings living but for one purpose, to see His Church coming into plain view, and Wayne being but one of the many.
There is so much exploding within my heart about all of this, but I will try to wrap it up shortly here.

Within our flesh there is madness, a perverted sickness that lust’s after a “methodology” that can be implemented to bring forth that which only comes into being as a result of the Spirit of truth breaking the encrypted code of Christ in us the hope of glory! Ergo the need of the re-birthing, but that in and of itself apart from the continued work of His spirit can soon become something detached from Him.
What has and is being offered to us is NOT a method, but a message, one God the Holy Spirit is in charge of in deciphering, this has nothing to do with loading us down with more academic ego bloating, but is in fact a transmission, a transmitting of revelation knowledge of who is in us as us! This knowing is not available to the wise or prudent scholars with a parade of letters before or after their names, but is only available to those who are secure in the utter weakness ergo, “thank you father that you have hidden this message from the wise guys and made it known unto the children.”

It was during the Saturday gathering that I freshly observed some observations I hope to share in additional thoughts in another blog entry, dealing with some observations that dawned on me, simply watching and observing the looks on many different faces as they were listening, hearing, maybe some for the first time, the message of pure 100% unconditional love and grace.

Rich

The Dissonance of Grace

There's a sound reverberating throughout the earth; this incredible melodic piece of music is coming straight from the Pied Piper, the holy composer himself, leading us out of our religious stupor into life. In fact the whole universe has been choreographed to His music.

I woke up this morning with a line from a song dancing and skipping over and over in my heart, “What would you do if I sang out of tune, would you stand up and walk out on me? I’m sure it had something to do with the you tube clip I have at the top that my wife had me listen to yesterday.

Every time God makes himself known in a much more intimate and personal way the rippling affects seem to bring such dissonance and division to the body of Christ, why is that?
Let’s look at the word dissonance for a review of its meaning shall we: inharmonious or harsh sound; cacophony.
Music: a simultaneous combination of tones conventionally accepted as being in a state of unrest and needing completion.
Was grace only there in the saving of our spirit uniting us, making us one with the Father, or was this same grace also there to infuse us with a deep heart reality of His total unconditional love for me/us, a grace that would bring the rest of us into harmony with the perfect pitch of our composer.

The music being heard and responded to is nothing new in one sense and yet what has been hidden within this music is transforming the hearts of many who have lived as followers of Christ and yet consumed, ruled by their fears. This isn’t some second experience but perhaps much more to the point an awakening of the heart as to what his grace was fully intended for but missed.

The Pied Piper Christ has lead me and I’m sure many others out of the inner trappings of the Matrix of religion which first as always begins from deep within us, and the ongoing transformation of being extricated is all part of our continued journey of discovering that we can live ‘loved.’
But why the dissonance within the family of God settings, why does this sweet sound of liberty and freedom sound so harsh and cause such unrest to many of our siblings? Could it possible be that it has NEVER EVER been an issue of us verse them, but in fact it has and is all about choosing Life over death. Each of us is responsible to freely choose His continued offer of life or settling for a mere form of godliness.

This voluntary response to this drummer’s beat goes sideways to anyone marching to the beat of religion, we are no longer remotely interested in spiritual parlour games, therefore our dancing to the music is being highly criticized which in my opinion will turn into something far more caustic in the not too far future, but I say, bring it on baby!!

Rich

Living out Loud

My Response To Pete

I thought because of the length of this, I would reply with a separate post regarding Pete’s question/s comments when I put this blog entry up.
Pete's thoughts etc. are in white, mine are in green.

I had listened to Darin on the God Journey podcast and I have friends who are very much part of Darin's Free Believer's Network, who encouraged me to look at the site and listen to some of the podcasts. The first thing I noticed on the home page was the introductory SERMON and the request for donations of $20 or more. That was two red flags!

Pete, All I know is that our heavenly Father has always made himself available to those seeking Him for Himself. I love how in Luke it says of Jesus, he sent the full away empty, but the empty, he sent away full! Not sure how that ties in here, but it is the truth just the same then as it is now.

I guess what I am pondering is, is my life, the life of the Father in us, as us, is it creating a hunger to want Him, to know Him without any unnecessary props? Are we more concerned in making others disciples of my/our opinions than of Him?
It seems that there is this mentality that has a firm grip on the hull of our thinking much like the barnacles on a ship, that if there is indeed a genuine hunger that has been birthed in the life of an individual then I must be that special someone they must have in their life in order to accurately hear Papa for their continued walk in grace. Is this the Truth?


BUT I did look at several articles and listened to a couple of podcasts. Some of the material is excellent but ...

I expressed my concern to another friend who pointed out that Darin was still giving sermons and that it seemed to him as if Darin was on a journey but hadn't yet had the courage to really step out of the box.

As I mentioned on my blog , Father has wonderfully enriched me personally through things he has written, on his pod casts etc, but I no longer see anyone especially those who are looked upon or on as being someone special. I kissed way to much ass in my former days playing the game within churchianity.

I am in the process of reading Wayne Jacobsen’s book, The Naked Church, and although in the very start of it I am seeing things he shared back more than 10 years ago being MOST relevant to some of what I have expressed in my thoughts re: this blog entry as well as in my reponse back to you.
By the way, before I forget, there was something you posted on a blog somewhere not sure where a line/phrase you said you had heard once that goes something like this; “I don’t really know what I think, until I have spoken it out loud.” I probably have misquoted you, but I loved that.
So in saying that even now in my pondering and sending this on to you, I too am learning, discovering much about what I really think, by voicing my thoughts out loud.
I love this part from Wayne’s book, and I intend to use this in a letter I'm forwarding to a good friend that has recently contacted me.

“Anyone who does not gush with admiration for church institutions and activities today is accused of being arrogant, rebellious, or judgemental. That’s our modern equivalent of being stupid or unfit. So, even though our Christian experience feels empty, we think we’re the only ones to feel that way. To admit this is unthinkable, so we rationalize those nagging thoughts that tell us this can’t really be what God had in mind. After all, there is always more to be gained by exploiting a system than there is by exposing it.”

We could both see that Darin had a lot to offer primarily younger people, who were beginning their journey outside of traditional Churchianity.

Pete, in my opinion, NONE of US has ANYTHING to offer anyone apart from Christ in us as us, period!! We are all placed in our journey of discovering at different times we are both students and teachers.
We are all being discipled by Christ Himself through His spirit working in and through each of us.

But this raised another question. How would we answer someone who suggested that had an elitist attitude?

Great question Pete; I love the story in Acts where it talks about a brother, an ‘Apostle’’ named Apollos who was an ’eloquent’ man, and he was mighty in the ‘Scriptures’. (Acts 18:24-28) This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord. He was according to the Scriptures speaking fervently in spirit, teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John, none the less spoke out boldly in the synagogue.
But, it says, and this is the heart beat of my response to your question; Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more ACCURATELY!

In my opinion when one sees them self being as a ‘someone-body’ as in, who do you think you are trying to tell me, don’t you know who I AM!
I am NOT saying this is how Darin sees himself, all I know is the church was fortunate back then that Apollos didn’t get all puffed up on who he was, but in fact a very real spirit of humility seemed to set the stage in his life in receiving a greater revelation of who this Christ was/is through what has often been referred to as ‘lay people.’
These two ‘lay people’ were fellow workers, colleagues with Paul himself.

I believe we miss so much in being puffed up vs. Being established and built up out His love 4 us ALL. It says in the Scriptures that the whole body is to be built up as a result of speaking the truth in love to each and every member. Our reliance is on one man, the man Christ Jesus as our only mediator between the Father and us!

I NO longer see any heroes, great men of God, but slowly as the eyes of my heart are being opened, I am SEEING the greatness of Him, our Papa in all that have been received of the Father.

We all NEED to see, especially those who might feel a bit superior to those ordinary garden variety type believers that He continues to oppose the proud, but graces the humble.
We are in great need of His grace and truth to NO LONGER recognize-know anyone after the flesh! Until this becomes the norm within the church, the cast systems will reign even outside ‘the box.’

And for the record, if I was able to sit down with Darin I would lovingly and calmly speak my heart to him expressing his need for me as much as my need for him, no more or less!!!

Rich

The simple answer is that I can't. I know the journey I have been on - outside the box to some extent for about 40 years - and how my thoughts and beliefs have changed gradually in that time.

Any thoughts?