Seek me and live

I have some things on my heart I’d like to share. As a side note, I’d like to say that this week my life was rocked. As if things weren’t already difficult enough, things went from a category 1 storm to a category 5, in a span of about 60 seconds. What’s the old adage? “When it rains, it pours!” Jesus confirmed what Job had already proclaimed thousands of years prior, “As sparks fly upward, so are the troubles of man.” Christ said, “when” the storms come… not, “if” the storms come.

Little did I know that my musings on “In the boat with Jesus” were a precursor of an even more tempestuous storm. You’ve been there, right? What else can I do? I must fall on the rock, my foundation. He alone is the rock that is higher than I. The Holy Spirit spoke to me so beautifully through Psalm 61 this week. If you think about it, remember to pray for us.

The word of the Lord to Israel through the prophet Amos in Chapter 5:4-5 was as follows:

“ Seek me and live;
but do not seek Bethel,
and do not enter into Gilgal
or cross over to Beersheba;
for Gilgal shall surely go into exile,
and Bethel shall come to nothing .”

These landmarks highlighted by God, held an historical and spiritual significance in the life of Israel. So much so, that the life of the nation was inexorably tied to them. Unfortunately, these had become places of idolatry. Gilgal, the location, became more important than the God of Gilgal, and as such, God is warning the people that in spite of the historical importance of these landmarks and subsequent encounters with God in these places, they are ultimately, in of and themselves, insignificant. “Seek me and live.”

Much like the Ephod the priest wore. Instead of seeking the God who was manifest through the Urim and Thummim, the people began to worship the Ephod which contained in a pouch the Urim and Thummim!

I wonder how much different things really are in the church today as they relate to these things spiritually? Let me try and and explain what I’m seeing today in a large segment of the Body of Christ. Much emphasis is being made of the bringing in of the kingdom of God in power and demonstration. The crescendo of promise that we’re right on the brink of some great outpouring and revival marked by signs and wonders, etc, is being heralded on many fronts.

Slick websites designed with creative eye appealing textures, easy to navigate links direct us to the newest “How to” book, seminar, cd, etc. Of course, “We take Visa and Master Card.” Not to mention the prominent display of the men and women promoting these pathways into the promise land. The church in America has never had at it’s disposal more information, promise and hype as it does today, yet…

I recently did a word study in James 5:7-8 “

Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.

You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

The farmer can only plow the ground and plant the seed. God alone can bring forth the fruit. James says the farmer is patient until he “receives” the early and the latter rain. The message of the new covenant is entirely encapsulated in this reality. The word ‘early’ rain is defined in this way:

1. to set or place before
   1. to set over
   2. to be over, to superintend, preside over
   3. to be a protector or guardian
      1. to give aid
   4. to care for, give attention to
      1. profess honest occupations

The early rain must superintend and go before the late rain comes. Without the first, the second is of limited or no effect in bringing forth the precious fruit.

My conviction is that where many have failed is by emphasizing the latter rain too much, without a proper foundation and emphasis of the early rain. The early rain is key because it represents the superiority of the new covenant and supremacy of Christ Himself. It’s not based on manifestations, visitations of previous generations, visions of men, etc. It has to be firmly rooted and grounded in Christ Himself or else it ultimately fails and miscarriages.

Let me say this as humbly and direct as I can, the “renewal stream” folks are some of the least spiritually discerning people I’ve witnessed in my 30 plus year journey in the faith. And the irony is that they claim to be a spiritually “prophetic people”. I think the shear desire to see God move has over run the boundaries of sensibility, logic & basic discernment skills.

Why is that for the most part, the most vociferous opponents of Todd Bentley and the Lakeland outpouring have been little old bloggers with little or no reputation? They have been sounding the alarm and pointing out the obvious for four mos. and yet, have been relegated to the side as “Rebel rouser’s” and judgmental “Pharisees.”

A friend told me recently the difference between a Politician and Prophet is that a Politician finds out which direction the people are bent on going, then runs out in front of them and says “FOLLOW ME!” The Prophet runs out in front of those same people and says, “TURN AROUND, YOU’RE GOING THE WRONG WAY!” Which leads me to believe if the men promoting this “so-called end time move of God” are really no more than Politicians cloaked in Shepherd’s garb.

If you note that almost without question, these movements are inexorably tied to some man’s vision, experience or encounter from God. Think about how right from the beginning, this so-called outpouring was built on some vision, so-called supernatural manifestation, heavenly encounter, a vision of an angel, of a man, of a group from a past revival, and on and on it goes.

The foundation in these movements are always built upon the folklore and bigger than life experiences of men like, William Branham, Smith Wigglesworth, Reese Howell, Jack Coe, Paul Cain, Bob Jones, Super Apostles, Super Worship, and of course, Superman himself. As though we’re called to be the keepers of the flame of some sort of past revival or man’s personal encounter with God, in order to foster a new one. The hype is deafening, the bar has been raised so high, the God of the mundane is no no longer good enough. Therefore, as the old tune by the Dramatics said, “Whatcha see, is watchca get!”

This stuff cuts across the grain of the new testament revelation of Christ Himself. The emphasis on a localized presence of God, open portals, tangible transferable anointings that can be “caught” in a physical location and transported back to another location is poppy cock. This message runs contrary to the teaching of Jesus in John 4:7-26 . The message I’ve been getting is that it’s time to get back to the basics.

Unfortunately, in modern day American Evangelicalism, the basics don’t sell too well.