I for one am convinced he is totally wrong. However, I am more than a little concerned about the reaction in the church.

First there has been a lot of scoffing at Mr Camping. It doesn’t seem to be a response based on love. I don’t know if he is believer or not, I actually feel sorry for him.

Another critical issue in the response of believers has been the scoffing and talk of rapture parties and even laying clothes out in the yard like they had been raptured as some kind of a joke.

2 Peter 3:3-4 (English Standard Version)

3knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.”

Is the scoffing at the date setting – or is it about something deeper, a lack of belief that Jesus really will return. I’ve had a sense in the spirit over the last few days that this indeed is what is happening in the church.

I pray before we say anymore about this, that we examine our hearts.

It’s not that I don’t gather with believers.  I do.  I do not nor never have believed in “lone ranger” Christianity.  Currently I meet with other believers a couple of times a week for periods of extended worship, prayer, and listening to God.

It’s not a formal gathering.  There is no preacher.  There is no formal teaching.  People do step out in a number of ways according to the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Is this the church?  I believe it is.

Now there will be many that will challenge this because we don’t do an hour-long teaching when we gather.  Frankly in the case of those I am gathering with,  we are all mature Christians who spend a great deal of time studying and reading the scriptures ourselves.

Even though it’s not a one stop shop, I do consider this a gathering of “the church.”  I’m still getting comfortable with this idea because I’ve always been a part of the “one stop shop” type of gatherings before.

The interesting thing is that even though we have no “formal” teachings, our informal discussions about what the Lord is showing us in scriptures is far more lively and for me life changing than what I get from “sermons.”

So does that mean we forget about justice.  Absolutely not.  When people are dying because they have no food or water, I believe Jesus weeps.  When women and children are forced into slavery or the sex trade, I believe Jesus weeps.  But it also is of little value to help their temporary situations on Earth if they are not given the opportunity to know about Jesus and lose their soul.  What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

The question is not which should we be involved in.  I believe that God wants to save.  I also believe God wants to see the oppressed and the hurting comforted and helped.  But it’s not up to us to choose what actions to take.  I believe we have been ineffective in reaching the lost and helping set captives free because we have been involved in trying to figure it out ourselves.

I believe that Jesus set the example.  He did what he saw the Father doing and he said what he heard the Father saying.  Jesus didn’t do anything on his own.  I don’t believe we should be doing things because it’s a good idea or we think that’s what God wants.  We need to really seek him and ask him.  God is faithful to let us know what he wants us to do.   It is not about us standing in our own righteousness, but standing in his,  which is through obedience to his will.

Christianity and the Matrix

Did you ever feel like your were in a chair sitting in front of your Heavenly Father and he’s presenting you with a choice of pills.  Take the blue pill and wake up and believe whatever you want …but take the red pill and you’ll see how far this rabbit hole of the Christian Life can go.

Things are changing.  My perceptions of reality, righteousness, and other things are being challenged.  It’s actually very disorienting.

What is life?  What is abundant life?  What is purpose?  Lots of questions?  Lots of challenges?

I disagreed with some of his theology, but I rarely saw Jesus commending people for “good theology.”  He made mistakes.  He wasn’t perfect.  But I am convinced that he loved God and he preached Jesus.

Here’s what Jesus did commend people for – their Faith.  He commended people who were outside the covenant of Israel because of their great faith – with the promise they would be ones who would sit at the table with Abraham.

Oral Roberts was a man of faith.  He would lay hands on the sick and believe God for their healing.  Did they all get healed – No.  Did most receive healing- probably not.  But many did get healed.   Many also came to faith in Christ through his ministry.   So when all the negative stuff starts being said about Oral Roberts, count me out.  It is said in Hebrews that faith was accounted to Abraham for righteousness.

Even in his old age,  his faith seemed vibrant and alive.  He also seemed to me to be humble but confident in God.  I can still hear him saying as he always seemed to whenever I saw him in an interview or something,  “Have Faith in God.”

On a more personal level, early in my Christian walk, I remember God taking me back through some things I needed to repent of.  One of the things specifically was the way I had talked about Oral Roberts before I came to Christ.  I was very negative about him, and I made it known.  I felt convicted that I needed to make this right.  So I sent him a letter, told him what I had done,  and asked his forgiveness.

I received a personal response back.  It wasn’t a form letter.  It specifically mentioned things that I had put in the letter.  He assured me of the Lord’s forgiveness, of his own forgiveness and thanked me for writing to him.  Then he put in a blessing.  He didn’t have to do that.  He didn’t need to respond to me personally.  I was never put on a mailing list and never asked for money.  I honor him for that and for the humility with which he responded to me, a young man in the Lord.

I don’t know his heart at the end, but I believe he finished well, and I suspect that he will receive a “well done” from the Master.

• orbs
• angelic feathers
• jewels
• gold dust
• oil on hands or other body parts

These signs” are disturbing .  We know the enemy is capable of supernatural acts.  I’ve heard people suggest these can’t be the enemy because the worship was so great.

When these “signs” appear what is the result.  I’ll tell you what the result is, people start getting distracted with them.  It takes the eyes off of Jesus and these “events” or “activities.”

What do they accomplish then?  Every supernatural act of Jesus had  a reason and a purpose beyond being a “sign.”  A person was healed.  Blind men were made to see.  The Deaf heard.  The multitudes were fed.  The dead were returned to life.

I am not opposed to the supernatural of God.  I am pentecostal/charismatic in my beliefs.  I long to see the true acts of Jesus – the deaf hearing, the blind seeing, the lame walking, people being healed physically, emotionally, and spiritually.   I have laid hands on the sick and seen God heal them.  I’ve prayed for changes in weather and God has done it when there was a real need.  When feeding groups of homeless people, I’m pretty sure that God has multiplied the food.  I believe in the real and supernatural power of God.

There is no record of  orbs, gold dust, angelic feathers or jewels from heaven during the ministry of Jesus or the Apostles.

When I’ve challenged some on this:  Their response is Jesus said “and greater things will you do.”  Really!  Jewels which have no value,  gold dust, oil on hands and angelic feathers are greater than raising the dead, healing the sick, opening blind eyes, feeding the hungry, making the deaf to hear and casting out demons?

I am convinced that these so-called “signs” are deceptions from the enemy to get us off track.    I don’t believe the Holy Spirit is interested in indulging us in trivialities.

For those that think these things can’t happen when the Holy Spirit is present.  I would remind you of the parable of the wheat and the tares.  According to this parable often the evil and false ends up planted beside the true and real.

I would ask you to search the scriptures.  I would ask you to ask the Lord and see what he says.

I also want to address those that are into the idea of  “toking” the Holy Spirit.  That is very close to blasphemy.  It is a substantial stretch from being “filled with the Spirit.”   The Holy Spirit is not your personal party pal.  He is the most High God and deserving of the respect, love, and obedience of the Father and Jesus.   I see this movement as nothing more than trivializing the  Spirit of the Most High God.  I am convinced that when he sees the excess being done in his name,  he is grieved.

I am beyond caring if people like what I have to say on these issues. I don’t intend to be intentionally offensive, but I intend to speak out on these issues.  I don’t care who does or doesn’t agree or like me.  If you are going to challenge me – fine – but do it with scripture.  Not your opinions.

When they came to Jesus looking for a sign, he said an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign.  Jesus didn’t do signs to show off.  He did them to change lives.

¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse,
That there may be food in My house,
And try Me now in this,”
Says the LORD of hosts,

“ If I will not open for you the windows of heaven
And pour out for you such blessing
That there will not be room enough to receive it.
¹¹ “ And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes,
So that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground,
Nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,”
Says the LORD of hosts;
¹² And all nations will call you blessed,
For you will be a delightful land,”
Says the LORD of hosts.

Right now I’m battling some disappointments.  Financially, I’ve had some substantial outlays lately for repairs and replacements of things.  I’ve been involved in internet marketing but the results are slow to come in.  Christmas is around the corner.   I’ve given more into the Kingdom of God than ever before – a very substantial amount of my paycheck…

So right now I’m looking at my bank account.  I don’t have any debt, but I don’t have a large buffer either.   I had to think about God’s promise that if we don’t rob him of tithes and offerings he’ll rebuke the devourer for our sake.  I don’t really feel like that’s been so great.  Maybe he’s rebuked things I didn’t know about -so I should keep that in mind.

The truth of the matter, I feel like those that aren’t following Christ and use all their resources for themselves are the ones getting blessed.  They get the bonuses at work – even though my customers love me.  My internet business is not going the way I wanted at this stage of the game.  Heck I’m stuck on the late shift at work and I’ll bet several will get to leave early, but I won’t.

I’m trying to remain thankful – that I have a job.  That I have all of my needs taken care of.  So I know that God is good.  But I sure am not experiencing the windows of heaven being opened up and blessings being poured out that there isn’t room to contain.

OK enough of the pity party. Time to go to work.

Well, the group had broken up several years ago as all of the team members went on to their various ministries that God had called them to.

The group decided to get together for a night of worship at the Church they had all attended as kids and young men, First Baptist Church in Flower Mound, Texas.  All but one were in the area and it seemed a good time to get together.

One member is now a church planting missionary in Poland.   He obviously couldn’t make it -0r did he.  They set up a camera in the sanctuary so he could see what was going on and they set up a skype connection.  It was so immediate.  He got to say hi to his mom and dad who were attending and they had the opportunity to tell him how proud they were of him.  He talked about what they were doing and their prayer requests.  He also took questions from people.

It was really awesome.  I’m wondering what this could mean for the future of the Church when you can use an internet technology like Skype.  Could it mean that technology like this could be used for pastor’s conferences in third world nations?  Would that be a good thing?  Or would it lead to even more relationship problems.

I was amazed at the technology.  What could it be used for?  What are the possibilities?  What are the risks?

In places that are remote and we want to build schools but maybe we don’t have teachers there, can we use technology like this to bring teachers into the classroom?  I don’t know.    But it’s worth thinking about and questioning.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’  Matthew 7:21-23.

Jesus makes it clear 0 people who did might wonders in the name of Jesus will be cast out.   I don’t believe you enter into the Kingdom by works.  But if you truly know Christ and are known by him – You will do the will of his Father.

We hang up on the prayer.  Did Jesus ever tell anyone to make converts?  He said to “make disciples.”  Only real disciples will do the will of their Father.  Only real disciples will keep his commandments.  Only real disciples will love the one who hates him.

You want assurance of your salvation?  Are you a disciple?  Are you trying to follow Jesus?  I’m not talking about perfection.  I’m talking about striving to enter in the narrow way as Jesus says in Matthew 7:

¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because^[a] narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:13-14.

I’ve been struck lately in John’s Gospel with the fact that Jesus goes on quite a bit about if you love me, keep my commandments… but the ONE commandment he mentions keeping is that “you love one another as I have loved you.”  He didn’t use it to talk about “the sin issues” we often get caught up in (Not saying those aren’t important by the way.) But he emphasized loving one another.

So now I’m on a journey to explore more of this.  I’m not interested in models.  I’m not interested in movements.

How do we love each other?   Correction: How do I love my brothers and sisters?  So God has me looking at ways and stepping out in ways to help my brothers and sisters.  For me,  a lot of time, it’s practical /financial.

I’m trying to help meet real needs and relieve some stress for brothers and sisters who’ve suffered loss in this recession.

I’m also working on other areas of my relationships.  I have a number of friends that I meet at various times but still on a regular basis.  There are no “leaders” but there is real ministry.  There is real transparency.   There is real relationship and love.  I think this is more the church than anything.

I hope that when I leave this Earth, Jesus will say well done.  So to answer the question,  I believe the Church is a group of believers connected to one another in love.  I don’t think it has to do with Pastors, or Elders.  Those are important, but the Church can exist if they’re not present.  But the Church does not exist without real love and real relationships.

Meanwhile,  remember one of Jesus’ last commands to his disciples.  “Love One Another.”