In my spare time, kind of for fun as well as to learn some things (and get a bit sharper), I just started helping moderate one of the largest bible discussion forums in the world right now (with about 16,000 members, 3200 active). I know - don’t say it. Dumb. Over the summer I wanted to get sharper and clearer in presenting the IHOP-KC message of the end-times to those who had absolutely no framework for it - which meant that I had to speak another language to communicate the ideas. Not only did many not have the framework, but as committed “amillennials” were openly hostile to the message, so I had to work through that tenderly - it was very profitable for me. Over time, the leadership there asked me to step in and help moderate discussions, provide leadership, etc. So I thought it would be fun to give it a try.
Just today, in the middle of some fun discussions, I posted a full summary of my views for the first time. You can read it here, or you can follow the bombing of me that will follow here.
Here’s the main excerpt:
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February 6th, 2007
Jesus said, in the well-known Matthew 5:5 passage, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” James punctuates this promise practically when he counseled us to walk this out with wisdom:
“Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” (Jas. 3:13)
As a general rule, I love the leadership of Jesus and really believe that His ways are “just and true” (Rev. 15:3). I’m sold at a deep level that the way of weakness - fasting and prayer, giving and forgiving, serving and loving with abandonment to my own self-indulgent, self-absorbed ways - is the wisest and best way for a man to live out his days. I’m not even thinking in terms of gritting my teeth and earning a reward for my obedience - I’m thinking in terms of “wisdom will be justified by her children” (Matt. 11:19). In other words, in the here and now, I believe that the story of my life will testify to the superior nature of God’s divine order and wisdom.
It doesn’t mean that it’s always enjoyable to live out. It doesn’t mean, by a long shot, that I like it. In fact, the way of meekness has me slightly miserable right now. Voluntary weakness is great to preach on but painful at times to live, mostly when I’m confronted with the reality of my heart and my unwillingness to fully embrace and delight in (with a free and joyful heart) God’s way forward for me.
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February 5th, 2007
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February 3rd, 2007
I was asked in my New Testament Survey class this past week what the negative connotations were to globalization as it moves into the next phase at incredible speeds. I tremble as I consider the implications and the manner in which they serve as a stunning indicator of the times in which we live.
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February 2nd, 2007
Scott Sterling, famed descendant of the Dumfries Sterlings, had an ephiphany that just might change the internet forever. Or, at least, my internet vocabulary. In a historic piece of commenting brilliance, Scott solved my lifelong dilemma with the word that strangely combines the words “web” and “log”. Why nobody has asked up to now why one would combine ANY word with the word “log” is a mystery to me. I mean really, let’s try it for a moment:
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February 1st, 2007
1. I want to add a little sub-point to yesterday’s two posts. The most powerful medium in history is the written word, hands down. Know any good music from the 17th century? Me neither. (I know that some of the greatest music ever came out of this era – classical hymns with great power – but few can name them off the top of their head) I can find you some great books from that era, though. John Milton and John Bunyan were two giants of English literature as well as fervent Puritans. Paul the apostle helped lead the greatest revival of the 1st century in Ephesus, of which we would have no clue unless Luke wrote about it. The most powerful preaching in history would be completely unknown to us if not transcribed and recorded in books.
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January 31st, 2007
I just decided to just go for it today. If I’m posting too much for you, prioritize the last entry on barrenness and come back to this one later. I’ve decided to be unashamedly grandiose today, and call you to it as well.
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January 30th, 2007
I want to share some thoughts this morning on a subject I talked about at the leadership conference this past weekend. These ideas are in the notes and I expand on them in the messages we’ll be posting tomorrow, but I want to discuss them here as well. I shared these with those who lead prayer ministries because it is critical that true shepherds after God’s heart arise in these last days to help believers navigate the deadly pitfalls of barrenness of heart in the place of prayer. We are, by nature, a prayerless people. The difficulties of the reach of prayer when we lack the internal capacity and strength in our spirit man to engage with God are often painful to encounter. Good men turn away from the place of prayer on a daily basis because they come into a surprising and frustrating boredom.
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January 30th, 2007
Back from a great weekend with Billy Humphrey, director of IHOP-Atlanta, and Kirk Bennett, director of the Zadok House of Prayer as well as a bunch of cool ZHOP folks that helped serve at the conference the three of us led for those who are involved in leading (or thinking about leading) houses of prayer from around the nation.
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January 29th, 2007
My wife and I are headed for Atlanta tomorrow, where I am speaking at the House of Prayer Leadership Summit.
I am, by nature of both the grace of God on my life as well as my function for this season of my life, an aggressive student of the dynamics of 24/7 prayer and the people that participate in it. The idiosyncrasies of this unique people, these “Annas” and those who gather to serve with them, and the culture that forms around all of them have been an ongoing fascination for me. Understanding these dynamics helps me serve the elements of our culture that are strategic and necessary while providing leadership to help stem the tide of the unnecessary elements.
As Greg said in the comments section elsewhere in this little journal, we lead a strange life here.
Like anything else, when you become an aggressive student of something you often then are given the opportunity to pass on what is you’ve learned and observed over the years. Because I’m young, inexperienced, and often overzealous, I rarely take the route of “sage” and instead choose the much more natural role of “loud preacher”. Still only 33 years old, I’m too dumb at this stage of my life to know better. So this weekend I’ll probably be shouting some of my insights into a microphone with way more passion than the subject matter demands, as is my way. You can get the CD later, if you don’t believe me.
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January 25th, 2007
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