In one particular passage we see the “experts” questioning Jesus and at the end of that passage we see Mary sitting at the feet of Jesus. What a wonderful contrast! The “experts” were constantly second guessing and trying to find fault in Jesus. Yet Mary (who was delivered of several demons) was simply sitting at the feet of Jesus ready to glean whatever she could. It got me thinking about my own life. Have I become a “religious expert?” Able to point out flaws and minutia, all the while second guessing authority? Or am I sitting at Jesus’ feet, trusting in Him?

Am I an expert or ex-sinner? When I am done sitting at Jesus’ feet, I will let you know.

In Exodus 40, the phrase “just as the Lord commanded” occurs 7 times. The end of the chapter proceeds to describe how, after Moses had done everything as the Lord commanded that, the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. In truth, the glory was so thick that Moses could no longer enter the Tabernacle. Imagine that! The glory (manifest presence of God) was so thick that Moses (the man who talked to God face-to-face, saw the glory of God as He was passing, received the 10 commandments, spent 40 days on the top of Mt. Sinai in the presence of God) could not even enter the Tabernacle! How’s that for an experience?

In Corinthians, Paul describes the result of God’s glory on Moses in more detail. He writes that Moses had to put a veil over his face because the residue of the glory was so bright the Israelites couldn’t handle. He then elaborates even further by saying that, if Moses had to put a veil over his face during the OLD COVENANT…how much more should we operate and experience the glory?! Paul says it is a better covenant, with a better mediator, with better promises!

We should be in the glory, and much more of it, all the time! One catch, now as just as then, we must do “just as the Lord commanded.” What has the Lord commanded us? In this chapter, He is commanding us to get our Tabernacle’s in order. Arrange the furniture, get everything in it’s proper place. And the glory will fall, just as the Lord commanded.

That’s the best way to put that. I don’t think there is a better way to describe “us.” Ussus (southern colloquialism) is Christians. We are supposed to be defined and set apart as people who have the presence of God. In the book of Acts, the Apostles were described as “those who had been [in the presence of] Jesus.” We are not defined by anything other than the presence. And from that presence, flows culture, language, standards and purpose; among many other things.

Some people have placed the culture, language, et al above His presence when “presenting” the Kingdom of God. This only leads to lifeless religion and works-based theology. We must continue to distinguish ourselves as people of His presence. This is the bottom line. When we walk in His presence, all day long, we are able to properly relate to people. How? We are in tune with the Spirit of God. He leads us and He guides us. We enter into situations aware that the holy Spirit wants to do something and we are prepared for it. Instead of our current state of encountering people in need and walking away saying “I should’ve prayed for (or witnessed to or …) that person.” When we don’t live in His presence, we are surprised and interrupted by humanity rather than prepared and led to make contact with humanity.

When the Holy Spirit descended and remained upon Jesus, it was signifying an unbroken, intimate communion with the presence of the Father. Jesus was showing us the way to be led by the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit all day. He was showing us how to be prepared and led to reach humanity with divinity.

Are you in the Spirit right now? What about tomorrow afternoon? What about [insert time and place here]? You can be, and God is desiring to be with you. Acknowledge the presence of the Holy Spirit right now and let Him lead you today.

In our modern world of technological advances and ability to comfort ourselves indefinitely, we have anesthetized ourselves from pain and “unfairness” as much as possible. We have ruled out winners and losers. We have created cars that almost drive themselves (and one day, no doubt, will). We have even ruled out pain and suffering in the gospel (or have tried very hard to). Yet the bible clearly states that rain will fall on the just and the unjust. It also says that offenses must come, that we will enter heaven through much trial and tribulation. It says that those who endure to the end will be saved. One of the fruits of the spirit is long-suffering, etc. etc.. I am not trying to be a downer, so much as point out that we’re going to have overcome some things in life and there is no instant replay and there are few actual “do-overs” in life.

The same goes with soccer. You are given 90 minutes of fun, flaws and passion. Whoever wins at the end, wins. There is no instant replay. So if a ref makes an “unfair” call or just a really bad one. You could lose. Or you could overcome. It’s up to you and your response to life’s calls. No one will be sent to heaven or hell by anybody else. You have to make the final decision. Everyone was so mad at the ref after the USA-Slovenia match because they would’ve won the game. Well, in reality, if they wouldn’t have let two goals be scored in the first half they would’ve won. Either way, they fought back and tied. Then they advanced and lost again due to conceding early goals. They had the same chances as everybody else.

What about you? What “bad calls” has life dealt you? Did you fight back and overcome them? Or did you give up and call the game over? There are no instant replays in life. Run the race in such a way to WIN the prize, no matter what happens along the way.

I wonder if one of the real problems we have with spiritual maturity is the inability to deal with spiritual pressure. It’s not that we don’t want to mature in Christ, in theory. Perhaps it’s that we don’t want to be responsible for that next level of revelation. Paul says in Romans, that he would not have known sin if it were not for the law. (I imagine it sort of like the road runner and Wile E. Coyote. Wile E. Coyote runs off the cliff and hangs there, suspended in mid-air, for a moment. Then road runner hands him the book “laws of gravity”, Wile E. Coyote reads it, gets a revelation and then plummets to the ground below.) Perhaps, ignorance is bliss. I don’t think so, especially when ignorance takes the place of true spiritual maturity I strongly disagree.

Back to that quote about hard hearts and soft feet. We really should  have hard feet, to assist us on our lengthy christian walk. And we should have soft hearts, also to assist us on our lengthy christian walk. Yet we have it backwards. We have tender feet which causes us to moan, whine and question God as to why we are walking. And we have hard hearts that make us insensitive to the voice of the Spirit and filled with selfishness. Let it not be so! Let’s take the road Paul took. Though it was filled with many struggles and triumphs, he was able to say this: I have fought the fight, finished the race and I have remained faithful.

Those three elements are all equal to this: a soft heart and hardened feet. My prayer today is that my heart would be sensitive to the still, small voice of God and that my weary, hardened feet would carry me on to my finish line. What’s your prayer?

*Quote by Jackie Pullinger, a missionary who spent more than 20 years in Hong Kong working with prostitutes, heroin addicts and gang members.

1) The only way to play for your national (Kingdom) team is to play really well for your local (church) team. If you want to be on the global stage of the kingdom of God you have to be a part of the local church first.

2) Playing for your local team is great and it’s a privilege, but playing for the national team is an honor few really have. It’s all about the Kingdom of God! What an honor to be a part of the church and the Kingdom!

3) Ultimately, the best players are the best for a couple of reasons: they have the fundamentals down, they know how to adapt to the other team (“enemy”), they are in shape and they are prepared. Hopefully, you have the fundamentals down (reading your bible daily, praying, tithing, witnessing, discipling, etc). Are you ignorant of satan’s devices? Are you ready to preach in season and out of season? Are you prepared for the 2nd Coming?

4) 11 players on a team plus the coach = 12. #12 is the number of authority/ divine gov’t. 12 tribes of Israel, 12 apostles; very interesting…

5) It’s not always the most skilled team that wins. It’s the most determined team that wins. How determined are we to the great commission? Is every creature on earth getting the gospel?

6) All the world is enthralled by who the winner is…except America which is generally apathetic towards soccer. The global church is on fire. And the world is in turmoil by Christians who are turning the world upside down…except for America. We just want to know, whether or not, we can bring our coffee into the worship center. And, “where’s the visitor parking because I am a visitor.” Wake up America. This game is not one we can stand to lose! (I am talking about the “game” of church and not soccer)

7) The ball is a sphere, like the Earth. All of mankind is kicking the Earth around. Ok that wasn’t really spiritual but more of a jab at BP for poking a gaping hole in the Earth and letting it bleed oil for months. And for having no real solution to fix it other than, “can we put a cork in it, like they did on the LOST finale?” or “let’s burn it!” Or, “as long as we can keep it corralled with giant, inflatable water weenies, we’re gold!”

Coca-cola is the official soft drink of the World Cup, Emirates the official airline, Sony the official TV or something, Adidas the official ball, Hyundai-Kia the official car sponsor (?!) and Visa the official credit card. There’s nothing spiritual there I was just wondering how Hyundai-Kia got official car sponsor? Why not the Ford Fiesta? That seems more fitting and festive. Just say it, “FEEEE-EEESSSSTTAAH!” Wasn’t that fun? And global.

9) There are no paid cheerleaders in soccer. Either you are on the team or you are supporting the team. Same thing in the Kingdom of God, there are no paid cheerleaders. Get in the game or stay in the crowd.

10) I heart soccer. Go Italy! (Only because the USA will not make it past the quarters, sorry guys!)

FIN.

Any time you have a thought, or verse, in the Old Testament and you want to apply it into the New Testament (or more appropriately the New Covenant) you filter it through the cross. (Did Jesus endorse it while on Earth? Also, was it acted out in the New Testament epistles?) In this case, which is absolute holiness, the answer is a resounding: YES! God still desires that His people remain holy. It is still the basic law of the Temple. In the New Testament, the temple is our body. (1 Cor. 6:19) So, God still requires holiness in our natural and spiritual bodies.

In fact, God doesn’t just require holiness. He requires absolute holiness. This absolute holiness is not achieved through rules and regulations. It is achieved through the precious blood of Jesus shed for us on the cross. He, who know no sin, became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. It is STILL required of us today. In the midst of many other aspects of the word being overemphasized in the body of Christ today, we must remember that God is first and foremost HOLY. It is His primary moral attribute. It is the very name of His Spirit, the Holy Spirit. He has named His word the Holy Bible. And without holiness no man will see the Lord.

The basic law is holy because God is holy. What things are you doing in your life that is robbing you of holiness? What media is defiling your spirit of being absolutely holy? Change that and be holy today.

In the evenings, we went to a number of churches to ignite some fires within them for revival and holiness. Every meeting was dripping with the anointing. A number of people were healed and saved. The altar was full every time we asked for people to come forward. It was a great move of God. The interesting thing about this whole trip, to me, was that in 50 years no new missionary had been to that village!

This led me to think about receiving revelation and rhema from God. Imagine if we had not received any new thing from God for 50 years?! Or, to really go deep, for 400 years (between Malachi and when John the Baptist came on the scene) there was no hearing from God! It’s known as the intertestamental period, it’s also the period when the King James Apocrypha was written. (Which is why those 14 books are not included in the Bible, among many other reasons.) During the time of Samuel, the bible states there was no widespread revelation from God. Revelation/ hearing the voice of God is so important! (It’s also important to make sure what we are hearing is actually FROM God and not other sources. Be advised that much of the “revelation” being spouted today is the result of the natural mind’s thoughts and not from the mind of Christ. If it cannot be easily backed up by scripture feel free to ignore it.)

How often do we take hearing the voice of God for granted? I am not saying that village hadn’t heard from God in 50 yrs. but that there was very little (if any) outside contact to the entire body of Christ. Thank God for His church! Thank God that we have the ability to receive from various ministries and ministers. But thank God most of all that we have the ability to talk directly to Him! Let us make a fresh commitment to not take for granted hearing the voice of God!

Psalm 116:1, 2 “I love the Lord because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!”

Is. 59:14, 15 – Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and HONESTY has been OUTLAWED. Yes, truth is gone, and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.

WOW! Sound familiar? Yes. Sounds like the current state of affairs in the world today. In the non-christian world we should always expect this type of “law.” The scary scenario is when this sort of thinking creeps into the Kingdom of God on Earth.

The part that really provoked my spirit is where it says, “honesty has been outlawed.” That’s a dangerous statement. Especially when placed into the context of our ultra-politically correct society. Even more dangerous when you consider that it has creeped into our church language through decades of secular barraging. Ever heard this statement? “We don’t want to hear what you’re against, but what you’re for.” Harmless, right? Makes sense even. But in all honesty. Jesus, God, the Bible, et al talk a lot about what they are against. (And what they are for.)

This kind of honesty is getting very close to being outlawed. In some church circles you can no longer even refer to people as sinners, heathens, gentiles etc. Even though that’s what the bible describes US as. Bible language will never sit well with people living in sin.

Imagine if Paul, in his numerous lists of sins in his epistles, lived today? Would he have watered his list of sins down? I doubt it. Holiness brings authority. Paul simply states what kind of people do not inherit the Kingdom of God. If Paul lived today, he would most assuredly be on the list of “preachers who preach hellfire messages.” Why? Because he spoke honestly.

Now, somewhere out there, someone is thinking how judgmental?! That person is wrong for thinking that way. That person is the same person who wants to outlaw honesty and let truth continue to stumble through our streets getting mugged and beaten by hypocrisy and lies.

Anyone who renounces evil is attacked! A healthy reminder that the world must come up to the standard set by God, through His divine enablement of the HOLY Spirit. Speak the truth in love. And the truth is: we are all sinners. We all need Jesus to save us. And we all need to live holy lives.

10) They are easy to read.

9) They take very little time to read.

They are written at a 4th grade reading level. (Which seems to be the average American’s reading level)

7) They can be written very quickly. (I am almost done writing this list.)

6) Even my 3 year old can count to 10!

5) 10 is a good looking number. There’s a thin 1 and a fat 0. Put them together and you have a binary composition or a number! HA! A match made in heaven.

4) Everybody likes top 10 lists. From celebrities to preachers to motivational speakers to coders to endangered species lists. When you put something into a list of 10 it immediately becomes likeable.

3) Everybody is doing it. See the list above of everyone who is doing “it.” (Note: “it” is making top 10 lists, not doing “it” it.)

2) They translate into other languages well, look: Lista del Top Ten (spanish), Lista da parte superior dez (portugese),  and Top Ten-Liste (German). See how easy that was?!

And the number one reason for writing top ten lists….

1) There is nothing else to say right at this instant, but blogs must be written to fill the empty voids of the internet!

Bam! Got another reason? Lay it on me!

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