(Continued from Part I, below)
As we reached the beach, I saw that the area was roped off with a single yellow nylon cord. A city ordinance sign served as one of the posts holding the cord. The sign said something like: “San Diego city ordinance designates this area as a beach open to the public. Please respect the natural wildlife of the area. This beach does not meet water quality safety standards.”
Seeing the sign, I saw that Gunter’s interpretation was correct, so I began to slowly and cautiously approach the seals. I ducked under the yellow nylon cord. As soon as I did so, I heard catcalls from up above saying, “Get away from the seals! Ma’am! Get away from the seals!” Having been forewarned, I ignored the harassment.
To see the seals up close with their cute little pups was a treat, but the annoying calls continued from above as I inched slowly toward them. Now the seals started looking at me, and started inching backward. I saw they would not let me move any closer. One seal entered the water, and I headed back toward Gunter. The other seals followed the first one, and I felt the disapproval of the onlookers as their observation opportunity swam away.
Gunter and I walked back up the stairs, and I confess, I was slightly embarrassed. No one really paid any attention to me, however; I wasn’t approached by an angry mob at all. We continued our stroll, and a few yards beyond the steps we saw a booth set up by the “Save Our Seals” group. We were cutting a wide swath around the booth, but the young woman who was selling t-shirts and stuffed seals there had her eye on me. “Ma’am! Ma’am! Could I talk to you?”
Reluctantly I approached the booth, and the young activist proceeded to lecture me. “Ma’am, did you hear me telling you to stay away from the seals?”
“Yes, but the sign says it’s a public beach.”
“I had to report you because you didn’t listen to me. Flushing seals is against the law.”
Gunter and the woman then entered into a debate about who has the right to the beach, and after a few exchanges, we walked on. We joked about how my husband would feel about having to come to San Diego to bail me out of jail for seal flushing. And how I would feel returning to Minnesota branded as an ignominious seal-flusher.
It wasn’t until I was back in Minnesota about a week later and I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn’t get back to sleep. That doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I find the Lord may want to “do business” with me. So I began praying about an issue that had come up for me in something I’d been reading. I knew I had shame issues to bring to the Lord. As soon as I started talking to Him about my shame, He turned the light on. That’s what the seal Nazi incident had been all about.
Jesus warned us that the enemy comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. Even for the believer, he attempts to steal our identity, kill our confidence, and thereby destroy our effectiveness for Kingdom work. The Bible is very clear about who I am in Christ. The sign is plainly posted in Colossians 2:13-14: “Having forgiven you all trespasses, blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.”
We have complete freedom, but our shame holds us back. Our shame is nothing but a single yellow nylon cord, easily crossed, but we dare not do so. Why? Because as soon as we do, the catcalls from the enemy, the world’s most experienced “activist,” begin. “That’s not allowed! You can’t do that! You will be reported!” Predictably, we believe the empty threats of the enemy rather than the clear Word that has been posted for us. Crowds of people hold themselves back for every one who breaks through. And territory designated for the Kingdom remains unclaimed.
How good of the Father to guide me along my own personal field trip on the shore of the Pacific Ocean (“ocean of peace”) to teach me this lesson! My Father must really love me.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Re-parenting and Seal Nazis, Part I
Last March I traveled to San Diego to visit with my two sisters. It turned out to be a weekend in which I experienced God’s gentle re-parenting in a way I seldom have before.
From the moment my two sisters and brother-in-law Gunter met me at the airport, the tone was set. Gunter greeted me with, “You are in such good shape! You looked like a little girl coming down the escalator.” From then on, Gunter, who is about 20 years older than I, assumed a fatherly role toward me, introducing me at restaurants and elsewhere as his “daughter” (while at the same time trying to obtain “senior discounts” for me!).
My own dad has been in Heaven for more than eight years. He wasn’t the easiest person to get along with, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I occupied a very special place in his heart. When he looked at me and spoke to me, I could sense that he liked me for who I am and that he was glad I was in the world. In recent years as I have seen the devastating effects produced when fathers don’t communicate those feelings to their children, I appreciate my dad more.
Gunter continued to stand in for my dad that weekend. He took us to an arboretum, causing me to recall the many outings my dad and I took to the Como Park conservatory and, after he moved to Texas, to southern public gardens. I can hardly look at a flower or read a placard of the name of a tree or bush without recalling my dad’s love of botany.
Later he led us on a guided tour along the rough, rocky shore of the Pacific at La Jolla. Picking our way around the tide pools, I felt like I was following my dad along the North Shore of Lake Superior, one of his favorite getaway spots.
As we approached a small inlet, Gunter warned, “Watch out for the ‘Seal Nazis.’” He gave us the background of the local controversy over whether seal or human offspring should have the right to use this little bay: A wealthy heiress donated the beachfront property to the city of San Diego, constructing a breaker to protect the area, and designating it for use as a children’s swimming beach. Environmental activists, however, seeing that seals liked the area, too, particularly during pupping season, lobbied to keep humans away. The latest court battle found in favor of humans since it is hard to deny the explicit purpose for which the land was donated to the city. The “Seal Nazis,” however, had no intention of giving up their cause so easily.
Now, as we overlooked the beach from an observation area above, we saw no little humans frolicking in the surf. Instead, about a dozen seals with their pups crowded the shore, basking in the sun next to the water. It was an amazing sight. People were lined up along a guardrail next to us watching the seals, and across the way the top of the breakwater was full of observers, as well. There were steps going down to the beach, and I asked Gunter if we could go down there. He said that, yes, it was allowed and perfectly legal. So I said, “Let’s go.” Gunter and I started walking down; my sisters stayed behind.
(continued: see Part II above!)
From the moment my two sisters and brother-in-law Gunter met me at the airport, the tone was set. Gunter greeted me with, “You are in such good shape! You looked like a little girl coming down the escalator.” From then on, Gunter, who is about 20 years older than I, assumed a fatherly role toward me, introducing me at restaurants and elsewhere as his “daughter” (while at the same time trying to obtain “senior discounts” for me!).
My own dad has been in Heaven for more than eight years. He wasn’t the easiest person to get along with, but there was never a doubt in my mind that I occupied a very special place in his heart. When he looked at me and spoke to me, I could sense that he liked me for who I am and that he was glad I was in the world. In recent years as I have seen the devastating effects produced when fathers don’t communicate those feelings to their children, I appreciate my dad more.
Gunter continued to stand in for my dad that weekend. He took us to an arboretum, causing me to recall the many outings my dad and I took to the Como Park conservatory and, after he moved to Texas, to southern public gardens. I can hardly look at a flower or read a placard of the name of a tree or bush without recalling my dad’s love of botany.
Later he led us on a guided tour along the rough, rocky shore of the Pacific at La Jolla. Picking our way around the tide pools, I felt like I was following my dad along the North Shore of Lake Superior, one of his favorite getaway spots.
As we approached a small inlet, Gunter warned, “Watch out for the ‘Seal Nazis.’” He gave us the background of the local controversy over whether seal or human offspring should have the right to use this little bay: A wealthy heiress donated the beachfront property to the city of San Diego, constructing a breaker to protect the area, and designating it for use as a children’s swimming beach. Environmental activists, however, seeing that seals liked the area, too, particularly during pupping season, lobbied to keep humans away. The latest court battle found in favor of humans since it is hard to deny the explicit purpose for which the land was donated to the city. The “Seal Nazis,” however, had no intention of giving up their cause so easily.
Now, as we overlooked the beach from an observation area above, we saw no little humans frolicking in the surf. Instead, about a dozen seals with their pups crowded the shore, basking in the sun next to the water. It was an amazing sight. People were lined up along a guardrail next to us watching the seals, and across the way the top of the breakwater was full of observers, as well. There were steps going down to the beach, and I asked Gunter if we could go down there. He said that, yes, it was allowed and perfectly legal. So I said, “Let’s go.” Gunter and I started walking down; my sisters stayed behind.
(continued: see Part II above!)
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Redemptive Gifts Perspective on the Recent Election
(Note: Before reading this post, please read "The Mercy Season" post under the Redemptive Gifts topic.)
The astounding outcome of the national election is not so astounding when viewed in the context of Redemptive Gifts. After having a few hours to digest the election results, I've come up with a few preliminary observations:
1. Change won. This was the first presidential election of the Mercy Season. Because of that, radical change was inevitable. Obama's campaign sensed this far sooner than the Republicans did. The Republicans chose as their candidate someone who was old school and represented the past. Obama said McCain represented the failed policies of the past, but it's my belief that voters in this election cared very little about policies. They just felt the need to put the past behind them, for good or for ill. The need for change was the driving force, and, in true "Mercy" form, the electorate acted on feelings and intuition rather than facts and logic. (No offense to those precious Mercy gift people among us!)
2. The Prophet Party received an unequivocal message. Arthur Burk has said that the Redemptive Gift of the Republican party is Prophet. That makes sense, because Republicans stand for principles to the exclusion of relationship if necessary. In this way, the Prophet gift is the antithesis of the Mercy gift. Prophets are known to need direct, hard chastening in order to "get the message." Thus the electoral blowout. Thanks, God! If the election had been close, Republicans could have consoled themselves that they just needed to work a little harder and get their message out a little better. Because of the lopsided results of the election, Republicans must face the fact that they need to totally revamp their message and/or approach.
3. Mercy triumphed over judgment. Notice how the "judgmental" claims against Obama's ties to unsavory characters seemed to hold no sway over the voters. Even the label of "socialist" did not have an impact. People were willing to suspend judgment and show mercy to this man, forgiving him "without preconditions" for his lack of experience, misstatments, checkered past, etc. Michele Bachman, Republican of Minnesota, has held onto her seat in the House of Representatives. Most of her radio ads had been attack ads against her opponent, who certainly gave plenty of fodder for them. Her tone was strident and even combative. However, after appearing on Hardball and being grilled by Chris Matthews, Michele saw her chances for victory narrowing. In the last week of her campaign, she came out with a new radio ad in her own voice in which she used a pleasant, even soothing tone. She talked about the values of life, family, and security in a positive, hearts-and-flowers way. She even injected humility into her campaign by saying, "I may not always get my words right, but my heart is in the right place." I have no data to support this thought, but this change in approach may have saved Michele the election. At any rate, it was a good example of how Republicans now need to lead with their hearts, not with their heads or with their fists. Republicans can remain true to their principles but wrap it in a compassionate approach.
4. Mega-structures are out; grassroots are in. The Ruler Season was all about building institutions. In the 20th century God's people built mega-churches, colleges, radio stations, mission boards, huge ecumenical evangelistic campaigns, and other "institutions" to help advance Christ's kingdom. But in the Mercy season, intimacy is the by-word. So it's not surprising that the new President of the United States is not a representative of America's so-called military-industrial complex, but rather a "community organizer." Hmmm. It's a hint that our progress in the Church is not going to be accomplished in the Mercy season by huge programs, but by thoughtful, personal, one-on-one contacts with the people who live in our own community. And, from a political perspective, Republicans can no longer depend on institutions (media, direct mail, even talk radio) to get their message out. They are going to need to invest in thousands of small, intimate outreach efforts to change hearts and minds to their side. It's going to be tough for the Republicans, but they are going to need to start investing in the urban settings that they have believed they could get along without. People are not going to care how much Republicans know about what's right for the country until they know how much Republicans care about them personally. And that involves a real investment in the "grassroots" that is lifegiving, not merely pragmatic.
Arthur Burk says repeatedly that one of the hardest types of change is changing from God's old order to God's new order. Those of us who have known about the advent of the Mercy Season are better prepared to understand what has happened in this election and to accept it as a sign of God's revealing a new era to us. God doesn't need presidents, senators, and representatives to accomplish his purposes. He doesn't even need righteous or Bible-honoring governments. The church was born and grew in a corrupt system. America has been blessed that our road has been easy up until now. That may change. But He has many options, and they will succeed. It's our job to figure out where He is going and catch the wave!
The astounding outcome of the national election is not so astounding when viewed in the context of Redemptive Gifts. After having a few hours to digest the election results, I've come up with a few preliminary observations:
1. Change won. This was the first presidential election of the Mercy Season. Because of that, radical change was inevitable. Obama's campaign sensed this far sooner than the Republicans did. The Republicans chose as their candidate someone who was old school and represented the past. Obama said McCain represented the failed policies of the past, but it's my belief that voters in this election cared very little about policies. They just felt the need to put the past behind them, for good or for ill. The need for change was the driving force, and, in true "Mercy" form, the electorate acted on feelings and intuition rather than facts and logic. (No offense to those precious Mercy gift people among us!)
2. The Prophet Party received an unequivocal message. Arthur Burk has said that the Redemptive Gift of the Republican party is Prophet. That makes sense, because Republicans stand for principles to the exclusion of relationship if necessary. In this way, the Prophet gift is the antithesis of the Mercy gift. Prophets are known to need direct, hard chastening in order to "get the message." Thus the electoral blowout. Thanks, God! If the election had been close, Republicans could have consoled themselves that they just needed to work a little harder and get their message out a little better. Because of the lopsided results of the election, Republicans must face the fact that they need to totally revamp their message and/or approach.
3. Mercy triumphed over judgment. Notice how the "judgmental" claims against Obama's ties to unsavory characters seemed to hold no sway over the voters. Even the label of "socialist" did not have an impact. People were willing to suspend judgment and show mercy to this man, forgiving him "without preconditions" for his lack of experience, misstatments, checkered past, etc. Michele Bachman, Republican of Minnesota, has held onto her seat in the House of Representatives. Most of her radio ads had been attack ads against her opponent, who certainly gave plenty of fodder for them. Her tone was strident and even combative. However, after appearing on Hardball and being grilled by Chris Matthews, Michele saw her chances for victory narrowing. In the last week of her campaign, she came out with a new radio ad in her own voice in which she used a pleasant, even soothing tone. She talked about the values of life, family, and security in a positive, hearts-and-flowers way. She even injected humility into her campaign by saying, "I may not always get my words right, but my heart is in the right place." I have no data to support this thought, but this change in approach may have saved Michele the election. At any rate, it was a good example of how Republicans now need to lead with their hearts, not with their heads or with their fists. Republicans can remain true to their principles but wrap it in a compassionate approach.
4. Mega-structures are out; grassroots are in. The Ruler Season was all about building institutions. In the 20th century God's people built mega-churches, colleges, radio stations, mission boards, huge ecumenical evangelistic campaigns, and other "institutions" to help advance Christ's kingdom. But in the Mercy season, intimacy is the by-word. So it's not surprising that the new President of the United States is not a representative of America's so-called military-industrial complex, but rather a "community organizer." Hmmm. It's a hint that our progress in the Church is not going to be accomplished in the Mercy season by huge programs, but by thoughtful, personal, one-on-one contacts with the people who live in our own community. And, from a political perspective, Republicans can no longer depend on institutions (media, direct mail, even talk radio) to get their message out. They are going to need to invest in thousands of small, intimate outreach efforts to change hearts and minds to their side. It's going to be tough for the Republicans, but they are going to need to start investing in the urban settings that they have believed they could get along without. People are not going to care how much Republicans know about what's right for the country until they know how much Republicans care about them personally. And that involves a real investment in the "grassroots" that is lifegiving, not merely pragmatic.
Arthur Burk says repeatedly that one of the hardest types of change is changing from God's old order to God's new order. Those of us who have known about the advent of the Mercy Season are better prepared to understand what has happened in this election and to accept it as a sign of God's revealing a new era to us. God doesn't need presidents, senators, and representatives to accomplish his purposes. He doesn't even need righteous or Bible-honoring governments. The church was born and grew in a corrupt system. America has been blessed that our road has been easy up until now. That may change. But He has many options, and they will succeed. It's our job to figure out where He is going and catch the wave!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Dreams: Your Spirit's Dais
My son has been studying dreams in his psychology class. Not only has he learned that sleep is "periodic, natural, reversible loss of consciousness," (I love that definition!), but he has also read that dreams represent our brains' attempts to make sense of random neural firings. Yes, we have heard that before from the character Graham in Mel Gibson's Signs, a naturalistic, hope-deprived view that he outgrows by the end of the movie.
Any Christian who has ever received a revelation, understanding, or encouragement from a dream must wonder, "Was God speaking to me through that dream?" We have multiple examples in Scripture of God doing just that. Was that only something God did during Bible times, or does He still communicate with His people that way?
The prophet Joel and the Apostle Peter predicted that God speaking through dreams would be a sign of the last days (Acts 2:17), although perhaps only if you are one of the "old men." We've been in "the last days" since Peter's time, but perhaps these signs will be getting more and more common as we get closer and closer to Christ's return.
Sometimes you might wake up from a dream with a clearer understanding of yourself and some emotional issue you have been dealing with. You may not even recall the events of the dream very fully, but you suddenly have a grasp on the emotional reality of the situation you've been involved with that you didn't have before. As I've thought about these instances, I've wrestled with whether they were direct revelations from the Lord, or whether they were something else.
It has occurred to me that my dreams may be the playground, the stage, or the dais for my spirit. During sleep, my body is somewhat inactive, and my conscious mind is out of the way. All the distractions that usually keep my spirit under wraps and stifled have been removed. My spirit, however, is awake and as active as ever. Perhaps my spirit broods over my brain cells, causing some of them to fire in a way that can send a message to my mind. Or perhaps there is a random physiological process that my spirit strings together creatively to send the particular message it wants to relay to my mind.
Either way, whether a dream is from the Lord or the creative declamation of my spirit, it is certainly worth my attention.
Not all dreams are the same. Some you wake up and brush off like so much lint or cat hair. But some stay with you and touch something deep inside. Those I like to ponder. Whether they represent a word from the Lord, or a word from my spirit (which, after all, is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, according to Ephesians 4:24), I can use them to improve my relationships, my understanding, and my service for the Lord.
Any Christian who has ever received a revelation, understanding, or encouragement from a dream must wonder, "Was God speaking to me through that dream?" We have multiple examples in Scripture of God doing just that. Was that only something God did during Bible times, or does He still communicate with His people that way?
The prophet Joel and the Apostle Peter predicted that God speaking through dreams would be a sign of the last days (Acts 2:17), although perhaps only if you are one of the "old men." We've been in "the last days" since Peter's time, but perhaps these signs will be getting more and more common as we get closer and closer to Christ's return.
Sometimes you might wake up from a dream with a clearer understanding of yourself and some emotional issue you have been dealing with. You may not even recall the events of the dream very fully, but you suddenly have a grasp on the emotional reality of the situation you've been involved with that you didn't have before. As I've thought about these instances, I've wrestled with whether they were direct revelations from the Lord, or whether they were something else.
It has occurred to me that my dreams may be the playground, the stage, or the dais for my spirit. During sleep, my body is somewhat inactive, and my conscious mind is out of the way. All the distractions that usually keep my spirit under wraps and stifled have been removed. My spirit, however, is awake and as active as ever. Perhaps my spirit broods over my brain cells, causing some of them to fire in a way that can send a message to my mind. Or perhaps there is a random physiological process that my spirit strings together creatively to send the particular message it wants to relay to my mind.
Either way, whether a dream is from the Lord or the creative declamation of my spirit, it is certainly worth my attention.
Not all dreams are the same. Some you wake up and brush off like so much lint or cat hair. But some stay with you and touch something deep inside. Those I like to ponder. Whether they represent a word from the Lord, or a word from my spirit (which, after all, is created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness, according to Ephesians 4:24), I can use them to improve my relationships, my understanding, and my service for the Lord.
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Authorities in Action--A Dramatization
(For a theological framework of the following dramatization, see the previous post. The earthly elements of this tale are true, although the names have been changed to protect the innocent!)
Last month a godly spiritual Authority over the region of Michigan was given an assignment from the throne of God to provide a Class C blessing to the Simonson family. Immediately the Authority started doing his homework. Class C is a pretty big blessing, requiring several days of planning and encompassing several days of implementation and oversight. The Authority consulted with Mr. and Mrs. Simonson's guardian angels to find out what was on the couple's agenda for the next couple of weeks. Learning that the family was about to take a trip to Texas to search for a new home, the Authority got on his spiritual cell phone to the Houston Regional Authority, who put him in touch with the Northwest Suburban Houston Authority, who put him in touch with the Authority over Spring, TX.
Michigan Authority: Yeah, I need your help. I'm working on a Class C blessing for one of my families, the Simonsons. They're arriving in your area next week.
Spring Authority: Class C? Sweet! I love those! Why are they coming to Spring?
Michigan Authority: Looking for housing.
Spring Authority: Really? That's perfect! I've got a realtor on my team who we can put into service. Just make sure the Simonsons get connected with her, and I'll take it from there. I'll keep you posted.
The realtor's name is relayed to the Simonsons' guardian angels, who do some fancy footwork to make sure the Simonsons connect with her. In the meantime, the Spring Authority contacts the realtor's guardian angel to let him know the Simonsons will be calling and that he should do everything he can do to make sure they meet. The Simonsons "just happen" to get the realtor's name and give her a call. They feel an immediate connection with her in their spirits, thanks to some prompting from their guardian angels. The realtor feels a strong connection to the Simonsons, thanks to some prompting from hers. They set a time to meet, and the realtor goes so far as to offer to let the Simonsons stay in her garage apartment at no charge. She offers to show them around the area for two days. The Simonsons are amazed that everything is falling into place.
Everything is working like clockwork. The only trouble is, the Evil Authorities in Michigan and Spring have eavesdropped on everything. They also have an assignment: to prevent the blessings from reaching the Simonsons, and if possible, to administer a curse instead.
Northwest Suburban Houston Evil Authority (NWSHEA): You need to prevent the Simonsons from staying with the realtor.
Spring Evil Authority (SEA): Right. I'm on it. I'll persuade her it's a stupid idea.
NWSHEA: I hear she's a pretty reliable agent for the other side.
SEA: Oh, one of those? Then I'll go in the back door.
SEA proceeds to pay a visit, not to the realtor, but to her husband. As the realtor explains to her husband that a couple from Michigan will be staying in the garage apartment at no charge, SEA starts whispering fears and doubts galore to her husband. Her husband vocalizes these fears to his wife.
Husband: What? Have you really thought this through? We don't know these people from Adam. They could be scoping us out, and they could rob us and all our neighbors. Why should they stay there rent free, anyway? I don't like this idea.
Realtor: I know what you're saying, but I have a really good feeling about them. They sound like an awesome Christian family. I just really felt like I should do this. I can't explain why, but I feel like this is what God wants me to do.
Husband: Like I said, I really don't like the idea.
Realtor: I'm sure it's going to be fine.
SEA reports to his superior that the back door approach was unsuccessful. As the Simonsons enter the Northwest Suburban Houston area, NWSHEA sends a lower level evil authority into their car. Suddenly Mr. Simonson begins to have doubts about their arrangements.
Mr. Simonson: You know, I think we should just go to a hotel. We don't know this realtor, and she was probably just trying to get us off the phone. Why would she want to put us up at her place? It doesn't make sense.
Mrs. Simonson: I think she really wants to help us. I had such a good feeling about her. I trust her.
Mr. Simonson: Well, I'm not going to stop at her place and find out she really didn't mean it. We'd better call her. Remember all the other times people have promised to do things for us and they never followed through.
Mr. Simonson calls the realtor, and she has one more chance to listen to the SEA or the Spring Authority. They are both prompting her, but she sticks by her original feeling and tells them to come over. The two couples spend the evening together and have a wonderful time. The realtor shows the couple around the neighborhood, going above and beyond what one would normally expect from a realtor. They return to Michigan and tell everyone how God blessed their trip and how many things worked out just perfectly. They have an improved understanding of who God is and of the gifts of the body of Christ.
Spring Authority: Everything went well. The Simonsons were blessed, and I made sure some blessings spilled over to the realtor and her husband, too.
Michigan Authority: Mission accomplished. The Simonsons were blessed, and God was glorified. If I ever have another relocation situation, I'll remember your realtor.
Spring Authority: Yep, I'm moving her up on my list. She came through despite some dirty back-door tactics from the enemy. I'm going to use her more often.
Makes me proud to know this realtor, and makes me wonder if I'm on the list of the Dayton/Champlin Authority. If so, how high up on the list am I?
Last month a godly spiritual Authority over the region of Michigan was given an assignment from the throne of God to provide a Class C blessing to the Simonson family. Immediately the Authority started doing his homework. Class C is a pretty big blessing, requiring several days of planning and encompassing several days of implementation and oversight. The Authority consulted with Mr. and Mrs. Simonson's guardian angels to find out what was on the couple's agenda for the next couple of weeks. Learning that the family was about to take a trip to Texas to search for a new home, the Authority got on his spiritual cell phone to the Houston Regional Authority, who put him in touch with the Northwest Suburban Houston Authority, who put him in touch with the Authority over Spring, TX.
Michigan Authority: Yeah, I need your help. I'm working on a Class C blessing for one of my families, the Simonsons. They're arriving in your area next week.
Spring Authority: Class C? Sweet! I love those! Why are they coming to Spring?
Michigan Authority: Looking for housing.
Spring Authority: Really? That's perfect! I've got a realtor on my team who we can put into service. Just make sure the Simonsons get connected with her, and I'll take it from there. I'll keep you posted.
The realtor's name is relayed to the Simonsons' guardian angels, who do some fancy footwork to make sure the Simonsons connect with her. In the meantime, the Spring Authority contacts the realtor's guardian angel to let him know the Simonsons will be calling and that he should do everything he can do to make sure they meet. The Simonsons "just happen" to get the realtor's name and give her a call. They feel an immediate connection with her in their spirits, thanks to some prompting from their guardian angels. The realtor feels a strong connection to the Simonsons, thanks to some prompting from hers. They set a time to meet, and the realtor goes so far as to offer to let the Simonsons stay in her garage apartment at no charge. She offers to show them around the area for two days. The Simonsons are amazed that everything is falling into place.
Everything is working like clockwork. The only trouble is, the Evil Authorities in Michigan and Spring have eavesdropped on everything. They also have an assignment: to prevent the blessings from reaching the Simonsons, and if possible, to administer a curse instead.
Northwest Suburban Houston Evil Authority (NWSHEA): You need to prevent the Simonsons from staying with the realtor.
Spring Evil Authority (SEA): Right. I'm on it. I'll persuade her it's a stupid idea.
NWSHEA: I hear she's a pretty reliable agent for the other side.
SEA: Oh, one of those? Then I'll go in the back door.
SEA proceeds to pay a visit, not to the realtor, but to her husband. As the realtor explains to her husband that a couple from Michigan will be staying in the garage apartment at no charge, SEA starts whispering fears and doubts galore to her husband. Her husband vocalizes these fears to his wife.
Husband: What? Have you really thought this through? We don't know these people from Adam. They could be scoping us out, and they could rob us and all our neighbors. Why should they stay there rent free, anyway? I don't like this idea.
Realtor: I know what you're saying, but I have a really good feeling about them. They sound like an awesome Christian family. I just really felt like I should do this. I can't explain why, but I feel like this is what God wants me to do.
Husband: Like I said, I really don't like the idea.
Realtor: I'm sure it's going to be fine.
SEA reports to his superior that the back door approach was unsuccessful. As the Simonsons enter the Northwest Suburban Houston area, NWSHEA sends a lower level evil authority into their car. Suddenly Mr. Simonson begins to have doubts about their arrangements.
Mr. Simonson: You know, I think we should just go to a hotel. We don't know this realtor, and she was probably just trying to get us off the phone. Why would she want to put us up at her place? It doesn't make sense.
Mrs. Simonson: I think she really wants to help us. I had such a good feeling about her. I trust her.
Mr. Simonson: Well, I'm not going to stop at her place and find out she really didn't mean it. We'd better call her. Remember all the other times people have promised to do things for us and they never followed through.
Mr. Simonson calls the realtor, and she has one more chance to listen to the SEA or the Spring Authority. They are both prompting her, but she sticks by her original feeling and tells them to come over. The two couples spend the evening together and have a wonderful time. The realtor shows the couple around the neighborhood, going above and beyond what one would normally expect from a realtor. They return to Michigan and tell everyone how God blessed their trip and how many things worked out just perfectly. They have an improved understanding of who God is and of the gifts of the body of Christ.
Spring Authority: Everything went well. The Simonsons were blessed, and I made sure some blessings spilled over to the realtor and her husband, too.
Michigan Authority: Mission accomplished. The Simonsons were blessed, and God was glorified. If I ever have another relocation situation, I'll remember your realtor.
Spring Authority: Yep, I'm moving her up on my list. She came through despite some dirty back-door tactics from the enemy. I'm going to use her more often.
Makes me proud to know this realtor, and makes me wonder if I'm on the list of the Dayton/Champlin Authority. If so, how high up on the list am I?
Friday, August 1, 2008
How Do Blessings and Curses Work?
Have you ever wondered how blessings and curses work? From a study of Scripture, it's obvious that both blessings and curses can have powerful effects on our lives. Is that effect merely psychological? When someone blesses us, does that enhance our self-image, thereby enabling us to accomplish more? Or does God release some sort of cosmic buzz into us to give us a little extra oomph?
I was recently listening to a teaching by Paul Cox of Aslan's Place in which he mentioned that there is a specific type of spiritual being that has the role of carrying out blessings (if they are on God's side) or curses (if they work for the enemy). These beings are called authorities, and they are mentioned in several passages in the New Testament, including I Corinthians 15:24, Ephesians 1:21, Colossians 2:15, and I Peter 3:22.
When I heard this teaching, it occurred to me (for the first time, I think) that angelic beings are more than spiritual robots. I guess I always thought that an angel was sent from God right to earth with a very specific task to carry out. He performed the specified task and then went back to Heaven for the next assignment. For instance, God might say, "Go bless George with a good night's sleep." The angel would go and minister a peaceful sleep for George and then fly back to Heaven.
Now I'm thinking that the angelic beings ("authorities") may actually have a certain amount of creative freedom in how they administer blessings. They may have an assignment to bless George. It is left almost that vague. The authority then needs to decide how to bless and needs to orchestrate a lot of little events to implement that blessing.
Did you ever have a day where everything just went smoothly? You got in the shortest line at the grocery store, all the lights were green on your way to work, and several people complimented you? You got an encouraging e-mail, your kids were obedient, and you seemed to accomplish more tasks in less time than usual. Maybe some authorities were intervening in your life that day, kind of staying one step ahead of you like a personal valet making sure that everything functioned like clockwork. Those authorities may have had fun that day figuring out how to show you an extra measure of God's love. If you acknowledged your easy day as a gift from God, that surely made the authorities feel that their work was worthwhile. If you barely noticed their work, however, or if you suggested it was coincidence, they may have felt their work was all in vain. Their real object is not just to make your day go more smoothly, but ultimately to bring praise and glory to God.
I like to think about these spiritual beings who are creatively working on our behalf to implement blessings in our lives. It would be a fun job, but only if the blessee noticed the blessings and praised God because of them.
One of the highest compliments Jesus paid anyone when He was on earth was when he said of the centurion, "I have not found such great faith even in Israel" (Luke 7:9) What was so special about this man's faith? I believe that, by extrapolating from what he knew of the physical world that he was able to see to the invisible spiritual world, he demonstrated the type of faith that pleases Jesus. His reasoning was simple. "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." I think he had discerned the activity of spiritual authorities even without seeing them or having been taught about them. If humans have ranks of soldiers, then certainly God does, as well. Just as those soldiers must at times exercise creative problem solving ability, so the angelic authorities must do so in carrying out their assignments for the Lord.
Believing in the unseen realm carries with it a blessing of its own. As Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). I'm going to have my spiritual eyes open from now on to detect the workings of authorities in my life. And I'm going to praise God when I notice their work!
I was recently listening to a teaching by Paul Cox of Aslan's Place in which he mentioned that there is a specific type of spiritual being that has the role of carrying out blessings (if they are on God's side) or curses (if they work for the enemy). These beings are called authorities, and they are mentioned in several passages in the New Testament, including I Corinthians 15:24, Ephesians 1:21, Colossians 2:15, and I Peter 3:22.
When I heard this teaching, it occurred to me (for the first time, I think) that angelic beings are more than spiritual robots. I guess I always thought that an angel was sent from God right to earth with a very specific task to carry out. He performed the specified task and then went back to Heaven for the next assignment. For instance, God might say, "Go bless George with a good night's sleep." The angel would go and minister a peaceful sleep for George and then fly back to Heaven.
Now I'm thinking that the angelic beings ("authorities") may actually have a certain amount of creative freedom in how they administer blessings. They may have an assignment to bless George. It is left almost that vague. The authority then needs to decide how to bless and needs to orchestrate a lot of little events to implement that blessing.
Did you ever have a day where everything just went smoothly? You got in the shortest line at the grocery store, all the lights were green on your way to work, and several people complimented you? You got an encouraging e-mail, your kids were obedient, and you seemed to accomplish more tasks in less time than usual. Maybe some authorities were intervening in your life that day, kind of staying one step ahead of you like a personal valet making sure that everything functioned like clockwork. Those authorities may have had fun that day figuring out how to show you an extra measure of God's love. If you acknowledged your easy day as a gift from God, that surely made the authorities feel that their work was worthwhile. If you barely noticed their work, however, or if you suggested it was coincidence, they may have felt their work was all in vain. Their real object is not just to make your day go more smoothly, but ultimately to bring praise and glory to God.
I like to think about these spiritual beings who are creatively working on our behalf to implement blessings in our lives. It would be a fun job, but only if the blessee noticed the blessings and praised God because of them.
One of the highest compliments Jesus paid anyone when He was on earth was when he said of the centurion, "I have not found such great faith even in Israel" (Luke 7:9) What was so special about this man's faith? I believe that, by extrapolating from what he knew of the physical world that he was able to see to the invisible spiritual world, he demonstrated the type of faith that pleases Jesus. His reasoning was simple. "For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." I think he had discerned the activity of spiritual authorities even without seeing them or having been taught about them. If humans have ranks of soldiers, then certainly God does, as well. Just as those soldiers must at times exercise creative problem solving ability, so the angelic authorities must do so in carrying out their assignments for the Lord.
Believing in the unseen realm carries with it a blessing of its own. As Jesus said, "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29). I'm going to have my spiritual eyes open from now on to detect the workings of authorities in my life. And I'm going to praise God when I notice their work!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Real-Life Parables
About a year ago I became aware that God was communicating to me through real-life incidents that had symbolic meaning. I was so excited about this novel concept that I started keeping a log of these incidents and their meanings, hoping to write a book someday.
Then, wouldn't you know it, I was hanging out on the Aslan's Place website and saw that the book has already been written! It's called, If This Were a Dream, What Would It Mean? The author, Murray Dueck, explains how everyday events can have spiritual meaning. The examples he gives, especially of symbolic events involving England's royal family and India's Parliament, are fascinating. Even though it meant my idea was not original, I enjoyed the confirmation the book provided that God does, indeed, communicate through symbolic incidents which I like to call real-life parables.
Here's an example of one of the first ones I noticed.
It was about 2 a.m. and my husband jumped out of bed in alarm. He was certain he had heard someone come in the front door. He called warnings down the stairs. After checking to make sure our children were accounted for, he made his way downstairs, weapon in hand. In my state of grogginess, I refused to acknowledge that there was any real threat. I knew I had locked the front door before going to bed, and anyone coming in that way would have set off the security system. Eventually he came back to bed, confident that no one had entered the house after all. I remember thinking, as I fell back to sleep, that it was a very strange incident, particularly because my husband was so convinced he had heard someone at the front door.
The next night my daughter had a sleep-over birthday party with about eight of her elementary aged girlfriends. They all slept in the living room, and I went to bed long before they did. That's why I was surprised when, at 5:30, which was my usual rising time, I came downstairs to find several of the girls already awake. It seems they hadn't slept much all night. First a couple of them had seen what they thought was a coyote prowling right by the house. Then some of the girls heard the door knob on the front door turn. They thought they may have seen the form of someone on the front step. Although mass hallucinations at 10-year-old girls' slumber parties are probably not unusual, the girls seemed unusually staunch in their beliefs of what they saw. Even when I grilled one-on-one some of the girls who I felt were more reliable, they did not back down on their story or admit that it could have been their imaginations. Even so, I wouldn't have given it too much thought. But the fact that it happened the very next night after my husband's mysterious nocturnal hallucination gave me pause.
After the girls had all been picked up by their parents, I settled into a quiet morning. In fact, it was too quiet. The phone hadn't rung all day. Sure enough, I found out that the phones were not working. My first thought was that a sinister prowler had cut our phone lines like always happens in the movies. But I learned from the phone company that about ten homes in the area were affected. Another odd situation. We had never lost phone service randomly like that before, and we never have since.
On my prayer walk that day, I pondered these events. I thought it could be a picture of spiritual warfare. The devil was trying to gain access to our family, but he was not succeeding. I felt that the Lord was telling me that our boundaries were secure.
Then about 4 p.m. I received a phone call from my bank. A banker advised me that all my bank accounts, including my checking, savings, and credit card accounts needed to be closed. It turns out that someone from Kazakstan had tapped into the bank's computers and had viewed my account. Although he hadn't accessed any funds, the bank expected that his plan would be to return to withdraw money from my account very soon.
So that's what the odd events of the last two nights were about! They were warnings that someone was trying to access our financial accounts. And the telephone outage was to show that it was an electronic attack, so to speak.
But did that mean my original interpretation that I felt God had given me (about the spiritual warfare) wasn't accurate? Actually, I felt both interpretations could co-exist. They weren't contradictory. In fact, the Kazakstan incident was consistent with the front door incidents. The hacker had rattled the door knob and peeked in the window, but hadn't taken anything. The bank had caught the problem in time; our electronic boundaries had held.
That picture of spiritual warfare has been very comforting to me over the past year. I have felt under attack by the enemy at times. And while I can say he hasn't taken anything of true value from me, he has caused a great deal of stress and hassle. Having to close all my accounts and re-open them turned out to be a much bigger job than I had anticipated. I had to set up all my auto drafts again, and some of them became problematic, taking months to actually resolve. So, while the devil hasn't won any true spiritual victory over me, he has probably wasted my time and made me less effective than I could have been without his interference!
I am so glad Jesus is praying for me. According to I John 2:1, Jesus speaks to the Father in my defense. I suppose it is similar to what he said to Simon Peter in Luke 22:31-32: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
And I'm thankful that God gave me those interesting pictures that helped clarify the spiritual realm for me.
Then, wouldn't you know it, I was hanging out on the Aslan's Place website and saw that the book has already been written! It's called, If This Were a Dream, What Would It Mean? The author, Murray Dueck, explains how everyday events can have spiritual meaning. The examples he gives, especially of symbolic events involving England's royal family and India's Parliament, are fascinating. Even though it meant my idea was not original, I enjoyed the confirmation the book provided that God does, indeed, communicate through symbolic incidents which I like to call real-life parables.
Here's an example of one of the first ones I noticed.
It was about 2 a.m. and my husband jumped out of bed in alarm. He was certain he had heard someone come in the front door. He called warnings down the stairs. After checking to make sure our children were accounted for, he made his way downstairs, weapon in hand. In my state of grogginess, I refused to acknowledge that there was any real threat. I knew I had locked the front door before going to bed, and anyone coming in that way would have set off the security system. Eventually he came back to bed, confident that no one had entered the house after all. I remember thinking, as I fell back to sleep, that it was a very strange incident, particularly because my husband was so convinced he had heard someone at the front door.
The next night my daughter had a sleep-over birthday party with about eight of her elementary aged girlfriends. They all slept in the living room, and I went to bed long before they did. That's why I was surprised when, at 5:30, which was my usual rising time, I came downstairs to find several of the girls already awake. It seems they hadn't slept much all night. First a couple of them had seen what they thought was a coyote prowling right by the house. Then some of the girls heard the door knob on the front door turn. They thought they may have seen the form of someone on the front step. Although mass hallucinations at 10-year-old girls' slumber parties are probably not unusual, the girls seemed unusually staunch in their beliefs of what they saw. Even when I grilled one-on-one some of the girls who I felt were more reliable, they did not back down on their story or admit that it could have been their imaginations. Even so, I wouldn't have given it too much thought. But the fact that it happened the very next night after my husband's mysterious nocturnal hallucination gave me pause.
After the girls had all been picked up by their parents, I settled into a quiet morning. In fact, it was too quiet. The phone hadn't rung all day. Sure enough, I found out that the phones were not working. My first thought was that a sinister prowler had cut our phone lines like always happens in the movies. But I learned from the phone company that about ten homes in the area were affected. Another odd situation. We had never lost phone service randomly like that before, and we never have since.
On my prayer walk that day, I pondered these events. I thought it could be a picture of spiritual warfare. The devil was trying to gain access to our family, but he was not succeeding. I felt that the Lord was telling me that our boundaries were secure.
Then about 4 p.m. I received a phone call from my bank. A banker advised me that all my bank accounts, including my checking, savings, and credit card accounts needed to be closed. It turns out that someone from Kazakstan had tapped into the bank's computers and had viewed my account. Although he hadn't accessed any funds, the bank expected that his plan would be to return to withdraw money from my account very soon.
So that's what the odd events of the last two nights were about! They were warnings that someone was trying to access our financial accounts. And the telephone outage was to show that it was an electronic attack, so to speak.
But did that mean my original interpretation that I felt God had given me (about the spiritual warfare) wasn't accurate? Actually, I felt both interpretations could co-exist. They weren't contradictory. In fact, the Kazakstan incident was consistent with the front door incidents. The hacker had rattled the door knob and peeked in the window, but hadn't taken anything. The bank had caught the problem in time; our electronic boundaries had held.
That picture of spiritual warfare has been very comforting to me over the past year. I have felt under attack by the enemy at times. And while I can say he hasn't taken anything of true value from me, he has caused a great deal of stress and hassle. Having to close all my accounts and re-open them turned out to be a much bigger job than I had anticipated. I had to set up all my auto drafts again, and some of them became problematic, taking months to actually resolve. So, while the devil hasn't won any true spiritual victory over me, he has probably wasted my time and made me less effective than I could have been without his interference!
I am so glad Jesus is praying for me. According to I John 2:1, Jesus speaks to the Father in my defense. I suppose it is similar to what he said to Simon Peter in Luke 22:31-32: "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers."
And I'm thankful that God gave me those interesting pictures that helped clarify the spiritual realm for me.
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