Matthew 28 Modified for Pastoral Correctness

I must be stupid.  Or at least I am obviously out of sync with the rest of the world.

 

I am thinking about tearing out a part of my Bible and replacing it with the text most Church People and in particular Pastors believe today.

 

My Bible used to read: MATTHEW 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

 

Then I heard a well recognized famous "Preacher" on Moody radio say this,  "Not just anyone can Baptize.  It must be in a Church Community Setting administered by an Ordained man of God to be a valid Biblical Baptism".  REALLY??

 

So, From now on I will change this verse to meet the required protocol of "Leadership". 

 

MAT 28:19 (RCV*) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, then bring them into a church building and have the pastor or priest (check his/her credentials first) baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

 

That is the essence of what this man was saying.  This is part of the reason I don't listen Moody radio much.  Sometimes it is just so darn wacky.  Be careful little ears what you hear.  Some is pure heresy.  Even if they are on Moody.

 

I didn't know the Revised Church Version* of the Bible when I was a younger more on fire believer.  I read Matt 28:19 decided it was true, went found people, made disciples and (Horrors) baptized some.  I guess some of them never really got saved.  I'll have to break the bad news to the ones that are in Ministry today.  They'll have to quit their church.  Can't have unsaved people who weren't baptized properly preaching now can we?  One's in Sugar Grove.  So the drive won't be too far.  His congregation will be disappointed.

 

I didn't know I was committing some venal sin. 

 

I repent.  Or maybe not.

 

This is part of the reason that the Church is in sooooo much trouble in America.   I am convinced that the great commission is greatly inhibited by the belief on the part of "Professionals" in the Church who think only salvations and baptisms that occur in the Church are valid.  We as ministers have convinced people by our traditions that evangelism is reduced to inviting people to Church.  We have created a class of spectator Christians who sit on the sidelines and let the pros play.  Did you know people used to actually PLAY baseball for fun?  Honest.  I know some who did.  My dad.  Now we just watch pros play on TV or in Stadiums.  Church is now a spectator sport.  Maybe we should turn it upside down.  No professional is allowed to baptize.  Only "Lay" people would be allowed to baptize (I hate the term "Lay", More spectator Church categorization). Ditto for communion.  I think it says Whenever you come together.  Does whenever mean whenever or does it mean when you have an ordained pro doing this or that etc...... 

 

I'll miss the old version of Matt:19:28.  It was easier to remember.

 

 

Israel and the Church of God

What I'm about to say I can't prove or document. If you require that kind of depth quit now. This is also not the word of the Lord exactly. It's only observation.

Christians are grafted in Jews. Therefore we are the spiritual nation of Israel. God's chosen people. There I've lost half of you. That is not a popular belief. But, if you search the scripture you will see that both contentions are true.

As such there is a parallel in the natural regarding Israel that takes place in the spirit regarding the Church. There may be more than this but these are the essentials.

1898 The nation of Israel is spoken of as a thing that will begin by Theodore Herzel and he pronounces "The Jewish State". Unknown but spoken.

1900 The Outpouring of modern day Pentecost begins in Topeka KS Later including Azusa Street. Speaking in Tounges, an unknown thing begins again.

1917 The Balfor Accords in England establish the right of the Israel to exisit, that a land of Palastine should be created for the Jews.
1914-1924 Pentecostal Groups are formed, they become the basis for much of what are the many diverse Pentecostal Denominations of today.

The interim, the Jews organize, long for a land, are rejected persecuted and dismissed. The Holocaust.

The interim Pentecostals are organized, long for a land, are rejected, persecuted and dismissed. You had to be brave to speak in tongues. You could be stoned.

1948 The nation of Israel is founded, people begin to move there, the Diaspora reverses

1948 The healing revival begins, Oral Roberts. The Church begins to move, Billy Sunday, Billy Graham

1967 The 6 Day War, Israel fights and defeats it's enemies

1967 The Charismatic Renewal breaks out in mainline protestant denominations

1973 The Yom Kippur War, Israel occupies all of Jerusalem

1973 The Catholic Charismatic Renewal begins, Jesus People

1978 The Camp David Peace Talks with Sadat

1978 Pope John Paul the Second is put in place shortly after that and the Charismatic revival among Catholics grows faster.

1982 The Lebanese Conquest Causes Israel to gain Global Respect.

1982 The Pentecostal Church turns the corner and begins to become respectable. Assembly of God becomes fastest growing denomination in the nation. Nearly all other organized churches begin to stagnate and decline in numbers. This respect causes internal problems.

1986 Israel gives back some land in Lebonan, makes concessions and Jonathon Pollard is revealed as an Israeli Spy in America. Division. Enemy believes this shows weakness.

1986 The Pentecostal Church goes thru 3 major scandals in America. Division.

1994 The Oslo Peace Accords cause a new order in Israel. Moab (Jordon) makes peace with Israel.

1994 A new change and conflicts begin over worship in the Pentecostal Church. A year later Pensacola revolution breaks out. Toronto. The Body of Christ starts to undergo major Changes. The face of Christianity begins to change rapidly.

2005 Israel decides to make peace and withdraw from Gaza. Builds a fence.
2005 Traditional Denominational Churches endorse Homosexual Bishops, Homosexual Pastors, become weak on the Godhead (divinity of Jesus). The Attack of the enemy of Faith in DaVinci Code and Judas Papers makes true believers withdraw from any involvement in the denominational Church at large. Seems to retreat into it's own world. The dividing line between true believers and the rest of the world is drawn.

2006 War breaks out in Israel who not only defends herself but is taking back ground. It's open war with casualties on all side. This is a war that cannot be lost.

2006 Now I go out on a prophetic limb. The body of Christ is about to go thru some of the greatest changes and opportunities ever known in the Church. God will move thru those who are ready to move with him. Just as Israel is taking back land and is on the offensive, so now the Church is ready to do the same.

As I look at this pattern I see God moving in great power thru the Pentecostal movement. People filled with the Holy Ghost, operating in spirit and truth, All 9 gifts of the Spirit including speaking in other Tongues (the Gateway gift for any of the Spiritual Giftings). Globally nearly all the revival that is taking place is among those Holy Ghost Pentecostal people of God. Everything not sold out and filled with the Spirit is dead or dying.

We missed it by trying to get along without it. When Jesus said, "Go to Jerusalem and wait until the Holy Ghost comes upon you and you shall receive Power to be my witnesses" many denominational Churches thought he was kidding. The Church in America thought they could skate by without this. It's like believing that Israel could survive without the protection of God. You just won't make it in this new world about to unfold without it.

Only 20% of Americans went to Church this morning. 10 years ago it was 40%. Only 5% of CHRISTIANS put a TITHE in the plate who did go to church. 10 years ago it was 7%. Regular Church attendance is now considered by most twice per month. Mainline Churches are closing at a rate never seen before in America. Yet, there are Churches growing like mad. Osteen, Hybels, etc. All this from George Barna. The only growth categories in Christian America that are increasing in numbers are Mormons (and the question is are they Christian), Catholics (Mostly from Hispanic Immagrants) and Pentecostals (Charismatic and non-denominational). ALL others are drying up and blowing away. This wouldn't have to be so.

If there is any hope for the Body of Christ in America, it is by the Moving of the Spirit of God in Power. This means Pentecost undilluted. I no longer believe it is possible to do what needs to be done without that level of intimacy and that level of Spiritual empowerment which includes the fullness of the Spirit with the evidence of Speaking in Tounges.

I used to say I believed it was possible to be filled with the Spirit and not speak in tounges. That would be like saying, I'm a Christian but I don't believe in Prayer. Or, I'm a Christian but I don't believe in Worshipping God. Or I'm a Christian but I don't believe in fellowshipping with other believers in a Church. You can't be filled with the Spirit and pick and choose the resultant manifestations. When you buy a pair of shoes, Tounges comes with them, they're part of the deal.

So as this new move of God commences, if you aren't on board you aren't where he's going to be blessing. You will miss it, perhaps again. The old is past, behold all things are becoming new. Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Paul asked that of the Ephesian Christians. It needs asking again. Read the whole Book of Joel. Then watch CNN. It's happening before our very eyes. Are you among all people? I think so.

On the Road Again

Me and Mrs Gleaner are off to Columbus for a few days of Pastoral Pep Rally. It's a requirement of keeping my ministerial credentials. It's not so bad. I actually get something out of it.

But, we'll be back Sunday. I do have one very interesting visit with a man who is a proponant of Butanol. Google it up. He'll come up first.

So, See ya'll on Sunday. Check back for more radical right wing rantings then.

By the way, Sunday is 40 Short/Long years of marriage marked for the Peggy and me. It's been great/tough.

So, we'll uncork the bottle Sunday and toast our wedded bliss.

Here's to 40 more. Heck we're only halfway there.

And she still claims she loves me. What a con man I am. HEH!

WHO WINS - You better hope we do!

Let's see, if we have a direct confrontation of a religion that espouses Kill all the Jews and Christians and one that the Liberals think means Turn the Other Cheek no matter what then who will prevail in a worldwide conflict?

 

I rest that particular case.  They don't care who they kill, Indians, Russians, Indonesians, Americans, other Muslims.  They are in the business of stealing killing and destroying.  That's the mission statement of the Devil.

 

We suffer from an image of Christians and of Jesus that is distorted by  liberal theology that denies Jesus' humanity and deity.  As God he wants us to love our enemies when they abuse us for His sake and as Jesus he rails against injustice and evil.  Examples: Tables overturned in the Temple and The Pharisee encounters.  Where's the love?

 

So what are we to do?  Go the extra mile, Turn the other cheek.  But, if an evil direct from Satan himself comes against us, we must raise up the standard of God and push back until the very gates of Hell cannot prevail against us.

 

Ruthlessness in the face of evil. That's the call on the body of Christ in this day.  We must get the uneducated left to see what this really means.

 

I am hopeful that even the most hardened liberal will come to an awareness of the evil that is the nazi fascist islamist force in this world and stand with us against them.  They must be crushed completely.  There is no compromise to be made with pure evil.  The face of evil smiles as it beheads innocents, bombs marketplaces, plants ied's and flies planes into buildings.

 

Manifested evil unrecognized by the left in America.   That's what we have. Maybe someday they'll get it. 

 

This is war even if you don't know it.

 

I can only hope someday you will.

 

 

I never do this

I can't say that because now I will.  Post on comments.

 

Below is a post about my Father-in-Law Ben.  His drift from the conservative fold. 

 

Nature of comments I hear and receive although I may not agree. 

 

...He may have grown

...He has the right to an opinion

            YES  He does, even if he's wrong.

 

The nature I don't agree with:

...And you call yourself a Christian.  Or that's not a very Christian thing to say or do.  ETC

          This nearly always emanates from a person who wouldn't know what it takes to be a Christian or what it means even if it bit them on the leg.  Sorry, but you have to earn the right to question any part of my "Christianity".  Show me your depth I might listen.   Give me chapter and verse, give me the word of God as applied to this then you will have my attention.  But, your perception of what it means or takes to live and be a Christian isn't even on the same planet.  You have bought some lie of the devil on what a "real" Christian is. Read my essay below (Click on the month of June archives and follow the yellow brick road), let me read yours, then let's talk.  So, don't bother preaching to me what it means to be a Christian I won't preach to you on how to be a good liberal.

 

....Maybe when you're 86 etc etc

 

Boy, talk about missing the point.  You would have to know Ben. He was a man of some influence at one time.  Republican Committeeman for the County.  A delegate.  VFW.  American Legion. WWII. When Bennie spoke folks had to listen even if they didn't always want to.  We went golfing with Ben (he drove the cart and we golfed) and at the 19th hole he entertained all with his wit and wisdom.    I even got an Oakes Golf Club hat.

 

Now his day is made up of: Get up, read the paper, watch the news, watch the ball game, take a nap, watch the news and go to bed.  86 will do that for you.  Having a triple bypass and not being able to walk well does that to you.  Occasionally he does play a game of cards.

 

His capacity for influence is much diminished and not that critical anymore.

No audience. 

 

Do I respect him?  As much as I ever did.  I honor him as my Father in Law.  He is my wife's dad.  Believe me, I honor him and I thank him often for his daughter.

 

So, with all due respect to the commenters.  You don't know.  You jumped way further to conclusions than was needed.  But, liberals do that.  Look at how they believe human caused global warming, WMD's not found, Hybrid Car Folly, etc.   Now Ben starts to believe the lies.  Liberal media.

 

If it wasn't for liberals and the greenpeace nuts today we would have nuclear power in abundance, coal converted to cheap gasoline virtually without end, more refinery capacity than we knew what to do with and if we ever let the liberals lose this war like that crackpot Murtha wants to do, our grandkids will all be reciting the Koran in school.

 

Thanks for the input, but Ben is wrong on the war.  I respect him in his ignorance.  No, his years doesn't make him smarter.  Just older.

 

Some people get 25 years experience in 25 years.  Some people have one year's experience 25 times.  And all permutations in between.

   

   

 

Danger of TV News

 My Poppalaw Ben has always been a conservative Republican.  I don't think he has ever voted for any Democrat.

 

But, he reads a couple newspapers and watches TV news.  No blog no talk radio.

 

I was surprised to hear him say that he thought the war was wrong.  That Bush shouldn't send men and women to die for a dirtbag of a country.

 

He doesn't get it.  But, where does he form his opinions?  TV news.

 

No wonder.  He has been subjected to the Chinese water torture of liberal opinion.  He has succumbed.  We used to call that brainwashing.

 

But he's 86 years old.  What he believes isn't that critical any more. 

I just wish we would understand how the liberal press brainwashes people into believing something without reason or question.

 

Ben Ben Ben, I hardly Knew YE.

 

Really Good Guys

This is one of a series of notes from my trip to the far north country fair Dakota. I had a chance to meet and re-meet some fine people. If you are keeping track, it's a series that starts here and ends when I run out of things to say. So.

Jack Sunday. No Relation to Billy that I know. (Jack you'll have to google that one up.) Jack and I have for a couple years become friends via getting acquainted on Julie N's blog. Wired friends. I don't know who started it. I don't care. But at Duffworld I met him. In the flesh.

What a decent guy. Kind. Gentle. Intelligent. I now understand his liberalism. It's born of nice. Unlike the mean Gene who is far less nice, it's understandable. He's just decent. I'm conservative.

And for reasons that have a tiny bit with his 55 years on the planet he has lost weight. A lot of weight. I had seen his promo pix. I went to Duffworld looking for him aka his pubpix. NO FLY. Instead this handsome slim much- better- looking- than- his- publicity- pix man was there. I wasn't sure it was him. Then he started talking about his dog. He has movies of his dog on his phone. I knew I had my man.

We had a nice conversation and I hope to do so again. Funny how a rightwingnut conservative meanie and a nice liberal like Jack can get along so well. I blame it on his niceness. I could take a lesson. NAAAA

The next night back to Duffworld. There for a 3 party meet. Larry Ristvedt, Jack and me. Unfortunately Jack got the message re the meetup THE NEXT DAY.

Larry and I had a wonderful time. I never appreciated his wisdom all the years we hung out together and all the years we were in biz together. I have to admit there were times he pulled me back from self destruction. I was capable of it. We were an interesting partnership. He was the cautious and conservative one. I was the dreamer and the one with passion. I would find a bridge to leap off and he would suggest getting a boat upstream to reach the same place. It worked.

I think that the one thing he taught me which I never forgot was the value of integrity. Never cheat, never lie, (except to Uncle Sam and then don't lie, tax avoidance isn't a crime, tax evasion is). It kept us clean and sober. More or less.

I miss Larry and next time I'm in the north we will have those tri-partite talks.

I reupped an acquaintance with John Boekelheide. John was a year younger than me in school. His Dad was a great guy. I knew the family my whole life. We spent some time Ken, John, Peggy and me till midnight attempting solutions at the worlds problems. None came forth. Darn liberals. Oh, well it was beautiful on Main Street Ellendale.

Then on the way home Peggy told me that there had been a spark between her and John at one time. I don't know about it all but it's interesting to think how her life and mine might have been different. Her's might have been better. Mine would have been worse. But I'm glad it all worked out. Our 40th anniversary is next Sunday the 16th. Who'da thunk it.

I got to ride in Jim Redlins VETTE. The Great Yellow Goose. Yikes, you shouldn't be able to go that fast that quickly in anything not driven by a rocket engine. Oh, and Jim, remember 25 years ago when I had become a Christian I told you I wanted to be a Minister Someday? I'm back in the saddle again officially. In a LUTHERAN CHURCH. It's been a few years. You don't have to call me Father or anything. Kissing my ring is ok however. HEH!

I got to meet Rob Port of Say Anything. The real highlight was meeting his little daughter Harley. What a cutie. My grandpa genes kicked right in. I wanted to buy her a trike.

He's a good guy who works harder than anyone I know. Very smart. Deluded on Wal-Mart. But a really good guy. I'm glad I met him. He is doing a good work and it deserves support. I do and I will.

But, crossing the Illinois border was like breathing again. I'm home here. Dakota is a visit now. I even know the Illinois state song. I don't know if I ever did know the North Dakota State Song. Too late to learn it now.

Sweet Home Chicago.

I Like Pirates

I am looking forward to seeing the new pirate movie "Dead Man's Chest" starring Johnny Depp.  What's weird is I didn't see the first one.  I think I may rent it tonight.  I was told I should rent and see that before I see the second.

 

OK.

 

I know pirates were horrid people.  But there is something very alluring about HARRR, a parrot on the shoulder and an earring.  So, Mrs R and I will off to the cine just as soon as I have viewed the prerequisite.

 

A person who is a major lover and critic of movies tells me I will love this.  Apparently the second is a huge already success.

 

I'm on board.  I'm such a trend follower. 

 

NOT!

The Solution to the Energy Crisis - Drive a Buick

So, Mrs. R and I just returned from Dakotaville. Long Long ago, far far away.

With all the driving around we put on about 2000 miles.

These are always good times to calculate fuel costs and such. Last year I did the same.

Average price paid for gasoline ~ $3.00/gal.

The James Valley Grain Company Electronic scale is always on in Oakes. I weighed the mighty LeSabre. With all our stuff and Peggy and Me and a full tank of Gas we registered about 4300 pounds. That's about 2 tons and a quarter for those of you who flunked HS math.

We averaged about 80 mph on the highway. If you drive slower you are given a one finger salute accompanied by light blinks and horn honks. Really abuse the privilege and you end up with tire tracks up over the back end of the car.

So we drove 80 more or less. Two tons of steel and plastic in tow. Lots of room to stretch out in.

Our mileage average? 30.5 MPG. That's on a Buick with 125,000 miles on it.

So, do the math: (Liars figure, figure's lie etc) If everyone in America drove a Buick we have more gasoline then we can ever use.

And, a less/more interesting thought. 2000 miles divided by 30 miles per gallon. 67 gallons. Times $3 per gallon $201. If gasoline were $2.50 it would have been $34 cheaper. So, for all you who say you can't afford to come see me, I'll send you the $34. Or is there another reason ;-)?

If the whole world drove Buicks........Big Safe Fast Roomy Fuel Efficient Cars. American Made (even if it is in Mexico) life would be better..

On the other hand, those of the Church of ALGORE want us to drive hybrid Yugos. Unsafe little uncomfortable cars that cost more and get about 30 miles per gallon. But you feel so darn ecological and environmentally friendly. NO, DRIVE A BUICK ECOBOY!! Or better get a very large SUV. I'll keep the Buick thanks.

Of course as my socialist friend Barry says, $3 gas taxes solves everything. I'm glad I'm back home to pull him back from the brink of liberalism. When I disappear he drifts so badly.

So Long (for a bit)

We will be away in the far country (North Dakota) for a week starting tomorrow morning. Going to see relations and friends. In some cases they are the same people. (that’s a joke now)

Your lowly correspondent will be out. My next post will most likely be on July 8, 2006. (Unless my itchy keyboard finger causes me to find somewhere to send off a post). I am not taking my laptop. I will be unreachable except by cell phone. If you need me, 630-421-5100. Leave a message. I have lots of minutes to use up. I'm going to try to see you Jack. So don't be a big shot, Take my call!

Whilst I am away, I want to recommend for your perusal.

My favorite Blog is Say Anything. Very political and pretty brutal sometimes.

I read these every day:
Barry (Occasionally Religious Stuff)
Keith (Moderately Religious stuff
John (Kind of Religious stuff)
Blessed Economist (Pretty Challenging Religious stuff)
World Net (The world Thru a Catholic Worldview)
Julie (I’m not sure what to categorize this as)
I reviewed my favorites list. Honestly, those get the bulk of my attention. Other than Drudge and occasional looks at a few others I’m stuck in a rut. What’s that all about?

What I really would recommend is for you to read the whole 9 part REVOLUTION series I posted this last week. Just scroll down from here and you will find 1 of 9. Then 2 of 9 etc. Read the whole thing.

If you read and heed it will change you forever.

Revolution – Epilogue (#9 of 9)

I am a student of Shakespeare. In the play, Julius Cesar, Cesar has just been murdered. Brutus (of et tu Brute’) is giving a talk at his funeral in eulogy. He says, “Lowliness is young ambition's ladder, Whereto the climber-upward turns his face; But when he once attains the upmost round, He then unto the ladder turns his back, Looks in the clouds, scorning the base degrees By which he did ascend”.

Even in spiritual things as a person goes higher and experiences more there is a potential to look down on those who are not where you have come to. I will not do that. My desire is to say as the Glorified Jesus in Heaven said to John in Revelation 4:1, “Come up Here”. I wish every person could experience what I am. That’s why I wrote this.

I didn’t get here alone. I am here by the grace of God and because so many faithful men and women of God helped me along the way. Now some of those same people need to be encouraged to “Come up Here”. Thanks to Curt, Rod, Todd, Pr Dan, Barry, Tim, Dr Lyon, Dr. Carpenter, and so many more I could name.

This is only the beginning of the beginning. We know in part, we prophecy in part but the Glory is being revealed. Let he who has ears to hear, hear what the Spirit says.

You can live like this

Revolution – The Enlarged Heart (#8 of 9)

Over 30 years of this walk, 27 with the Holy Ghost, 3 without, have helped me frame what is happening to me right now. I am moving thru a new level. My heart is becoming enlarged.

Thanks to Todd Beery’s influence in my life, I experience Worship and Prayer as two sides of the same coin. Heaven’s economy spends the coin of intercession no matter which side (heads or tails) is presented.

There was a time for me when Prayer was hard work. Now it happens as spontaneously and continuously as if I were breathing. I don’t sit and contemplate my navel while praying. Sometimes I kneel. Mostly it happens as I walk, drive, think, sleep, read or visit with my wife. It is as present as the air around me. I’m not unique. Millions are now entering this realm. It’s where you always wanted to be. It’s where God intended you to be. The bar is raised.

This prayer is wrapped in a musical covering. It makes Prayer passionate and passion prayer. It makes prayer a joy. Prayer had been tedious at times for me in the past. This takes that stigma off and allows me to enter in at a higher and more continual level. It plays over and around in my head all day long. He is always on my mind. I can still pray in a more conventional way, but now when I do I hear music. I pray with power. I pray with authority. I pray with faith. Without ceasing.

I am able to do that because of Intimacy. The price of moving in power in life and ministry, faith and authority is intimacy. With whom? The Fullness of the Godhead. (I am fully Trinitarian). We must know him in all his fullness. It’s more than a good idea. It’s a demand.

I am more and more convinced that the Trinitarian view of God is like the Sabbath. It was meant for man. God is one. But we must worship him in Spirit and in Truth and that means we must do our best to comprehend him in all his fullness. That takes Trinitarian theology. Jesus said, Man was not made for the Sabbath, the Sabbath was made for man. The Trinity may be like this. I am not going to try to cover that here; you can chew on that for yourself.

So how is Intimacy in Prayer/Worship preparation? When Jesus says, “Depart from me, I never knew you” he’s talking about intimate knowledge. What a friend I have in Jesus is a good song. But Jesus lover of my soul is better. The Song of Solomon 1:2 (Bride says of the Bridegroom) “Let Him Kiss me with the Kisses of His Mouth”. He is our Bridegroom Warrior King and we are the bride. Too intimate for you? If so go tear this book out of your Bible. It's not too intimate for Jesus. He wants to KNOW you. Nothing less will do. Take a look here. Can you know Him like that? YES!

This was hard for me at the beginning. I’ve never been a big fan of “Jesus as my Boyfriend” Songs. Let's see the demarcation. Songs that are just Jesus as boyfriend are rooted in a lack of real intimacy. It’s like a 14-year-old girl’s crush versus the passion right after a birth. I’ll never forget the Kiss right after our second son was born my wife and I exchanged. That was intimate. I wasn’t her “Boyfriend”. I was her lover. Her Bridegroom. I am frankly nauseated by the Jesus as boyfriend songs. I want to know the one who loves me more than life itself. I am a romantic. I’m in love with love. I am also a warrior. I run to the battle. I believe battles can be won. For that reason I am more fearless the older I get. I wish more men in the pews were swashbuckling romantic pirates set at taking back ground from the enemy for their lover. That’s the image I believe men were created to be. Loving Jesus at that level isn’t about Gender. Get over it, in God’s economy you are a bride, now strap on your sword and act like the Warrior for your lover you were destined to be.

This syndrome is like World War II. Men at the front in Europe and the far east carried letters from their wives or girlfriends. They carried pictures. They thought about them. They fought valiantly because they believed doing so would make a better world for their lovers. Men that didn’t have a girl or wife back home had a picture of a pinup girl. They were doing exploits for LOVE. Romantic exploits. They were heroes who fought and sometimes died with the name of their beloved on their lips. Remember the movie “Saving Private Ryan” or “Braveheart”. Men fighting and dying for love. Does Jesus deserve less?

The concern about women dominant in the Church will be solved as men alight on fire in Love with Jesus live as passionate warriors. The reason so many are apathetic today is they aren’t in Love with the Lover of their souls. Too many men are working too hard being burned out in the church of today because of a lack of JOY. I identified with the character Worf in Star Trek Next Generation. He had joy in the battle. The most attractive men are better looking as they are sold out to Jesus in passion. The good news is there is a new sound of war in the land. Read what Rick Joyner said about this new generation of warrior leadership.

The bar is raised. It’s now about Jesus. Do you really love him? Nothing less than total commitment will do. Jesus is all there is. My friend Tim Campbell used to say, “Jesus plus anything is a cult”. It’s true. Jesus is all there is and Jesus is all you need.

When Jesus says, “Depart from me, I never knew you” its obvious he is talking to people in ministry. They respond, “But Lord, didn’t we heal the sick, cast out demons, preach, run churches, even raised the dead all in your name”? It’s who you know, not what you do that matters. They were working without intimacy. Cold dead works conducted by cold dead people. Oh they knew all the “Moves” but they did it without intimacy. And they were cast out. Don't be there. You were destined for Glory. You were destined to do conquests. You were destined to win.

Even the precious gift of Tongues can be vain repetition without the intimacy required to pray in the spirit. Certainly English will fail. I can listen to a person pray and in 10 seconds tell you their level of intimacy. Ministry without intimacy is wood hay and stubble. It’s not enough to just do it with the Jesus name on the door; you must do it with Jesus in you and where you are just the flesh and bones he works thru.

Years ago Howard Cole was a friend of mine. A Lutheran Pastor. Our two marriages were not going well. He counseled me. He said that I needed to have experiences with my wife to make our marriage work. I was working hard, making a lot of money but not investing time in my experiential relationship with Peggy. He was right. I took a right turn. Peggy quit everything and we went off for 6 weeks together to experience each other.

His marriage didn’t make it but his advice was good. People who know nothing on a practical level about being married do lots of marriage counseling. They can’t do it but they can tell you how you should. Do as I say not as I do.

It’s exactly like that for many people in ministry today. They have been to Bible School, they know all the right concepts, they have read all the right books and they have been to all the right seminars. The problem is they are not experiencing the joy of the Lord they are trying to lead others into. Oh, some get there anyhow. Like Howard, the info is correct and if followed by a hungry heart will produce results. It’s just not spontaneous or real on the part of the minister. It comes from a book of how to. Not from the creative heart of God. They just do a buckshot ministry with lots of stuff they read and hope for the best. And luck for them now and then a blind sow finds an acorn.

I don’t question their dedication, devotion or desire. I know they are missing so much more God has for them. One on One all alone intimacy in the spiritual bedroom of Jesus. Into the Kings Chambers he brought me says the Shulamite.

Development of this profound intimacy is more important than Bible study, more important than seminary, more important than working hard for God. In fact many people get so busy in ministry they lose the intimacy God desires for them and they miss the whole thing.

John Piper is a father of this movement. He says this, “Missions exist because true worship (Intimacy) does not”.

You can say the same thing about evangelism programs, stewardship drives, and a hundred other man made implementations designed to get results only intimacy can produce. Lovers of God work harder, give more, go more joyfully to the mission field, do better evangelism, become ministers, and love others better than those who are just putting in their time. Get a worship-prayer vocabulary in your life and the rest will become more joy filled and much easier. Do less better.

Jesus talked a great deal about the need for this. He went away when the crowd pushed in around him and prayed. Do you think he prayed from some prayer book? It was passionate and personal. There was the time when his disciples couldn’t cast out a demon for a young boy. He said to them, “This kind doesn’t come out except by prayer and fasting”.

Every time Jesus ministered to someone he prayed first. Then he ministered. He didn’t pray for people except in intercession. He never prayed for the sick. He prayed a prayer of preparation then he spoke to the mountains to move. He prayed a prayer of intimacy before he raised Lazarus from the dead. But we think we can minister without that level of intimacy and it falls flat. Time to change. The bar is raised.

That’s exactly what he requires of us today. Preparation. You and I were designed by God to move mountains. We were to have dominion. We are to be the head and not the tail. We are to have authority over demonic things. But that takes intimacy. The Church of the Vision God gave me for this area is a great deal like a recent Church described in the last Charisma Magazine article by Matt Sorger on Intimacy. The worship was spontaneous, people came to the altar, the preaching was prophetic utterances of Gods heart toward his people “Words of Love”, and people were made whole in His presence. The bar is raised.

I see this coming up on the horizon like Gehazi, Elijah’s servant. A cloud the size of a man’s hand. I smell the rain and I hear the sound of abundance coming. I have hope fully in God that is driving me forward with a vision he gave me 11 years ago.

Stir it up in our Hearts Lord, Stir it up in our Hearts.

Revolution – Wave after Wave after Wave……………(#7 of 9)

In the ministry God has entrusted me with, I operate in the realm of the Prophetic. As such I have experienced certain “Moves of God” in a different way many do. I am often able to see things in the spirit others might miss or dismiss. I may not always be particularly gifted, I’ve just lived my life as never too cynical or too gullible about anything. I operate on the principle of Gemalial. If it’s of God, you’ll know. If not it will die a slow painful death. So, when the train goes by I may or may not jump on. Mostly I let a few freight cars go by to see.

27 years of living in Pentecost I have seen plenty of “Waves” come that were predicted as something that would “change everything”. Few did. Very few ever really do. Most are programs of men, good godly efforts but not God. You’ve seen them flash in the spiritual pan too. Jabez, Purpose, Promise, and a dozen more. Not wrong, just not real winds of the Holy Ghost. So even today when someone wants to explain why this or that is a new wave I’m just a little slow on the uptake. That doesn’t mean I don’t check it out. I just want to be sure what I commit myself to. Life is too short to run after fads and waste time doing so.

Rodney Howard-Browne was a move that was real. Howard-Browne was sent by God from South Africa to America to bring revival in the early 80s. He did. From that wave of the Spirit he carried there was initiated the Toronto Blessing, Brownville, Gray, and hundreds of living breathing Churches that are still benefiting from this wave of God. They may not know the genesis of it all but it’s still there. All this happened with a spark that became a fire that is being reignited over and over again. Nothing is the same as it was since the early 1990s. Every free worshipping church in America with new passion owes it’s existence to Howard-Browne. What’s interesting is he is now sidelined. God will share his glory with no man. If you offer to be used of God expect nothing in return except himself. He is his own reward. That is and should be enough. He may use you again but if you become offended with him he may not. It's best to trust him with your life and not worry about your glory.

A second genuine wave is the Prayer Movement as commissioned by God to Mike Bickle. Once again this wave is globally changing the body of Christ. He was given a vision and a dream of God to fulfill. He is doing it and the movement is reverberating throughout the Body of Christ. There are now thousands of these bonfires in American and Europe. More spring up every day. They provide something that "Church as usual" cannot provide. Preparation of the saints thru intimacy. Here is a woman who had experienced just one such from Bethany Fellowship in Minneapolis. Her story is really worth reading to grasp what is happening in this vital move and the importance of preparation thru intimacy.

Another who is in the middle of one of these fires in Indianapolis. Read her bio. Click on some of the links. This is what is going on. It's marvelous. Reading both of these gives you a flavor of what is happening.

In both cases much of the traditional denominational and many non-denominational churches initially rejected these moves. They were too far outside the box. The laughing and howling at Howard-Browne’s meetings put most of them off. It wasn’t 3 hymns and a her with a 10 minute sermon read by a half dead preacher and closing with a poem from the readers digest. Traditions broken.

Bickle’s vision in implementation by the International Houses of Prayer worldwide has been vilified by many. This comes from a lack of understanding that worship and prayer are one and the same. They wonder about the 24/7/365 days per year prayer model. The concept of prophetic spontaneous expression however that was ushered in by the House of Prayer movement is now being used by good churches as a fresh new worship model. In Rockford IL at Faith Center they have an outstanding worship leader, Corey Pelley who operates in this with great depth. He can go on prophesying in song for 15 minutes straight. It is extraordinary. It speaks to people with a dimension not found otherwise. It’s all birthed in intimacy. You can’t do this without a deep passionate one-on-one relationship with Jesus.

This all grew out of the Prayer Movement. There were spontaneous songs before but not at this level. Todd Beery who is the leader of the House of Prayer in Bolingbrook IL once told me that he believed the day would come when most worship would be spontaneous song with prophetic words. I am really looking forward to that day. Let’s sing a new song.

As a discerning observer of this whole scene I have see a sea change coming that will usher in new depths in prayer and worship not yet experienced. Typically these changes in methods and style come because a critical mass is reached. I this change has taken place.
It will now move thru the Body of Christ. This will indeed change the face of Christianity in one generation.

There has been as a result of this move of God an accumulation of a vital new vocabulary in the Spirit never heard before. Words and phrases in music. In earlier days men and women of God spoke to each other in King James English to communicate spiritual things. That was good, but now new expressions of God are coming out. David the Psalmist carved words that we still use to this day. Those phrases and passages are of great comfort and hope. This new thing does not take away from that modality. It enhances it. This is a new day of Psalms.

This is about intimacy, passion, prayer and the prophetic. Exactly like David and the Psalms. Except David didn’t have CD’s Drums, Electric Guitars and keyboards.

There is a worldly parallel. I remember as a teenager when the Beatles came on the scene. Up till then we were all 3-cord wonders. They changed everything by the influence of the British invasion. Rock and Roll was never the same again.

But the real sea change came a few years later. Eric Clapton and Cream in Disralei Gears, a much harder rock sound with much more electronic innovation raised the bar much higher. You could never go back again. Even the Beatles had to adapt.

But this isn’t about musical style; this isn’t about music at all. This is about new prayer expressions coming to maturity and implementation. The departure CD I have identified is just one of many, but it’s the one that most definitively represents this. Misty Edwards new one (a leader at the Kansas City House of Prayer), “Always on His Mind”. This is that kind of radical departure. What’s interesting is everything up till now has been a spectrum of development. Some pushing one way, some another. Now there is a culmination that causes me to say, "look where we are". A fine tuned focus of what this new thing looks like. If we went back 5 years in the prayer movement in a time machine we would not recognize where we are today. Now this is beginning to manifest in the Churches. When Paul said, “Pray without ceasing" this has been a challenge. With this you can, forever and when you step from time into eternity you won’t miss a beat”.

Does anyone really think that we’ll play pool in heaven or sit around and tune our harps? NO, it will be eternal praise to the King. And we’ll never get enough. So, If Jesus told us to pray, “On earth as it is in heaven”, How is it in heaven. What's going on there right now. 24/7 (eternal) glorious praise to the King. Why not here, why not now, why not us?

Get ready for this wave of impassioned prayer couched in musical worship in a fresh vocabulary. It will change you forever. It will be glorious.

How far will you let us go Lord, how abandoned will you let us be?

Further and More I’m Guessing.

Take me away, (BUT HURRY)

Revolution – Hiding in Him (#6 of 9)

After the Church and Business collapsed I was wounded. I wanted to hide out for a while. I maintained a relationship with Todd and the House of Prayer in Bolingbrook. He was going thru turmoil of his own at that time. This resulted in people leaving, re-orientation. Frankly he wasn’t in a position to be more than a friend.

What was worse was I wasn’t working. No money coming in. God always provided. But it was hard. For spiritual food we would go to Rockford to Faith Center from time to time. It was always good, always encouraging. But I am a local church guy. I’m committed to the local church, traveling one way for an hour to church is not local.

I know my gifts and not exercising them is just not acceptable. We considered our options. I did not want to begin attending a church that didn’t share my conservative spiritual beliefs. Read this article to understand more. I didn’t want to attend a church where I couldn’t be used of God. I’m a use me or lose me kind of guy. I don’t have eternity on this side of the age. If I’m not in the saddle I get off the horse.

We had visited Lord of Life Church from time to time. Mostly on Good Fridays. I liked what happened then. We had friends who attended there who we thought would benefit from our encouragement. So, we began hiding out at Lord of Life. At first I didn’t know how long. It was after all a Missouri Synod Lutheran Church. I thought at least it will be familiar. But it was not exactly like the Mo Synod church I remembered from Childhood. No liturgy. No hymnals. Guitars, keyboards and drums were the worship leader’s tools. Chad Negley was the brand new worship leader the first Sunday we began attending. Wally had left the week before. The music was fresh and familiar. They were the same choruses we had sung at New Life. Some of the same music Rockford used at that time. Some of the same music from the House of Prayer. Familiar.

Not Pentecostal but not all that overtly Lutheran. The important thing to me was it was a conservative church. I am not interested in relativism. I’m pretty much a every word is true in the Bible kind of guy. I’m pretty fundamental. I could live with the doctrine (with only a couple hesitations). I could embrace this Church.

I liked the Pastor. Barry Kolb. He was my age. He had been kicked around in life as I had been. He was from the Midwest. I found him genuine and appropriately standoffish.

I know what that’s all about. Lots of people with promise come in one door and out another. As a pastor you have to test them, watch them, deal with them and then after a period of time begin to use them. At the beginning I wasn’t sure why we were at Lord of Life. I was actually quizzed by Pentecostal friends of mine as to why I was there. I had one local pastor call me and offer to share his pulpit if I would join up with him. Not a huge church (a hundred or so). I wasn't ready to go back to that again.

I wanted to hide out. I didn’t want to see or talk to anyone. I was done ministering for a while. I went to Barry and told him I was there to hide out. He told me later he didn’t believe me. He thought there was some reason I was there. I shared some things I was working on like my book on marriage. I gave him a galley of it before it was published.

We talked, I did a bit of teaching. I shared some insights. He did the same. I was intentionally free in worship. Raised my hands. Danced a bit. Hollered Hallelujah. I note I’m a bit less expressive lately. Maybe that darn Lutheran thing is wearing off on me. I hope not. I Need a breakthru.

Barry has a well recognized gift of an apostle. He’s not a pastor even if he carries the title. He’s an apostle. Thru and thru. He is learning to wear the mantle well. It needs a nip and tuck here and there to fit but as he becomes comfortable in the role he grows in God.

After we had been attending and after I had spent time communicating with him in certain areas I came to him and said, “It’s been 3 years. It’s time. Put me in coach, I'm done warming the pew".

He did. I was released to run amuck in ministry in the Church and run amuck I do. I stay under submission, I make sure there are not any blindsided issues that come up, I stay committed to the vision of the Church. I see it converging with the vision of God regarding the Church he wants in the Fox Valley.

I see something pregnant in the Spirit. I smell breakthrough at Lord of Life. Only man can stop it. IF man does, God will take his bat and ball, put Ichabod over the door and move on. If that happens, I’m going with God. I have a sense so will Barry. So will a lot of people.

So, my Pentecostal Friends, why in the heck do I stick around? It’s not about Barry. He’s a great guy but there are great guys everywhere. I have a sense in my spirit that I am exactly where God wants me. I don’t know and can’t articulate exactly why. I do know that God’s plan for Lord of Life is for there to be much more than where we are now. All we need to do is walk it out. Deeper water Lord.

The question I keep asking is, How far will you let us go, how abandoned will you let us be? Further, More Lord More.

Peggy and I go to Rockford or Bolingbrook to get our Pentecostal fix. I’m believing that day will end soon. I’m believing that the Vision God gave me 11 years ago is beginning to manifest at Lord of Life. I want the full experience. Breakthrough, Lord, Breakthrough.

A prophecy was given Barry by another prophet (not me). He told Barry that he would be a disturber of denominations. I don’t think it is any accident that the largest growing Mo Synod Church in the whole of the USA in Nebraska (King of Kings) is using the same worship model that Lord of Life does. The old is past, behold all things are become new. I loved liturgy, it just lost it’s meaning. Time to reach a new level. Disturb em Lord. Disturb come from the word stir. Paul told Timothy to STIR UP THE GIFT. It’s time in the Lutheran Church to stir it up.

I operate mostly in the ministry gifting of Teacher and Prophet at Lord of Life. Teaching and encouragement. There is so much more that can and should be done. I’m impatient. God has so much more for Lord of Life. I find mostly my teaching is Prophetic. And My prophetic gift is instructive. It’s a hard gift for people to cope with. I’m not a pastor. I can be brusque. I’m impatient. I’m abrupt. I can become angry. I’m pretty out there with my dealings with people. But the nature of the Prophet is to yell at Saul when he burned the offering out of order. To cut the heads off the conquered Kings. To confront the Davids when they fall. Prophesying isn’t always comfortable but it’s necessary. Primarily the prophetic gift operates in the area of encouragement, edification, and challenging the status quo to go higher in God. It also requires that if I see something that doesn’t line up with the word of God as revealed to me that I am required by my gift to address it. It’s usually not a deal breaker. But if I don’t speak up I am quenching the gift God put within me and I run the risk of having the anointing taken from me. Fortunately my personality doesn’t worry too much about risk. God placed the gift of Creative Discontent in my spirit. I’m never ever ever satisfied with where I am in God or where I want to be. The same for the Church with which I am working.

I will stay and work my tail off to help bring about the vision of the Church God showed me. I will do so until and if the Lord says stop. My flesh wants to stay. It has the capacity to be comfortable. My obedience must be immediate. Like Barry if famous for saying, “Before you ask Lord, the answer is yes”.

I don’t know how this will all come out. I do know this. When a wonderful experience in God takes place people want that same experience again. When a really great service or event takes place people wish we could do that again. “I wish every service could be like this”.

NO!

I don’t ever want a do over. I want a do better, more. Every time we get together as a congregation the service should be better than the last time. Is that too lofty a goal? I don’t think so. Every meeting, every service, every event should be better then the last one. They should never go backwards. Or we are saying God’s not creative enough by his Holy Spirit to allow us to do better. After the last Men of God Meeting I got a call from a participant who said, “That was the best ever. Every time it’s better than the last time”. IT SHOULD BE!! We must expect nothing less.

Whenever those flashes of wonder take place Rodney Howard-Browne’s words come back, “You can live like this Gene”.

Lord of Life can live like this.

I’m going to exercise my ministry giftings to whatever extent I can to make it happen.

POUR IT OUT IN OUR HEARTS LORD,
POUR IT OUT IN OUR HEARTS.

Revolution – New Life Christian Fellowship (#5 of 9)

After being told to stay in Illinois by the Spirit of God and after receiving the Vision from God of the Church he intends to establish in this area (Where prophecy and passion in worship live) I was introduced to a man who had moved to our area to plant a Church. There had been several others. I had met them all. None of them witnessed to my spirit that they were the one I was to partner with. I met Tim Campbell. We had crossed paths before. In Fargo. This man did witness to the Spirit in me. Too many coincidences not to be God. But I was cautious.

I was watching and waiting. Then one night I was with him when he was praying for a man who had a back problem. He was praying in tongues. I immediately heard something in the spirit that said, "He’s the one you are to team up with". So I did. I believed he was sent of God to do this work and bring about the Church of the Vision.

He founded New Life Christian Fellowship of Geneva IL. I became an elder. Hard work, difficult times, but this would mean that people full of the Holy Ghost who live in this area wouldn’t have to drive an hour each way to attend a good Pentecostal work like the promised temple of God of the vision would be. It was at the same time exhilarating and painful. I continued my involvement with Todd. There were personal tensions because of it but I knew my future to fulfill the vision God had given me to pursue was in the Geneva St. Charles area.

I taught in New Life as I had taught in every church we had ever attended. Teaching is a gift I had been anointed with years before. Not just ability, true anointing. I taught the word of God better than I was able to. That’s anointing. I also shared the pulpit in preaching. Better than I am able.

The Church rose. Then began to fall because of personal problems. Tim stepped down. From that time on I operated as Pastor. I learned a lot about leadership and structure. I developed a deep understanding of apostolic leadership during that time.

Divisions in this small body were apparent. People who had been in the church were not prepared to receive me as Pastor. I had been part of them as a member and as an elder. One of them. I learned about the importance of being set apart for ministry in a Church. How important it is to be recognized as such to be truly effective. Anything less leaves you as one of them. This was true in the book of Acts, it’s true now. Moses did it, so should we.

Our church had been founded and funded by the IPHC denomination (International Pentecostal Holiness Church, a sister Denomination of the Assemblies of God with about 3 million members globally, about 10% of which are in the USA). I honored their investment and intent. They were good people with a good heart. To be dishonorable in dealings with them was just wrong.

I made the decision during this time to become credentialed with this organization. Not for any reason except God told me to. I knew it was right, I knew that I would need to be for the future. I’m a big believer in knowing the one who holds the future even if I don’t know the future.

After a year long course of study and testing (which was fortunately made easier by the long detailed study I had made of the Bible in the past decades) I was given credentials as a Licensed Minister of the Gospel under the IPHC. Reverend Gene Redlin. I've probably NEVER written that before. I may not be all that Reverend. But, I am a Minister of the Gospel. Anointed for service, and committed to the call of God he has placed in my life.

In 2002 several painful things happened. We were just coming off the 9-11 in 2001. We were just recovering from the economic fallout as a nation. My business failed. Badly. Nearly bankrupted me. During that time I was connected with Carl Boender of CBMC. Those precious men helped me keep even during a very painful time. At the same time the decision was made to close down the Church. This was painful too. People blamed me. As Pastor they had the right. I wasn’t up to the job. I discovered my gifting during this time. IT WAS NOT THE MINISTRY GIFT OF PASTOR. I have other gifts to give the Church. More on this later.

While it was a very low point it was also a glorious place in God. I discovered new depths of his grace that only being in that place can bring you to. My precious wife Peggy stood right beside me. The power of faith and persistence proved over and over the goodness of God to be sufficient.

Once again, Rodney Howard-Browne’s admonition to me, “You can live like this” was proven true.

Revolution – Prayer Movement (#4 of 9)

In the late 1990’s as a result of my involvement with Todd Beery I was connected with Mike Bickle and his ministry in Kansas City. I was with Todd in Kansas City the night Mike Bickle and Noel Alexander inaugurated the International House of Prayer (IHOP). The concept was Prayer and Worship 24 hours per day 7 days per week.

It began by attending conferences he was either at or conducting. A new level of intimacy began to emerge in revelation. He called it the Bridal Paradigm. He contended that we all are the Bride of Christ individually and corporately and that this truth has the ability to affect our behavior out of our passion towards Jesus. He insisted that this revelation will change our life forever if we grasp it.

It took time. I didn’t get it right away. Gene being a Bride were not synonyms immediately. I grew into it. Mike was right. It did change me.

Worship became less and less about singing good songs and more and more about one on one communication with my Bridegroom King Jesus. I started to see him as the ulitimate lover of my soul. Personally involved in all I do and think. Immediate. Intimate.

As this began to mature in me, a truth that had eluded me earlier blossomed. Prayer and Worship are one. Two sides of one coin. But ONE coin. You can’t pray without worship, you can’t worship without prayer. Old precious hymns I would read with tears seeing the depth of prayer in them. On the other hand some old hymns were just that. Old. No depth.

New intimate songs of passion began to take on meaning for me. Some new worship songs were just as empty and meaningless as some old hymns. This was hard to explain except by the Holy Spirit. It was impossible to understand unless you were already in this place.

I stayed involved with Todd as the Bolingbrook IHOP was opened. I still do. I go as often as my schedule allows. Why? Stay tuned. You’ll find out.

Once I was at a loss of words to explain to a dear Pastor Friends of mine, Dan Rothwell, who with Curt Frankhauser were in Chicago for a conference. He asked me a question, “what benefit is there to the kingdom is people just get together and worship and pray”? “How does that accomplish the great commission?” I couldn’t answer it then. I can now. The revelation of what this is all about has become absolutely clear. You can’t “DO” the great commission effectively without it.

Read on, and see why.

Revolution – Redirection (#3 of 9)

After the profound touch of God in Devils Lake I decided that we should move back to North Dakota. I didn’t think it would be possible to go deeper in God without making that kind of move. Plus we had family there. It made sense.

THREE days before the moving van was to show up to haul us away to Dakota (we had already put money down on a house there) I heard God say “STAY”. "Your breakthrough is here in Illinois". This was 1995. Being instantly obedient to a fault we stayed. . This act caused us to be homeless. The house we had been living in was sold. We packed our stuff in storage and for months lived with friends. Thanks Ken and Ellen. And others. This also meant I was immediately unemployed. The job I had previously required me to live west of Illinois. Interesting times. Obedience has a price, but it pays so well.

I waited. Then one night I had a dream of God. He showed me a clear precise vision of a body of believers he has destined for the area in which we live. The Fox Valley. Geneva, Batavia and St. Charles. It was clear. Worship ministry and the prophetic word resulting in healing, destiny and salvation. Not much preaching. Just this radical release of the presence of God doing it all. I saw it. I felt it. I knew what it was like. I am driven by that vision to this day.

We had been attending a wonderful church in Rockford Illinois. Faith Center. When the move to Dakota was canceled I thought maybe God wanted us to move there to be part of this Church body. We even spent days looking at houses in the Rockford area. But God said NO. He wanted us here, St. Charles. What made it so hard was to find any kind of real Pentecostal fellowship meant driving nearly an hour any direction.

About that time I became involved with a young pastor by the name of Todd Beery. He had been a pastor at the church we had attended in Naperville. Calvary Church.

He was led by God to form a house fellowship. I heard about it from others. A couple months after it formed I attached myself to it. I was attracted by the depth of passion and commitment he and his wife had. The lived this. I saw that, “You can live like this” was true in his life.

The meetings were on Monday nights. What happened there was astounding. Prior to this time I had God all figured out. My theology was fully intact. It was just wrong. He wasn’t going to stay in the box I had created for him. He wanted to reveal himself in new ways to me. He did. Every day He still does.

New music in worship was introduced every Monday night. It was so fresh. So new. Vineyard mostly to start. Then more, then more. It was a radical departure from the choruses we sang in the churches I had been attending. It was new.

During this time Mike Bickle received a prophecy that said, “I will change the face of Christianity in one generation”.

It's been 10 years since the beginnings of this change. The Episcopalians today are singing the music we worshiped toat Todd’s on Monday night a decade ago.

Today’s music in churches has the same notes sung that we did then. Some is very good. Some is simply pap. Contemporary music in the Church has drifted. Much has lost it’s passion. The hope that introducing good worship music would bring real breakthrough, as important as that is, is only partially true. Worship without the Spirit of the living God resident in it is without power or passion. It’s just good songs sung. True worship seldom happens. Many worship leaders have become worshiptainment. Watch what I can do.

What has happened is good worship music no longer is the unique factor separating churches of passion versus churches of just good worship. In fact, you can't be a viable Church without solid competent worship. The secret ingredient is sadly still missing in most churches. The Power of the Holy Ghost.

Todd was leading me to examine the pharisaic lifestyle I had honed to a science. Many legalistic do’s and don’ts I had imposed on myself and others were put under the spiritual microscope. Most of my legalism was driven by a works mentality ginned up by me to please God. It was wrong and binding. Legalsim was a major roadblock to expanding my heart toward Jesus. Liberty truly was in the Spirit.

Love of Jesus was driving me to a freedom lifestyle I had never known before. It was freeing and frightening at the same time. It caused other Christian brothers and sisters to puzzle about me as I began walking this out.

Revolution – Eyes Wide Open (#2 of 9)

In 1990 after we had moved to St. Charles IL from ND we moved to Europe. For the next couple years we became involved with a good Pentecostal Church in Germany. I began to grasp the international face of the Pentecostal movement. The universal appeal of a life in the spirit to all peoples became clear.

Little did I realize the impact of change to come from the Pentecostal wave moving across the world. That within a few years from 1990 – 2006 there would be 1 in 10 people on planet earth would be speaking in tongues and living a miraculous life hearing the very voice of God. When I became part of all this in 1980 we were still on the outside looking in, now the tables are turned. The growth and movement in the body of Christ is all about those things of the spirit I had discovered just 10 years before.

The church body that had nurtured me right after I had received the Holy Ghost was instrumental in introducing me to a man of God who’s ministry changed my life and initiated a change in the body of Christ that is reverberating still. Rodney Howard-Browne from South Africa was conducting meetings at the ND Assembly of God Bible Camp in Devils Lake North Dakota. The meetings were held in what can only be described as a Quonset hut. My brother Steve and I went to the meeting. Rod Hall was there. Rod and I received what can only be described as a supernatural touch from God beyond anything I thought possible. I came face to face with a radical new depth of Faith in God I had never seen before.

After one of the meetings I talked with Rodney. He said something to me that changed my life forever. He said, “Gene, You can live like this”. I believed him.

He has proven to be absolutly right..

I am grateful to the men of God who encouraged me to come to this meeting. It changed me forevermore. Thank you Curt.

This experience only served to make me hungry for much more. I was ruined for anything less. I knew the fullness of the Glory of God was far less then I was experiencing to that point.

When Rodney said to me, “You can live like this” I took him at his word. I became abandoned to a lifestyle of a radical pursuit of the living God at any cost.

I’ve never turned back.

Thank God!

Revolution - Saved and Filled (#1 of 9)

The next several posts will be related to a ministry emphasis I believe the Holy Spirit has placed in my hands to encourage other lovers of Jesus to go deeper.

I have been a believer in Jesus for 30 of my 61 years. Before that I attended Church in a nominal Lutheran kind of way. But I was empty and lost.

At a low point in my life, in 1977, I came to faith in Jesus. Nothing dramatic. A simple prayer of faith (Help! I think I prayed) set my life on a course that I have never looked back from. I bumbled around after that. Looked for more. Knew my nominal denominational Christianity had to end. I was teaching Sunday school. I was good friends with the Pastor. But I was hungry for more. A more that wasn't in the Lutheran Church I was attending. It was a pity but there was nothing there for me.

I met a man Rod Hall who encouraged me to seek for more. More of God. He said to me, "God has much more for you". That was a prophetic word at a nuclear level.

I made contact with an old drinking buddy of mine. Chuck Rutherford. He had been saved. He told me that my search would best begin by receiving the Holy Ghost. I was like the Disciples of John at Ephesus. I didn't even know there was a Holy Ghost.

He laid hands on me. I asked for the gift. Nothing. I didn't leave there disappointed. I left expecting. Weeks later all by myself I got the full manifestation. I began speaking in other tongues. It was glorious.

I'm always amused by people who try to cast doubt on the gifts of the Spirit. That tongues are not for today. That all charismata has ceased. But, sorry, it's too late. My experience in glory trumps your theology all day long. I'm radical and ruined for Jesus.

Now some 27 years later I am so thankful for this wonderful experience of Pentecost. Everything about my spiritual life is so satisfying, rich and fulfilling.

What's more, it gets better all the time.

This was the revolution that put me on the road to where I am today. Saved and Baptized in the Holy Ghost and full of Glory.

More tomorrow. Stay Tuned. There are 8 more chapters to this.

I Miss North Dakota (In June)

Those Long Long days. Being out doing things till 10:30 at night. I miss that about North Dakota. Here’s a very cool website that lets you find the sunset and civil dusk (that’s the time at which you have to stop doing anything in natural light) for any city in the USA.

Here in St. Charles IL it’s not light till 4:45am. I’ve never been up to check but the website tells me it’s true. What is more discouraging is that it’s pitch dark by 9pm. Days end pretty early in Illinois.

Growing up in ND it was not unusual to sit out and enjoy the evening till well after 10pm. In Minot the sun goes DOWN at 9:50pm but it’s dusky light such that you could work or play ball till 10:30pm. Yes, mornings come 15 minutes later, but those long dusky evenings. I miss that. A bit has to do with placement in the time zone but most has to do with North and South.

I grew up in Ellendale, 4 miles from the South Dakota border. Dusk expires (dark) at 10:03, A full hour later than Illinois. Look at the distance and time differential from a town due north on the Canadian border. Hannah North Dakota Dusk is 10:25PM. No east or west influence there. Just North South.

This time of year life is sweet in ND (except for Mosquitoes), Northern Lights, staggering beautiful sunsets and late late dusk.

Intoxicating.

Less intoxicating in January.