Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
IHOP here we come!
My pastor and I will be visiting IHOP the weekend of March 16th. We plan on staying with a friend of mine, Chris Regan. He is in the Forerunner School of Ministry. We are also going to the one day intensive, "Intro to Healing."
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Yippee, snow day!
One of the perks of being a Public School Teacher are snow days. My wife and I, both Public School Teachers, do not have school today. The weather forecast for Alfred, New York is calling for heavy snow throughout the day.
After the initial excitement of being home with my wife and 2 daughters wears off, we will realize that this day off of is not really a day off after all. Let me explain. According the State Education Department, we must be in school a certain number of days. In the event of school closings the day must be made up at some point. This snow day will be added to the end of our school year. Our last day of school will be June 20th instead of June 19th.
At this point, I will take this day off. After breakfast my daughters and I will go outside to play in the snow.
After the initial excitement of being home with my wife and 2 daughters wears off, we will realize that this day off of is not really a day off after all. Let me explain. According the State Education Department, we must be in school a certain number of days. In the event of school closings the day must be made up at some point. This snow day will be added to the end of our school year. Our last day of school will be June 20th instead of June 19th.
At this point, I will take this day off. After breakfast my daughters and I will go outside to play in the snow.
"Lenses of Understanding"
My Pastor, Roger Gardner at the Alfred Lighthouse Christian Fellowship, shared an awesome message a few weeks ago entitled, "Lenses of Understanding. It was about how we interpret the Word and our life experiences.
A lens is a transparent object with curvature. The lens bends light in a nutshell. I am a Physical Education teacher so that is were my understanding ends in regards to a lens. He went on to say that we truly need to interpret scripture through the Holy Spirit. We need to encounter the Word. It is not enough just read the Word for head knowledge, we need experiential knowledge.
Understanding truth is progressive and layered. It takes time. Our foundational layers are critical. Just like you would not build a house on sand, for it will wash away during a storm. Our foundation needs to be solid. (see Matthew 7:24-27)
The 5 lenses of interpretation (not an exhaustive list):
1. Personal experience
2. Faith/Heart
3. Theology or Belief System
4. Tradition
5. Maturity
How do you interpret situations in your life? The leper in Matthew 8:1-4 did not have any understanding of who Jesus was and what He was sent to do. When he saw Jesus he worshipped Him. He seems to have had an understanding of who Jesus was but he was unsure if Jesus would or could heal him. He said, "Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus response is priceless. He put out His hand to touch him and said, "I am willing; be cleansed."
The Bible does not give us a biographical sketch of the lepers life. But it seems as though the lens that he was looking through was dirty. Jesus in His awesome leadership cleaned his lens as well as his leprosy.
A lens is a transparent object with curvature. The lens bends light in a nutshell. I am a Physical Education teacher so that is were my understanding ends in regards to a lens. He went on to say that we truly need to interpret scripture through the Holy Spirit. We need to encounter the Word. It is not enough just read the Word for head knowledge, we need experiential knowledge.
Understanding truth is progressive and layered. It takes time. Our foundational layers are critical. Just like you would not build a house on sand, for it will wash away during a storm. Our foundation needs to be solid. (see Matthew 7:24-27)
The 5 lenses of interpretation (not an exhaustive list):
1. Personal experience
2. Faith/Heart
3. Theology or Belief System
4. Tradition
5. Maturity
How do you interpret situations in your life? The leper in Matthew 8:1-4 did not have any understanding of who Jesus was and what He was sent to do. When he saw Jesus he worshipped Him. He seems to have had an understanding of who Jesus was but he was unsure if Jesus would or could heal him. He said, "Lord, if you are willing, You can make me clean." Jesus response is priceless. He put out His hand to touch him and said, "I am willing; be cleansed."
The Bible does not give us a biographical sketch of the lepers life. But it seems as though the lens that he was looking through was dirty. Jesus in His awesome leadership cleaned his lens as well as his leprosy.
Friday, February 9, 2007
The Jealousy of the Lord of Hosts
I am taking a course online called, "The Excellencies of Christ," by Allen Hood from the International House of Prayer-Forerunner School of Ministry. This course is absolutely amazing.
Chris a friend of mine who is a full-time student at the Forerunner School of Ministry, took this class and said that I will change the way you look at Jesus. I thought I had a pretty good foundation of who Jesus was and is. But this class has made me see the God-Man in a new way. I am in love with Jesus more and more everyday.
In Mark 9:14-29, Jesus heals a boy with a mute spirit. The boys father initially brought his son to the disciples to be healed, the disciples were sent out with power over unclean spirits (Mark 6:7)by Jesus,but they were unable to heal him. The father being distraught brought his son to Jesus. As they approached Jesus the spirit within the boy convulsed and the boy fell to the ground foaming at the mouth. The mere presence of Jesus causes the unclean spirit to feel uneasy. This only should show us the power of Jesus. Jesus asks the father, "How long has this been happening to him?" Since childhood, the father says. He went on to say, "but if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." This man needs a revelation of Jesus.
This father is at the place many of us reside in our faith. Can Jesus really heal me? Is He able to heal me or a family member? The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Jesus was sent to the earth with a divine purpose from His father, restore dominion and authority (Gen.1) that was lost in the Garden. It is through God's jealous love that He sent His only Son to the earth.
Jesus tells this father, "if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (v.23) Immediately the, "father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, by His word, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" At His Word the spirit cried out, convulsed the boy greatly and came out of him. Did you catch that, Jesus spoke and it came out. I am not sure if you really heard that, Jesus spoke and it came out. Do you think the God-Man has compassion? Do you think He wants to heal his beloved? Read Jesus mission statement in Luke 4:18
The healing of the boy with a mute spirit should help us to see the jealous nature of God. He desires that we no longer remain in bondage to the schemes of the enemy. That all sickness and disease be removed from love who love Him. Jesus was sent to reclaim the dominion and authority that was lost in the Garden.
Chris a friend of mine who is a full-time student at the Forerunner School of Ministry, took this class and said that I will change the way you look at Jesus. I thought I had a pretty good foundation of who Jesus was and is. But this class has made me see the God-Man in a new way. I am in love with Jesus more and more everyday.
In Mark 9:14-29, Jesus heals a boy with a mute spirit. The boys father initially brought his son to the disciples to be healed, the disciples were sent out with power over unclean spirits (Mark 6:7)by Jesus,but they were unable to heal him. The father being distraught brought his son to Jesus. As they approached Jesus the spirit within the boy convulsed and the boy fell to the ground foaming at the mouth. The mere presence of Jesus causes the unclean spirit to feel uneasy. This only should show us the power of Jesus. Jesus asks the father, "How long has this been happening to him?" Since childhood, the father says. He went on to say, "but if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." This man needs a revelation of Jesus.
This father is at the place many of us reside in our faith. Can Jesus really heal me? Is He able to heal me or a family member? The answer is a resounding, "Yes!" Jesus was sent to the earth with a divine purpose from His father, restore dominion and authority (Gen.1) that was lost in the Garden. It is through God's jealous love that He sent His only Son to the earth.
Jesus tells this father, "if you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." (v.23) Immediately the, "father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief." Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, by His word, "Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!" At His Word the spirit cried out, convulsed the boy greatly and came out of him. Did you catch that, Jesus spoke and it came out. I am not sure if you really heard that, Jesus spoke and it came out. Do you think the God-Man has compassion? Do you think He wants to heal his beloved? Read Jesus mission statement in Luke 4:18
The healing of the boy with a mute spirit should help us to see the jealous nature of God. He desires that we no longer remain in bondage to the schemes of the enemy. That all sickness and disease be removed from love who love Him. Jesus was sent to reclaim the dominion and authority that was lost in the Garden.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)