Did you know that rest is a weapon?

In our last blog we discussed Jesus’ commission to the disciples in Mark 4:35. It begins this way: “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him” (Mark 4:35-36). We have the luxury of knowing what was on the other side of the lake; one demon-possessed man who was transformed by Jesus. This man became the central vocal piece for the mercies of the Lord in Decapolis, an area that was steeped in sin, immorality, and humanism. That area was so “anti-Christ” that Jesus was all but forced out of their region when He first landed in the country of Gerasenes, in spite of the fact that a demon possessed man was delivered. Yet, as we learned, this redeemed man told people of Jesus and they were amazed to the point that that next time Jesus traveled to the region, four thousand people were ministered to (see Mark 8:1-9).

Have you ever felt like your life wasn’t making a difference for God?

I can’t begin to count the times that I’ve believed that what I did for Christ seemed totally insignificant. Jesus has been teaching me to keep my eyes solely on Him and to simply accomplish what He asks of me without measuring the results. There’s a passage in Mark that illustrates this subject matter. It begins this way: “On that day, when evening came, He said to them, ‘Let us go over to the other side.’ Leaving the crowd, they took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and other boats were with Him” (Mark 4:35-36). Note the phrase “on that day.” That very day Jesus had taught the crowds about sowing and reaping.

Are you more passionate for Jesus today than you were six months ago?

One of the most discouraging observations that I’ve discovered is to find people who over time have lost their passion for Jesus. When they first came to Christ people would describe them as being on fire, but time and circumstances seemed to have squelched their flames. The Bible, however, paints a picture of sustainability. Psalm 1:2 speaks of someone who delights in the law of God; literally, they take pleasure in the Word of the Lord to the point that they meditate on it day and night. The result is, “He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3). Note the Psalmist said, “the leaf does not wither.” How many believers over the course of time spiritually wither?

How different would your life be if you only spoke from a posture of faith?

In the last two posts, I’ve written about borderless faith, probably because God is trying to teach me something very essential. I want to remain in the same vein of thinking with this blog. The Bible says, “But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ‘I believed, therefore I spoke,’ we also believe, therefore we also speak” (2 Cor. 4:13). Paul indicated that we’re to speak from a posture of faith; we believe, therefore we speak. Statements that we make should be declarations of what we believe, not laments of what has failed to happen. Our language should reflect our faith. Too often we become overwhelmed by surrounding circumstances: the economy, sickness, crime, failures, sin, or disease, and if we’re not careful, these issues begin to become the center of our conversations.

Is your faith moving beyond borders?

In our last post, we discussed how Jesus was approached by a man named Jairus and he wanted Jesus to come lay His hands on his daughter to heal her. She was at the point of death, so Jairus elicited the help of Jesus. Jesus left at once to heal her; however, He was delayed in the process by a desperate faith-filled woman. While many people were pressing in on Jesus there was no indication that they were being significantly changed. This woman’s faith, however, led her to believe: “If I just touch His garments, I will get well” (Mark 5:28).

Do you have a limit to your faith?

I have come across people who believe God for things that seem “reasonable.” Is that true faith? Faith by its very definition believes for things that are not just possible, but for things that are impossible. If we only believe for things that are possible, then we’re focused on the natural; we’re looking at what can be seen. The Bible tells us to look at what cannot be seen (see 2 Cor. 4:18). Faith believes for things that are totally unreasonable in terms of natural explanations; it believes for things that are “out of bounds” and hopes for things that demand supernatural intervention.

Did you know that all of us have been invited into a specific ministry?

The obvious difference between the Old and New Testaments is the “outside” God has become the “inside” God. God, who dwelled on mountains and in temples in the Old Testament, is now the God who has made a sanctuary in our hearts (see 1 Cor. 3:16). The new covenant is not Jesus dying on a cross; His death and resurrection mediated a better covenant, an excellent ministry (see Heb. 8:6). That excellent ministry is what Paul described as “servants (ministers) of a new covenant” (2 Cor. 3:6), and all New Testament believers are part of this ministry because we’ve been made adequate through the ministry of the Spirit who is working within us. What do ministers of the new covenant look like? You might read 2 Corinthians chapters three and four to discover your own observations, but I’ve taken the liberty to outline five characteristics.

My friend Dan Bohi often asks: What is the most important thing you will ever do?

I’ll answer that question in a moment. Jesus and His disciples had entered Samaria. The disciples had gone into the city to buy food while Jesus remained relaxing by a well. A woman from the city came to draw water and Jesus said, “Give me a drink” (John 4:7). No doubt His request was met with a bit of surprise because in that culture Jews didn’t interact with Samaritans. Jesus, however, was operating within the rules of a different culture; He was functioning out of the kingdom of Heaven. In fact, Jesus taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come” (Matt. 6:10). It was His desire that all followers would make every move from heaven to earth. Let that thought sink in for a moment. When you live from heaven to earth, you carry a kingdom mindset with you everywhere you go and there are no limitations when you function from that perspective. The possibilities are endless because the kingdom is at hand (see Matt. 4:17).

What qualifies you for ministry?

I was having a conversation recently with someone about the vanity and superficiality of placing too much confidence in our education. The truth is many young ministers have experienced an erosion of their faith because they entered college or Bible school and they were insulted for actually believing the Bible. Too many educators have elevated their opinions over the truths of God’s Word. Worse still, some of the fundamental assignments that Jesus commissioned His “students” to fulfill are being abolished through “higher reasoning.” Think about it: our Christian educational process awards diplomas to students who enter into churches with little or no knowledge about the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit (see Matt. 10:7-8). What I find even more disheartening is that these extraordinary activities are often denigrated in the “educated” mind. We have elevated academics over the anointing; we prefer to promote someone to a prominent position of leadership based on the degrees behind their name or from the accolades in the wake of their success.

Who or what influences your life?

Over my lifetime there have been many people who have influenced my life. Family members such as my father and grandfather have shaped the way I think and live. Friends such as Dan Bohi, Corey Jones, and Kevin Seymour have deeply influenced my life. One of my spiritual fathers, Ron Frizzell, poured into me in 1997 for almost two years. One of my professors, Charles “Chic” Shaver, deeply influenced me, along with two scholars, Jon Mark Ruthven and Gary Greig, who were my doctoral mentors. I’ve been deeply touched by a revivalist, Randy Clark, who has preached in seventy-six countries; he prayed an impartation over me about re-digging the wells in the Holiness movement.