The 9/9 Update

There is an old saying that says how long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you are standing on.  Anyone who has needed to go and was forced to wait a little bit longer understands that all too well. Someone's perception is usually their entire world and reality.

Because our existence is so wrapped up in our individual personal perceptions, taking someone else's perception into consideration can be something very easy to dismiss.

I have been pretty hard on the modern church in my public writings on here over the last couple of years primarily because the whole point of Jesus coming, dying and raising again is so people can come to know Him personally and in that personal, first hand relationship they can exchange their own perception for His. That divine exchange truly does change everything but only if it really happens and for it to really happen, it needs to be an organic thing that the Holy Spirit does inside of a person's perception. Unfortunately for most of the impatient church leaders of our day, it often takes time. sometimes, weeks, months or even years.

The problem is twofold. First you have church leaders trying to demand a level of behavior from others too early that can only come as a person is transformed away from their old, fallen self into the new, sanctified self. This is a very natural and beautiful process that the Holy Spirit is quite masterful at producing.  However, when leaders demand a person keeps a lifestyle that the Holy Spirit has not delivered a person into yet, it puts tremendous and unhealthy peer pressure on person, especially if they are new to the Faith and will inevitably end up in the person not being able to keep that lifestyle.. It is actually quite cruel to do to someone when you think about it.

The second part of the problem is leaders tend to misunderstand the difference between authority and understanding. Example: I was at a church a couple of years ago and they had a lot going on for the good. They were closing in on a real new Testament church model but in all of that powerful revelation, there was the main guy on top of the pyramid who despite having New Testament revelation about government, was stuck in Old Testament revelation about the tithe so there was freedom in the worship and ministry, but bondage in the finances and in other matters of the law. in short, legalism.

One of the biggest challenges for those of us who are leaders is to not limit what God is doing by insisting it all must come through our current revelation and understanding of Him and how he works.

My personal life is shifting directions right now. The Lord has laid some wonderful opportunities before my family and I and with those new open doors has come an excitement and expectation I haven't had for a while.  The Joy is truly in the journey and I'll share more on that in my next blog. 

Thanks for being here and for sharing my blog with others.  If I can pray for you, don't hesitate to reach out and ask. Remember, you are only one choice away from your next victory! 

M-

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