Kairos - When Eternity Steps Into Time
My Notes - This is the type of event you really need to experience, it cannot be explained. These notes below are what I got out of it. You might get totally different things. I strongly suggest you make plans to attend. It's open for all churches. You can register (HERE).
Appetite for the Eternal
The Soul (mind, will, emotions) is the place of temptation. Our spirit was saved, our soul is being saved, our body is slowly dying now, but will be saved.
Ecclesiastes 3 - There is an appointed season for every purpose under heaven.
Physical Pain is a gift of God to tell us something is wrong with our body and it needs to heal. Ex: If you were to begin slowly cutting your hand off, your body would tell you to STOP IT! Physical Pain awakens us to a physical problem.
Soul (mind, will, emotions) Pain is the same thing. It tells you that there is something wrong. Emotional pain awakens us to our soulish problems.
Spiritual Pain awakens us to our eternal needs. In the light of eternity, good things on earth should not satisfy us into complacency, not should bad things pain us into hopelessness.
Question: Do you want God... or just what God can do for you? Am I receiving the benefits of God with Gratitude, or treating them as entitlements? If I treat God as my servant, "Do what I want... now!" any answered prayer will strengthen my sense of entitlement, and any non-answered prayer will cause a deeper sense of pain. God cannot win, when you are playing the role of boss. Without gratitude there is no relationship.
SIN: Seeking 2nd things/attachment to the wrong things. When we seek 2nd things, we loose the 1st things, and the second things are lost as well. When we seek 1st things, the 2nd things are thrown in for free.
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Sin is not: Breaking the Rules
Sin is: Heart Condition, Inherited from Adam
Sin is not: Bad Behavior
Sin is: Falling Short of Glory
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
The Sin Solution is not: Better Behavior
The Sin Solution is: New Heart/Spirit
Sin came when we chose knowledge of the right vs wrong over the force of LIFE. The sin solution is not a better knowledge and practice of good, it is connecting to the Source Force of LIFE itself.
Strongholds are soulish, and can be recognized when we know that God's word says "A", but we believe "X" based on our experiences. I know God says "Healing is yours", but I believe I won't be healed... I know God says that I will prosper by following His way, but I'll just be poor my whole life...
These are the types of statements someone makes when caught in a stronghold.
I know God's Word says... But my experience says... I believe my experience.
We need to understand "HERE" from the perspective of "THERE"
God gave me a funny comparison. The difference between earth and heaven, is similarly to the difference between the 1950's Superman Comic Book, and the 2013 Man of Steel Movie.
Compare the graphics of a 1950's Comic
To the
CGI effects of a 2013 Movie.
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Establishing Identity/Hearing God
Story One: Deaf Guy - Summary - There was a deaf man, and a new Sign Language (ASL) instructor came in. This man was ignored by everyone, so she took him on. She came to him and signed "My name is Karen", and he signed back in perfect ASL, "My name is Karen". She was surprised. She she signed "No, my name is Karen, what is your name?" He signed back "No, my name is Karen, what is your name?" Puzzled, she began to realize that this deaf man had words... but he did not have language. He did grasp the meaning of words. Words contain images, ideas, concepts. They are containers for thoughts. They communicate thoughts. If you have the words but no language, you cannot communicate, you can only Parrot. She worked with this man until one day he jumped from his chair and signed "I GET IT! This is a chair, things have names!" And he started the slow process of learning language.
Story Two: Pastors Kid - There was a pastors kid who grew up to be a pastor on staff at the same church his Dad pastored. Do to some things mean church goes had said, there was a lie in his head that he had no real talent or ability, and that the only reason he was on staff was because of who his Dad was. One day God breaks through and tells him: "Listen, you have not gotten where you are because of your talent and ability, you HAVE gotten where you are because of who your Father is... and I AM YOUR FATHER! Because of that, no man can put you in, and no man can take you out."
You cannot think without language. Words connected to ideas are how language takes place, and it takes language to think. Babies and Dogs probably both dream images, but they do not "think" as we do. Thinking requires language.
When we struggle with our walk with God, it is often because we are "hearing" another voice, not the voice of our Shepherd.
Questions to ask God, and listen for Him to answer them.
- What are you saying to me today, about me?
- What names have I believed about me today that are not from you?
- What are the names You, God, would have me believe?
- What lie/name have I believed about you?
- What name do you want me to know about you?
Anatomy of a Stronghold
- Event - Caused by external factors, creates a pain point in your life.
- Lie - The enemy took this event as an opportunity to tell you a lie about it, that you believed.
- Defense/Comfort - Some action that brings comfort and feels right, based on the lie.
- Reaction - Either other people's reaction to my defense, or a natural by-product of the comfort/defense creates a similar event to that which caused the lie, and reinforces the lie, so I go deeper into my comfort, and the reaction happens again. Thus the cycle is strong with each turn.
Example One: Financial Stronghold
- Event - Financial Set Back
- Lie - God Doesn't Come Through/Provide for Me
- Comfort/Defense - Seek to spend money on food/fun.
- Reaction - Money Spend unwisely creates another financial setback...
Example Two: Relationship Stronghold (affected friendships, relationships, sex life, etc...)
- Event - Rejected/Beat Up/Bullied by a stereo-type Male Jock
- Lie - I am Intellectually Superior to most men, and all Jocks.
- Comfort/Defense - Seek affection, comfort, and validation from Women. Keep no male friends. Reject sports unless women are there (like gymnastics). Get addicted to relationships with women like a drug, moving from one to the next rapidly seeking validation. Push most forms of male friendship away, in some cases feel greatest satisfaction when I take a woman from a male (especially a jock-type).
- Only friends are women, gay men, or men who show a tendency for favoring intellectual or artistic pursuits over physical ones.
- Reaction - Men keep their distance, or worse bully. Thus, rejected by men, thus reinforcing the lie...
The Painful Event was not the problem, the lie we believed about it is the problem. If you can begin to identify each of the four components of the cycle, you can interrupt the cycle, and start a positive strong hold instead.
- Event - Any Event
- TRUTH -
- True Comfort -
- Positive Reaction -
The problem with negative strongholds, is that they create a wall that doesn't just keep bad stuff from getting in, it keeps good stuff from getting in too. It also ties you to the very thing you wanted to be free from. Saying " I'll never by like my Dad..." is the best way to guarantee that you will be!
These vows FEEL right, but are WRONG. Nobody can take down your stronghold for you. But neither can you do it yourself. You need the Holy Spirit to show you which bricks to remove, in which order, and let Him empower you to remove them one by one.
4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
Solution:
Repentance involves a change in how I perceive reality. One of the most fundamental changes in how I perceive reality involves changing the source of truth. I need a new source of truth, and a new source of comfort and protection. You may see in the natural that you are one guy in a house on open land surrounded by armies. Elijah.
Which would you rather be, that guy with a wall built around the house, hoping the enemy doesn't get in? Or that guy with a house on open land, with your own ARMY 10 times the size surrounding the army that surrounds you? Meanwhile, you keep the view unobstructed by walls, and good things can still come freely to visit?
2 Kings 6
New American Standard Bible
Then Elisha prayed and said, "O LORD, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." And the LORD opened the servant's eyes and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
- Ask God: "Father, reveal a significant event that happened in my life."
- Ask God: "Father, reveal the lie I believed about that event."
- Ask God: "Father, reveal the comfort/defense I seek after believing that lie."
- Ask God: "Father, reveal the natural/people reaction from that comfort/defense."
- Father, I confess "insert lie here" as a lie. Forgive me for believing that lie. What truth would you have me believe instead?
- Father, what comfort/defense should I believe/seek instead?
Walk that out... day by day, event by event... building a new positive stronghold.
Grace and Receiving Forgiveness
Nothing we every DO can result in forgiveness. Everything HE HAS DONE resulted in forgiveness. Our part is to receive.
The same thing is true for all of God's benefits. God heals, we receive. God delivers, we receive. God prospers, we receive.
When we pray for people to get healed, our part is to pray in faith, and lay hands. God's part is to heal.
- I take responsibility to pray in faith, and lay hands. My job is done.
- They take responsibility to receive healing.
- God's part is to heal.
I take NO responsibility for God's part. If healing comes I take no credit. If healing doesn't appear to come right away, I take no blame. THAT takes all the pressure off of ME, and puts it where it belongs, on God. "Sir/Madam, I can teach you about God, help you build faith and understand His will. I can pray in faith, and I can lay hands on you... and that is where I stop. I've never healed anybody. Not ever. Only God heals. You receive it. I can't do your part, and I certainly can't do God's. Are you ready to believe?"
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The Worst Sinner EVER...
God showed me something during class today that floored me.
Matthew 27:45-54
45 Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land. 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" 47 Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This Man is calling for Elijah!" 48 Immediately one of them ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine and put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink. 49 The rest said, "Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to save Him." 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. 51 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 52 and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 53 and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake and the things that had happened, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly this was the Son of God!"
Jesus had prayed earlier for the Father to forgive them (the men who were killing him), they knew not what they do. Here, at the end, when Jesus dies, there is an earthquake, and major stuff goes down... the centurion, one of the men responsible for actually doing the crucifixion feared saying "Truly, this was God's kid"... I got a picture in my mind of this man being one of the several driving the nails into his hands and feet, and enjoying it, because he took pride in his work. After all, these men deserve to die, and he was good at his job ensuring it happened. But when he has the realization that he's just killed God's Son... he has a sinking fear that he's done something wrong... that this one didn't deserve it. He's instantly changed from executioner to murderer. Centurion fear not just for his life... but for his soul. And for the first time he comes face to face with his need for eternal things. I doubt he got saved there, at the cross... maybe he did. I do think that he recalled "Father... forgive them, they know not what they do..." and I think that phrase echoed throughout his mind and heart. I don't know if it happened right then, or if it was after Pentecost and he was among the crowd that heard the first sermon from Peter. Maybe he was one of the first 3,000 to get saved? Maybe not, because he was a centurion and not a Jew. Non Jews didn't get saved until Paul came on the scene, or Peter are Cornelius house. But weather it was right there, as Jesus hung on that tree, or days, weeks, or months later... did he go back, to the spot where HE killed Jesus... did he receive that forgiveness Jesus offered. And if the man who actually drove the nails into Jesus' hands could be forgiven... couldn't you?
It's hard to say how much of the story is true, but Church History does record the name of
Longinus as the head centurion at the Cross, who spoke those works "surely this is God's Son" and he because a Church leader, and fiery preacher.
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Another memory, this memory was more a series of events... this time of my brother.
Event(S)
Between 4-5 years old (my brother would have been 2-3) I saw a vision of a demon in our room. It looked like a normal person, until it turned it's head and it's eyes were vacant holes of black. She (the demon was a she, or portrayed herself as a she), was looking at my brother, but would turn to me. She didn't open her mouth, but I heard the words in my heart, the message was "Don't interfere, he's mine." I was terrified. I ran to my parents room when she turned back. Mom and Dad came with me to the room, it was gone... I don't recall what happened next, they probably put me back in bed, or maybe let me stay with them, although I doubt that. This was not a dream, or a fanciful memory, it happened. It's as real to me today as it was then.
About this same age, I remember telling him to stand still, I stood on a porch a little higher than him. I was going to take a large rock and throw it over his head. Unfortunately, it didn't go over his head, it hit him square on the forehead. No major damage, but it did cause a cut, and may or may not have needed stitches, can't remember.
Later, I had dreams of trying to save him. These were spiritual dreams, I didn't know it at the time. The only one I remember clearly was of him drowning at the bottom of a pool, and I ran to tell my parents who ignored me "that's nice", and I jumped in to save him, and he was chained to the bottom and I couldn't loose him. (I was about 5-6 when these dreams occurred).
My brother would get anything he wanted. Favor followed that kid something fierce. One day, we were old enough to go on our own. We were at a hotel, and we got sent with money we each had across the street to a restaurant. I think a McDonald's. He didn't have enough for what he wanted, so she gave him both things anyway. She did NOT give me both, I had to choose. I remember thinking, he get's to misbehave constantly and get's rewarded for it, I have to do the right thing and get nothing for it. I have to be the responsible one.
One more event, at ten years old a (deaconess/elderess) lady leader told me that as the pastors son, I needed to start setting a better example for those other boys (kids)... who were 13-14 years old.
The Lie
I don't know if there was a single moment, or if it just built up, I think it just built up. Eventually I decided that I was seeing things that no one else saw... I was responsible for him... I was not strong enough or good enough... why try...
I felt the need to be responsible, an overwhelming sense of not being strong enough, and a resentment toward anyone or anything that would demand too much from me.
How can I summarize this lie?
You need to be responsible,but you are not strong enough, good enough, able enough.
I began to feel unworthy to be in positions of leadership. I sabotaged any advancement into leadership at jobs, moved from job to job before I could get too much responsibility. I was called to preach at 10, but ran from it my whole life. The thought of taking the platform terrifies me. Not because I think I would be bad at... I actually think I would be great at it... and THAT terrifies me. Eventually I'll realize I'm not good enough or strong enough to stay there.
I sought solace/comfort/defense in various things. Alcohol, Women, Internet Activities, Work, Tasks...
It's paralyzed me from making decisions, or being responsible. When a woman was get too needy, I was either out, or treated her badly so that she would leave. Not on purpose, per say, but that's what I now know I was doing.
So the lie perpetuated more events, which perpetuated the lie. Women, Work, Life... I'm not good enough or strong enough and I should run from responsibility.
What is the truth that I should believe?
I have been given the ability to see things other don't see, and a passion to set them free. I am a human in a fallen world. I'm not strong enough or good enough, and cannot set anyone free. Only Jesus can set people free. I cannot and should not take responsibility for other people's freedom. I can and should allow Him to show me the problem, Listen for him to tell me what to do/say about it... and then let HIM take responsibility for the results. I lay hands on the sick, I speak healing over them... HE does the healing. I can take no credit when healing comes, or blame when it doesn't. I can't heal or set free, only HE can.
I'm sure there are other notes I could jot down, and I may come back and add them. But that's what I have for now.
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