The Persistent Posture of Thanks

“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:15 NIV

An attitude of gratitude

As the holiday passes and the supply of leftovers begins to wane, it is easy to shift gears from one busy holiday to the next. Going from Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, to Cyber Monday, or as we say in our household, Turkey Day to Tamale Day, we can effortlessly zoom by Thanksgiving and consequently go from an “attitude of gratitude” to “carnal consumerism” almost over night. How do we traverse these waters that culture seems to naturally set for us? I believe the Apostle Paul provides some two thousand-year-old insight in his second letter to the Corinthian church.

The fourth chapter of 2nd Corinthians has been a source of encouragement after a tumultuous year, especially when Paul writes that we are pressed but not crushed, persecuted but not abandoned, struck down but not destroyed (anyone else hear the song Trading My Sorrows by Darrell Evans when reading that?!). The truth is, the all surpassing power of Holy Spirit working in and through our lives (as outlined in chapter 3) was and is and continues to be at work in and through us as the humbled earthen vessels we are (verse 7). It is such an honor and blessing to know that the message of the Lordship of Jesus (verse 5) gives us entrance into a glorious union with Him through the Spirit. Now what does all this have to do with thanksgiving?

According to scriptures, there is purpose in our pain, and meaning to the malevolent seasons we experience. The Lord in His brilliance saw fit that we are as “jars of clay” — the vessels that contain and overflow with the glorious Spirit within. Not a titanium vessel, not something heavy duty like iron, nor is it vibranium or adamantium for the fellow comic book nerds among us. The inherent frailty of our created being is exactly the plan, why? Because it points us to our necessity of Him and the absolute necessity of the grace that He provides us. As great and powerful and marvelous as it is to host the Presence with us, we are constantly reminded and thus humbled by the fact that it is HIS power and HIS glory within us, HIS resurrection is our resurrection (Colossians 3:1). Jesus said it was better that He go to the Father “that we might have the Helper” (John 16:9) and we must constantly be reminded that it is by His grace that we have received such a glorious gift. Here’s where the thanksgiving kicks in…

Grace Produces Praise

Verse 15 summarizes by saying “all this is for your benefit” — all the pressing and the crushing — allows us to experience that radical grace that scripture says is immeasurable and abounding (2 Corinthians 9:8, Ephesians 2:7). This abounding grace on display in our lives does something wild; this grace “causes thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.” When the Lordship of Jesus is acknowledged in our lives, we see just how much has been done to accomplish union with Him, and the transformation of our lives from death to life. Think of it like this— as we interact with the abounding grace that He supplies each and every day, we act as a signpost to those around us that this grace is available to all and, consequently, this causes THANKSGIVING to overflow. Not only that, but this overflow of thanksgiving brings glory to God. In other words, the overflow of grace in our lives sings a symphony of gratitude to the Lord and increases the procession of praise! As someone who has lead groups and gatherings of people in worship to Jesus, this thought that unending praise continues in and through our day to day lives is mind blowing . Also, this means that you don’t need to have a bunch of musical skills or a great singing voice to “lead worship,” rather, it simply takes a heart that acknowledges the greatness of God in our necessity of Him, especially in the trials and tribulations of life, and receiving the grace He provides, allowing thanksgiving (aka worship) to effervesce from our being. Grace multiplies around us as it becomes real within us. The outcome? Thanksgiving overflows, and God is glorified.

This is what is believed to be the chief existence of humanity, made in the image and likeness of our Creator: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever (Westminster Shorter Catechism). In this context, we are simply invited to interact with the greatest gift of all time, and the outcome is the increase of gratitude. One can liken this to a parent giving a gift to his child with the following instructions: “hey kid, you see this gift here? I want you to have so much fun with this. Seriously kid, enjoy every bit of this gift I have for you!” The child grabs the gift and runs off in sheer excitement shouting the words THANK YOU, meanwhile the parent smiles knowing that this gift will produce a lasting and positive impact on the child. In this scenario, the Lord champions grace in our lives, and our reception of this beautiful gift produces a procession of praise to the One who is eternally worthy.

The most valuable free gift

Now this next part is essential — we must be thoroughly convinced that there is absolutely nothing we can do to earn the grace Jesus paid for. Grace is a gift (Ephesians 2:8, Ephesians 4:7, 2 Timothy 1:9) and it is not merely for forgiveness of sins and “getting to heaven”, rather grace is meant for the every waking moment of our existence. Since grace has been poured out generously, and since we cannot do a thing to earn it, we are left with simply receiving this immeasurable gift. The same way an individual matures from the childlike “what am I getting for Christmas” posture of the heart to the “what can I give someone else for Christmas” heart posture, the lavish gift of grace we receive from the Father through the Son by the Spirit matures in us and extends not to just what we can receive, but to what we can give. Paul writes further down in his second letter to the church in Corinth regarding a hardship he is walking through, that the grace of God is sufficient. That word sufficient is defined as: “to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to suffice, to be enough.” Its more that just having enough to get by, it is being in possession of unfailing strength to be strong. That’s what His grace does.

As we journey on in this holiday season, may our hearts be constantly reminded of His nearness in the challenging seasons of life. May we be reminded of His unfailing grace that never leaves us in want but is more than enough. May we let that grace unearth a wellspring of gratitude, causing a frequency of worship to emit from our being, inviting others to experience that same grace.

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The Fruitless Fig Tree, Part 3

FIG LEAVES EXCHANGED FOR ROBES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Here we are at the closing act of our fig tree theatrical drama. As mentioned previously, the temple cleansing narrative in Mark 11 is the meat and cheese of the sandwich, and the sandwich bread is Jesus’ interactions and teachings surrounding the fruitless fig tree. The first slice of bread, if you will, shows Jesus responding to what the tree was “saying.” From a distance or casual glance it looked like the tree was in fruit, however, upon proximal observation, the fig tree was full of leaves but no fruit was found. Here’s an interesting note: when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden, they used fig leaves to cover up their nakedness. In other words, they used fig leaves to cover up the reality that they were not in alignment with what the Father said. What we fail to realized as believers is that our renewed lives come with a new set of clothes. In the Garden, the Father didn’t settle for the fig leaves but rather clothed those created in His image with animal skins (Genesis 3:21), meaning something had to die as a means of providing covering. Beloved, let me remind us today that Jesus died and now clothes us in His righteousness!! (Ephesians 4:24, Philippians 3:9, Psalm 132:9). Even the Parables of The Redeemed Heir found in Luke 15 shows a Father clothing His son who has found his way home in royal robes!

It’s easy to hide behind the self effort of our “doing” while trying to convince those from a distance that we are being fruitful. When the nearness of Christ is an ever-present reality, it is evident. An apple tree does not have to try and try to produce apples, it simply yields to its created design, its intended form and function. I am longing to see the Bride delivered from her works mentality and her fig-leaf ways and submit to the prescribed form and function (aka identity) that only the Father can give. My heart wells with excitement for this reality to become the norm in the Church — healthy leaders rejecting Saul’s armor and taking up their beloved identity as sons and daughters. Imagine with me the removal of the heavy yoke of “try harder” and being fitted with a yoke of kindness. Jesus, may it be so in Your Church! A really wonderful scripture reference for this is John 15. Fruit production comes as a secondary consequence of abiding (there are many more thoughts on that for another post, but I highly encourage you to read and ask Holy Spirit to speak to you through it). Now onto the second slice of bread.

IS IT A CURSE OR A MISALIGNMENT?

Verse 20 of Mark 11 picks up the narrative by informing us that it is morning of the next day. Looking back, verse 14 lets the reader know that the disciples saw Jesus’ interaction with the fig tree the day prior. It is no surprise, then, that they notice the scene has very much changed since the first act. I love that it is Peter who speaks up as he is often seen as one who is quick to speak. As they walked by, Peter speaks up and draws the attention of the group towards the now withered fig tree. He says to Jesus, addressing Him first as Rabbi (more on that in a second), “behold the fig tree you cursed (Greek word kataráomai) is now withered away to its roots.” Interestingly enough, the word Peter uses to describe what Jesus did to the tree does not coincide with the word previously used when Jesus first interacted with the tree in verse 14. Remember from Part 1, the Lord responds to the tree, or answers (KJV) what the tree is “saying.” Here Peter uses the word we commonly translate in English as curse. It could be said that what Jesus exposes and calls to account of the fig tree was interpreted by Peter as a curse. I think Peter’s understanding of what is happening here is slightly off, however, Peter does something really great at the start of His inquisition to Jesus. He addresses Him as Rabbi, meaning teacher. Don’t over look that too quickly. In fact, I’ll spell it out again. Peter acknowledges the Messiah as his teacher and is essentially saying to Jesus “correct me if I’ve gotten this wrong.”

I think this is key, not just to understand Jesus’ response, but for us today. Think back to verse 17 — during the cleansing scene, it says Jesus began “teaching them.” One heck of a way to get the attention of your listeners. But it was unto them being taught. The Lord does not bring calamity and even destruction to something without being willing to introduce to us the better way, His way. Peter postures his heart well toward Jesus, viewing Him rightly as the one who instructs and corrects. My question for those of us reading this today is: Are our hearts postured the same? The fig tree was out of alignment with the form and function of its Creator. I believe it was misalignment with the word of the Lord that caused the sin of Adam and Eve. It could be said, then, that a truer definition of sin is misalignment. The fruits of misalignment are the things we see and can easily point out, yet I am convinced it begins with misalignment to what He says.

THE SPIRIT OF RELIGION

As the passage goes, the chief priests and scribes were numbered among those who heard the teachings of the Rabbi. Of all the marvelous things that could have been said, especially after getting the attention of so many in such a dramatic fashion, Jesus teaches (illuminates the better way) that His house shall be a house of prayer. As the text moves on, it is clear that the chief priests and scribes did not view Christ as their teacher, so much so that they didn’t settle for differing opinions, but instead chose to “seek a way” to destroy Him. Verse 18 illuminates that there were many that marveled at the teachings of Jesus, and this unsettled the scribes and chief priests, or as verse 18 says they feared Him for His influence. The Greek word translates as “struck with amazement” at His teaching. I think we can all agree that these onlookers saw Him as Rabbi, and sadly, the religious crowd did not.

It is of no surprise that the spirit of religion stood as an opposer of The Anointed One and His message. What He was saying regarding His house then is what He has been saying and continues to say through His Word and through His Spirit today. The message has not changed. The descriptive nature of His House by Jesus Himself must be more than simply adding in prayer, but the very essence of its being, of all that His House does, must be prayer. Today, that same unteachable spirit, the spirit of religion, has become an obstacle for the Church walking in the fullness of her priestly calling. Even today, this unteachable spirit has made its way into our systems that have preoccupied themselves with the dutifulness by, like King Saul, giving in to the demands and wishes of the people; giving them whatever it takes to ensure their allegiance and attendance . What is the remedy for this ailment? How do we expel this leaven of the Pharisees? Jesus said prayer.

I’ve heard from revivalists of old that say an adequate measure for a churches success should have less to do with how many butts fill the seats or how much of the tithe gets counted, rather the demarcation of a faithful church is how much they prioritize prayer (knowing how Jesus teaches us to pray is super important, too, and will be the topic of future discussion). 1 Chronicles 7:14 says “if My people, will humble themselves, PRAY, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways (shall we say misaligned ways), THEN I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” Here’s my paraphrase: acknowledging our exclusivity to the Father, followed by keeping our hearts teachable, while praying unto seeking His face causes one to come into proper alignment, resulting in all the promises mentioned by His word.

Religion will try and try again to snuff the fiery flame off devotion in prayer, yet Holy Spirit has shown Himself faithful to see the embers of zeal and devotion fanned through out the centuries, and as the hour of His glorious return inches closer and closer, do not be surprised to find more and more pockets of people returning to prayer. I have been so encouraged to witness, visit, and meet folks from all over the world who are catching this revelation and who returning to seeing His house as a house of prayer. Despite having been driven out by the religious spirit from a fellowship I was once pastoring, I am all the more convinced and encouraged to see places and spaces dedicated to ministering first to the Lord, and prioritizing prayer as a cultural normative. One of the promises mentioned in 1 Chronicles 7:14 is that there is healing for the land. What does that look like?? I am eager to find out.

THE BETTER WAY

Jesus’ response to Peter is wonderful. Verse 22 of chapter 11 says Jesus “answers” Peter. Guess what — “answers” is the same word where Jesus answers the fig tree in verse 14. <Insert mind blown emoji here.> The Wonderful Counselor answers Peter by saying “have faith in God.” Simple enough, yet way weightier than these four simple words suggest. Maybe you think of Fred Durst yelling at you as he did in the late 90’s “YOU GOTTA HAVE FAITH” or perhaps you recall a time when you confided in someone about an unanswered prayer, only to have them tell you “YOU GOTTA HAVE MORE FAITH.” Whatever your experience with the word faith is, thankfully, Jesus takes the time and explains what that looks like. Remember, Peter says, in essence “the fruitless fig tree that was called out for its misalignment is dried up and withering away.” Postured as a learner, Jesus begins by giving a description of what faith looks like. He says “truly I say to you” emphasizing both to the listeners of that day and every reader since then that He is about to drop a bomb of revelation, so pay attention. Here’s His answer as written in the ESV:

whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him

He says having faith in God looks like being able to say to this mountain be cast to the sea. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and no I have not actually seen this in the way you might think. But don’t dismiss this glorious invitation simply because Jesus uses metaphors. What is He saying? He is inviting us into impossible realms and to live in the place of expectation to see them actualized before our eyes. This is coming from the guy who has been literally doing the impossible from town to town and place to place. It’s one thing to believe that He can do these things, but now the Messiah is inviting His followers to do the same. Alignment with this instruction from Jesus looks like something. He is calling them and us today to walk in this level of faith. Now let’s be clear about something in regard to faith: Ephesians 2:8 says that God is the giver of faith. Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus is both the author and perfecter of our faith. Faith has for too long been subjected to our ability and less His enablement. Do we have a role in believing? Absolutely. I might sound like a broken record here but it serves a purpose when I say I believe it’s our decision to come into alignment with what He says.

If He says it, we are then tasked with responding by submitting to His word. Remember when the disciples were instructed to cast their nets on the other side of the boat? I believe it was their participation with the instruction of Jesus that led to the breakthrough. Faith, then, is authored by the Author Himself, yet is actualized through us! This, my friends, is the better way. Go ahead, take a deep breath. The power to see faith actualized in our lives rests in Him who said it. After all, faith (or faithfulness) is a fruit of the Spirit. It is produced in and through us as we remain tethered and abiding in Him(John 15). King David remained tethered to His God and the identity that He spoke over David, allowing Him to reject Saul’s armor and, through faith in his God, saw Goliath fall. So, have faith in God. Trust Him. Take Him at His word. If He said it, trust in His timing, in His ways, and in His ability to fulfill it.

PRAYER AND FORGIVENESS

Lastly, Jesus brings up prayer again (big surprise, right?!) and provides a seemingly out of place instruction that packs a punch. From the place of having faith in God, aka alignment with His word, Jesus invites His followers to pray from the place of believing as though it has already happened. This is wild. Jesus just made a scene out of the Temple and with everyone’s attention on Him, He encouraged, exhorted, and emphasized prayer. Now, Jesus is saying “pray like this: Father, thank you for already… (fill in the blank).” I gotta say, this is hard to do, and certainly impossible to sustain outside of abiding (John 15 again). There is a beautiful grace upon the believer when, from the place of alignment and remaining tethered to the Vine (Jesus), we can ask for the impossible and watch it unfold before our eyes. Check this out — we have this testimony from years back where it was a near impossibility for our family to find housing upon following the word of the Lord for us to move. In that season, we were getting gripped by the goodness of the Father and began taking Him at His word in John 15, where He says to ask. So we threw out a big ask and even got specific. We prayed things like “we want a swing set, a place for a tire swing, seasonal creek” just to name a few. And let me tell you — He came through. It was wild, it was wonderful, and we caught something world-changing about prayer.

Additionally, Jesus says when you pray, make sure your heart is forgiving. You might be saying “woah woah woah, bring back the fun stuff! I want to hear more testimonies!” As much as I could fill pages where I have witnesses the faithfulness of God, I have also seen Him faithful to forgive me and to teach me how to forgive. I know, heavy stuff. Stay with me here for a second. Some of you reading this could very well be thinking “yeah, but you don’t know what (so and so) did!” You are right, I more than likely do not know, but might I remind you — we do have a Father who does know. In fact, He knows every intricate detail of it all. Unforgiveness has a way of staining the heart and getting in the way of our connection to Him. I’ll go out on a limb and say it like this; the Father is more concerned with our wholeness and connection to Him than in our answered prayers. If we are going to have faith in God, then that means He won’t settle for the fractured or unaligned parts of us; He wants us whole. That is why I believe this seemly off-topic verse is added here. Forgiveness does not always equate to re-allowing access to boundaries that were crossed, however, the hold that the offense has becomes powerless and true liberation from it is available. It’s interesting that verse 25 is seemingly added to this narrative but I will say — we may never physically see a mountain being cast into the sea, yet what we can see is the mountain of grief and offense that hinders us be thrown into the sea BY FAITH. Some of you reading might actually see this as a greater impossibility than a physicall hill of dirt being moved. I can empathize. But  I can also say that our Father is patient and His kindness leads to repentance (Romans 2:4) and there is freedom on the other side.

Like Jesus says in Mark 5:34 to the woman healed of her ailments: “your faith has made you well.” It could be said of the spirit of religion that it seeks to be right, just as it was of the religious rulers of Jesus’ day. Instead of aligning with our own definitions of right and wrong, or being entitled to being right in a matter, let us be a people who align to what the Lord says, and from that place, let us walk in the liberty and wholeness only He can provide. I pray that the Bride of Christ would align with THE Word (Jesus), return to the place of prayer, exchanging our fig leafs for His robe of righteousness, prioritizing His Presence in and through our midst, and bearing fruit that will be a blessing to generations to come. There is healing for us AND for the land. Let’s get excited and expectant to see it!

The Fruitless Fig Tree, Part 2

Cleaning day

I think most would agree that Jesus was very intentional about what He did. In fact His own words in John 5:19 tell us that He does nothing of His own accord but only what He sees the Father doing. According to the timeline of Mark’s gospel, directly following Jesus’ triumphant entry are a series of very intentional events. 30,000ft view is this:

Jesus shows up to Jerusalem.

Jesus responds to the fruitless fig tree.

Jesus cleanses the temple.

Jesus revisits the fig tree and teaches.

To me, this series of events and the order of these events are more related than we typically give credit to and I believe they hold something profoundly significant for the Bride in this hour.

As mentioned in Part 1, the whole fruitless fig tree scenario made its way into the cannon of Mark’s gospel, and the gospel of Mark ended up in a collection of other divinely inspired writings we call the Bible. What we see in Mark’s gospel, sandwiched between the fig tree conversation, is a remarkable scene of Jesus “cleansing” the temple. What we don’t see in this cleansing is the Son of Man grabbing some sponges, and a couple of Magic Erasers, or some good ol’ fashion bleach to clean up the temple area. In this story found in Mark 11, we see Jesus providing a whole other definition of the word cleansing.

Interestingly enough, in most common Bible translations and paraphrases, the word cleansing is found as the headings of verses 11 through 15, and not in the actual text. Were these later added chapter and verse headings divinely inspired or inserted for the convenience of the reader? A question for another day, however, Jesus’ actions, post triumphant entry, are commonly associated and categorized with cleansing. The two Greek words that are actually used here are ekballo and katastréphō. Let’s begin with the first word.

what it means to cleanse

Ekbállō is defined as “to cast out, drive out, to send out, with notion of violence.” It’s the same word used to describe Jesus or the disciples “casting out” demons, as well as the word used when Jesus says to “pray to the Lord of the harvest to “send” laborers into the field. The same way Jesus forcefully sends out demons is the same way He with force invites us to pray to the Lord of the harvest for workers. In Mark 11:15, Jesus ekbállō “them that bought and sold in the temple” (KJV). Cleansing, then, in this scenario looks very intentional, very intense, and very effective. As Lou Engle would say “if Jesus ekbállō demons, demons have to go. If Jesus ekbállō laborers, laborers have to go!” I think it’s safe to add, if Jesus ekbállō something in the temple that doesn’t belong, that thing has to go!

The second word used in the temple cleansing is katastréphō. It’s a two part word deriving from kata (down) and strepho (turn). The definition of katastréphō is literally “to turn over, to turn under, ie the soil with the ploughing. To overturn, overthrow, or to thrown down.” Interestingly enough, katastréphō is only used two times in the New Testament, once in Matthew 21:12 and in Mark 11:15 — both referring to Jesus cleansing the temple. If you haven’t already picked up phonetically, katastréphō is where we get the English word catastrophe. Merriam-Webster’s definition is “a momentous tragic event ranging from extreme misfortune to utter overthrow or ruin.” I am certain several associations come to mind when thinking of the word catastrophe; perhaps natural disasters, maybe a Pinterest project you tried and the results look totally different, or maybe even a certain presidential term. Either way, it’s safe to say that catastrophe is not a pleasant event. In this scenario, Jesus makes a katastréphō out of both the tables and seats of the money changers in the Temple. Here’s one way of summarizing: the self-serving ideals (money changers) are forcefully cast out and driven from the temple and the systems used to support them (tables and chairs) are overturned and laid to utter destruction.

we are a temple

It is easy to read and discover this reality regarding the temple cleansing scene and think it is only about a historical occasion, a far removed story from ages ago. However, as should be the posture of the heart when searching the scriptures and meditating on the Word, we must let it examine our hearts. As King David prayed “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!” (Psalm 139:23-24). Here’s the thing — because of the finished work of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, the temple of His Spirit is no longer shrouded to a singular place or location. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 states that our bodies are a temple for Holy Spirit. The eternal Spirit in a constant state of union and oneness with the Father and Son is now housed in humanity. Who is to say the Son of Man is any less concerned with the space (aka our hearts) that houses His Spirit? Is it not true that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8)? Thus, we can arrive at the same conclusion that our Redeemer longs to see certain things cast out and removed that don’t belong in the same “space” as His Presence.

Let’s look at this another way. It is common vernacular to ascribe the title Lord to Jesus for many reasons but the question remains: do we walk in a manner that aligns with that truth? Take for example a person who owns a home and leases or rents it to another occupant. More times than not, the tenant has a certain number of rights and privileges as outlined in a written agreement, however, full and total control belongs to the owner of the property, or shall we say landlord. The Lord of that space or place has the authority to set the terms and ultimately care for the space. When we call Jesus Lord, we are thereby saying “You have the ultimate say here, Lord, not I.” As Christ is and will always be the head of the church (or body), He has the final word. You can say it like this; the Word (John 1) has the final word. What does or doesn’t belong in His house is prescribed by Him and Him alone. As temples of His Presence, let us be a people that don’t conform to the patterns of social media trends or popularity contests, rather, I pray that we would be mindful of the spaces we steward and Who it is we are hosting. After all, if we truly are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who belong exclusively to a good Father… that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called [us] out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9), the it is of absolute importance that we take the posture as priests and steward the space and place that He calls home — our hearts.

his house, his blueprint

As if that isn’t already a heavy enough assignment, let me shed light onto another layer of wisdom regarding the resting place or dwelling place of God post Pentecost. The apostle paul writes to the Ephesians saying “in Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (Ephesians 2:22). Somehow in the vast wisdom and goodness of our God He expresses His longing for His church to be built up TOGETHER as a dwelling place for Himself. Not only do His building plans include housing the Spirit individually, but together we have an invitation to host Him as His dwelling place. Reminds me of the 90’s tv show Power Rangers I watched as a kid. Without jumping fully into the lore (very tempting not to) an element of show depicts a group of teenagers endowed with special abilities to vanquish the evil atrocities of Angel Grove. The millennial reader among us can most likely understand this next part — although the teenagers themselves had their own special abilities, when the villain became too large or powerful, they would jump into their mechanical dinosaurs, fuse together, and utterly annihilate their opponent (sorry for the spoilers). Let’s bring it back to the scripture. Ephesians 2 tells us we are no longer alienated from the household of God but by grace through faith (verse 8) we are one with Him AND are being built up together, with Christ as the absolute essential cornerstone to the whole  structure (foundation is apostolic and prophetic too, more on that awesomeness another day). All that said — the Lord of the house has blueprints that consist of a togetherness that I believe are in desperate need of His Lordship again. We need the leadership of the Spirit to cleanse the Church; to ekbállō our self-serving ideals (money changers) and katastréphō the systems we have built up to sustain these efforts (tables and chairs).

Imagine if we took Jesus at His own words when He said He would build His church (Matthew 16:18). Imagine the light we could bring to the darkened places in our societies by letting Jesus not only build but be the Lord of His church. Jesus prayed right before the crucifixion that we would be one with Him (John 17:21). Sadly, we have exchanged Presence for programs, the statues of Yahweh for the opinions of the people, and the fear of Lord for the fear of man. I have heard wonderful well-intentioned pastors and ministers alike say “we must build the church.” I’m not nullifying our co-laboring role with Christ, however, it’s His house. It’s His body. It’s His bride. If He says something doesn’t belong, we must in all humility let Him lead us, mold us and make us into the dwelling place He longs to see established. This was His plan from the beginning in the garden, to dwell with His creation. This is also His plan for the end:

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.” (Revelation 21:3).

so what does his house look like?

You may have been asking “what does this have to do with the fruitless fig tree??” I believe it’s the temple cleansing, both individually and corporately, that becomes the means by which we end up not like the fruitless fig tree. Of all the characteristics Jesus could have attributed to His house, He chose to describe it as a house of prayer. He didn’t say house of preaching, house of evangelism, or house of miracles. That doesn’t mean those characteristics are not valid or even noble. I believe and affirm every bit of all of the aforementioned descriptions, yet I believe that through the Anointed One’s own words, we see that prayer is paramount. Jesus removed and tore down what doesn’t belong from the temple but that is not the end of the scene. He gives us one fundamental description of the temple — it is marked by prayer. We’ll explore this more in Part 3 and just how this primary description of His house connects to the fig tree.

Upon leaving Jerusalem, Jesus further illuminates the minds of His disciples regarding their questions circulating the withered tree. We’ll get into more of that in detail in Part 3 as well, but it hinges on one word: faith. I pray that by grace and through faith, the Church would once again yield to the Lordship of Jesus and become her fullest expression in our families, work places, communities, and in our gatherings.

the fruitless fig tree, part 1

Saul’s beginning; Off to a good start

Saul had a divine start to his leadership journey. When the people of Israel cried out for a king to govern them, Yahweh spoke to the prophet Samuel to appoint and anoint Saul as king over Israel. His initiation as king was full of supernatural intervention, with God speaking through strangers on the road and confirmed prophecies, culminating in the tribes of the people of Yahweh shouting “LONG LIVE THE KING.” All these grandiose displays and signs could very well set anyone up for a successful ministry, however, Saul’s ministry did not end in the same way as it began.

Just a couple chapters later we learn that Saul has been given instruction to obey the word of the Lord. His task was to completely eliminate the Amalekites, sparing not even their goods or possessions (1 Samuel 15). When it came time to fulfill the task, Saul “spared Agag (king of the Amalekites) and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them” (verse 9). His reason? Verse 24 provides the fault in his leadership values; he feared the people and obeyed their voice. Instead of heeding the voice and instruction of the Lord, Saul chose to bow to the wishes of the people. This is further confirmed in his later conversation with the prophet when he demanded that Samuel honor him in front of the elders of Israel.

Another interesting note regarding Saul’s disobedience is Agag’s progenition. According to Judaistic tradition, the time between Saul’s refusal to follows the Lord’s command and Agag’s final demise at the hand of the prophet Samuel, allowed for a continuance of the lineage of Agag. Much like Israel (Isaac’s son) the person became Israel the people, Agag the person becomes Agag the people aka the Agagites. One popular and ironically final appearance of an Agagite is when Haman hits the scene in the book of Esther. Haman becomes the lead antagonist in aiming to destroy the Israelites and nearly causes genocide. According to most historians, the timeframe between these two events spans over centuries, possibly up to 600 years. So what does all this mean?? It means that sometimes our disobedience to the instruction of the Lord has a direct impact on generations to come. In this case, because Saul chose to choose for himself what ought to be done as opposed to listening to Yahweh’s instructions, an entire people group faced annihilation many generations later.

fear of Man

As leaders, there is an ever-present temptation to put the voice of people around us above the voice of the one within us. For Saul, this did not end well. The leadership mantle was revoked and a new king would be anointed. The once-appointed hero becomes the antagonist of the narrative of scripture. Proverbs 3:5-6 (coincidently penned from the son of King David, Saul’s successor) says to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on our own understanding, acknowledging God in all our ways. In the ways of leadership, it is always best to pursue obedience to God first and foremost.

But here’s the thing — operating in the fear of man may produce an immediate gratification or, scarier still, a sense of accomplishment but can absolutely be a detriment later on. According to Proverbs, fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The challenge for the leader in today’s Christian celebrity culture is to say the right thing and look the right part… however I believe the Father is looking for those who will not just look the part but rather be seed-bearers for future generations.

Enter the fig tree

In Mark chapter 11 we get this fascinating look at Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem, commencing what we celebrate today as Palm Sunday; the beginning of the Holy Week before Resurrection Sunday. The scene that follows the hosanna procession of praise is one of Jesus being hungry. I appreciate Jesus’ humanity in this, he felt what we felt as fully God and fully man while on this earth. The same way an In-N-Out Burger sign would naturally trigger cravings as I drive down the interstate in California, Jesus saw a fig tree and the hunger signals in His brain prompted Him to cruise on over and grab a snack. Unfortunately for the Messiah, there were no figs to be found on the tree. Not a single one. If I waiting in the ever long line of my favorite burger chain only to find out they don’t have burgers, I’d be disappointed and even a little upset too. But I believe Jesus is communicating something more to the reader in this. In the Greek, it says that Jesus apokrínomai the tree, or as the KJV writes “He answered the tree.” The definition for the word mentioned above is to respond to. It is written that Jesus didn’t simply speak to the tree but He responded to it, as if the tree was communicating something that beaconed a response from its Creator. In this case, the One who spoke that tree into existence, giving it both form and function, is now responding to His own voice in a way. Imagine it like this— Jesus who is the Word in the beginning and the One through whom all things were made (John 1) spoke the reality of this fig tree into being, but the tree was not in alignment with what He had said. I’m gonna go out on a limb here (pun intended) and say that I believe the tree was supposed to be bearing fruit… and in this instance it wasn’t. Because of this Jesus “responds” to the tree by declaring that no one would eat from it again.

It could be said of Saul that He was not in alignment with what the Father had said and therefore failed to produce the fruit necessary for kingdom multiplication. In a way, the “fruit” of his people pleasing decisions led to the multiplication of the seed of the enemy of God. I believe that the Lord is ushering His bride to walk anew in the revelation of the fear of the Lord in this hour. We have settled for casual Christianity and vain pursuits for too long. I am convinced that the Spirit is longing to rest on and through the Church in ways we haven’t seen or even heard of, propelling us into producing the very fruit Christ suffered and conquered sin and death for. The question remains: what must we do to see the fear of man untangled and eradicated in our lives and the reverent fear of the Lord increase in our personhood?? I believe 1 John 4:18 shows us the way.

perfect love

Here is the verse:

There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. (1 John 4:18)

From John (coincidentally known as John the Beloved and John the Revelator) we see that it’s not more faith that overcomes fear, but rather what he calls perfect love. A look at the Greek language used here and we see that perfect is also better understood in this context as complete; love that has fulfilled its complete purpose in and through our lives. Interestingly enough, in the gospel of John chapter seventeen we see an amazingly eternal truth— that the Father loves us the same way He loves Jesus. I’m not sure if you’re aware, but that’s a WHOLE lotta love. To me, perfect or complete love is clinging to the revelation that we are wildly and unconditionally loved by the Godhead in the same way the Godhead loves one another. What does this all have to do with Saul?? I’m convinced that the contrast between Saul’s leadership and David’s leadership is that Saul was attentive to the heart of the people, David was a man after Gods’ own heart. What must we do, then, to expel the spirit of the fear of man from our lives?? Like David, we must be both intimately and experientially convinced that we are loved. Neither man walked in blameless obedience to the Lord, however, they both responded differently. The difference; Saul said in a manner of speaking “let me keep my image and dignity intact”, David said “create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” Saul getting called out by the prophet Samuel looked like excuse after excuse followed by actions to attempt to hide his wrongdoing. David getting called out by the prophet Nathan led to repentance.

rejecting saul’s armor

I have lived alongside the Saul leadership model in various ways and various capacities throughout the years. Often times I’ve heard “give the people what the people want” mantras perpetuated in meetings, assuring us listeners that if we just appease the people, we will elevate the employed definition of success in ministry (most often utilizing the metrics of numbers and offerings as indicators of success). As mentioned before, the deception lies in the fact that there are results that seem favorable in the moment. It could look good to attract folks to our methods and ministries by giving them feel good discipleship and entertainment, however I believe this pursuit has yielded the fruit of a generation walking away from the fold of fellowship in the body and into a self-serving gospel. I equate this to the armor Saul attempted to have David wear in facing off against Goliath. David was convinced of what he carried from meeting with Yahweh in the pasture amongst the sheep, and he didn’t need to “put on” the ways of Saul to achieve victory but rather trust in the goodness and greatness as of his God that David himself bore the fruit of. You can also say it like this— seeds are only available in fruit and if we are “looking the part” but lacking the fruit that contains transferable seeds, we will miss our role and responsibility of equipping and nourishing a generation, perhaps generations to come. We are beaconed in this hour to let perfect and complete love radically wash over us, restoring reverence and the fear of the Lord, and thereby empowering us to bear the fruit of our pursuit, which has a direct impact on generations to come. I long to see a people walk in the weighty reverence of the Lord that when He walks up to us as trees He sees the fruition of His word alive and well within us, bear fruit that remain. The great book of Psalms begins with this bold declaration, and gives us an incredible model to both stay away from and pursue.

”What delight comes to the one who follows God’s ways! He won’t walk in step with the wicked, nor share the sinner’s way, nor be found sitting in the scorner’s seat. His passion is to remain true to the Word of “I AM,” meditating day and night on the true revelation of light. He will be standing firm like a flourishing tree planted by God’s design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season of life. He is never dry, never fainting, ever blessed, ever prosperous.” Psalms 1:1-3 TPT

ten days of waiting

“…for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” Acts 1:5 ESV, emphasis added.

AMP says “not long from now.”

MSG says “And soon.”

KJV says “not many days hence.”

Regardless of your translation or paraphrase of choice, it’s safe to deduct a couple of things from the text: 1) that Jesus has promised His disciples something incredible and 2) there is no clear indication as to precisely when the promise would be fulfilled. We know today that the final culmination of the promise and it’s coming to fruition was 10 days, yet I believe that the aforementioned timeframe was nowhere near the minds of those who gathered in the upper room. As much as the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in that upper room was and is the benchmark of this story, I believe the 10 day waiting period communicates to us something of valuable importance.

A MICROWAVE GENERATION

Especially in today’s society, patience is a touchy subject. I mean c’mon; I get mad when my frozen burrito somehow survives its 2 minute and 30 second plate-rotating nuking process with a still slightly cold center. Our need for faster transportation, faster wifi, faster communication, etc have simultaneously aided in our technological advancement as society as much as it has created within us a subconscious impatience. Imagine with me if your Amazon Prime delivery timeframe simply said “not many days from now” or “not many days hence.” Yeah… I’m be irate too. And yet I believe, even in a much slower society, Jesus was intentional to instigate a waiting period between the pronouncement and the promise.

I have said throughout the years that the zeal in those first few days, tarrying for the promise, was most likely shared by many. Fear had to be knocking on the doors of their hearts as they waited. After all — their King was brutally murdered a little over a month prior. Yet even in that context, the resurrected man who ascended into the cloud right in front of His disciples told them to expect a “delivery” in just a little while. With this strange mixture of emotions present, I can only imagine the first couple days of contending in the upper room looked vibrant and even expectant.

• Day 1: they prayed all the big prayers, entering with praise and thanksgiving, probably recited the way Jesus had taught them (Matthew 6). Additionally, the early days of contending included a little administrative house cleaning. Peter and the other apostles address the whole Judas thing and took steps for appointing new leadership… as those first days close, nothing happens but, wow, the excited had to be building.

• Day 2: back at it again, allowing their prayers and meditations to run deep, maybe repentance and forgiveness, casting down burdens, retelling the testimonies of all Jesus did… and still no promise yet.

• Day 3: alright y’all— this is it. Jesus likes doing things after three days. “Today has to be ‘not many days,’ right?!” All the big prayers, they probably got loud on that day (but not too loud because they were basically hiding for their lives from the religious spirit that sought to destroy them). I also have a nagging suspicion that on the third day the chorus for the song Awesome God was written (I can’t prove that but I have a feeling). Needless to say, it had to be incredible… but still nothing.

• Day 4: …

• Day 5: …

• And so on and so on…

STRENGTH IN THE WAITING

One can imagine how exhausting the contending may have been. Yet somehow the words of Isaiah 40:31 proved true for the faithful ones in the upper room; their strength was renewed as they waited. I don’t know about you but contending doesn’t come natural or easy, yet I have witnessed His grace produce a strength “not my own” in times I’ve needed it most. I’m not just talking about needing strength for the seemingly endless line at IN-N-OUT Burger, but the waiting for provision to come when all hope seems lost. Or waiting for the clean bill of health after a long bout of treatments. Or waiting for that loved one to come home after being gone for many years. Whatever we are waiting and contending for, I believe the same supernatural strength in the upper room is available today for those who wait upon the Lord. The key in the verse from Isaiah 40 is no not wait upon the outcome, but rather wait upon the Lord. And then alas — the fire fell.

• Day 10: Promised Fulfilled. From what I read in the book of Acts there was no secret formula or recipe to seeing the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise aside from taking Him at His word and waiting. The Holy Spirit couldn’t be whipped up or conjured; He simply came at the most opportune time according to His will. What may have seemed like an impossible outcome became reality in a moment. A sound, a wind, and a fire descended on the faithful hearts of those who waited upon the Lord and His faithfulness.

As sure as the promise was given, it came. I can imagine how stretched their faith was after 10 days of contending and waiting upon the Lord. In that short season of waiting, the disciples and apostles learned afresh how to trust in the Lord and lean not on their own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). I believe the 10 days served as a refiners fire for Jesus’ followers just as our seasons of waiting serve us the same. Maybe it’s more than 10 days of waiting. Maybe it’s 10 months, or 10 years. I can say with utmost confidence and humility that the Lord is faithful to His promises. And I know most of you reading this can say the same. Whether we can see it or not, our lives are FULL of the faithfulness of the Lord. We may not all have testimonies of God parting the Red Sea but I have witnessed the Lord part waters of impossibility for both me and my family and I believe the Father is calling a generation in this hour to receive His strengthening in the waiting and contend to see the impossible unfold before us.

Here’s a little encouraging thought for you… the Promise that was poured out in the upper room is still being poured out today. We have at hand what they contended for. What a joy it is, then, to wait for your promise while having been and continuing to be filled with THE Promise. Whatever the promise, and regardless of how long, let Him be your strength as you wait, and watch the Lord display His faithfulness before you.

we belong to a Father

The Father’s own possession

I don’t know how familiar you are with team sports, but from both experience and plenty of sideline spectating, in order to play, you have to belong to a team. From baseball to basketball, in order to get on the field or the court, one has to suit up, show up, and get in the game. I believe the same is with the kingdom. I appreciate the language Peter uses in his first letter, especially how is written in the Amplified:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a [special] people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies [the wonderful deeds and virtues and perfections] of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9 AMP).

This refining truth resounds in the hearts and minds of those who walk with Him. Each one of these pronouncements from centuries past still to this day rings true and I believe is beaconing a generation to once again take the Father at His word and walk in the fullness of this. One aspect of this verse that has to this day shook me to my core is the 3rd description listed above; a [special] people for God’s own possession.

The King James Version translates it by saying “a peculiar people” which I have heard charismatics and pentecostals alike use as permission to get silly. As much as I am not afraid of becoming all the more undignified for the Lord, I believe the meaning of the word is lost in translation when we look at it like that. The modern vernacular does better justice to the true meaning by translating the Greek word peripoiasis by specifying to Whom we belong to. One of the better translations I’ve heard from a pastor many years ago is “belonging exclusively to the Lord.” Read that definition again. Let is sink deep into your being. The reality that the God of all, the maker of the heavens and the earth, the one who was and is and is to come — THAT God says of His people that we belong to Him and Him alone. The sobering question for the Bride of Christ in this hour is are we walking in this reality? Do we live as though our allegiance is to Jesus? In our decision making, in our investments and stock portfolios, in our family planning, even in our decision of what to eat for dinner — are we aware that we are His? His special possession…His treasure and delight… I have to admit; many of the “christian cultures” I have been part of and many of the contemporary messages swirling around the Church are void of this ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL truth. And I believe this isn't just a message to hear and cross off but rather one that we must continually let sit in the foundation of our being and produce the fruit of sonship: we belong exclusively to the Father.

the son makes known the father

Jesus came to reveal much about where He came from. Many of His parables begin with language that says “the kingdom of heaven is like…” and both the listeners of that day and every generation to follow is gloriously invited to see the kingdom of God from the perspective of the Son. Needless to say, the religious spirit of that day as seen through the Pharisees were not too well pleased with what they interpreted as heretical. There’s more to say about that later, but what I do want to point out is that one of Jesus’ profound revelations that He shares with His listeners (and us if we’re listening) is the revelation of His Father. John the Beloved writes in the first chapter of his gospel that “no one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known (John 1:18 ESV). Almost audaciously, John writes that every moment up to Jesus’ incarnation has fallen short in revealing God. This is not to say that these theophanies were not real nor that they were not good, they simply fell short. Jesus is the expressed image of God and I am convinced that what He came to reveal was so foreign that it was offensive to the religious spirit of that hour, as it is offensive to the religious spirit of today.

To unpack the depths of all the Jesus came to reveal of God would take a lifetime, and I can say I intend on spending the rest of my days attempting to know the Father more and more through the revelation of Jesus. One astounding reality I will mention today is Jesus’ revelation of God as a Father. More times that is written before in scriptures, Yahweh is addresses as Father by Jesus. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, Jesus begins by addressing Yahweh as “our Father.” What an astounding paradigm. The One in whom we belong to isn’t just an eternal being or all powerful entity; He is revealed by Jesus as a Father. Romans says that for those who are led by the Spirit, that same Spirit within us causes a cry within us that literally calls out to our Father (Romans 8). The seal of sonship we carry by way of His Spirit, which is no longer within the walls of a temple but housed in His people, beacons the guttural cry that longs for the one we belong to. After all, we are exclusively His, therefore it makes sense that our secondary response as outlined in Romans 8 would be one that calls not just to a God but to a Father.

I believe that the revelation of our beloved belonging to the Father is a revelation that, again, one cannot simply cross off the list and simply say “ok, got it. Now on to the next” but rather I believe it is an invitation to a oneness with Him that we will eternally enjoy. Sort of like the gunshot at the beginning of a marathon, the revelation of belonging exclusively to the Father embarks us on a journey full of faith, wonder, joy unspeakable, and an assurance that is unshakable. This is one of those things that is even hard to articulate with words. One of the closest things I can relate it to is my own paternal relationship to my children. It doesn’t matter what they could do, nothing would ever change their relationship to me as their father. Take Luke 15 for example (often called the Prodigal Son parable). Nowhere in all the “prodigal living” does the Father address the son or identify him with his actions (that all came from the older brother… another post for another day perhaps). The Father is seen as patiently awaiting and even in expectation of the return of His heir. The son even attempts to declassify himself, identifying himself with what he can do for his father (slave), but is divinely interrupted by the beloved embrace of a Father. After all — Jesus says that we are loved with the same love the Father has for the Son (John 17:23).

What does belonging look like?

What does that love look like? What is it like to live our lives aware of this radical love? Jesus’ high priestly prayer provides what I can deduct as the ramifications of this love: that the world would know the Father sent the Son and that they would know they are loved the same way the Father loves the Son. I don’t believe Jesus prayed a prayer that would be unanswered, therefore I believe with everything in me that as the Church walks deeper and deeper into the revelation of our exclusive sonship, we will see an explosion of the love of the Father convince the world of His love. My prayer for the Church in this hour is that we would know beyond all knowing that we belong to a really good Father and that the revelation that we belong to Him would begin to radically cause our eyes to see Him anew.