Phillip and the Eunuch

I've been contemplating the Luke's Book of Acts,

Acts 8:26-40(Specifically)
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
As for Philip, an angel of the Lord said to him, “Go south down the desert road that runs from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.” Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him. The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
He was humiliated and received no justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?” So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus. As they rode along, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look! There’s some water! Why can’t I be baptized?” He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing. Meanwhile, Philip found himself farther north at the town of Azotus. He preached the Good News there and in every town along the way until he came to Caesarea.

I find this chapter interesting, it has Philip's faithful obedience to the Massager of The Lord, and without hesitation he obeyed and did what he was asked.  Philip trusted the lord, even though he walked down a desolate road in the middle of the Syrian Dessert, he knew the lord had something to accomplish.

My curiosity was, why a Eunuch from Ethiopia?  Imagine your given a order from G-d, you obey and you are in the middle of no where trying to escape a zealot who wants to throw you in prison because your religious and political view don't fit his box (Hmmm? Its beginning to sound familiar)? You follow him and this foreigner is reading the Book of Isaiah? Wait? Why Isaiah? Specifically Isaiah 53:7?

Ok no coincidence right, a good evangelist would jump at the chance to talk about Jesus and Philip being filled with spirit and knowledgeable in scripture did just that.  He spoke of the good news, the Eunuch happy to hear it wants baptism immediately and Philip obliged. The end. One more for the kingdom? Right?

No. this is much more than a story of blind obedience and sonship, this is deeper?

Why Isaiah? He could have read any other book of the Prophets that foretell the coming of the messiah and his punishment.   This was again prophesy fulfilled.  The same scroll contained this prophesy.

Isaiah 56:3-8
“Don’t let foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord say,
‘The Lord will never let me be part of his people.’ And don’t let the eunuchs say 'I’m a dried-up tree with no children and no future.’

For this is what the Lord says: I will bless those eunuchs
who keep my Sabbath days holy and who choose to do what pleases me and commit their lives to me.
I will give them—within the walls of my house—a memorial and a name far greater than sons and daughters could give.
For the name I give them is an everlasting one. It will never disappear.

“I will also bless the foreigners who commit themselves to the Lord, who serve him and love his name, who worship him and do not desecrate the Sabbath day of rest, and who hold fast to my covenant. I will bring them to my holy mountain of Jerusalem and will fill them with joy in my house of prayer.
I will accept their burnt offerings and sacrifices,
because my Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations.

For the Sovereign Lord, who brings back the outcasts of Israel, says: I will bring others, too, besides my people Israel.”

This is the first appeal of inclusion, specifically a Eunuch who by his snipping, is rendered a servant and unable to fulfill the importance of G-d's first decree, be Fruitful and multiply.  Infertility was seen as a curse in those days and forced infertility was just as bad. This is a prophesy fulfilled and then later taught by Paul.

Philip listened and obeyed, the Eunuch believed and was baptized, he went home a son of the kingdom, he had the royals ear. There is no doubt that he spoke and planted seeds that saw his nation blessed. He might have been infertile physically but he had spiritual fertility now. There is no coincidences in Scriptures, just G-d mighty plans reveled, by those who seek deeper.

Contemplating John 13:34-35;

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

These Two verses have a deep and powerful meaning,  it is the the conclusion of what Jesus said to the Pharisee in Matthew 22:37-40;

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

"All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments", let that settle in for a moment, Loving G-d first and loving your neighbors fulfilled "all" of the law? It takes care of the entire book of Leviticus with all its decrees and punishments?    

Jesus in  Matthew 5:17 said:

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them".

Jesus's love for us fulfilled the law, leaving us in a state of grace as Paul teaches in his epistles. But how did Jesus love us?  From the fall of Adam and Eve we as humans have been at odds with G-d, so G-d in order to reconcile his most beloved of creation chose to live among us in human form.  The prophet Zechariah prophesied in 12:10 "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son.

That's a deep love, to subject himself to walk again with his creation and experience in human form the human experience.  Did he have to? No. He is G-d, but he had to, because he is Love (1 John 4:8). How much does he love? Ephesians 3:17-19 says:

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

So getting back to how much Jesus loves me? He came to experience my life, he accepts me in with all my faults, he heals my heart, he became my servant, he healed my illness, he washed my feet, he cried with my sorrow and laughed with my joy. He called me by name even tho I am just a grain of sand in a vast dessert.  

How much does he love me? By spilling his blood on the tree, he took my curse, washed my sin, clothed me in white.  Made me worthy, He adapted me to his family, welcomed the prodigal son.  He put a crown upon my head, and rejoiced in heaven, he conquered my death giving me life, calls me brother, sees me as a son.  

How much does Jesus love me? He gives me his spirit, and charges me with authority, he made me a member of this royal priesthood, and custodian of his creation.  

How much does Jesus love me?  Romans 8:38-39 says: "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord".  That's is love.

He commissioned us in Matthew 10:8

Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Freely he gave his authority and freely he loved and lived by example, freely he has told, no commanded us to be like him. Love, serve, heal, cry, embrace, laugh, morn, pray, rebuke, forgive, lead, and even die for him and or our neighbor, for that's what he did, for that fulfills the law, for that is the base of our grace and mercy.

How well do you love and does it shine in a dark world?

The Ball is in your court

It seems the Church has lost it’s first love,  She allowed the oil burning in her lamps to grow low, dimming the light of Jesus.  Where the light of G-d is diminished, the relationship between Father and children isn’t clear, church leaders over and/or under theologize the nature of G-d in extremes.  It becomes doctrines of Your a horrible sinner and will be punished so keep repenting and here is a list of works to help that along.  Or You can’t do nothing wrong, your loved just the way you are because G-d created you that way so it’s ok to keep sinning as long as you acknowledge Jesus as your savior.  Fire and brimstone or daisies and unicorns, pick the flavor of theology today. 

Evangelist, preachers and the devout roam the land looking for sinners to save, bring them to church, filling the pews, getting them to say the sinners prayer.  Great! Now what?  They get a point, a notch on their good servant Jesus belt or for the Church higher intake in tithe?  What have they really accomplished? More Christians by name only?  The reality is "Mathew 22:14 For many are called but few are chosen”. 

We are all sinners, from the Most Holy of men who walk this planet to the most infamous of mass murders and thieves.   In Romans 3:23 it states "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”  and in three different books of scripture John the Baptist says;

John 1:27

even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.”

Mark 1:7

And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

Luke 3:16

John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Yes when I first started my walk, I struggled with my sin, I felt dirty, unworthy, low.  I didn’t know G-d’s heart, I did’t know Jesus’s love, and the spirit was a total mystery.  I knew that I was Bad, G-d was going to Punish me because of my Sin.  Heaven was reserved for holy people, like the Apostles, Mary and such.  I went to church and did the motions, left Sunday service no better and no worse and life went on.  There all around me people just like me, doing the motions, it was about Easter eggs, peeps, Santa, traditions, Palm crosses and unending feast of food.  

There was a cross in each bedroom, and a portrait representing Jesus somewhere in the house.  The only thing missing was Jesus in my heart.  Jesus in my thoughts, Jesus walking next to me, and his spirit guiding me.  I could recite the liturgy with my eyes closed at Sunday mass but, inside I had fear, I swam in my sinful nature and while I laughed and enjoyed life, I really didn't live. I didn't feel in synch with the world around me.  

I began a journey that lead me to my cross, I was influenced by men of G-d who where just like me in the past, but now had something special.  They had the very Joy of Heaven and Jesus in their hearts.  Initially I found them strange, maybe a little crazy? But, then I saw their lives beautiful, peaceful even though chaos was around them.  There was a deep happiness in them, conviction, and bravery. The more I saw, the more I appreciated them, and the more I hungered for what they had.  They never spoke about my sin, my past, my transgression.  They just spoke about Jesus and the sacrifice of the cross.  The sacrifice G-d made of his son for me, for my weakness, for my shame, for my heart! For our hearts. 

The cross! In Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—

He took my curse upon himself, my shame, my iniquity, my shortcomings, my transgressions, my sin! So in the eyes and heart of G-d I could belong to his family.

As I focused on the Cross, as I focused on Jesus, as I pressed into knowing more of him, as I pressed into seeking his face.  I knew that I had his heart and he had mine, I knew that he loved this broken unworthy creation not fit to tie his sandals.  I knew that even tho I'm not worthy of this, his mercy and grace gave me an invitation to his banquet table.  

The more I searched the more my nature changed, the more I walked in relationship with the Father, the more my flesh rejected the ways I used to live. The more I focused on his love, the more I loved! The more I craved his mercy the more grace flowed through me. My existence wasn't for me, but I lived for him because without him there is no true joy.  Before I lived in fear, today I live I hope and love.  

So today, Good Friday also the first day of Passover look to the Cross, look to the sacrificial unblemished lamb of G-d. He took your sin, he brings you redemption, he brings life. 

Isaiah 53:5-6

But he was pierced for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Don't exist in its motions but live in a Relationship with your savior, your king, your father.  Walk in a supernatural life.  The ball is in your court. Do you desire the freedom of relationship or the motions of legalism and fear? While the institution has lost its first love! The Bride seeks him out. 

41,000 Denominations

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Last week I read this scripture in church, It is a simple two verses, but its weight is in it’s profound wisdom and truth.  I began to focus on it and spent the week meditating on it and the circumstances of the modern church, dwelling into the current events.  

  According to the latest count there are approximately 41,000 different Christian denominations world wide that vary in doctrine, apostolic succession, eschatology, papal primacy, and the nature of Christ.  41,000!  Why?  There is only one Holy book.  Why so many different denominations?  Thats an easy question to answer, because we take the orthodoxy of scripture and the Mysterious Holiness and Divineness of God and put him into our Box.  We want God to fit into our perception of who he is, rather than us facing the truth and accepting his Divine nature of who he truly is, each tries to mold God into their image instead of them molding into his Image.  

We cry for revival, but we are judging each others motives, we cry out for presence, but we want presence so we can give him our laundry.  We want to worship with the angels, but we make worship about our needs.  We sing that we want more of his spirit, but we hide him under a lampshade.  We proclaim “send me”, but it conflicts with our schedule.  We are discouraged because he is silent, but did we ever listen?  Revival and presence is happening but blinders are hard to see through.  

Most Blinders are our perception of who we are?  Since mostly all of us lived in sinful nature, we perceive ourselves as unworthy of his calling, and rely on organized religion to steer us, feed us, and try to shape us.  41,000 different opinions of how to behave, how to live, how much to give, and mostly all have the message “Your bad, God is good, Do better”! (thanks Tom for this quote)  This is a lie, it is easier to guilt people into changing their behavior, or fear them into changing their  behavior rather than introducing them to the love of Jesus, and watching his grace change behavior.  

God Factored our stupidity into our creation, he knew the stupid and awful things we were capable of committing but, he still called each and everyone of us to come home.  He calls the broken to be healed, then sends them to heal.  

Today my pastor made this comment, “What you say to yourself about yourself is more important than what others say about you”. - Phill Urena Ministry (from this morning's service 3/8/15)  You can’t walk into your destiny if you harbor the guilt of past sins that god has forgiven you for.  You can't walk into your destiny if you consider yourself un worthy of it.  You can’t walk into your destiny if you compare yourself to others.  You can’t walk into your destiny if you can’t empty your hands and catch the winds of the spirit.  Most of all, You can’t walk into your destiny if you don’t LOVE yourself. 

John Paul Jackson said “What you focus on, you make room for”.  So focus on Jesus, Focus on the divine nature of God, Focus on the freedom and nurturing wisdom of the Spirit.  Focus on developing the gifts that the spirit blessed you with. Then watch as God works through you, with you, and inside of you.

This is a year of change, God isn’t sitting still this year. He is going to pour out new wine, and if we have old wineskins we are going to miss his movement.  His presence is going to grow and as we head into spring and summer, the truth of the spirit will be bringing to light the apostasy of churches and doctrine.  41,000 churches will exposed by the truth of their doctrine exposing the spirit of religion and legalism.   

Galatians 5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. 

The Scripture in it’s wholeness brings you into the heart of God, where it leads you into relationship with God, which adapts you into Gods Family, making you his beloved, making relationship with others genuine, and transforming divides into commonness, bringing family, community and kingdom together, transforming 41,000 into one bride where the bridegroom say’s come!  

 

  

What Does God Want His Church to Look Like?

Friday night after small group, before going to bed, I asked God what do you want your church to look like?  His answer was simple, "My Son".  

I found myself in a lucid dream, I saw myself on a hill looking down on a large city, it had no walls but only one path bringing you to it, leading to a gateway. The city shined, illuminated in a golden hue.  Inside the city there where thousands of people going about their busy day, smiling, filled with joy.  They wore white robes accented with crimson red trim, and a purple sash.  Each was doing their own thing, but each chore, each labor was being done as an act of worship.  They all had a place in this community, all chose their work, they didn’t labor for necessity, they didn’t labor for need, they didn’t labor for obligation. They labored because they wanted too.  They labored for friendship, they labored for common good, they labored for love. I noticed that they lacked nothing.

I walked around and made my way to the center of the city where their gathering place was.  Outside the building was a sign that read “A House of Prayer for All People”, inside was the prayer room were those who worshiped without ceasing stayed, blessing the name of God and praising the Lamb.  The actual meeting took place outside, in the court yard where they all joined.  They began to gather one by one singing, dancing and worshiping the Father in the Spirit, as their numbers began to grow so did their strength, each one adding spirit to spirit, till they became a light that Illuminated the darkness of the world.  They worshiped the Majesty of the Father Blessing his Holy Name.  They worship the sacrifice of the Lamb. In turn heaven rejoiced and Joined the worship.  the Father honored the Son, and the Son Honored the father, then the Spirit grew in strength which honored the people,  Heaven honored earth, and earth shook its foundations to honor heaven and the King of Heaven. 

After worship the words spoken where of encouragement, edifying filling each soul with hope, filling them with the promises that God spoke to them.  They had their first love, they had the spirit of the Father’s promise alive in them.  They knew who they were in God, they knew what they had in God and they knew what they worked for, all belonged to the Father.  Their Identity in the Son gave them Joy and hope.

They didn’t go to church, they were the church.  Church wasn’t a chore or something they did on Sunday, they lived it. Faith and Love was their Bond reinforced by the Spirit of God.  Everything they did was worship, everything that they did was a living sacrifice of love. 

They Lived with their first love.  

THE LAST CRUSADE

Geopolitical events have been shaping our world to a showdown not seen since the second world war.  While most world leaders are horrified and unsure of what to call it and How to handle it?  It is clear that this enemy is decisively trying not just to dominate a region, it is trying to dominate the world, trying to enslave humanity and rule by total fear, all to usher in islamic utopia.  Yes, if it walks like a duck. Quacks like a duck and looks like a duck, ITS A DUCK!  

Prior to that solemn morning of September 11th 2001.  Acts of terror where political and regional in nature.  It was mainly a struggle seen for liberation both political and regional, whether it was the Palestinian/ Israeli conflict, Northern Ireland, Philippines, etc..   America was drawn into these conflicts because one of the parties involved saw her supporting their oppressors. while terror sponsoring nations like Iran, Libya, Sudan, Russia, and yes, even the US darling Saudi Arabia, stood in the backgrounds, supplying men, weapons, and finances.   

The few years prior to 9/11/01 gave birth to a new wave of ideology fueled by strict interpretation of religious writings.  We seen the oppression of the Taliban, Al Qaeda and their offshoots.  They are Supremacist in all sense of the word, they see the world in black and white, their way or No way.  Leaders (I use this term as a descriptive only) like Kadafi and Sadam Hussain only understood this threat too clearly and kept them in the shadows by the shear brutality of their regimes.  “Islam loves a strong horse”.  This new threat makes the prior groups look like girl scouts out fundraising.  They are well funded by the sales of cheap Blackmarket oil stolen from occupied lands to the sum of $6 Million per day. They have sophisticated Audio/video productions, as well as a propaganda machines. Killing is not hard for they are Justified by their God.  It’s more of an Honor to kill, so they kill freely without second thought, and the more brutal the better.  It’s membership are not just made of Arabs, it has attracted Global converts to Islam, Americans, Europeans, Asians and Africans with false promises of adventure, power, sex and paradise both here and hereafter.  They have declared war on Christians, Jews, Buddhist and everyone else including Muslims who won’t accept their ideology.

While weak back boned leaders decide how to deal with them, while they draw up letters of condemnation, while the UN sits in silence inept or afraid to speak out. They march across lands murdering innocents, looting, destroying history, committing every thinkable and unthinkable acts of savagery known to man.  While leaders think of what “terms” to call them, they gain in power.  Some will argue that it’s radical Islam, some will argue that not all Muslims believe in them.  Some will argue that they are just a Minority of the religion, a meek 10-30% of the Islam believing world.  I say with Islam having 1 Billion followers thats 300 Million radicals that want to Kill ME and YOU!  The population of the United States!  Really?  

Lets US make no mistake about this,  this will be the LAST CRUSADE, Because how The US and the world handles this will mean the difference between freedom or………