State Your Position

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In our Microwave-Ready Instant-Information society, it seems common for ministries to put up a Core Beliefs Statement. While it might be titled differently, this is essentially a list of beliefs and ideas that the ministry or group in question believes and/or attempts to hold themselves to. Additionally, this functions as a sort of statement of expectation for anyone who wants to join the organization. On the one hand, this can be a useful way to figure out a little bit about a group before needing to waste one’s time on a group that believes something in gross opposition to one’s personal beliefs, but it has its downsides. Because this is a common practice there is an expectation that you will state your position on any and all potential religious matters that someone else might want to know about, and I think we have room for growth in this area.

I have a friend in ministry who once got an email where someone requested to know their “position on Israel.”

Its sort of an ongoing joke now, since the email was so strange and out of left field, but the truth is that my friend doesn’t have a specific position on Israel. And what exactly do they want to know anyway? Does he think Israel has a right to exist? Does he think the Jewish people are “God’s Chosen?” Does he think Israel has some sort of end-times purpose in God’s plan? There are so many different things one could think about such a vague question that it reminds me of when my patients’ families call the hospital and ask for a “status update.”

I always answer that question with a question: What specifically do you want to know? This isn’t a question meant to evade, but its just that there are just SO MANY things one could want to know about their family member, from how they slept and whether they were able to go to the bathroom to complex medical questions that I probably can’t answer without combing through the patient’s chart or asking the medical provider. In the same way that asking a vague question about a hospital patient is both annoying and needs to stop, asking those kinds of questions of a ministry is equally problematic. Why? Because we don’t have to have a position on everything.

Our culture has gone overboard in accountability to the masses, when the truth is the masses don’t really need to know everything. Jesus had a group of three close friend-disciples, twelve in the inner circle, seventy-two in his ministry organization that he sent out to minister, then his followers as a whole, then the general public. In other words, He didn’t share everything with everybody, and shared some things with only a handful or two. Likewise, if someone isn’t personally involved with me and/or generally involved in what I am doing, then my position on some things really just doesn’t matter. Do I have a position on Israel? Sure. Is it deeply involved and well-thought-out? No—because Israel as a subject isn’t that important to me personally so I haven’t spent a lot of time to figure out what I think about it. My wife, on the other hand, has very clear and specific beliefs on the topic.

Now, having said that Israel isn’t that important to me, I have just opened myself up for a massive debate on the subject of “Israel As God’s Chosen People”—one I refuse to engage. Why?

Because that’s the point—I don’t have a position, and I don’t have to.

It is perfectly reasonable to not know everything, and in reality, it is not only the most honest position but the most freeing one as well. Always having to feel like we know enough to measure up only puts us on a never-ending treadmill of theological need-to-knows that we simply cannot meet up with. So why bother trying? I’m not against studying the scriptures to learn new things, enrich ourselves and our lives, and to grow as people. What I do object to is this ever-rising bar we set up, like a buoy on the water that will continue to rise higher no matter how much the water level increases.

The next time someone asks your opinion on something and you haven’t given it much thought, just give that as your answer. Free yourself from the social need to put people in neat, tidy boxes. Be liberated from this bar of expectation that requires you to have and state your position on everything, and from the underlying and subtle messages that if you don’t do this that you aren’t smart enough, studied enough, or good enough. Step into the reality of the goodness of the Son of God who gave us the Spirit of Wisdom and Revelation and who reminds us of all things. When it is time for you to learn something on a topic, Holy Spirit will be sure to let you know, but until then, you don’t have to think a thing about it.

And best of all, you don’t have to state your position.

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Sin Limits, Without Limits

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As I was driving into work last night, I passed a bus with a sign on the side which said “Sin Limites”. For those of you who don’t speak Spanish it means “Without Limits”, but the first thing that struck me wasn’t the interpretation, but what it appears to actually say: Sin Limits.

The version of the Gospel I grew up with as a child was that we shouldn’t sin because it hurts God’s feelings and makes it so He can’t be with us. What I have discovered as an adult is that sin does limit, but not God—it limits us. In the Garden of Eden, Adam had no limitations save one—to not eat of the fruit of the tree that would bring death. After consuming that fruit, Adam had nothing BUT limitations—limits on where he could live, what he could do with his time, and even how LONG he would live. Sin is the ultimate limiting factor, preventing us from receiving the fullness and goodness that God has for us.

Jesus came as a man and modeled what it was like to live WITHOUT limits, then died on the cross and rose again so that we all could share in that experience. Roman 8:29 says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” God foreknew everyone—and His version of predestination is that you and I have been predestined to become like Jesus, able to live without the limits that sin places on us.

God is far more interested in living with us than He is in policing us to make sure we are sin-free.

In fact, He isn’t worried about our sin at all, nor is he threatened by it. Jesus already solved the sin problem from God’s perspective, so we simply have to continue to walk out our lives filled with the Holy Spirit, and we will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. We don’t need to work really hard not to sin, we simply have to walk alongside God and He will remove the limitations that sin places upon us.

If you are struggling today with any thought, action, desire, or anything else that is sin or a temptation leading to it, be reminded that in this moment you can walk by the Spirit and cease to worry about how to stay away from those other things that will place limitations and controls on your life.

It is for freedom that Jesus has set us free— go and live without limits!

When The Pain Won’t Stop

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Last week my wife was trying to go to sleep and she had hip pain that was keeping her up. In and of itself that is a problem, but she is a victim of long-term mercury poisoning, and suffers from a number of additional secondary medical problems as a result—thyroid problems, cognitive challenges that have worsened over time, and massive inflammation to name just a few of the many. It is actually far more common than one might realize due to the use of amalgam fillings in teeth—the ones that look silvery. Without going deep into the medical aspects of it, let me just say that if you have them in your mouth, they are poisoning you slowly whether you know it or not–and many other nations have banned that particular type of filling. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars in the past few years on dental work to remove them so she can begin the process of removing the mercury from her cells, but it is slow going.

At any rate, last week as she lay in bed writhing in pain, nothing I did helped it go away—and I’m pretty good at making it stop. Sometimes massage helps; other times using a chiropractic activator to realign her hips, sacrum, and low back does the job. At times we do energy-work or inner healing prayer and the pain either goes away or at least lessens to a tolerable level so she can sleep. Regardless of the method, that particular night was hellish because literally nothing worked. No amount of massage, adjustments, energy work, or prayer seemed to do a single thing. So we both just cried.

Those of you who know me well know that I am a staunch believer in both physical and inner healing via divine prayer–and that I get decent enough results praying for others to be healed. The one serious difficulty I have had over the past many years, a problem echoed by many faith healers, is that we cannot seem to get our own spouse healed—and on some level it is maddening. It is certainly upsetting, to say the least, and on this particular night it was horrendous. I thank God that she was eventually able to fall asleep and that none of the flare-ups since have been as bad, but she is in constant pain every day, and has been for years.

I am in the middle of a fast that includes, among other things, praying for her complete healing, but there are times when the most we can do simply doesn’t seem like enough. Why? Because the pain still won’t stop. No matter what we do it seems there is still one more problem or cramp or pain or issue that doesn’t get fixed, and it is frustrating. I usually try not to let my wife see me upset about it, and often I think I push down my own emotions on the matter to avoid adding more stress to her (no wonder I’m having low back pain . . .), but it can be really difficult. And because I don’t generally go around complaining about it, especially on social media, it’s something only our friends know–and even then they don’t know the extent to how bad it is at times. Over the past many years I have reduced my own activity to more closely match her ability level because she simply cannot keep up with me between our pre-existing age difference and her gradually increasing joint pain.

I don’t share all this for pity, although if you say a prayer for her that would be nice. I know there are many of you out there reading this who are either that one in pain or the family member of the one who is, and you wish there was something more you could do to make it all better. When this sort of thing happens, there is really only one solution, because giving up is not really a choice. We don’t really have the option of bowing out and quitting. At the end of the day, giving up is the only thing guaranteed to make things worse because even if we give up, the problem hasn’t gone away. The only solution is to continue to press forward and continue to believe in the goodness of God.

Due to a dream I had last week, Sunshine and I went to a meeting last night hosted by Precious Daughters, a local women’s ministry in the Portland area, who had invited Deborah Gliebe of FireGate Ministries International to speak. What I heard greatly encouraged me, but I sensed that this held a theme many of you need to hear.

God is birthing something in you. He isn’t doing it because He is testing you, but He is using all bad things to work them for good in your life. God isn’t done with you, hasn’t given up on you, and is not withholding His goodness from you for any reason. When the enemy comes in to steal, kill, and destroy, it is our job to continue to stand firm and hold up the shield of faith. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.” Sometimes all we can do is to continue to stand. Sometimes that standing doesn’t look like it is doing a single blessed thing for the situation, but that doesn’t matter. We don’t have a plan B and retreat is not an option.

For every single one of you who is reading this and you are struggling, or you are the spouse of someone who is, continue to stand firm. Gird yourself up with the armor of the spirit, buckling that shield of faith firmly in place. You are strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Eph. 6:10) and you cannot be moved. He has sent His angels to surround you and lift you up, protect, and guide you. God has set His Holy Spirit to dwell within you, and this same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is even now sending His life-giving flow into your body (Rom. 8:11). God is still the Healer, still the Deliverer, and still the One who gives us hope when we have lost all hope. God has not given up on you—don’t you give up either. And in case you are wondering, no, it isn’t your fault, and no, God does not afflict us with disease.

God is here to minister to your broken heart-—because that is what many of us are experiencing. Our hearts are broken because of the pain we have seen. We have to continue to stand in the gap of intercession and lift up our voices in praise to destroy the powers of darkness when they are in our midst. It is neither easy nor fun, and anyone who tells you otherwise is a liar, but there is grace to make it through, and we WILL make it through. One way or another, we will ALL break through. You are not alone, no matter how bleak it may feel right now. Whatever the situation and whatever the problem, there is a way out. There is a way up, and you will make it—you will live to tell of the goodness of God in the midst of your pain and problems. Continue to stand strong and fight. Continue to pray and pursue wholeness. Continue to pursue because Jesus died to take your pain upon Himself. Jesus literally handed his life over and laid it down to take your infirmity on Him so you would have it no longer. God has never planned this problem for you, but He is standing right beside you and walking you through it.

I decree that even now, fresh hope is rising up in your heart. Fresh grace is being released from Heaven to carry you forward and give you strength to stand. I release the oil of gladness over you right now, flowing upon you even as you read these words. God is binding up your broken heart and is bringing gladness in place of mourning and despair. I command all sickness and disease to bow to the mighty name of Jesus, and I command you to go! I rebuke every unclean spirit and everything that causes infirmity, pain, sickness, and disease and I command you to loose off of those reading this now! I break every assignment of the enemy that is sent against you to destroy your hope and cut off your faith, and decree now that a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit is filling and strengthening you now. I send a fresh fire to reignite the smoldering and extinguished flames within your heart. And finally, may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Love of the Father, and the Fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:14). Amen.

For those of you who want to know more about mercury poisoning and/or are unsure if you are experiencing this problem, this website is a good place to start.

If you are seeking emotional healing and don’t know where to start, you might begin with my blog “5 Steps to Emotional Healing” that outlines a series of things you can to do jump-start the process.

If you seek physical healing and nothing has worked yet, consider my lengthy but informative 9-part blog series Divine Healing That Works. It should provide some keys on how to move forward when what you have tried is not getting the job done.

Re-Engaging The Beloved

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Yesterday was Valentines Day–and on that day I spoke with a friend about a number of things, but one of them was about how it is hard to be single on this day. While I have been married for ten years, I am not a stranger to this struggle. Thirteen years ago I had a fairly devastating breakup with my high-school girlfriend. We had dated for two years straight and I was happing looking toward marrying her, when out of the blue she broke it off. While I am glad today that she did, it was difficult at the time, especially trying to figure out what direction to take with my life without her in it. The short version is that I decided to pursue God above all else, including not to date, expecting that if I sought Him, he would bring the wife along. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” I took this at face value, deciding that I would not pray for her, look for her, or date. Three years later after doing just that, I had an unexpected six hour conversation with a friend, at the end of which I proposed to her, and within fourteen hours of beginning that conversation we were married. Fast forward ten years and I have been happily married to my very best friend whom I didn’t search for.

This isn’t the method for everyone, but it is for some of you. However, this word is for everyone—that as we continue to pursue Him, we will receive all else. I shared this word with my friend last night, telling him that God is wooing him, and how He wants to spend time with His love on this special day. I felt the Spirit nudging me even as I was giving this word to my friend, that God wants to draw nearer to me–and likewise wants me to do the same. James 4:8a says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” God is calling each of us to a higher level, to a deeper relationship, so He and we might know one another better.

My friend shared how he used to spend time praying and just enjoying being with God, and that after some funky church-related things happened, he lost that spark–not because God was any different, but because he was, and because life was. We talked about how we have both been in that place–deeply and frequently engaging in that God-relationship, to the point that we have each had our own encounter where Jesus appeared to us. While neither of us actually physically saw Him, Jesus revealed to us at those times that it was Him. And those are the kinds of encounters we both long to experience again.

People sometimes talk about the “gift” of being single. To those who are unmarried it usually doesn’t feel much like a gift, and the married ones are usually the one saying it. I found in my own time as a bachelor that yearning for that “someone” can be just as distracting as having that someone present, and whether married or single the possibility always exists that life can pull us away from the depths of relationship with God. This Valentines Day I have sensed and responded to the call to re-engage God. It’s not that I ever stop, on the one hand. He is in me and I in Him, and I talk to Him often enough. But there is a depth that I sense missing–a level to which I sense His Spirit calling me, saying:

My beloved responded and said to me,
‘Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along.
‘For behold, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
‘The flowers have already appeared in the land;
The time has arrived for pruning the vines,
And the voice of the turtledove has been heard in our land.
‘The fig tree has ripened its figs,
And the vines in blossom have given forth their fragrance.
Arise, my darling, my beautiful one,
And come along!’” (Song of Solomon 2:10-13)

I encourage you that wherever you are, whatever level of relationship with God, seek Him and everything else will follow. Let Him touch those places of worry and fear, and silence the nagging doubts that spending time with Him simply isn’t enough. Yes, there are things to do, places to go, and people to see, and we will certainly do those things. But is life really richer without love? Is life really better-lived without the conscious presence of His love filling us? How can we expect to transform a world, much less our own families, if we won’t take time to come away and sit awhile with the One Who Is Above All Things, the lover of our souls? Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Take time to engage that relationship. Purpose in your heart to know Him above all else, for even as I have said, if we seek the Kingdom, God has promised that He will give us everything else. Happy Valentines Day, and may God richly bless and touch your life in a new way.

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You Were Designed For A Unique Purpose

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A few weeks back my wife and I watched the movie “Ms. Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children.” For those who haven’t seen it, the movie is essentially an X-men-style movie where varying individuals, known as “peculiars,” each have some sort of unique superpower. While watching, the Lord spoke a number of things to me, and I believe they will speak to you too.

As mentioned above, each of the children had their own superpower, and this meant that each had their own area or sphere of influence based on what their power governed. One child was responsible for helping grow plants–because her power was the ability to grow plants in seconds that would take months or even years in normal time. The Lord spoke a number of things to me during this movie, although “speak” is a relative term. He spoke to me as well as gave me a combination of visions and impressions that together carried a message.

What he shared was that like those children each have their own “special” something, I have been wondering recently if I have been fulfilling what I am designed to do. I have been questioning, “Am I doing what I have been called to do? Should I be doing something different?” You see, I don’t work with the homeless or evangelize people or minister to people in poor countries. I sit in my middle-class home, surf the internet, and write. But what the Lord showed me is that writing is exactly what I am called to do, at least here and now.

He showed me, “When people read the words on the page, words you wrote, something comes alive in them. When they read your books, they begin to hope. Faith is stirred up in them and they start to believe at a new level than they were able to believe before. A fire is alighted inside their hearts to trust me for new things. And that is what you have been called to do.” For me this is reassuring because I do wonder at times if I should be doing something “more meaningful” with my time. And yet, it turns out the thing I love doing (writing) is what God designed me to do!

I believe this is true of many of you–that you wonder and question if you should be doing something else instead of what you are doing now. Well, the word of the Lord to you (and to me) is to “stop should-ing on yourself.” You are designed with a purpose and have passions that cause you to fulfill that purpose.
1 Corinthians 12:15-30 says, “Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”

If you have been feeling condemned because you haven’t fit into the very small and limited-scope ministry box the church has been telling you for years that “IT” is supposed to look like, be free. God has designed you for something different. You don’t “fit in” the normal way because that’s just not your way. It may be for some people, but you aren’t some people–you are you-niquely made to live your own life and to pursue your own passions. God is in the midst of them, because He has given you the deep longings and desires of your heart anyway. May you be free as you go out and live the way God created YOU to live–and don’t let anyone else hold you back from your purpose simply because it isn’t their’s. And if you are looking at trying to stop someone else, “Do not stop him,” Jesus said, “for whoever is not against you is for you” (Luke 9:50). Be at peace.

. . . But I Might Miss Something

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Back when I met my wife, she had a friend named Deana (not her real name). Deana was never on time to anything–to the point they had dubbed this “Deana Time.” In addition to showing up for planned events hours late, in what can only be compared to African time, she would never commit to anything.

Anything.

Ever.

She really wouldn’t either. I remember one conversation I had with her where she was talking about not having enough money for things. I asked her why she wasn’t using her skills as a dental hygienist and her answer was, “Well, I might miss something.” “Miss what?” “I don’t know–but I might miss something.” This conversation continued for a while as I tried to help give her some insight on her situation. I discovered after a while that her problem wasn’t that she didn’t have money, or that she might miss something. Her problem was fear.

Deana was afraid she would miss out on something, but what she didn’t realize was that she already WAS missing out on things. Because she didn’t have a steady job, she didn’t have the financial security it would provide, and as a senior citizen, she struggled with income even though she was physically capable of working. Lacking the financial backing, anything that cost money outside of her meager budget was out of reach, and the stress and worry she had over her finances added to the problem. In short, she was already missing things–peace of mind for starters, but also other events and activities she would have enjoyed had she gone with the wisdom-option and gotten a job. Yet, the fear of “missing something” continued to hold her back.

I don’t know where Deana is now, ten years later, and I hope that she is in a better position than she was then, but as old habits die hard, I find it sadly unlikely. This is just one example of many as to why emotional healing is so important. When we don’t deal with our inner hurts and fears, we allow ourselves to be unknowingly guided by those fears in daily decisions. As we step into a new year, I encourage you to look at the habits and patterns in your life that hold you back, and consider how you can work toward healthier patterns in this coming year.

If you would like some assistance with developing new patterns, the following links may help:

Therapies

Freedom Flowers – flower and gem essences that help resolve negative emotional patterns and create healthy ones

Inner Healing Ministries

Freedom Encounters

Elijah House

Alice Briggs – Emotional and Spiritual Healing

Debalm Ministry

Ask of Me and I Will Give You Nations

As an author, I have to have time to write. I post a blog article each week, as well as occasional guest articles and writing books. Book writing isn’t necessarily hard, but it is time-consuming. In order to stay current with all the different writing and marketing that I do, I have to make good use of time. God has played a major role in my ability to do that, as He has given me great favor and blessing at work to be able to get paid by my current employer to write.

While at first this might sound unethical, I do not write for my own website and books when there is work to do–I do it when there is nothing else to do and I can either read a book, talk with coworkers, or write. So I write. You see, God is interested in creating more time and ability for me to succeed in life–and the same goes for you. How do I know this? I’m not the only one who has had this happen. If a well-known paramedic friend’s previous employer knew just how much they had paid him over the years to build his career as an author, they would probably be sick–and it’s all due to the favor and blessing of God.

God wants to prosper us in every area of life, and that includes finances. There is nothing spiritual about poverty–it is demonic bondage that brings death, so Jesus naturally opposes it. As such, God will work in our lives to make room to prosper us. We might not rocket to the top of the world in business, but God will provide ideas for ways to either start a business or increase our income–using methods unique to us.

How will God do that? Usually it involves time. I have had times where I had a LOT to do, whether because I was behind on articles and had deadlines to meet, or for some other reason. On my drive into work I would pray, “God, please give me an easy work night so that I will have time to work on the writing-related things I need to get done.” Often when I pray this, God is faithful to free up time during my shift to allow me to work on my website while meeting all the needs of my work position. While this wasn’t true of every job I have had, it has been true of the jobs when I really needed it.

Some people think this is just for the special few, but Psalm 2:7-8 says, “I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, ‘You are my son; today I have become your father. Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.'” God is interested in using US to touch the entire earth. It doesn’t matter how–God will be creative with each of us to work that out. I know campus pastors who don’t have to go to nations because students from all over the world come to them! One person may be a housekeeper, but the presence they bring into the homes where they work helps free others to go make the world a better place as well. Our work has a ripple-effect in this earth, and God will give us wisdom on how to prosper us while making the world a better place. Ask God what plans He has for you and how He plans to prosper you. Take some time to listen, write it down, and then move forward with the plans God has given you. It may take time, but God is faithful and He will walk you through it!

As a side-note, for those of you who feel called to write, I want to invite you to join our merry band of Warrior Scribes. You can find us connecting on Facebook in the group The Time is Write, a group that is made up of almost entirely Christian authors, although not limited to any particular belief set. If you are in need of web services to get yourself started, consider using my affiliate link to Bluehost, a website hosting service I am quite pleased with and who runs all my sites. If you need an email list service to get your business off the ground and to stay connected with others, consider using Mailchimp (contact me and I will send you an affiliate link) another service I use and am quite happy with.

The Gospel According to Dr. Strange

***For those who haven’t seen the movie, be aware that***

***this article is filled with spoilers***

I saw the movie Dr. Strange this past month and really enjoyed it. While one could argue there isn’t much spiritual value in a movie about sorcerers fighting one another, I respectfully disagree. The movie was incredibly full of spiritual lessons, and if I can nerd-out for a moment, I suggest that there was less sorcery than one might expect. Dr. Strange has a set of, well, strange rules for magic. They are fundamentally based off of Qi, which is really just a term for the life energy that exists in everything (and which originated from God). This in and of itself is reminiscent of old-time martial arts masters, not practitioners of magic, but at some point the lines get blurred.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fdhu8i_4olE

The movie begins with Dr. Steven Strange, a self-centered genius who loses everything he values, and as he sinks deeper and deeper into his plight he finds himself where many of us have found ourselves in hard times—on the search for salvation. When he finally hits rock bottom he desperately reaches out to what is ultimately his savior—the Ancient One, a master of the magical arts. This teacher is hard, but overall very good to him and teaches and guides him into deeper truth than he could ever have imagined. When Strange meets the Ancient One, in search of bodily healing, she tells him that he can heal himself through the power of his spirit, which is accessed by belief. She says, “You are a man looking at the world through a keyhole. You have spent your life trying to widen it, to see more, to know more, and now, upon hearing it can be widened in ways you can’t imagine, you reject the possibility.” She demonstrates to Strange, through power encounters, that what she is saying is true. One of the key lines that stuck out to me was when Dr. Strange was searching for the truth—and she said, “You think this material world is all that there is. Open up your eye.”

While the movie is steeped in a conglomeration of ancient Eastern mysticism, using arcane tools and referencing the Third Eye, this isn’t actually too different from what Paul prayed in Ephesians 1:18, “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you . . .” Dr. Strange has his own power-encounter and the eyes of his heart begin to be opened, much as God both has done and continues to do for each one of us as we learn and grow on our own spiritual journey.

As the movie progresses, a conflict between the Ancient One and one of her apostate disciples, Kaecilius, reaches its peak. Kaecilius is hungry for power, and in order to gain as much power as he can, he steals and taps into forbidden arts that access power from the Dark Dimension—a spiritual realm that is ruled by Dormammu, a powerful and ancient being of evil who could be likened to Satan, although the movie seems to give Dormammu far more power than I think Satan actually possesses.

But the conflict between Kaecilius and the Ancient One really played that out. Kaecilius grew angry and lusted after power, most especially seeking immortality, after not only seeing his loved ones die, but discovering that the Ancient One was already tapping into the forbidden power herself to support her longevity and give her a form of immortality. Unlike the immortality that Jesus gives us, this immortality was derived in almost vampiric fashion by stealing power from the Dark Dimension through the use of the forbidden magic. As a friend recently stated, “Kaecilius made a much more compelling argument than most Marvel villains. It came down to one word: hypocrite.” The Ancient One is the epitome of a hypocrite, telling others not to do the very thing she did, and yet somehow found it odd that people tried to follow what she did over what she said. This has been the age-old struggle of the believer, and is why it is so important that we practice what we preach—because people usually will respond to what we do much more than what we say we believe, and if our words and actions don’t match, it destroys our credibility, as it did with Kaecilius and the Ancient One.

One of the things I found most irritating about this particular aspect of the movie was that while they did a good job of creating characters of generally good morals and showed the main character’s total transformation from a narrow-minded, self-involved snob to a selfless savior, they left no possibility of supreme goodness at work in the world. The Ancient One laments that she is forced to use Dormammu’s power in order to peer through time and stop evil after evil, yet there was nowhere in the movie that suggested any Light Dimension of any sort that could supply this ability in another, more redemptive way, nor did it suggest she made any effort to find a better way. Mordo, one of her top disciples, demonstrated significant insight when he pointed out that what we sow we reap—and that using the power of the Dark Dimension for good only created another cycle of evil—and this played out as Kaecilius turned toward darkness due to his anger at the Ancient One’s hypocrisy. Strange ended up fighting in this battle as well.

In the same way that Stephen Strange fought darkness partly through his practiced abilities, we too have been given the same ability and same charge. Hebrews 5:14 says, “But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” It wasn’t just his integrity and intelligence, but the fact that he had practiced with his powers time and time again. Much like the spiritual gifts that we receive by the Holy Spirit, Strange made the most of the talents and abilities he possessed—both natural and supernatural. This is an example of both wisdom and good stewardship, as God desires us to use wisdom in the ways we exercise both our spiritual and natural gifts and to use them to their full potential. When the Master rebuked his one servant in Matthew 25:14-30, it was because he didn’t even attempt to make use of what he had been given, and in this movie Dr. Strange emulates what we can accomplish if we are faithful to put our gifts and abilities to good use alongside God’s blessing.

While there are so many incredible spiritual parallels in this movie, As this mystical battle progressed, Kaecilius once threatened Dr. Strange, saying “You’ll die protecting this world.” In reality what Kaecilius said was in fact true—Dr. Strange took on a Jesus-like savior motif at the end. Jesus said “I lay my own life down and I take it up again,” and Steven Strange, emulating Jesus in a moment of Christ-like clarity, did the same. He laid his own life down again and again, letting himself be killed painful deaths hundreds of times in a time-loop of his own creation in order to force the Dark One to take his hands off Planet Earth forever. One of the magnificent things about his choice is that he did not find victory through compromise, nor did he attempt to defeat Dormammu by stealing power like the Ancient One did. His strength was in his newly developed virtue and integrity, along with his significant intellect and the abilities he had gained through rigorous practice. Through one man’s selfless act he purchased salvation for the whole world. Sound familiar?

One of the final lines I really appreciated in this movie was where the Ancient One first spoke to Dr. Strange. “Dr. Strange, you think you know how the world works. What if I told you the reality you know is one of many.” And again, “Through the mystic arts we harness energy and shape reality. We travel great distances in an instant.” This movie hints about the seemingly fantastical abilities God gives us by His spirit, even to the point of physical translocation, supernatural healing, power over time, and more. This movie encourages the watcher to open our eyes and minds up to a deeper spiritual reality than the physical touch-feel-see world around us. What is more, I feel it speaks to a generation of people who are hungry for God’s power to touch their lives. As the Body of Christ, we have been given a unique mandate to transform the earth and everyone in it, and to introduce them to God’s glory—His personality and Presence. If you have not yet seen this movie, I encourage you to watch it with an eye for the spiritual messages that God wants to share with you, as I have only touched the surface of the depth of wisdom and revelation that Holy Spirit can draw out of this secular film. I truly believe that even as it proclaims in Romans 1 that God speaks through all creation, and this movie is no different. Sit back, grab some popcorn, and let God transform your heart as you enjoy watching Dr. Strange.

For those interested, after the movie comes out of the theaters it should be available for order and/or on-demand viewing here.

The Gospel According to Shrek 2

The Gospel According to Kung Fu Panda 3

I can’t help but continue to be amazed at the way that God weaves the gospel message in Children’s videos. Some of you may recall that I shared in a previous post about how I see the Gospel of the Kingdom displayed in Shrek 2 (here) but I found the same thing happening as I watched Kung Fu Panda 3 recently with my granddaughter Sophia. As with the last movie, I found myself in tears as I watched a cartoon panda and his friends and family demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ in a powerful way (For those who haven’t seen the movie, this is the major scene at the end, so this article will be chock-full of spoilers).

The clip starts out with Po, the Dragon Warrior (panda) having just come to terms with the fact he can’t stop the enemy by conventional means, and if he doesn’t do something drastic he and his family and friends will all die. He does the only thing left that he knows how to do—he sacrifices his own life to banish the evil warrior Kai to the Spirit Realm alongside him. He is successful, but dies in the process. This is such a clear picture of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Colossians 2:13-15 says it this way, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” Knowing that the requirements of the Law of sin and death were set against us, and knowing that Satan would stop at nothing to bring the full payment of sin into our lives, He willingly laid his own life down on the cross, destroying Satan’s legal right to our lives and taking captive the power of death.

In the movie, Po defeats Kai in the Spirit Realm, also setting free everyone else that Kai had captured and killed, then resurrects himself and returns to the land of the living. Scripturally, Jesus did the same thing. After defeating the powers of darkness, even preaching to those who were already dead and setting them free (1 Peter 3:18-20) he rose again three days later. Jesus said of himself in John 10:17-18 that, “The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” Jesus, like Po, laid his own life down and returned to life of his own accord, having destroyed the powers of darkness that were set against those he loves (The clip cuts out just before showing this scene, but it is found in the movie).

This is such a touching picture of the immense love that Jesus has for us, but if you watch the clip below you will discover yet another spiritual message—that of intercession. While we can all understand and agree that Jesus didn’t need our intercession to die and rise again, the above verses saying that he had the ability to do it himself, starting at 1:05 the clip shows us the power of intercession, and what happens when we come together as the Body of Christ in prayer. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” Our prayers are powerful and destroy works of darkness. As we come together and command God’s Kingdom and will to be done on earth as it is already being done in heaven, we release a spiritual power that changes things and sets the captives free. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch the clip below and let Holy Spirit quicken these messages in your hearts as you watch Jesus speak His Gospel of life directly to our children in Kung Fu Panda 3.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXBS4K4oSsE

Author’s Note: The clip was edited in a few parts leaving the scenes slightly choppy. The entire DVD can be watched online or ordered at the following links: Watch Order

The Gospel According to Dr. Strange

The Gospel According to Shrek 2

Cultivating His Presence

When I first began to learn about intercession from my friend and mentor Diane, she introduced me to a practice called “soaking.” I had no prior familiarity with this concept, but when she did it, she could feel God’s presence around her, even to the point of being like a weight pressing her body downward, and that sounded so totally awesome that I wanted to learn how to do it too! While that might sound strange for those who don’t know, the word for God’s presence, “chavod/kavod/chabod” in Hebrew, means weighty glory or weighty presence, so God’s presence showing up has the potential to feel like weight, and this is seen a few different places in scripture. During our Watch meetings every other weekend we would spend hours praying, but usually around an hour of that was spent doing this soaking-thing. She would put on a CD of softer, more lyrically intimate worship music and we would lay there, cultivating His Presence.

At first I just took it on faith that this was good for me, but as time went on, I too began to sense this inexplicable something around me. An energy, sort of, but also a wind. A weight and yet not a tangible weight at all, and a bit like fire, but not hot or burning in any way. Even now it is still so difficult to describe the energetic sensations of the Presence of the Holy Spirit as He overshadows me when I soak, but I spent a season learning what this felt like.

During the Watch I would lay down and God’s presence was always right there. Holy Spirit had been with us the entire meeting so far, and nothing changed. When I was home, however, it was different. I couldn’t sense His presence around me at all, at least not just by turning music on and laying down. Benny Hinn, Todd Bentley, and others have had experiences where they simply ask Holy Spirit to come and He would, but this was after a period of cultivating a relationship with Him, so that when they asked Him to come, He would. I didn’t have that. So here’s what I did:

I began to cultivate.

An old family friend gifted me with a guitar, so I began to play the four chords I knew and looked up worship songs that exclusively used those chords. I made up my own. I spent usually an hour or more almost every day worshiping and soaking in the late evening, oftentimes falling asleep on the floor. What was the goal? I would worship until I sensed that the atmosphere in the room had changed to feel like it did when I was soaking on Friday nights. After I reached that point, I would then lay down and enjoy Holy Spirit’s presence in the room with me. Sometimes I would talk to him but usually I would just lay down and enjoy the sensation of Him on my body.

Gradually, over the course of weeks, it started to take less and less time to get to that point, until somewhere along the line I would just lay down and turn music on, and in under a minute, sometimes immediately, I would begin to sense Him drawing near. The Catholic monk Brother Lawrence described this in his letters The Practice of the Presence of God, but ultimately I had reached a point of just enjoying Him for Him, without asking for anything or interceding over the fate of the world. And while those things are good too, sometimes God just wants us to sit with him without deeper agenda, simply enjoying Him in simple pleasure.

I didn’t understand until recently that a large part of soaking is simply enjoying Him, but as we spend time in God’s presence He changes us as well. His essence infuses us with His nature–his joy, peace, and other fruit of the spirit. His voice sometimes becomes easier to hear, and oftentimes soaking is a good opportunity to expect and practice visions, spirit travel, and other visionary experiences. While there are other benefits, in the end its about drawing near to God, and as we do He draws near to us (James 4:8).

When I began I was impatient, and was afraid it would take years for me to cultivate that instant-presence appearing to me. But God is good and kind and isn’t interested in forced labor to be able to engage Him. It didn’t take years, or even months, and if you have never done this before and want to get started, it won’t take you that long either. You might even just try asking Him to come surround you and fill you, and He may come right then. If not, spend some time cultivating his Presence in worship or prayer, and as you do, God will reward you with the best gift ever–Him.

State Your Position

Sin Limits, Without Limits

When The Pain Won’t Stop

Re-Engaging The Beloved

You Were Designed For A Unique Purpose

. . . But I Might Miss Something

Ask of Me and I Will Give You Nations

The Gospel According to Dr. Strange

The Gospel According to Kung Fu Panda 3

Cultivating His Presence

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