THE FESTIVAL OF POTS

My friends establishing and maintaining a close personal relationship with Jesus should be central to our spiritual life and ministry. We may be satisfied that we are seeking a deeper understanding of the Word of God, a life of good works, and even service, but it is essential also that we go beyond these levels of spiritual desires and recognize that the only foundation upon which our knowledge of the Word can stand is on the personal relationship that we maintain with the LORD. And for this to happen my friend we must allow God to bring (this is always His intention) us into a place of great unity with Him. In such a place that the truth of the word of God can grip our heart to where we are convinced, we truly believe what is written and what God has spoken. I am convinced most Christians are not convinced God’s word is true. They have a mental and emotional assent to this truth, but in their heart it has not really taken hold of them. My friend we must be really convinced to what God has written and spoke to us. The more convinced we are to this the more we will be able to stand and withstand (there is a big difference) problems, troubles, situations, and circumstances that come our way. You know many people think God looks at the relationship we have when He looks at our ability to keep relationship, but I am not so sure about that. It is easy to keep a relationship with someone who you like and who likes you, but now to keep a relationship (even if it is one sided in your heart) with someone who does not like you now that is a different story all together. I think God looks at the relationships we have lost over the years to whether or not we have the ability to keep relationship. God is not really too concerned about the relationships we have, but make no mistake my friend God is really concerned about the relationship we have allowed to slip though our fingers and heart. At the heart of these lost relationships is a lack of relationship with the LORD and lack of desire for the truth. In the Psalms David writes, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; 3As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalms 133:1-3) Please know this place of unity is not found in the “precious ointment” that ran down on Aaron’s beard nor is it found in the dew of mount Hermon, but “there” the LORD commands the blessing, “even life for evermore.” “There” is the place of unity with God and with man. Did you know you cannot be in unity with God and not with man? John tells us, “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?” (1 John 4:20) I wonder why we think we can get away with loving God and not our brothers and sisters? Now the “unity” (or “oneness” as translated all throughout the Bible) we are after is not the unity that brings two churches together to have prayer breakfast or special service, but the same unity that Jesus had with the Father. Unity with the Father will always will cost us something. In the real LORD’s prayer (only prayer recorded where Jesus actually prayed) we read, “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 22And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: 23I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:21-23) Did you get that? Unity not to do something for God, but unity to become something in God. We in unity (in relationship) with God as Jesus was one (in unity in relationship with the Father) with the family so we can be one with our brothers and sisters. So you see no unity with the Father we will not be in unity with our brothers and sisters. I wonder how effective the Church globally would be if it was in unity with the Father as Jesus was in unity with the Father? The whole cannot be greater than the sum of its parts, thus the Church globally cannot be greater than the collection of individuals that make up the Church. What a prayer for 2014. What a prayer for ourselves. Now the truth aspect is even more chilling. Truth has always been at the heart of our salvation and walk with the LORD. Oh we often want only to be loved and called lovely, but that can never happen unless we walk in the truth of God’s word. Even Pilate knew this. The question of what is truth is nothing new even Jesus’ judge and jury asked, “Pilate saith unto him (Jesus), What is truth? . . . . ” (John 18:38). Today we like to mask the truth with religion, skilled and educated speaking, and our good works, but these good intentions of ours will never be enough if our words do not match Jesus’ reply back to Pilate, “my words are truth.” Some years ago I had an experience that has ever stuck with me. I attended a meeting in which the speaker gave an excellent word. I have know him for over 30 years, traveled to many countries in ministry with him, I love him very much still today, he has a mystical, deep anointing in teaching that few in the world can rival, yet there was something missing. As I left I said, "Lord, what is wrong? He was a great speaker with a good word. You know how much I love him and look to him." Then the Lord brought something to my mind that John Wright Follette had said, “there is a difference between having truth itself deposited within our heart and made a part of our life and simply reflecting truth that has come from another person or ministry.” This floored me. From that point on my goal was not to reflect truth, but to allow the Holy Spirit to deposit the truth God has for me into my life. Not the truth for others, but the truth God has for my life. Not all truth is for all people at the same time. There is some truth that we can handle now and there is some truth we are not able to handle. Someday if we grow in the grace and knowledge of the LORD the Holy Spirit will be able to make more truth apart of us, but until then we must be content with only the truth that is convenient and purposed for our lives. A big mistake we often make is to sacrifice truth for things. We know truth when we hear it there is no mistake it hits us in the stomach and bends us to our knees, but it seems we are willing to give the truth up for things that bring; peace, happiness, even things that bring what we call blessings into our lives. Some Christians say anything that brings harmony into our family is what God wants, well that my friend is not the truth. We must never sacrifice truth for peace and harmony (even love) if so then our relationships will not be built on God’s word. When we sacrifice the truth of God’s word for harmony and peace we then are rejecting the word of God for the people. How can they be saved unless they hear? Paul told the Church at Ephesus, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 16From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Ephesians 4:15-16) All that we do for God must be in obedience with a pure motive from love and a desire to see others “grow up into him in all things.” If not then it is a selfish and self-centered motive where we want to manipulate others. My friend I believe manipulation is the greatest sin of the 21 Century church and is the ruin of most marriages in the world. Our goal should be, “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth.” On my last trip I had the good pleasure to see how this would look. When Michael Simonowich and I were in Bulgaria Rossi, Pastor Niki’s wife and Marcho took us to Silver Lake Village. What a wonderful time we had. The day was a joyous celebration of remembrance when all the people of Bulgaria had to eat was beans and they ate them from ceramic pots so every year the people in the villages around Silistra keep this tradition by holding “The Festival of the Pots.” The goals were two-fold; one eat as much good food as possible and two the food had to be judged by categories; i.e. breads, beans, soups, salads, meats, deserts you have the picture. Also judged was the best village singing group (six groups took the stage), best home-made wine, and of course best beer. It was a very pleasant time of food, family, and festivity. While the different village groups were singing (and in the in-between times) some of the older folks started dancing in a circular direction while holding hands. Now here is what I thought was amazing. To enter the group in motion no words of request were needed, no discussion, no dispute all one had to do was step up to the circle to make their intention known and then touch the hands of the people you desire to join between. It was amazing as the person who wanted to join the dance touched the hands of the two people they rolled over and opened their hands in harmony, in unison as the joining person stepped into the circle without missing a beat. They were “fitly joined together” without words. It was a totally seamless process no words were spoken no debate, no dispute only fluency in motion as the person became one with the other dancers. I know to some this does not sound like much, but to see it happen, well it was amazing. After watching this process a few times I thought this is the way it is to be with Christians. We are to be in such harmony and unity whereby a seamless process of coming together should happen in our lives, but sadly this is not the case in most situations. Sadly there is great debate, there is great discussion, even confusion and strife, there often is little harmony when Christians come together. It seems everyone has something different in mind. Paul told the Church at Corinth, “How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation.” (1 Corinthians 14:26) I do not believe this is the way the LORD has arranged things for His Body I think it is more like the dancers at the Festival of the Pots. Dare to step up to the circle and try to get in?