Mark Marshall

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Category Kingdom Community

Divine Purpose , Kingdom Community , Personal Growth

Am I Friend Enough 2…

I have contemplated and mulled over this thought for a couple of years. This idea of becoming and being a friend is pretty special these days in the world we live in today. The definition according to the online free dictionary is:
FRIEND

1. A person whom one knows, likes, and trusts.
2. A person whom one knows; an acquaintance.
3. A person with whom one is allied in a struggle or cause; a comrade.
4. One who supports, sympathizes with, or patronizes a group, cause, or movement:
I guess I’m older now and really assessing the value of true friendships. I remember hearing a message by my pastor some 30 years ago, still ringing in my spirit; “You can’t love someone fully and truthfully unless you love what they love!” What a statement, and in the same breath he said, “You can’t save someone at a distance, you must get close.”
And when you think about it our great friendships have been stained with religious ideologies, that don’t really serve anyone. People are more interested in ‘their thing, their faith, their stuff, etc.’ I fear our friendships have been distorted because there are some if not most that actually think ‘Principles are more important than people’. I do not or ever will but into the idea that your belief and doctrine is more important than people, I am pretty confident in saying that Jesus lived that model over and over.
What Jesus really did in His short time was to show people how important they are to the Kingdom. NOT STUFF. One of the last great revelations He spoke to His tribe was the fact that He saw them as friends. If we would learn to truly love and quit projecting a great something beyond the next hill, we probably would find the garden that we are all looking for.  Beloved there is no higher form of connected Kingdom life outside of friendship. It is truly your gift to humanity. Jesus was actually friend of sinners. He was able to live out the ‘Love the sinner / hate the sin’ because He was a friend first.
Word History: The relationship between Latin amīcus, “friend,” and amō, “I love,” is clear, as is the relationshipbetween Greek philos, “friend,” and phileō, “I love.” In English, though, we have to go back a millennium before we see the verb that we can easily connect to friend. Frēond, the Old English source of Modern English friend, is related to the Old English verb frēon, “to love, like, honor, set free (from slavery or confinement).” Specifically, frēond comes from the present participle of the Germanic ancestor of Old English frēon and thus originally meant “one who loves.” 
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
I love here how the term friend and love are so closely related. I fear that in our culture today that has been tainted and lost in translation. I mean with social media we have now learned how to be a friend without the commitment and love that is necessary to be said friend. I have like 1000 facebook friends, I follow most of the people and interact as much as I can, but I have few friends in the real world that I can bend their ear, share my stuff, or even get a cup of coffee!
With that being said I can’t tell you how many ‘friends’ I have that know nothing about my heart and direction. These are acquaintances I have come to find out. Over the years people have loved my ‘gift’ but not necessarily me. I am sure many people feel the same way. I have learned in my short career that I would never surrender my ‘gift’ to any one or group that didn’t want a relationship to me and my family as a person. At one time in my life there were seven pastors and leaders from five different states that were wanting me and my family to move and be a part of their work. I was so confused, but very excited. You know for once you think your hard work and life’s achievements are paying off. Only to realize these people were more interested in building their own thing. Not one of them actually wanted to know what made me tick, or motivate me. My greatest test and struggles have been the result of pursuing these relationships, only to be stripped and left for dead.
Today I have the most amazing Bishop to my soul. He and his team have loved the ‘hell out of me’. I am learning how to be loved for who I am and not what I can do for a group. Believe me it’s foreign to me so please be patient, I’m facing the light and running towards love. My Bishop is the truest friend I think I have ever known, I aspire to be like him when I grow up! I have known him twenty plus years, and he is so purposeful, and kind. He is one of the few that sat down with me and listen to my story with a heart of pure love, no judgement, but rather compassion and love. No matter where I am in my walk, or where he is in the world; time and time he has texted me to check on me or answer….
I strive to be like him, I haven’t arrived by no means. But I am aware that I have short comings, please remember me in your prayers. Honestly I believe this kind of love is what the Kingdom is all about. I was talking to a friend of mine Sunday, and I said, I hate it that most people run around looking for a miracle or revival, when the real miracle is sitting right in front of YOU! I told him that I was so ready for people to re calibrate their directives. I said, ‘So many people are wanting to be healing etc, yet all I can do really is love; it’s up to God alone to heal’.
I am purposing to become a better friend by becoming easier to love. I am using my ‘Lent’ season to commit to those who call me friend. I mean at the end of the day, isn’t that what everyone wants? To those I have let down, misguided, and left hanging; I do love you very much, but I have a lot of untangling to do. I will fulfill my obligation to be a friend to those who call me that!
MM+
When You Love Someone
Bryan Adams
when you love someone – you’ll do anything
you’ll do all the crazy things that you can’t explain
you’ll shoot the moon – put out the sun
when you love someone
you’ll deny the truth – believe a lie
there’ll be times that you’ll believe you can really fly
but you’re lonely nights – have just begun
when you love someone
when you love someone – you’ll feel it deep inside
and nothin else can ever change your mind
when you want someone – when you need someone
when you love someone…
when you love someone – you’ll sacrifice
you’d give it everything you got and you won’t think twice
you’d risk it all – no matter what may come
when you love someone
you’ll shoot the moon – put out the sun
when you love someone
Kingdom Community

Am I Friend Enough…

I love a girl, she is not mine by birth, but by the spirit. If I had a daughter she would be the one I would choose!
Of course I know she isn’t perfect, but to me she is. In God’s eyes she is known as one of the ‘favorites’. She has
been such a friend to me and my family for about 20 years. And back in the days when everyone and their brother
couldn’t get away from me and my family fast enough; there she was. I think when the scriptures talk about; “there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother”; I’m pretty sure she’s that friend to me.

She had complications during pregnancy, and had an emergency C Section. And by complications, I don’t mean it didn’t go as planned. And by emergency I don’t mean we couldn’t plan everything. I mean all hell broke loose! And the bottom line she just about stepped into glory. I talked to her husband a few days ago, and he told me the news and all the details. I mean like AFTER the emergency C Section she had a 3 hour surgery just to stop the bleeding.

And when I got the call I was on the way to a meeting that I could not get out of. But I was so distraught that I had to pull over and have a talk with Father. After I got my peace I fulfilled my meeting obligation. I got in my car, and immediately texted her husband for an update. When I got the update it was still not that great, but stable.

I remember hearing those words and thinking that I may not see her again. My heart was open and filled with presence. In that moment I had a thought; “Was I friend enough?” I mean was I real friend to the person that I truly love so much. I thought about how good of father I need to be to my sons. And even those in the faith. I thought about it all night didn’t sleep hardly at all. The next morning I got up and went to the hospital. But all the way there I was worshiping and realigning my thoughts to the fact that the one gift I have is ‘Friend’. Am I friend enough…. this has really occupied my thoughts these last few days.

I mean, am I friend enough?. If Kindness is my religion, then surely Friendship is my doctrine! I am exhorting you to be better friends to those that call you that. Ask yourself am I friend enough? I am going to do my best to stay connected and be a friend, because that is the highest calling on earth, to be called friend. Jesus said, I show you these things because you are friend. So to my ‘friends’ I say I love you and hope to catch up with you soon. Remember me in your prayers. Like St. Paul I hear, Oh wretched man that I am….

Much luv
MM

Kingdom Community , Personal Growth

Faith to be Made Whole 1

I know it has been a challenging week for everyone on our side of the pond. But some great wonderful things and meetings transpired for me. I have had some incredible insights to the revelation this week, and as equally saddened by all of the up-evil in our world. I shared this quote before but it is resonating in me today.

“The Naked Now”, by Fr Richard Rohr,  ‘Humans tend to think because they agree or disagree with the idea of a thing, they have realistically encountered the thing itself.’

I totally agree with this statement. Believing and encountering are not always one in the same. We may ‘believe’ in things, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we have already experienced it in fullness. It should be a natural progression, but I have found it to usually be the former than the latter.

I had the privilege of meeting with a dear pastor friend of mine yesterday. We got to talking about our world, and what God might be doing next in it. The subject came up about the Oklahoma Supreme Court decision to remove the Ten Commandments monument from the Capital grounds. This has caused quite an uproar to say the least. My friend was telling me about all the Facebook comments from people she knows about the ruling. And she said something that stuck in my mind. She said, ‘The sad thing about the people complaining about the court’s decision, is that probably 95% do not know what the Commandments even are! Much less live by them’!

My thoughts today are that our beliefs have become a religious artifact. An replica of days gone by. Something that now belongs in a museum. I don’t think people have affection for the words that are written on that monument, and most probably don’t know the spiritual significance. I liken it to a friend of mine that always had a bible in the car everywhere he went. I asked him why he had a bible everywhere, I mean it never left the car, it wasn’t like he was reading or anything! He told me it was for protection; both spiritual and physical. That sounds like the 80’s sayings in the churches, that said if you go over 55 mph in your car, then the angels would fly off. I know it sounds ridiculous, but in those days it was a little bit more than a joke. Kind of went along the lines of ‘parking angels’.

To piggy back upon Fr. Rohr’s comment I was meditating on this thought. My ‘believing’ in a thing, does not change the thing. I know it seems odd but the reality is; if you believe in a thing or idea it will ‘CHANGE YOU’. It is downloaded in our Spiritual DNA. I call it Divine Nature Attributes. Every cell of our body carries the genetic code of ‘our life’ in the physical realm. This code has been passed down through our ancestors.

The exact same is true for our spiritual sDNA. This code through revelation is passed down through spiritual time as well. The natural DNA in our bodies uses RNA to link to creating our human attributes according to the manufacturers specs. This RNA is referenced as the messenger gene. Carries the keys to infusing and creating genetic material. In the spiritual sDNA process we have sRNA which is the God breathed ‘message’. So in truth what we believe does change us. It has the power to shape our realities, and even manifest in our physical realm. We have the divine spark, spirit, and or seed of God within us. This sDNA is spiritual material or matter to create our spiritual lives. Our spiritual lives is designed to overtake our physical and mental limitations. The key is the sRNA; the ‘MESSAGES’ you believe and receive.

This sDNA process is foolproof. Eventually your life will reflect what you believe (be lived by). So it isn’t merely the confession that changes you it ultimately is your belief. You will not only reflect what you believe, but also mirror and manifest that belief. It is this kind of faith that grants us the power to be made whole. When you realize that you are downloaded and pre-ordained for overcoming.

Faith to be made whole happens when my belief lines up with the messenger code! When the revelation of the message is revealed it is un-packaged and applied to my inward life. Ultimately it will manifest in my walk and daily life. So this is why many confess or say what they believe, yet their manifest lives reveal the contrary. You can’t help but be made whole when you are in alignment with the internal. I want my faith and belief to be actively serving its purpose, not in a museum to preserve yesterdays victories. There is plenty of time for that after I am gone. Right now I want my faith to reflect the revelation of the Christ.

Divine Purpose , Kingdom Community

8 Things Open Minded is NOT

I have had a lot experiences and thoughts about open mindedness. I am fully aware of the fear people have concerning those of us who have ventured out in uncharted waters of thought and process.  Open mindedness is not something you usually equate to religious people.  But certainly Spiritual people have learned to embrace new things, thoughts, and realities. I am pretty sure I could write books on this subject, but I will give you the cliff note version.

When we used to travel all over I remember one of my biggest challenges was the Leadership.  I have always never been satisfied with the status quo.  I have always sought new ways of doing things, thinking things, system updates etc. So coming into churches and leadership training I would always bring new ideas to the table.  I quickly learned that it wasn’t difficult to get the people to think new things, but my number one challenge was the thought processes of the leadership and people.  Someone asked me during a radio interview about what is one of the things that are my biggest challenges in working with churches. I told them, ‘The hardest thing to change is the MIND’.

And lets face it, we all have experienced change in our lives. We will go through that process of change either via the way of Love and choice, or suffering the reality of fighting the will and choice.  The most important thing in our lives is our thoughts. It is the key to life, freedom, and spirituality. It is the only channel for change of any kind.

Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

So here are the 8 Characteristics of Open Mindedness:

1. An open mind is NOT merely a gullible mind.

2. An open mind is NOT necessarily a skeptic against the norm or against the established realm.

3. An open mind is NOT: not open to Change: All change and new perspective come from a space of open mindedness.

4. An open mind is NOT merely being relative or siding with current culture.

5. An open mind is NOT wishy washy; and or lacks a backbone.

6. An open mind is NOT having a (non opinion).

7. An open mind is NOT: not believing in (non Essential Truths, or the Concreteness of them)

8. An open mind is NOT a non spiritual reality.

Divine Purpose , Kingdom Community

Polarization of Humanity

I have been contemplating the thought; humans have no patience or endurance and therefore have long left the idea of a spirituality that actually practices. Aesthetic is so vital to the experiential realm of true spirituality.  Today’s society is transforming from the idea of hearers, to feelers.  At least the pendulum is swinging back to a spirituality that has experiences along with the concepts.  St. Symeon the Theologian says that, “Only through the experiences of God is He truly ever known.”

Today’s version of spirituality and conviction for life breathing decisions has come down to hearing.  You see the phases of spiritual constant renovation must go something like this: 1. Experience the presence and inward / outward reality. 2. Contemplative inward knowing beyond knowing, which leads to supernatural expression through practice. 3. Thinkers on a more educated life level, putting all of the pieces together for the logically dissemination to the masses. 4. Hearers are very easily ad-hearers, and become believers on hearing only platform.

This cycle will continue to come to the end of concepts and get reformed over and over again via the same process. The depths of reality of the Presence and awareness, can not be logically explained / taught. The true Spirit life can not be packaged for the masses!

I read  from a great book, “The Naked Now”, by Fr Richard Rohr,  ‘Humans tend to think because they agree or disagree with the idea of a thing, they have realistically encountered the thing itself.’  This strikes a chord in my heart. I fear the majority of our beliefs are based loosely on teachings or sermons from a Sunday morning service someone, and most of our theology too. The lack of practice and community, contemplative prayer and old fashion study and devotion, even void of experience, is a recipe for a people unable to see with eyes wide opened.

This totally happened to Adam, in Gen 3 He hid himself with his wife, from the presence! With their fragmented perception they could no longer make sense of the mystical union. We certainly still struggle with it today, our fragmented polarized perception has produced just over 50% divorce rate. That was still a mystical revelation of the relationship of Christ and the church.

My life changed some 13 years ago again! I got born again again! I became not afraid for once in my walk, and turned over every stone that I had been taught about God and spiritual reality. I measured them in the light of my new place. I can assure 32 years later I am much closer to KNOWING …than when I first believed.

People ask me all the time how I come to this realm and thoughts. I tell them its easy:

Get rid of your polarized identity, of good and evil. Reconcile both on the cross, and learn to walk free from the duality of this lower realm.
Learn to see all as one!
Endeavor to See God in ALL things…….and surrender to who we all say who God is…………selah

Kingdom Community

Belonging and Fitting In

I may have missed my calling just a bit, I am fascinated in my older age by the behavior and thinking among humans. I find myself studying, doing hours and hours of research on the subject. I came across this idea of belonging versus fitting in. They are not the same thing. Belonging and connection are at the core of every person alive. Fitting in is an external or internal adjustment on someone’s part to belong artificially.

Teenagers master this skill because it is inherited in our DNA. Because of our need to belong, the inability to be authentic and courageous leaves us no choice but to fit in or conform. Fitting in is about changing my authentic self, in my looks, desires, attitudes etc to conform into the desired crowd or relationship. We have done it so long that honestly people have mistaken this for their real self!

My friend Toby told the basic needs of all humans
1. To be fully known
2. To be fully loved
3. To be fully connected (I added this one)

All of the driving forces within us cause us to seek these things through our human strengths. Brene Brown Ph.D. says,” Connection is the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued: when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derived sustenance and strength from the relationship.” You see to be connected in this sense requires you to be authentic and vulnerable. It’s definitely a learned process. If you think about your first date that you have with your potential mate, the fear and anxiety of fitting in and finding approval. Now think of the authenticity of the relationship after you are married for 20 years!

Daniel Goleman wrote a book called, Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships. Daniel proves through neuroscience that we are hardwired for connection and that our relationships shape our biology as well as our experiences. He writes,”Even our most routine encounters act as regulators in the brain priming our emotions, some desirable, others not. The more strongly connected we are with someone emotionally the greater the mutual force.”

One of the biggest problems is our culture. We are driven to succeed and are identified by what we have. It’s sad to say but most people in our country have an identity crisis. Our self-worth is affected by our net worth, and we base our worthiness upon our productivity. Meaning we feel better about ourselves in a worth sense based upon how far we got down our to-do-list for the day! Another huge problem in our society is we have now handed out busyness, and exhaustion as badges of honor! We are way too busy to even know what we are about anymore. Our children are way too busy, we are creating the same world for them that we hate about our own!

If connecting requires me to be authentic then it’s quite the opposite for ‘fitting in’. The idea of fitting in requires me to begin a comparison process to determine my level of fitting in, and which crowd or friends I will have. Unfortunately comparison is all about conformity and competition. If we are not careful we will find ourselves only feeling adequate or enough when we are doing better than. Better than is a myth that the carnal minds plays on you to get you to connect without authenticity. Technology has connected people but not so much in a heart to heart fashion, but sort of in a plastic way!

I remember last year I was in a funk. I just couldn’t shake it. My birthday rolled around and to see all of the posts on my Facebook really gave me a charge. My feelings of worth and value shot up. Well this year the same thing happened. I think in those two days I received over 350 well wishes and emails. While I was basking in the ‘love’, I heard my self say, “how would you be feeling if you would have only received 5 well wishes instead of 350?” So then I realized the people I have true connections with are enough to sustain me. I have to learn to enough without adding the ____________ at the end of the sentence.

Answer this question, “I will feel better about myself and my life when ________________________(happens, or gets done….ie: lose weight, make more money, etc etc….) You have to fill in the blank and be honest to yourself. The challenge that I am working on is to be enough already. And learn to accept and love the person God has already made me to be at my core!

Kingdom Community

In My Shoes

In my shoes, just to see what it’s like to be me
I’ll be you, let’s trade shoes
Just to see what it’d be like to feel your pain
You feel mine, go inside each other’s minds
Just to see what we find
Look at life through each other’s eyes
But don’t let em say you ain’t beautiful
They can all get lost, just stay true to you
Don’t let em say you ain’t beautiful

They can all get lost, just stay true to you

Eminem

The process of love goes in stages I believe. Its a total process. You have to go from ‘Having Love, to Showing Love, to Being love!’

Each one is a step, and its a practice that many have gone before us and have conquered. Having love is the first step of the process. It usually happens when you have been amazingly touched by Love in your being.  So the beginning process is that you respond by just having love and grace for others around you! This first phase if you will is more of a response.  No one can have love that hasn’t first experienced it. It is like the ripple effect or wave after the initial splash in a pool of water. So those that ‘Have’ love towards others have experienced love! You can not share and give what you do not have or experienced.  If you do it will not possess the true content of substance.  Your having love towards others will be nothing more than another concept, not substance.

Showing love is nothing more than a choice to align myself to the power of love that was shown unto me.  Love on this level is a choice, a daily, minute by minute decision to choose to remember the power of the love that abides in you!  Choices like these chip away at the core of your self life.  In every situation in your life, weigh it in light of  I Corinthians chapter 13.  If you read that chapter, there is pretty much not anything else to say.

Being love is a total surrender! When you choose you still are in control, because you might still choose not to show love.  When you surrender then you  have given up the right to choose. This is the ultimate level, then God Himself can BE Himself through you. You surrender your choice to love or not love, and eventually you become Love.

Practicing this process in real life goes like this. For the record in the old concept of God’s grace or man’s will, I say God’s grace abounds and definitely came before mans ability to choose. When I think about this journey and process of becoming Love, I think it goes in these ascetic practices.

1. Empathy: the learned ability to to feel FOR someone and their struggles.  This is a conscience choice to feel for the suffering of others. This is what I call Having love. The ability to share in a commonality with others in their sufferings. My belief is that this only comes about by those who have been touched by Love Himself in some fashion or form.  Love on this level is the beginning, but it is a supernatural characteristic. When I feel empathy towards another I am striking a chord in my own life of my own suffering in the past or present. But it rarely moves anyone to real action that requires me to get involved.  It’s like I want to eliminate the suffering of others but I don’t know how to do it without conflicting with my own personal life.

2. Sympathy: the inability to no longer sit by as a bystander and watch others suffer. In this stage we possess the mindset to feel WITH you.  So now our motivation is to get up close and personal and be one with you. In this level of the process you actually suffer when others suffer, and rejoice when others are honored.

3. Compassion: is the surrendered path of life that live to feel AS you…..and seek to eliminate the suffering and injustice of others.

So don’t be discouraged, but rather keep cooperating with the process…

In the words of Eminem,

In my shoes, just to see what it’s like to be me
I’ll be you, let’s trade shoes
Just to see what it’d be like to feel your pain
You feel mine, go inside each other’s minds
Just to see what we find
Look at life through each other’s eyes
But don’t let em say you ain’t beautiful
They can all get lost, just stay true to you
Don’t let em say you ain’t beautiful

They can all get lost, just stay true to you

Eminem

Divine Purpose , Kingdom Community

Hearts that BURN!

There is an amazing description of how spiritual events take place in our lives. In Luke 24 the resurrected Christ is walking veiled to the disciples, and they did not even know HIM!

They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” Luke 24:32

I wonder how many times we have stood in the presence of such greatness, and not really recognize the significance until later on.

I can tell you my story of a man that I heard of.  When I came to hear him speak. It totally changed my life forever.  As I heard him speak it made so much sense to my heart, but my mind and understanding could not connect the dots. These sayings of his created so much peace in my heart and chaos in my mind, to the point as to which I had never been before.  You have to understand, I am not a jump on the bandwagon guy.  But if I have experience in and belief, I’m going to annoy you with my bandwagoness… I don’t jump easily to something that is NEW just because it’s new. But I saw the effects in my own heart and those around me who heard.  These words offended my self righteous religiosity, but liberated the inside of me to no end. Very hard experience to describe to you.  It’s like me trying to tell you what water taste like!  Good luck with that one.

Hearing him over and over made so much sense to me. I was crushed by the fact that I had spent almost 20 years in the religious realm,  totally devoted to the God Realm and serving 110%! And I couldn’t believe that I had never heard any of this kind of truth!  And to hear him made me feel so blessed, like I can’t believe I’m hearing this! I saw the miracles and peoples’ response.

I remember eating dinner with him many times.  Every time without fail the wait staff were totally drawn to him. It was almost embarrassing, I mean every where we went, people just talked and talked and wanted to badly to be around him. It was so common, it was totally expected every where we went. We would have to peel him away from people. I remember him having a  2000.00 pair of shoes from some place in Italy, have no idea the name, but still ‘Hanging with the little people’. His heart was with the people, but his mission was to challenge the church leaders of the day. For that is the only way to create change overall.

As our relationship grew I would meet him on trips just to ‘hang out’ and serve in any way I could to make life easier on him. I learned through him not only the protocol of the church, and the Christianize, but also the deeper purpose of the mission.  I have never seen a place that wasn’t drawn to him. But I have to tell you, in the gathering of the elect there was a special presence. When you gather the spiritual, and those with perception of the anointing there was a very special Draw on the Presence.

And every single time this man opened his mouth whether in the pulpit, or at the dinner table, or in private; I was never ceased to amazed. I can say with full assurance that he changed my life forever. My mind, my spirit, my theology is all the better and more solid than ever before.

I can remember the bliss that filled me thinking about the great movement I was a part of.  Not in any prideful way but a sincere love and devotion to the path that was laid out before us by God. I mean it seemed so great and perfectly fit! Overwhelmingly blessed beyond measure.  But we slowly became a threat to the status quo and system of the day.  The gazing eyes of the lack of respect was stinging. Not realizing that we were not the enemy!  Many times we would have to leave abruptly after meetings because people did not ‘agree’ with him as he laid out the spiritual plan.  Many of those ‘spiritual leaders’ would have him come and hold meetings only to use his gift and difference to add monetary blessings to their own work. You see I have seen him so many times be tolerated and not celebrated.  I know most people don’t know this but many of those with gifts of the spirit can easily get prostituted for that gift!  I know many don’t want to think of this, but said leaders have many times brought people into their congregations to do one of several things:

1. Bring a stirring and commitment beyond the normal realm of commitment. (revival spirit)
2. To confirm, affirm, the current leaderships path
3. To create buzz about the mission of the church, and fund projects

You can see where this man clearly would and could not be a good candidate for some of these.

He is the simple man and woman’s guide; and every religious leaders nightmare.  You see when he speaks I could see the simple people freed into the presence, and the religious blinded.  Even by the same teachings, it would sear the heart of the religious and harden, and free and feed the hungry and called at the very same time!

Often imitated,
many times hated
never celebrated….

Mar Enoch Ashe
Beloved

Kingdom Community

Wounded Warriors

In the town where I work by the bank is a small veterans memorial.  On the wall it reads:

Losing your life in service to your country is not the worst thing that can happen to you; but being forgotten is.

I read that every day as I go to the bank for our company. It has been on my heart for a couple of years now. What do we do with our fallen soldiers and wounded warriors. I feel somewhat jaded here so bear with me. Our country has not given our veterans honour that is due. I mean lets face it our veteran health care is nothing like the Mayo Clinic.  It is like pulling teeth to get people to do more than attend a once a year parade for our soldiers. I can’t even imagine what the Viet Nam veterans went through when they got home.

With this thought today I am thinking the church does the same things with our wounded warriors of the faith. Those who were on the front lines paving the way into new realms of life and living. It is a painful struggle to feel ignored and or forgotten. Especially when you have laid it all on the line for others. American Christianity is become fad driven. Excitement for something that isn’t even real half of the time. I always think of everything I see in the church world today in light of those who gave all they had so we could live in the spiritual realm freely. I can’t imagine that our forefathers of the faith would be very excited to visit some of our churches today, where there is no honor to their life’s work.

Jesus said remember me! We were commissioned and to take the Eucharist (thanksgiving meal) every week as to re-member ourselves in light of Him. Forgetfulness is a God given gift. If we didn’t have it we would never overcome heartbreak and tragedy. But remembering with honor those who have served, that is YOUR gift to God.

Let’s take inventory shall we. I would venture to say not one single person reading this would be where they are today spiritually without the price paid by someone who paved a way, and invested in you. The church has lost it’s ability to love the flawed saints, to honor those who paved a way. And it could be quite possible that the ones who helped you get where they are may be flawed and even fallen from the faith. It still doesn’t change the fact that you owe so much to them for your enlightenment.

You don’t choose to forget these people; it’s a gift.
You have to choose to remember.

The word honour is translated TIME.
Take the time to give honor and respect to those who have bleed spiritually for your freedom. It pains me somewhat to hear preachers teaching things today that are acceptable to the masses: yet when I preached it 15 years ago I was slandered, ridiculed, rejected and basically shunned.

I’m writing as an old soul and father in the faith to so many; Honor your spiritual fathers and mothers this week. Write them a note, call them, or even share part of your rescources with them. Trust me this is the first command with promise. Our country will not thrive because of the evil we have rejected, and psuedo standard of goodness we pretend to stand for. It will make it and thrive due to the ability to choose to REMEMBER those who labored among us. Beloved the church is in the same shape.