Hi all,

I don't think there has ever been a generation of Christians tossed to and fro by every wind of teaching by the sleight of men and cunning tricks, as this current generation. And there is a very good reason for this, which is what this series is about.

If you can imagine a belief based on something the Bible seems to state, it is out there: Do you think Jesus is returning by 12/21/12? Someone will show you a formula based on scripture to prove it. Do you think there is no accountability nor sin anymore? Someone will have scripture to prove it. Do you think women should be silent in all church services and/or wear no make up? There is a stream in the faith for that one too.

And how did we get in this condition? How can we be safe when we hear a teaching, and determine if it is God or man? Allow me to walk us through the corridors of time.

Back in the day
There was a time when the Seminary-trained clergyman was the lone man who had been taught the Word of God. You went to a specialized college to study medicine. You went to a specialized college to study law. You went to a specialized college, Seminary, to study God. Only the Pastor/Priest/Minister understood scripture because it was just too hard for the common man to understand. That was the culture.

As limiting as that structure was, the benefit was that across denominational lines, all Christendom was pretty much on the same core spiritual page. There were core beliefs based more or less on the Word that all Protestant denominations held as true, and they watched those idolatrous Roman Catholics with a wary eye, for all knew the worship of Mary and saints wasn't in scripture.

There goes the neighborhood!
A funny thing happened on the way to church one day, somewhere in the 1960's and '70's, the Charismatic Renewal broke out across denominational lines. People were getting baptized with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues faster than denominations could adjust. Members of all denominations began meeting in homes for "prayer & praise" with anyone who was also baptized with the Holy Spirit - leave your church membership card at the door. Just break out the harpsichord and let's worship Jesus!

The Christian book store
Soon, publishers and musicians started marketing to these once content pew sitters who were 'ruined' by the baptism with the Holy Spirit and their prayer & praise meetings. Christian bookstores popped up with more translations of Bibles than I knew existed and numerous authors on all things God. Music ranging from folk rock/hippy culture Jesus people to hard rock, and even Christian posters by a company named 'Argus', jewelry, and t-shirts...Surely our nation was one step away from being fully Christian!

God's Word was no longer held captive by the Seminarians, it was now being given out to the common man. Curious about angels? You could find books from Billy Graham on the conservative side, to Charles & Francis Hunter on the wild side. Wanting to know about the Baptism with the Holy Spirit? You could read John Sherrill's 'They Speak With Other Tongues' or if Episcopalian, read Father Dennis Bennett's material.

Diluting the Word
Soon, everyone had at least one opinion on any topic called God because there were so many voices on the subject. People were leaving the study of the Word itself in favor of what people said about the Word.

Over a short time people went from just loving God for loving God's sake, to wanting something from Him - money, saved family, success, health - and formulas based on what people said God said arose.

Word of Faith
In the 1980's the Word of Faith movement arose with a core message of the integrity of God and His Word. That seemed to be God's answer to all the craziness of the 1970's, and brought many into balance and taught them how to compare x teaching against the whole counsel of the Word.

By the 1990's disciples of the Word of Faith turned the Word into a means of getting money, and the prosperity movement began full of its own formulas. The subtle concept 'If I do x then God will do x' took over and has flowed to different streams in the faith to this day.

Now people fill conventions yelling and screaming at God trying to get Him to send down revival, as if we want people saved more than the One who sent His Son to take away the sin of the world wants them saved, making God our adversary in their minds.

Along the way world culture became one of sound bites, short blasts of sight and sound that told people what they should think, rather than encouraging them to think for themselves. That played well to the church, and Christians left common sense and self-respect at the door, allowing themselves to be manipulated to do things in the name of God no one in their right mind would do. You don't have to think anymore, the pastor will do that for you! It's all in the formula. In the Bible they sought God, today we seek formulas. Sad.

The Internet

Now all these voices find an outlet on the Internet, with even more people believing those sound bites are what the Word says, yet in reality is merely what someone said the Word says. For all our freedom and knowledge, human nature remains lazy, wanting Moses to talk to God for us and tell us what He said, rather than us investing ourselves in knowing Him up close and personal.

A new generation
There is a people hungry to know the Lord merely for the sake of knowing Him, no strings attached, nothing wanted of Him, just to know Him. They've been in meetings where they've recognized manipulation of the congregation, have seen the hypocrisy, have tried the formulas, and been left empty. They want Him!

Spiritual truth
The fact is, spirit-beings can talk. Not Koko the gorilla sign language, but spontaneous speech. Only spirits can do that - God, angels, people. That means the primary way of knowing a spirit-being is by speech.

Hebrews 1:1-3 states the Father spoke in many ways in different times to the fathers by the prophets but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, by whom He appointed heir of all things and by whom He made the universe. This Word of the Father is the brightness of the Father's glory, the impressed image of His character, and upholds all things by the Word of the Father's power.

Along with His appearance in the gospels, the Word of the Father has been appearing to mankind since walking in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Our Bible is the collection of writings through the centuries tracing His appearances and involvement in man's life, as Peter tells us written by men for us 'as they were moved by the Holy Spirit'. (II Peter 1:21) These writings are today's Bible.

You know people by their word
The only way I knew my grandfather was by his words and being in his presence. He was an eye, ear, nose, and throat doctor and I loved being around him. He would take me on his Sunday hospital rounds when I was just a boy. We'd walk into someone's hospital room to be greeted warmly, he'd give the patient an exam, talk a bit, then move on. He would talk to me about medical things, about patients and their families, why they had that condition, and important grandfather-grandson things. I knew him by his word, and I knew him by being in his presence.

The Father is the same way. We must know Him by written Word and by knowing Jesus, and by being in His presence. Our Father lives in us, there to talk to, feel His presence inside, and able to commune with as fast as the speed of thought.

People ask me why I am so privileged to have Jesus appear to me to teach me or give prophetic words. First, it is grace. Second, the way to Jesus' heart is to love the Father first and foremost, which I do.

But if you lay those aside, I am 'safe' for them to appear to me or tell me things because I am grounded in the Word and Spirit. They know I won't get off balance or get kooky on them. I'm safe. Look around - there are many, many who have spiritual experiences out there, and usually that is their single event because they get goofy, proving the Father can't trust them with more. They filter their experience through religion or culture or add to it rather than just reporting what happened. I'm safe because I know the Word and Spirit and am not trying to make a name for myself...that's frank talk, but honest.

This is what I want to share with you in this series, so the Father and Lord can trust you with more and greater revelation and knowing the things of the Spirit - to know His ways. Learn how to ignore other voices, and only hear the Shepherd's voice. Stay tuned folks, this could change your life!

blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

August 22, 2012
Dear friends,

For those who have prayed for or asked about Chris, thank you. The group home put a folding table in the lawn just off the circular driveway in front of the group homes, set his Matchbox cars, coloring books and crayons and pens on it, and he seems content to sit and draw and play and watch cars go by rather than roll around the parking lot and road. Whew!　

This month has revealed something happening in the body of Christ I’ve not seen before to this degree in the US. That is, many more people than usual have emailed me asking for financial help or sharing their situation not asking for anything but prayer, yet opening up to reveal their need. Yet to the person, when I ask about their church giving money to them, they reply they don’t have a church or their church doesn’t give to its people in need. They are alone.

Here is my heart; I don’t want anyone reading this letter to feel you are alone, whether you are part of a CWOWI affiliated house church or not. You are not alone! We can at least offer prayer and perhaps wisdom, but most of all I encourage you to either become part of a home church or start your own and become networked with us or someone on your same 'spiritual page'!

I can just tell you that people sense in their spirits 'something is going on' on a larger scale, but they can't quite put their finger on it. Fear of the future is at an all-time high in the body of Christ, and being a part of a home based group of friends is so comforting. It doesn't tickle the spiritual funny bone, it isn't high emotion, it has no royalty to get all goose-bumps that so and so is the speaker today - it is just life, friends, it ebbs and flows, and that is good!

If you don't have a church that you call your own, I encourage you to just meet weekly with your family, or a friend, informally, maybe over breakfast or brunch, maybe an evening during the week. Pray, study, discuss, worship - build a bond with someone you can gather regularly with to call 'church'.

The word 'ekklesia' which is translated 'church', is much more than merely being 'called out' as the traditional church teaches. That is only half of the story. When Jesus used this word to describe His followers they heard exactly what He meant.

The word 'ekklesia' originally started in the days of the Greek city-state, when Athens was one city-state and Sparta was another, and so on. In those days when there was an issue that all the citizens of the kingdom needed to hear about and discuss and make a decision on, they would 'call out' the citizens of the kingdom to a gathering to conduct the business of the kingdom. Not called out of the world, but called out to meet with other citizens of the kingdom to discuss the business of the kingdom. That is what 'church' means.

Thus, when Jesus said that upon the rock of revelation that He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God He would build His 'ekklesia', the disciples understood their gatherings were the calling of the disciples to receive revelation to conduct the business of the kingdom in their midst. That business is discipleship, the process of becoming more like our Master and Savior.

The business of the kingdom can also include meeting practical needs of fellow believers for as Jesus said in Matthew 25: 35-40, when He returns He is looking for down to earth, caring people who when He was hungry, naked, thirsty, sick and in prison, they were so involved in the lives of others they fed, clothed, gave drink and visited them.

At His return He isn't looking for the 2 million dollar Italian marble in the church building foyer, He is looking for people who are 'real' - so get real, humble yourself, stop looking for the next spiritual goose bump, and get to know people in their homes, and yours.

Meeting with a friend to worship, study, discuss life's many issues and pray about it, talk about how to grow in Christ-like character, is the business of the kingdom.

I also encourage you to become disciplined in your life to give something regularly for God’s use, for I Corinthians 16:2 tells us to set aside something weekly as He has blessed us and II Cor 9:10 says God provides seed and bread – the seed for giving the bread for our own consumption.

All of us are on a limited budget, from the retired to the wealthiest on earth – it’s all limited.

The question is discipline to set aside the seed and give it, and be connected in the times to come. That giving can also of course include, time, resources, assets - but be a giver as a lifestyle!

And finally a big thank you to our faithful friends and partners! We love and pray for you as you enable us to touch thousands in over 40 nations around the world every single week!

You are the core supporters who are used of the Father to make it all happen. Thank you. Blessings,

John, www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

The Doldrums, Monthly House Church Thoughts, August 2012

Hi everyone,

The summer doldrums seem to be upon us, and that means house church is affected too.

By definition
The doldrums are an area just above the equator where there is no wind - it is an area between weather systems so the air is still, stagnates, and often even the sea is a flat calm. In the old days sailing ships would drift aimlessly until they drifted out of the area.

Those were the times when mutinies happened, when the crew became disgruntled with leadership, when fights started, people got sick, some died, others became enemies, all because of the doldrums. They were going in no particular direction and each day was the same, day in, and day out. Boredom was the enemy.

Still talking house church here, not sailing ships - sound familiar?

Summer is the time of travel, of transition, of changing seasons from one part of life to another. This is normal in house church. People get tired due to heat and long daylight hours and high activity level. All the annoyances of the year bubble to the surface and cause them to ask what they are doing in house church, or in life, or in marriage, and so on.  

The traditional church has the same issues but it is masked because of size and the activities of programs which give the appearance of a smooth ship sailing along normally. August is always is the month with the lowest offerings, lowest attendance, lowest interest in 'church things' in the traditional church. In the traditional church mid-summer conventions are held in part to bring in fresh money and visitors to help the budget, because regular members spend their tithes and offerings on Disney World and trips to mom and dad.

In house church these things aren't masked. When people go on vacation, they are missed. When a relative dies and people have to travel or grieve, it is noted and prayed for. For us, there is always a dip in regular giving as part of a normal cycle as well. Income drops but requests for needs rise. That's normal.

Doldrums in Acts
In Acts 11:19 we are told that some of those who were forced out of Jerusalem by Saul's persecution of Steven moved further than just Judea and Samaria as Acts 8:1 tells us. It says some went north to Antioch, and started sharing Jesus with Greeks - a new thing entirely!

Barnabus was sent by the apostles to check out the idea that Greeks could get saved, and he found exactly that! Knowing that the fairly recently saved Saul of Tarsus was called to the Gentiles, he went to Tarsus to get him, and brought him to Antioch.

For a whole year they taught the disciples, and it was there we first became known as Christians. There was even a visit by a prophet named Agabus who prophesied of a famine that would hit Judea, so they collected money to send to those saints so they could prepare.

What excitement! Something new with every meeting!

What do we do now?
Acts 12 is inserted after the busy-ness of Acts 11 as a window to view what else was going on at that time in Jerusalem - James, the brother of John was executed by Herod by sword, and Peter was imprisoned and destined for the same fate Herod thought.

But Jesus had previously told Peter in John 21:18 he would be crucified when he was older, not stabbed while young, so Peter was sound asleep when the angel jabbed him on the side to wake him up. Acts 12 also tells us that Herod was executed by an angel for receiving worship, which he knew better than to do.

All that was happening while things in Antioch settled down to a normal routine. And that's where Acts 13 opens up, with 5 men of various races and nationalities sitting around worshipping, praying, asking, 'OK, so what do we do now?' They were in the doldrums.

There was Barnabus from the island nation of Cyprus, Simeon from Niger in central Africa, Lucius from our modern Libya, Manaen from Jerusalem, and Saul from Tarsus in the south central coast of modern day Turkey.

They were seeking God for what was new, what did He want of them, what was next? They were in the doldrums needing direction.

It is normal
What I'm saying is that seasons in house church come and go, just as seasons of life come and go. Antioch started with great fanfare and the move of the Lord. They were taught for over a year by Paul and Barnabus and received regular visitors from Jerusalem, so there was always something new going on.

That is like our school year - there is always something on the calendar, some event, some meeting, some holiday, and people are geared towards the next thing on the calendar.

But then it changes - school stops, transition start with graduations, vacations/holiday time, and by mid-summer with the heat and long daylight hours people are tired, a bit grumpy, a bit listless and wandering like an old sailing ship that has lost all direction and wind in the sails.

This is normal. Go with it. That house church that had over 20 attending during the year, now seems empty with the 6 that show up - so and so is traveling, so and so had a relative die, so and so is camping, so and so is just doing something else today - normal!

Solution?
People will settle into the autum routine - everyone who has moved during the summer, will have moved and settled in. All vacations and other holiday time off from work and church and life, will come to an end.

I think this is what Paul and Barnabus and this group of men were doing - praying, seeking, worshipping - what is next? After a year like they had, how can you top it?!

Perhaps they were looking for excitement, maybe discussing if a big name was coming up from Jerusalem, but one thing we do know is this - they had no answers.

That's right, they had no answers. Life was changing, and they approached it this way: "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said..."

So that is where I encourage you today. You don't have the answers because seasons change without our help. School starts, holiday time ends, weather cools, people regain energy, and you wonder how to get moving again. Don't.

"Minister to the Lord". Consider a time of worship, a time of telling Him how He is loved - no other agenda, but like these 5 men, just worship, consecrate yourself anew to Him from a heart of love. Then wait and see what He speaks to all the hearts present. Allow time for Him to speak, to lay something on someone's heart.

As these 5 men in Antioch came out of their doldrums, out of their routine, it was a new season for Saul of Tarsus, forever after these verses known as the apostle Paul.

Who knows what new venture He has for you!

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

I've been sharing from Isaiah 55:6-13 that tells us to forsake our ways and thoughts and return to the Lord; last week sharing about my attitude check in a parking lot and Habbakuk's pity party when he got an attitude about the way the Lord was handling Israel/Judah and his own life.

Today I share about a widow named Ruth.

Time of decision; higher ways or lower ways?
Each week in this series we've seen there is a point of decision where we must choose between God's higher ways and thoughts, or stick to our own lower ways and thoughts.

These moments do not announce themselves as Hollywood might portray them - with time freezing and a spotlight on the actor as they contemplate which way to go - NO! The point of decision is merely a moment in time, in the midst of very ordinary days, with ordinary circumstances - but it is a point of decision to go high or go low.

Circumstances beyond your control
You recognize the name Ruth, and you may recall she was a woman in the Old Testament who lived just after Israel settled in the Promised land under Joshua, and that she ended up marrying a man named Boaz, but do you know who Elimelech was? It was his life and death that set in motion the circumstances that led to Ruth being in the lineage of the family of Joseph, Jesus' earth-dad.

There was a famine in Israel because the people weren't following the Lord, so Elimelech took his wife, Naomi, and their 2 sons to next door Moab, the modern nation of Jordan, where there was rain - staying about 10 years. In those 10 years their sons got married to local Moabite women, and at some point all 3 men died: Elimelech and sons, leaving just Naomi and her daughters in law. What a tragic story!

After these things the rains came so Naomi decided to return to her home in Bethlehem, telling her daughters in law they were free to stay in Moab with their own families. One daughter in law, Orpah, returned to her Moabite family, but the other, Ruth, clung to Naomi stating these famous words:

"Ask me not to leave you, nor return from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die and be buried: The Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death separate you and me." (Ruth 1:1-17)

Flash forward to Boulder, Colorado
I had been an unpaid Associate Pastor at a church in which the pastor planned to sell his business interests and retire, as well as retire from being pastor in favor of the two of us establishing a Bible school and missionary training center in the nearby mountains, and promote me to being the paid pastor of the church.

One June day in 1986 the pastor and his wife came to our house and said he decided not to sell his businesses because "...after all the bills are paid, I'll only have about $750,000, and you can't do anything for God with just $750,000." In the Spirit I saw a giant hand slice between he and his wife and me and Barb, and I knew with that decision the pastor had chosen a lower way, and the Lord was separating us.

We were shocked, hurt, disappointed, amazed, confused, and as they left, just stared at each other for a few moments like deer caught in the headlights...what do we do now? After recovering ourselves we determined that we would do what was right no matter what, for we served God not man, and for now, God had us with that church, yet we would privately seek Him.

The next morning while Barb was in the shower crying out to the Lord about the injustice of it all and asking what next, He spoke this to her: "I tried to work through men's hearts but they wouldn't allow Me, therefore I have to work around them. But because it was through no fault of your own, you will remain in my perfect will, though it will mean a detour for you, but again, you will remain in my perfect will."

The following March we moved to become the pastors of a church and wonderful people in southeast Colorado and remained there nearly 6 years. That was a big detour! Sometimes things happen beyond our control, as in Ruth's tragic case or our own normal lives, and we must choose the higher ways.

Knowing that we would remain in the Lord's perfect will in spite of taking an unplanned detour brought us great comfort, and those words have comforted us through the years when 'plan A' has been tossed aside and 'plan B', which didn't exist before plan A was tossed, comes into view.

That decision was in June of 1986, and we became pastors of another church the end of March, 1987 - 9 months later. During that time we continued to serve the people as if nothing had happened, with smiles on our faces and a good attitude - we chose the higher ways and thoughts in this uncomfortable and difficult situation.

Back to Ruth
Naomi was a widow with only Ruth to take care of her. In that day there we no pensions, no retirement accounts put away in a bank for old age, no life insurance - nothing except Ruth to care for her. But Naomi had a young relative of her dead husband's, a 'mighty man of wealth...named Boaz she could contact. (2:1)

Boaz (Hebrew: 'strength') noticed Ruth right away and was attracted to her - telling her she could work alongside his own employees to gather all the grain she wanted. When Ruth reported that Boaz noticed her and gave her favor, Naomi played matchmaker, seeing Boaz as God's provision for Ruth. And she was right!

In 3:9 Ruth did something that is lost on the casual reader, but if you understand the culture you'll see how bold Ruth was. After a hard day of harvesting and threshing grain, all the men fell asleep at their work stations, Boaz included. Naomi told Ruth this would happen, and when it did she was to fall asleep at his feet and put his cloak over herself for covering, which she did. (3:3-9)

The proposal
I know those who are taking my Old Testament Survey Video Bible School know this point already, but stay with me for the sake of the rest - the putting of his clothing over her as a covering was a marriage proposal. Ruth proposed to Boaz that night, in an act of boldness and faith. She and Naomi were amazing women!

When Boaz woke up he was astonished to find Ruth snuggled with him, who responded: "...spread your garment over me, for you are a near kinsman." That was a marriage proposal, and to this day in Israel

grooms cover their brides with their garment, showing she is now under his covering and protection in marriage.

Of course Boaz accepted her proposal and they were married, this Jewish man and this Moabite woman who adopted the God of Israel as her own. All that was set in motion through circumstances beyond her control and she making decisions according to His high ways and thoughts in the midst of those circumstances:

Famine, the meeting of this family from Israel, the marrying into the family, the death of her father in law, the death of her husband, the decision of her mother in law to return to Israel - and that point of decision for Ruth: Stay home in Moab or follow Naomi in the higher ways and thoughts of the God of Israel.

But wait, there's more!
The point of decision which takes us into God's ways and into His thoughts are wrapped in the disguise of normal life. The end of the book of Ruth details the family line: Ruth and Boaz had a son they named Obed. Obed grew up to have a son named Jesse, King David's dad.

That means Ruth was David's great-grandmother. But let us look the other direction of the family line for a moment, asking how it was that an eligible Israelite bachelor was OK with falling in love with a foreign Moabite woman? The answer is found in the genealogy of Joseph found in Matthew 1:5.

"And Salmon's son was Boaz, which he had of Rahab, and Boaz' son was Obed..."

That's correct; Boaz's mother was Rahab the (former) harlot from the Moabite capital, Jericho.

We are told in Joshua 6:25: "And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household, and all that she had; and she lives in Israel to this day; because she hid the messengers which Joshua sent to spy out Jericho."

Boaz's mom and dad were Rahab and Salmon, so now we understand why he found a certain Moabite woman who like his mother had adopted the God and people of Israel as her own, attractive.

Not going to slap you in the face
The point of decision where you must choose higher ways and thoughts or sticking to your own lower ways and thoughts will not announce itself with great fanfare. We must see the wisdom in making a higher decision and the fruit of it down the road of life when you decide to choose higher ways and thoughts. 

And of course, the story really begins with a prostitute in Jericho named Rahab who made the high decision to think God's thoughts for herself, and took the risk of protecting a couple of spies in that doomed city. The grace of the Lord is what I see:

He rewarded Rahab with a daughter in law from her own country, He provided a godly woman with strength and character and boldness like his mother for Boaz, He provided a godly husband who she knew would love her even though she was a foreigner in a godly family for Ruth, and Naomi would have then been adopted into that family as well, and all that worked together to bring us a man named David, and later a man named Joseph, who married a young woman named Mary, who brought us the Lord Jesus Christ, Messiah of Israel. Amazing Grace!

Blessings,
John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

The last 3 weeks I've shared a snapshot of 2 weeks of my life, mistakes I've made and decisions good and bad concerning seeking, finding, and walking in the higher ways and thoughts of the Father.

Right heart
Our text has been Isaiah 55: 6-13 which encourages us to forsake our wicked ways and thoughts and return to the Lord, which nets this result: 'He will have mercy and abundantly pardon' - in humility we forsake our ways and come up to His higher ways and thoughts. To go higher you must first go lower.

Parking space
Today Chris and I went to Walmart in Barb's car. In the US we have a blue card hung from the rearview mirror for handicapped drivers or their passengers, and I had left ours in my truck, which was in the repair shop. Integrity demanded I park in a regular parking space since I didn't have that card.

The space I chose had nobody parked on the passenger side, and since I was driving Barb's car each time we go in and out I have to remove the seat from his wheelchair, remove both wheels, fold it up and place all in the trunk - not a problem with this space and in we went. (With the truck I just place the wheelchair in the back and strap it down without having to fold it first)

We returned the items Barb asked us to return, and strolled the aisles as Chris loves all the variety, but zeroed in on the toy section for as he said: 'You can buy me a new car if you want' - which I did as he loves Lightning McQueen from the animated movie 'Cars', so he got a little car to add to his collection.

Upon rolling back to the car we saw a pick up truck had parked closely next to us on the passenger side. My first thought was 'Thanks guy I don't appreciate that' - as I pondered if it would be safe to leave Chris in the parking lot while I backed 1/2 way out of the space to give us room, or if I could squeeze him in.

That was a split second thought - just as quickly I countered that thought with 'He didn't know we needed room for Chris and the wheelchair, so he didn't sin against you, his slate is clean, keep your heart right'.

The first thought was pride
The second was the Father's higher thought. I immediately recognized my knee-jerk reaction for the ugliness it was and countered it with a higher thought, a righteous thought - the driver of that truck didn't know we needed space for the wheelchair so he was blameless so keep my heart right.

The Father didn't speak that to me, I countered my first thought purposely and immediately with the higher thought - but frankly, that was only because my heart was humble enough not to push my lower thoughts forward.

If I'd been in a grouchy mood or angry at something, maybe I would have allowed that low thought to stay and be entertained awhile - 'Great going Father, couldn't you have made everyone skip that space? Why is it I can't get a break, isn't it hard enough setting up and breaking down a wheelchair everywhere we go? Was that guy as thin as a post that he could park so close to my car? How am I supposed to get Chris in there?'

Given another day and a sour mood and any or all of those could have been my thoughts. But I didn't 'take' that first thought to dwell on it. I didn't make it mine, didn't take possession of it. Instead, because I was just walking with the Father and praying in the Spirit under my breath and worshipping Him silently all day long, I just slapped down that thought as quickly as it came up and replaced it with a higher thought.

(It was a tight squeeze but I was able to get Chris in there)

Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, guess I'll go eat worms...
My mom used to mockingly say that to us anytime any of us kids started to have a pity party. To this day I'm not sure what her point was, but it stopped us feeling sorry for ourselves and I think her point was that we could have as big a pity party as we wanted but she wasn't going to pay attention, so just get it out of your system and get on with your day and do what you are supposed to do.

Habakkuk had just such a pity party and it is in full display in Habakkuk chapter one. He was seeing a vision of something that contradicted all he thought he knew about the Lord, and he was as angry as he was confused! He was angry at life and God and didn't know a way out!

The vision he saw in chapter 1, verses 5-11 was of God using the very ungodly Babylonians against the equally ungodly Assyrians, and using the Babylonians to discipline His own people of Judah. He couldn't understand how a righteous God could use an ungodly people to discipline His own people - whether they were walking with Him at the time or not.

This total rearrangement of his theology caused his pride of self and pride as an Israelite to rise up, as well as challenge his entrenched and most cherished beliefs about God.

He confronted the Lord in v12-13: "Are you not from everlasting O Lord my God, my holy One?...You are of purer eyes than to look on evil, and cannot look on iniquity. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those who are more righteous than themselves?"

Haven't we all had those thoughts when it seems God is nowhere to be found when we are pressed in on all sides with no one to come to our aid? How can you, a righteous God, let this happen to me!?

The 'guess I'll go eat worms', part
Chapter two opens with such a visual picture we can imagine the prophet crossing his arms and getting up on the city wall in a quiet place and telling the Lord something like "I'm going to just sit here until either you answer or I die."

The English doesn't do it justice, but by comparing several translations we understand the stubbornness of his lowly thoughts and ways: "I will just stand here on my watch, and station myself right here on the wall, and I will see what He says to me and how He answers my complaint!" (2:1)

Remember this is a vision of the Lord and these events he is seeing - chapter 1:1 states this. Habakkuk evidently did get up on the city wall and waited to see what the Lord would say about his complaint, but He didn't get the answers he sought:

"And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain on tablets that whoever reads it can run with it. For the vision will happen at an appointed time, and at the end it will make sense and be understood not to have been a lie. Though it is a long time coming, wait for it because it will surely come and will not be late."

The rebuke
With His next words the Lord (only then) addresses Habakkuk's pride and stubbornness: "Look, the soul that is lifted up in pride is not upright in himself nor righteous; The just must live by his faith."

Habakkuk didn't understand how a God who cannot look upon iniquity could use the evil Babylonians to chastise His own people, and the Lord offered absolutely no answers to dissolve the confusion or even offer comfort to his confused mind and raw emotions.

All He told Him was that he was in pride and stubbornness and his soul wasn't right in him, for he was going to have to live by his faith. That line; Thus just shall live by (his) faith, is repeated verbatim in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and stated in so many words in James chapters 1-4, so we know the lesson is as good for us as it was for Habakkuk.

The lesson for us all
We all have questions for the Lord, some more pressing than others, yet rarely does He provide answers. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, therefore His answer to Habakkuk is His answer to us - you are going to have to live by faith in humility in spite of not having all the answers. That walk of faith IS the higher way and thought of God on matters of confusion.

The low ways are the ways of a pity party - feeling sorry for yourself, feeling all alone, confused, angry at God and man. Angry at the guy who took your parking space or the justice system or the insurance company or the government or your neighbor or your church or your spouse...you fill in the blank.

The higher ways are a conscious decision to be obedient and to walk on in faith. Notice that the Lord first told Habakkuk to be obedient - just write the vision as it is for others to read and benefit from - and as for you Habakkuk, you'll have to live by your faith. Your life isn't only for yourself, for your life is a vision written in the hearts of those who observe you - so you may not understand it all, but just be obedient and walk on in the higher ways and thoughts.

Rest
Habakkuk did deliver himself from his lower ways and thoughts of chapter 1, determined to walk on in faith even if he didn't understand what was going on around him. His final words are these:

"Though the fig tree doesn't blossom, neither is there fruit from the vines, and if after all that work the olives fail and the fields yield no food, and if the flock is destroyed away from the safety of the corral, and there is no herd in the stalls; Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation, The Lord God is my strength and he will make my feet like the deer and make me walk in his high places." (3:17-19)

We are raised by a church system that equates emotion with anointing, but the true presence of the Lord is found in the 'in between times' - those times your thoughts hang in the balance between low thoughts and high thoughts - there He may be met, there is where He watches and observes.

If we choose His higher ways and thoughts He is there in full presence...if not, He will let us sit on the wall having a 'hissy fit', mad at the world and ready to prove it by eating worms until we repent of our low ways and thoughts and return to the Lord, and He will then have mercy and abundantly pardon...

Next week, higher ways and thoughts in Acts...blessings,

John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org

Hi all,

I've been sharing from my life about choosing God's higher way's and thoughts. Today 3 more incidents from this past week. By baring my heart and life I'm showing this is a lifestyle, walking with the Father and constantly checking for any difference between my thoughts and ways and His thoughts and ways.

Trip to California

Last week I shared how Chris' life was spared when we were in Canada, and the group home is working on fencing to keep him and other residents from wandering off. Right after getting back from that trip I had a small window of time to drive our truck (Old Reliable) to the Victorville, California area to pick up a trailer given for our use. It weighs 3 tons (6,000 pounds/2720kg) which is at the top of Old Reliable's ability to pull.

As I shared last week, I pray in tongues lightly as I mentally think about a trip - I drive along the route in my mind, sensitive to any witness in my spirit about something going wrong, which is marked by a 'heaviness' or my attention is drawn to and stays on a particular point...if so then I stop and dwell on that and seek more information. The ways of the Spirit and Father are such that usually if you dwell more on a revelation He provides more detail to the point He wants you to know, but not beyond.

I mentally scanned the course of my trip out - 1,400 miles (2250km) across I-40 from Tulsa to Flagstaff, Arizona, then across the Mojave Desert to the Victorville area in the high desert above LA. In my spirit I felt no issues on the way out, but there was a rather light 'heaviness' about the trip home - as I prayed and mentally drove along the route I knew I would have a major issue with the trailer just out of California, and then again 2 hours before arriving in Tulsa I felt a minor thing going wrong with the truck. Barb too felt something would go wrong with the trailer, so I was on the lookout. We had the Father's thoughts.

I asked the Father 'how major' by asking if it was enough that I'd still get home Friday if I left California on Wednesday? Immediately when I thought of Friday it was blank, but when I thought of Saturday I had immediate peace - so I understood His thought was arriving Saturday. Yikes, a 4 day trip back so I was a bit nervous. Immediately I imagined the truck's transmission going out, or blowing the engine, or having to sell truck and trailer in California or Arizona and flying home or calling some of our many friends in Arizona for help - all sorts of imaginations because all He was sharing was vague information.

(Get my dvd 'How the Lord Taught me to Hear the Father's Voice' or cd/mp3 'How to Be Led By the Spirit' for more information on the ways the Father speaks or reveals things to us)

Important! I put all those wild thoughts from me, and disciplined my mind to stay focused on what I had been shown - major issue early in the trip, minor issue 2 hours from home, and a 4 day not 3 day trip back.

The trip back

I left the Victorville area Wednesday afternoon, traveling a comfortable 55-58mph (88kph) for 3 hours to the town of Needles, California, right on the Arizona/California border in the Mojave Desert. The next morning I drove the hour to and through Kingman, Arizona and 52 miles beyond, almost exactly 2 hours into the day, when suddenly the left front tire on the trailer disintegrated.

I wasn't in the middle of Nowhere, but I was on the outskirts. It was 132 miles to Flagstaff, 52 back to Kingman, 9:30am. The trailer has 4 tires on 2 axles, one tire in front of the other on each side. The left front tire exploded with such force almost immediately the rim was on the road sending up sparks and ruining it.

I pulled over, jacked up the axle, removed the remaining rim, cut away and unwound the remaining rubber and wire from the brake and axle, and got the spare - it was the wrong size, 6 holes in the wheel instead of 5. Suddenly I was down 2 tires. So this was the major thing that was going to go wrong with the trailer.

Father's ways and thoughts on the matter...

Once the rim was off I could move slowly along the shoulder of the highway to exit #103 which was 1 mile down the road, and at the end of that exit a sign announced 'pavement ends'. I parked along the side just off the road (more of a path at that point). I told you I was almost downtown 'Nowhere'.

The rule I follow is to first always do in the natural what I know to do, which meant I needed to un-hook the trailer, trust the Father it would be OK, and drive the 52 miles back to Kingman where I trusted the Father had a tire shop with 2 rims and wheels to replace the one that blew up and the incorrectly sized spare.

I did the same thing I always do just in case the Father wanted me to drive 132 miles instead - I mentally drove 132 miles to Flagstaff and it didn't make sense and sensed zero in my spirit. Mentally I drove the other way to Kingman, and didn't feel anything either, but I knew by experience that meant do what seems right in the natural - so I went back to Kingman. I called some shops and found one that said they could help.

Within an hour they had 2 new tires on 2 new rims and I was on my way back to put them on the trailer. In the Father's ordering of my steps I had gone to a tire shop where there was an "In-n-Out" hamburger place on the corner.

I hadn't eaten at one yet on this trip, and it is a family tradition to eat at In-n-Out when we are in California, started by our daughter in law who is from CA. It isn't that we genuflect at the famed 'In-n-Out' sign, but it is tradition to eat there- it was lunch time and I'd eaten nothing yet that day, so it seemed good to me and Him that I have lunch there. (Even to stop there for lunch I scanned while praying to see if I sensed 'go straight to the trailer', or not. I had no sense of urgency to drive that hour back to where I'd left the trailer on the side of the road, so I had lunch)

Why the blow out happened
Once the new wheel was on the trailer and spare mounted on the back I continued my journey, but as I drove I considered the remaining 3 tires. The trailer had sat in one place for 3 1/2 years in the high California desert before I started on the trip, making me think dry rot and UV damage caused that tire to disintegrate and made me wonder about the remaining ones.

As I drove I was praying in the Spirit lightly while my mind walked through the various options to see if any of the options I was thinking bore witness - looking for a sudden peace or knowing in my spirit at one of the ideas I had, indicating that was the Father's thought on the subject.

I thought I could stop and put the spare on the right side front, thinking that the left front blew because the front trailer tire gets road debris first, hits every bump first, and bears more weight of the trailer than the tire behind it. But then I thought with 3 old tires, that is a 1 in 3 chance I'd choose wrong and have a flat on another tire, making twice the work if I guessed incorrectly.

After sensing no peace or direction on anything as I prayed and thought, I finally asked, "Father, it would be helpful to know why that left front tire blew, because if I knew that I could make a wise decision on what to do with the spare and the other 3 old tires if anything, or just keep things as they are."

Immediately He said: "When you came off the exit last night and almost missed your turn to the campground, you braked hard and turned right all at once, putting most of the weight of the trailer and force of the turn on that left front tire. The turn damaged it internally, that's why it disintegrated 2 hours into your trip today."

As He spoke I saw that turn all over again. The previous night the sun was setting and I was following GPS to a campground, and after I had exited there was a road to the campground I nearly missed, braked hard and turned instinctively, only a split second later remembering I had a 3-ton trailer behind me. For a second I was scared I was going to flip - the turn was so severe - I didn't, but did hear the trailer brakes lock up as I braked and turned at the same time. Evidently I had damaged that old left front tire doing that.

If I'd been religious
The standard religious response to a tire blowing out would be to tell the devil he is bound and cast out, or something devil-related. But the truth is, I had done it to myself by carelessly braking and turning hard rather than just going past my turn and coming around the other way, remembering I had a 3-ton trailer behind me. It wasn't the devil, I had done it to myself. That was what the Father thought - the lesson is that if you want to walk in His higher ways and thoughts on a subject, don't just blame the devil or someone else as a knee jerk reaction - first look in the mirror, then be willing to be honest.

The wind and steering
Once again on the road I noticed when a big semi-truck (tractor-trailer) rig would pass me, I'd first be sucked towards the passing truck and then be blown sideways as it passed. I did what I always do - I prayed in tongues while I thought on the matter, shifting my thoughts to my spirit looking for a witness or peace at a particular thought. I had a load-leveling hitch on the truck which used 2 chains to pull the trailer and truck tight together - without it the truck would look like it was popping a 'wheelie' due to the weight on the back.

With it, the truck and trailer were level. But I wondered if I needed to change the setting because if too much weight was just on the back tires the front ones would be light, making steering very light and tricky - and maybe that was why I was being pulled into and pushed away from the big rigs as they passed. I got nothing as I prayed and thought on what to do, looking for the Father's thoughts on the matter.

I pulled into a road-side rest stop to use the restroom, and while standing at the urinal a man came in to relieve himself at the urinal next to mine. So I struck up a conversation with him, commenting on the long and hot day. He agreed, saying every day for him was a long day, and I responded by asking if he drove one of the big rigs out front, to which he said yes. Then I told him about being pulled into and pushed away from those trucks as they passed, and he said that is normal and even happens with them. "When my wife drives I always tell her to watch out for the vacuum as we pass, and the wave of air pushing us away right after."

I had my Father's thoughts though this man didn't know it - what I was experiencing was normal so I didn't need to adjust anything on the hitch. As we each returned to our trucks, I asked this: "Father, thank you for this wisdom from this man. I don't know if he knows you or not, but either way I'd like his helping me to be credited to his account on the last day, because you used him to give me your thoughts on the matter."

Other incident
The rest of that day and the next were uneventful, and 7am Saturday morning found me about 2 hours from home, just east of Oklahoma City but not quite to Shawnee, on I-40, and I was wondering about the 'minor' thing I had felt would happen about 2 hours from home. Just then the 'check engine' light came on the dashboard, and a quick scan of the gauges showed something wrong with the electrical system. Instead of the needle on the gauge being pegged at '14', it was near the 10 or 12 mark.

That meant either the alternator wasn't putting electricity back into the battery, or the battery was no longer holding a charge. When I prayed in tongues and thought of those 2 options, I felt nothing at the alternator, but when I thought of the battery I suddenly remembered I had been prompted to replace this 4 year old battery before the trip, but ignored the prompting - an urge, a persistent suggestion - to replace it. But I reasoned it away at the time, saying it was a good strong battery. But I think in the early morning, when I had the headlights on and all the trailer lights on, it had pushed the battery over the edge and it was no longer holding a charge. The way the needle was moving I figured I had 30 minutes before the engine quit.

I said, "OK Father, all things are provided for me already (II Peter 1:3-4), so reveal your provision - I need a new battery and a parts store open at 7:15am but most of those are in cities with limited parking, so I'd prefer a Walmart where there is plenty of room to park, and I need it right next to the Interstate because I'm not driving this thing through city streets." I then entered 'Walmart' into GPS, up popped one at the Shawnee Mall 12 miles away - I drove right to it, bought a new battery, and was on my way home...whew!

I shared 2 weeks out of my life in such detail these past two 'Thoughts' to let you see the mechanics of how Barb and I live, and that it is a lifestyle not a formula - it is continual communion with the Father. I go through the same routine when Barb drives the 2 hours down to Tulsa - I do what to do in the natural by filling up the car for her, checking the oil, tire pressure, and clean the windshield - then I pray and scan her trip in my mind to see if there is any sense of anything in my spirit. Most times there is nothing.

I do the same when we have Chris home for a couple days, or I contemplate a ministry trip - or if I just run a 15 minute errand - it is lifestyle, and during that time I'm thinking on 100 different things at any one time, always praying in the Spirit while thinking through things. Right now we've found Barb's car's windshield has cracked due to age and the heat most likely, so I'm praying about $250 and the time to run to Tulsa to have it replaced...when I get a peace and sense that money and time come together, we'll get it fixed. It is a lifestyle...did I mention that before? Don't be religious, just walk with the Father...

So remember - do what you know to do in the natural, and then as you pray in tongues think through your day, shifting attention to your spirit as you think to see if there is a witness that may indicate the Father has another thought on the subject, that He might reveal His higher way for you...next week we'll look at this from another angle...blessings,

John Fenn
www.supernaturalhousechurch.org